Thoughts On The Boston Marathon

To the person, or persons who planted the bombs at the Boston Marathon this week. I hate to say it but I think your plan backfired. Whatever your plan was, I don't think it worked. All you ended up doing was making an already inspiring event, even more so. Every marathon, ultra-marathon, triathlon, heck every 5K and race of any distance is full of inspiring stories. Stories of people who used running/walking/biking/swimming to get through tough times, to lose weight and become healthy, to push themselves to new limits, to learn what they are capable of. There are stories of runners stopping mid-race to help others who are having health issues, recently there was the story of a Doctor at the Twin Cities Marathon who was on pace for a personal best, when someone near him suffered a heart-attack, and the Doc stopped running and immediate went to work on saving their life, and he did. Once the person was stabilized the Doctor went on and finished the race. And the Boston Marathon has more inspiring stories than any other, whether its what people put themselves through to qualify for the race, or the long history of amazing races run there. Add another chapter of inspiring stories. Stories of spectators rushing on to the course, pulling off their shirts to make tourniquets for runners and other spectators effected by the blast. Stories of runners running from the finish line to hospitals to donate blood, first responders running into the blast, pulling back fencing and carrying victims out. An already inspiring event just added another layer of inspiration and show of the human spirit. Runners train their bodies and minds to be able to complete the 26.2 mile race, first responders, paramedics, police & firemen train their bodies and minds for situations such as this and all came up big on Monday. All became Heroes. So on Saturday morning as I toe the line at the Trail Mix 50K, preparing to run through the snow, sleet, wind, slop and cold that is a Minnesota spring, I will run not for the victims of the Boston Marathon Tragedy but for the heroes. Those who were injured or killed by the blast, those who ran to the blast to help, those who ran to the hospitals to donate blood, and all of those who made it to the starting line, and for those who didn't have a chance to make it to the finish line.