For Boston

  As many of you witnessed last week our nation was under attack and it had occured at one of Distance Running's most prodigious events, the Boston Marathon. Before 2:50 PM, when pretty much 75% of the field in the Boston Marathon was finished two suspects who were 19 and 26 years old left 2 pressure cookers explosives in backpacks filled with pellits, nails and other debri, and after they left the backpacks they exploded and the result horrific.  3 people dead(which included an 8 year old boy cheering his dad who was running)  and over almost 260 people with injuries some of them minor but other almost sever to the point of being amputated . It was a devistation not only to the Running Community but to this entire country and I'm sure everyone of us felt affected by it in some sort of way.

Boston, to me was very special. 2 years ago I have displayed my emotions on what it meant to get there along with the experience I've had running in my past blogs.

http://dmoneystwocents.blogspot.com/2011/04/my-blood-sweat-and-tears-literally.html

http://dmoneystwocents.blogspot.com/2011/04/my-boston-marathon-experience.html

Yet, many people who were there ran it for the very first time hoping to have the same positive experiences as I had or there were some who did this yearly and it kind of like a yearly journey for them to run Boston, or there were those running for charity and completed to help support their causes and have a good time. However, the devistating explosions ruined a moment of triumpth and celebration for everyone into heartache, sadness and anger.

Kind of like 9/11, everybody now remembers where they were when they heard the news of the explosions. I was at work listening to 97.1 The Fan getting ready to leave work at 3:30 PM like I usually do when they cut in from the Local Sports Talk Shows telling of the explosions that had occured. I got into my car and turned to News Talk Radio(that I hardly never listen to) and they told of what occured in Boston and got home and turned on the TV and saw the images of what was going on. Pretty much I looked at friends' Facebook updates, who were at Boston, to see if they were ok and they were and got home. They were lucky but those who were at the finish line area at the time were not ok and now their lives are now changed forever due to the acts of these two Chechen brothers.

Thankfully due to social media, cameras and witnesses the Police and FBI were able to make a lot of progress this past week and now one of them was killed early Friday morning but the other was taken Friday evening. The capture wasn't without another loss as a police officer at MIT was killed Thursday by those 2. But, the main thing is one of them is alive and captured.

God will be the one that truly going to judge these two but personally I hope the one who is alive would get the death penality for what he and his now deceased brother has done. That's my personal opinion and I hope many of you share the same thoughts as me.

However, back to the reason I'm writing. Everyone of us as runners had a true place in their hearts for Boston and those that were affected. Even those who didn't compete watch in horror of the images and stories of those victims hurt and prayed for friends who were there. Runners who had competed felt they had their moment taking away from them by actions of those 2 BASTARDS!!

Yet, there have been great stories of heroics that have been told. For example, Carlos Arrendondo, the Cowboy hat wearing race volunteer who was helping runners and watching the race to support a runner who was running the marathon in honor of Arredondo's son, Lance Cpl. Alexander S. Arredondo, who was killed in Iraq in 2004. But instead Carlos was helping victims like this one who had to have both his legs amputated. The victim was one of the first ones to give a description to the FBI of the Tsarnaev Brothers.

There were others as well. Especially one of the first victims that was checked into the hospital thanks to her friend.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/04/21/boston-bombing-survivor-grateful/2101403/

They're were a group of Army men who usually start the Marathon early and walk the whole course in full gear with their backpacks from Hopkinton to Downtown Boston. After the bombings many of them did what they were trained to help those who were hurt and tried to remove debri caused from the explosions.

 

 

Former New England Patriot Joe Andruzzi who ran the Marathon was carrying and helping people to safety.

 

These were just some of the example of heroism shown in the aftermath despite the turmoil and Chaos. They were a whole lot more I wanted to mention but I didn't want to go on any longer but it shows you the example of what our country can do in a crisis.

The Running Community has been very supportive. Charities have been set up to help those victims in need. In fact this past Monday, Columbus Running Company along with other running stores around Central Ohio and probably the entire country set up a Run for Boston run. In which people signed up for shirts and donated money to the One Fund Boston. Almost 400 people were at the CRC Dublin Run for Boston Run.

If you still want to donate go to
https://secure.onefundboston.org/page/-/donate4.html

Runners come all sorts of different backgrounds. We may have different goals, act differently, and have a different way of obtaining them but the one thing we all have in common is our love not only for our sport but also for our country, our families, and each other. To me that is at least one postive thing I can take from this senseless act of violence. I apologize if I had affended others in my last blog I'm just in a funk at work. But I feel a sense of urgency hopefully as we can all come together and support one another and others in our communities.

I'll leave with what was posted on Columbus Running Company's Facebook Page the day after the bombings

Runners don’t run from things. We run for things. For our dreams & goals. For charity. For our own personal finish lines.

Yesterday’s terrible tragedy has an impact on all of us, and our thoughts are with those suffering in Boston. But we can’t let that change who we are. We’re runners. Step outside today. Whether it’s a block, a mile, or a marathon, go for a run. Run for something.

Run for Boston.

I'll also leave you a video of the National Anthem that was sung by the fans in attendance of the Boston Bruins hockey game 2 days after the bombings. It was a very touching moment.