i am runner strong.

monday was a bad day. a bad day for the people of boston. a bad day for runners. a bad day for americans. and a bad day for the running community all over the world. it was supposed to be a good day, a great day actually. it was patriots day, the running of the 117th boston marathon, and opening day for the red sox. but it wasnt, it was a bad day. 

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i was off that day. i had been sick all weekend and still couldnt muster the energy to go to work. on the couch after eating the 1st decent breakfast id had in 3 days, i got the notification from nbc on my iphone that 2 explosions had happened at the finish line of the boston marathon. i couldnt believe it. it couldnt possibly be real. for the rest of the day i watched the cnn coverage of the attack, took a phone call from my very cute concerned aunt, constantly updated my twitter feed to check on friends, and sat there in utter disbelief like everyone else. i couldnt believe it. why would someone take such a sacred and joyous day to turn it into a horribly, bad day.

 

this will always be what i think of when someone brings up
the boston marathon finish line. one bad day doesnt get
to change that. (source)

all day yesterday i read so many people's beautiful, heartfelt posts and just didnt know that i could compete. not that this is in any way a competition! i just didnt know that what i would write could stand up to what they had already said. and so my blog sat, rather quiet for the day, when it should have something very runnery, very inspiring to say.

then i got an email about what i would be doing saturday morning. as part of my new years running resolution i decided i really wanted to volunteer at a few events this year. race volunteers are truly amazing and i thought it was about time i got my butt in gear. so a few weeks ago i signed up for the rage triathlon, the race i did last year, to do just that! fast forward to today and an email bounced in my inbox about what i would be doing. after i got over the shock that iI need to be there at 530a i read on to find out i would be at the swim area to begin working crowd control. after that was over i would head over to the finish line to help for the rest of the day. i was totally stoked! they warned to bring extra sunscreen and comfortable shoes since it would be a long day.

just before the race started last year.

my day continued on and i was totally excited that i would be so involved in the race. and then it hit me, i would be part of the finish line crew, just like so many of the brave volunteers that ran right to where the people that needed the most help where and where the blasts when off. not that this race is anything nearly as big as boston, but it made ya think for about a half a second. and then the true runner/american/spunky girl in me came flying out. no way was i letting some coward make me afraid to run a race, or spectate a race, or volunteer at a race! i LOVE this sport. running turned my whole life upside down and helped me find who i really am. that's the beauty of running, it can be whatever you need it to be.

plus, EVERYONE deserves this feeling.

so this saturday i will arrive at boulder beach at 530am with a very big coffee in hand to be a part of a race. and i will continue to toe the start line of half marathons big or small. and on october 27th i will line up with 30,000 of my closest friends to run the marine corps marathon because it's part of who i am. and no one gets to take that away because i am runner strong.

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