I’ve been thinking a lot about what happened in Boston. It’s funny how things can become more real to you at different stages in your life. Since I’ve training for a half marathon and have run 5Ks and 10Ks before, I can picture the finish line, the spectators, the volunteers and the runners. It makes me very sad.
I didn’t post yesterday because I didn’t know what to say. I was still processing and chose silence as the best option. Today I’m ready to talk. I have frustrations, questions and ultimately I’m looking to hope. I’ve seen a lot of news items that I’d like to comment on and one post in particular brought me to tears.
This post talked about the spectators and the huge, irreplaceable role they play in racing. This is absolutely true. Races bring such community and a team spirit that the air gets thick with encouragement, enabling you to run miles farther than you would if you were running alone. It’s electric. Why were the spectators attacked? It’s heartless.
My race is just a couple weeks away. Should I still run it? Is it dangerous? Will something bad happen? These are all thoughts I’ve been turning over in my mind. Daniel told me yesterday he doesn’t want me to run. He’s concerned for my safety. I can’t blame him. I’m still not sure what I’m going to do about the race … but I am sure that I’m not going to stop running.
That might sound a little surprising since my last post was about how much running sucks. Since then, I have actually had a crazy breakthrough. I ran 7 miles on Saturday without stopping. THAT is crazy. I adjusted a couple things like slowing my pace, focusing on breathing and listening to an audio book that helped me go the distance. And … it was kinda awesome.
All this adds to my heartache for Boston. I’m praying that those involved are found out soon. I’m praying for healing for the families, runners and beloved spectators. Don’t quit cheering. Don’t quit running. We need each other.
~ Kate
P.S. For those of you looking for that homemade ketchup recipe I mentioned on my Facebook page yesterday, you can view it here. It was really good! I will add honey to it once I’m done with the Whol30.
