The Boston Marathon

Before I became a runner, I didn't pay much attention to upcoming marathons or any other races for that matter. But, once I started running, I paid attention to every article, Facebook post or motivational running story I saw. One story really hit home for me. It was the story of Bobbi Gibb, the first woman to run and complete the Boston Marathon in 1966.

I couldn't believe that just 8 years before I was born, women weren't even allowed to run in marathons! But, this brave lady crashed the Boston Marathon and ran anyway - and she finished, even though people were trying to push her off the course.

I had heard this story many times and seen many pictures of her, and although I haven't run in that marathon, it's held a special place in my heart because of the history that was made there so many years ago.

When I first started running, it was just a part of my training for the Tough Mudder. I had decided to do this insane obstacle course, which entailed running through live electric wires, over burning logs, through mud pits, under barbed wire, through dumpsters of ice water and over walls. It was something I never thought I could do...but, it was something I truly wanted to accomplish.

When I announced to people that I was planning to do this, many people didn't believe me. Some even made fun of me, saying I would have to run with the "remedial" group of runners, and others told me that it wasn't "me."

The story of Bobbi finishing the Boston Marathon was one of the things that inspired me during my training for Tough Mudder, and ultimately inspired me to finish multiple races that year, including the Philadelphia Marathon in November of 2012.

Running (especially in races,) has been my personal therapy over the past year. It's given me a place where I feel stronger and more powerful than ever before, both mentally and physically. It's an escape for me, and I know it is for many other runners.

When I heard about the explosions at the finish line yesterday, I was in shock and disbelief. My safe place, my refuge and my source of strength had been attacked. I thought about the horror at the finish line and cried for the people who were killed or catastrophically injured. I thought about my friend Mary, who was running the Boston Marathon for the first time that day, and wondered if she and her husband were OK.

I  thought about the runners who never got to cross the finish line, and those runners who kept running to the local hospitals to donate blood to the victims. I thought about the people who rushed towards the injured to do whatever they could to help, and I thought about the people who opened their homes to those who had nowhere to go after the attack.

I was sad about all of it, and I'm still sad about it and trying to make sense of it. I guess that's partially why I'm writing this blog post. Writing about things sometimes helps me to make sense out of them.

One thing I've realized from all of this is that there is so much more good in this world than bad. Horrible things happen, and I'm not minimizing any of the horror of this attack. But, there are so many moments of goodness that can be spotted along the way.

Hobie Call, who is one of my idols in the obstacle racing community posted this picture on his Facebook page today.

It's so true. We don't know who launched the attack on The Boston Marathon yet, but there were countless "helpers" assisting the injured and even people who weren't there who were praying for everyone's safety.

There were also "helpers" forming a human shield around Bobbi Gibb so she sould finish the marathon without being pushed off the course by people who didn't want her there. There were also lots of "helpers" in my life who helped me to realize that I could attain my goals, regardless of what other people thought or said to me.

I'm supposed to race in the Broad Street Run on May 5th. It's one of the most popular races in the nation, and they're talking about stepping up security, but warning that there's no way to completely prevent another attack.

Honestly, running in the Broad Street Run is scary to me now. I've never been scared to run a race, but the terror experienced at the Boston Marathon yesterday has crept into me, as I'm sure it has crept into many people.

But, I won't let it stop me from running in that race. I will push my fear aside, and cross the finish line for the runners who couldn't cross the finish line yesterday and for the people who were injured so badly that they will never be able to run again. I will do it for those who risked their lives to help the injured runners and spectators, and I will do it for myself as yet another reminder that anything is possible, even in the wake of a tragedy.