I am a runner. And today, I am especially proud to be a runner.
Today, along with the rest of the world, I watched the tragedy unfold
at the Boston Marathon finish line. Boston is, along with the New York
City Marathon, one of the “holy grails” of running races. All runners
watch the Boston Marathon with a mixture of awe & inspiration. Runners
train for years to qualify for one of the coveted spots in this
exclusive race. It’s infamous course has broken elite athletes &
average Joes alike.
But today the Boston Marathon tragedy broke something integral in all
of us. It broke a community that lives well, trains hard & strives to
fulfil personal goals. Today, my community came face-to-face with an
unanticipated roadblock: malicious evil.
Three are dead, including an 8 year old boy. Hundreds are injured,
many critically.
Among the many personal stories emerging from this tragic event – the
heroic first responders, the Sandy Hook Elementary School survivors in
a place of honor at the finish line, the thousands of runners rushing
to ER wards to donate blood, one image haunts me. The bombing caused
mass carnage, and left many with limbs blown off or amputated. I can’t
stop thinking of those driven, vital, seemingly immortal runners
without their most treasured limbs: their legs.
I am proud to be a runner. I’ve worked against genetics (mothering
hips) generous mammary glands (big boobs) & general malaise (laziness)
to become a distance runner I run when I’m happy, I run when I’m sad,
I run when I’m angry and I run when I’m overwhelmed. I’ve often
procrastinated, but I’ve never regretted going for a run.
I ran tonight in memory of those who lost their lives, their limbs &
their loved ones in Boston today. My post-run high was a cocktail of
confusion: I stretched on the seawall at sunset with a feeling of
accomplishment, mixed with equal parts sadness & gratitude With a
splash of anger.
Running is my sport, my drug of choice and as close as I will get to
having a religion. I am doing my
best to raise a runner (or two) in my family. My ex-husband, after
years of resistance, is now a runner. My oldest son is on the track
team at school. I will do whatever I can to bring people to the light.
I am a disciple, seeking to convert everyone around me. A very fit
Jehovah’s Witness, if you will.
I will run the BMO Half Marathon in Vancouver on May 5th with pride,
determination & nervousness. I’m usually nervous at the beginning of a
race, but on May 5th I will be nervous for reasons I had never
previously considered. But I won’t let it keep me from running, or
from racing. It won’t keep me from living my life or inspiring those
around me to run.
As Patton Oswald wrote in his inspirational blog post today: “The good
outnumber you, and we always will.”
We runners will outnumber you. and we always will.
This post is dedicated to runners everywhere. Keep calm. Run on
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