Heartbroken for Boston today

I called my husband this morning from work and asked him if he could record any footage of the Boston Marathon for me. He found a channel that only showed 11 minutes left in their programming for the race, eh, I told him nevermind I would just catch highlights online. A short time later my friend, and running buddy, Krissy emailed me and asked if I had heard about the explosions at Boston...wait...what?!!! I quickly went to CNN.com and was devastated to read the headlines "Bombing at Boston" "Many hurt in Marathon Explosions." It seemed really surreal. There weren't many details so I was hoping that it was a terrorist plot gone wrong and injuries were scrapes and bruises, nothing more. A few hours later just before the end of my work shift I checked online again and this time there were stories, videos, pictures galore. My co-worker must have thought I was nuts, I asked him if he had heard about Boston. He responded "Yeah, I heard something about that. Hey, aren't you running one of those soon?" Tears welled in my eyes. I think everyone can grasp the idea of a tragedy. You see blood, tears, heartache and get a sick feeling in your stomach; but when it happens in a sport you treasure at your very core, a sport you have personally survived the ups and downs of, it really hits you hard.

I have never run Boston, and most likely never will, but I have had my own running triumphs and in 13 days I will run my first marathon. A weekend I already knew would be emotional will now be twice as bittersweet. I think of the runners who have lost limbs, beloved spectators, and literally left their blood and tears on the course. I think of how thousands of runners didn't get to finish their race because of a hate crime. I think of all the time they put into getting to Boston, and how running may never be the same for many of them. I think of the 8 year old boy who was cheering on a loved one; here one minute, in heaven the next. I think about the strength it takes to be a runner. Mental, Physical...it takes heart. Terrorists will never win. The running community is a strong one, use to pushing through pain and through obstacles. It's just not fair that another one was thrown their way today. My prayers are for Boston tonight.