I started running nearly three years ago, but the Boston Marathon wasn't really that big of a deal to me.
It was something I sorta knew a little about....like it being the oldest marathon in the United States and how you had to "qualify" to run in it. Basically, it was something that was so far out of my league that I didn't really give it a thought.
However, this year I'd been following a couple of Facebook pages of female runners who were training to run in the Boston Marathon and I'd really gotten excited for them as they shared their ups and downs about preparing to participate in this event.
So on Monday morning I posted on my Facebook page a link to the Boston Marathon and wrote that I'd really like to be there! I didn't say as a runner (that would be amazing...although impossible for my level of running), but in my mind, I would wanted to be there just to be a part of the excitement of this huge event and to get a glimpse of some truly amazing runners.
To be in the crowd.
As the morning went on, I was on the internet reading anything I could about the marathon. Then, I stumbled upon a link that offered a "live stream" of the marathon!
I was thrilled! I got out my iPad and hooked it up to the link and watched it until I had to start getting ready for a birthday luncheon. Then I took it into the bathroom and continued to watch the elite males and females run to the finish line!
By the time I arrived at the lunch the fastest of the fast women and men had crossed the finish line. I recall babbling about watching them progress along the 26.2 miles of the challenging course....and how the fourth place finishers in both the men and women's run were from the USA!
Then I forgot about the rest of the run.
I forgot about the slower, more average of the runners.
I forgot about the whole thing and I went to the grocery store to buy our food for the week.
I didn't give the Boston Marathon another thought until I'd loaded my groceries in the car, got in the driver's seat, turned on the engine and started backing out of my parking spot.
The radio was blaring the horrific news and I was totally in disbelief.
There had been two explosions at the finish line of the marathon and lots of people were severely hurt and some were killed.
I was physically sick as I listened to the newscaster describe the chaos of what was going on in Boston....at the finish line of the marathon!
It sounded like a sick joke.
I pulled in the the garage...leaving the groceries in the car....and I ran into the house to turn on a TV.
As the screen came alive, revealing to my eyes what my ears had been listening to, the phone rang. It was a running friend of mine.
We were both silent....just watching and listening to the TV.....sharing this overwhelmingly horrible time in silence.
Since that day so much has been on the TV and the internet and Facebook about the attack at the finish line.
We all have heavy hearts. . .just thinking about the innocent lives lost or severely affected by the heinous act is consuming us. Well, it is me. I just can't stop thinking about it.
Many of the running pages I follow on Face Book started all sorts of ways to honor and support the victims of the blasts.
One such was was to run or walk in honor of them.
I did that on Tuesday evening.
I put on a t-shirt from The Kansas City Marathon and headed outside. ( No....I didn't run that marathon, but I have run the 5K of that event three years in a row. This fall I'm running the half marathon!)
As I was saying, I put on my KC Marathon shirt and ran 3.1 miles in honor of Boston.
While doing that, my thoughts were with those spectators who'd been so thrilled to be on either side of the street at the finish line....waiting for their loved one or friend or family member to come into view!! How, within 12 seconds of each other, two blasts went off. . . .jolting the ground, knocking people down, severely injuring and killing so many who had just come out to support runners on that perfect weather day of the 2013 Boston Marathon.
I thought about how quickly the emergency people and spectators responded to help those who were so severely injured and how many runners who had just completed the marathon distance jumped to the aid of injured people as well. They were so brave. . .they had no idea if more bombs were set to go off or not. They were selfless.
I wondered how I would have reacted had I actually had my Monday morning dream come true. . .and was there, watching the marathon, as I'd wished I could have been. Would I have been brave and helped someone out without thinking about myself? I hope so. . .
Today, the FBI released these pictures of two suspects who they think were the ones who planted the bombs at the finish line.
I pray with all of my heart that, if these were the ones who brought so much pain and grief to so many innocent people, that they be quickly found and brought to justice.
Then. . .as we are all reeling from the Boston bombings, the terrible incident that occurred in the small town of West, Texas, last night.
A powerful explosion at a fertilizer plant resulted in a cloud that reminded us of an atomic bomb blast. . .and the deaths of so many people. . .and the massive destruction of so much of that small town.
Our prayers go out to this town.
My heart is heavy with sadness for Boston and West, Texas. They have suffered so much hurt and pain this week. I hope all of us Pinkies continue to lift them up in prayer as they deal with the pain and sorrow that they found placed in their lives.
This is a PINKLESS Pink Saturday for me, but please visit Beverly's blog for a long list of other bloggers who are participating this weekend.
DANA
Update. . .24 hrs. later.
How quickly things can change.
Since I typed this post last night about this time, the two suspects were identified, involved in the killing of an MIT security guard, the hi-jacking of a car and ensueing police chase/shoot out where Suspect #1 was killed and Suspect #2 escaped and was on the loose all day. . .shutting down the city of Boston and surrounding surburbs. Residents were told to stay inside while law enforcement personnel went house to house in Watertown, Mass. in search of the suspect.
Finally. . .tonight. . .Suspect #2 was found and captured.
As I type this, he's in custody and in a Boston hospital. . .and everyone. . .for awhile. . . is breathing a sigh of relief.
I pray these two were acting alone. . . .and that it's over.
Time will tell.
