Monday was a crazy day. It was emotional for everyone, but I believe in particular us runners. Coworkers heard the news about Boston and said it was a shame, but I’m not sure they all got a pit in their stomach, a nauseous, aching, and exhausting feeling that haunted them all day like us runners did. Runners are an amazing community of people who are all united by their love for a mostly solo sport. However, on race day, the sport no longer becomes individual – instead it’s about the community. When you race with 24,000 other runners, you feel like you are part of one united village. And now that village has fallen under attack.
A lot has been written and said about that day, so I won’t go on too long but I do want to say one thing – I will keep running. I will still try to qualify for the 2014 Boston Marathon next weekend at Eugene and I WILL be running it next April if I do. I’ve had family, friends and coworkers half-heartedly joke that I shouldn’t run Boston next year if I qualify. They ask if I’m afraid to run marathons from now on. Of course there is no way I could have not imagined myself being there on race day. I couldn’t not think about Mike standing on the side lines. But it’s not about me – it’s about the victims. Not racing anymore wouldn’t do anything but give the disgusting perpetrators of this cruel act what they want.
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