Boston

Yesterday afternoon, after the elite runners finished and coverage of the marathon was over, I shut off the TV and took a nap. Jim called me just after 3pm, waking me up, to tell me the news. When he said there was an explosion, I never imagined it was as bad as it was.

Then I turned on the TV.

I'm just in shock. I still can't wrap my head around this. So many different emotions are going through my head.

First, my friends and family who were in town or running are okay. I was all over Facebook checking to make sure. I'm grateful for the people who checked in on me to make sure I was home yesterday. I had wanted to go in, but didn't try to hard to find anyone to go in with me. I'm glad no one asked me to go.

The Boston Marathon has 3 starting waves with about 9,000 people in each wave. Runners are sorted by their expected time to complete the race, fastest runners first. Within each wave, there are 9 corrals. Bib numbers include the starting wave and corral information. Two years ago, I was in wave 3, corral 7.

Originally when I was training my goal was to finish in under 4 1/2 hours. With my injury (when I couldn't walk without a limp 3 weeks before the marathon), I threw out all expectations of time and just wanted to cross the finish line. I remember telling people, "I don't care if it takes me until 10pm, I'm going to make my way to Boston and get across that finish line." That's all I wanted to do.

The time on the clock when the first explosion went off was at 4:09. That was the time of the first wave, which included the elite runners. Wave 2 started 20 minutes later and wave 3 was another 20 minutes back, about 3 hours and 30 minutes. And wave 3 is where most of the "invitational runners" are placed.

The Invitational Runners are like me. Those who didn't qualify for Boston. We got in my fundraising. I ran on Team Eye and Ear and thanks to so many wonderful people, I raised over $7100 for Mass. Eye and Ear. I met someone on Monday night at the food store who was on this year's Team Eye and Ear. I keep thinking of her and how different her experience was from mine two years ago.

When she was in line at the register in front of me, I told her, "Make sure you put your name in big letters on the front of your running shirt. Hearing 'GO JULIE!' for 26 miles was what got me through some parts." It it really was. The crowds in Boston are amazing! I had tears in my eyes when I passed Wellesley College. The screams were louder than I had expected from everything I heard about it. I really did hear them long before I saw them.

This women in front me, she would have experienced so much of the route. But leaving in Wave 3 as an invitational runner? Most of them are not in the 3 1/2 hour finishing time. Most likely she didn't get to experience that moment with her arms raised up in triumph as she crossed that iconic finish line. She didn't get that moment. All of her memories from this incredible, amazing, wonderful experience will forever be haunted by the evil of yesterday.

This is all just so sad.

Then I heard more news. I knew the last name, and knew my brother knew him. He made it through surgery yesterday at Mass General and had already lost a leg due. Last I read on Facebook about him was a post on the Elks site.
He is still in critical condition. He was due to go into surgery this morning to try and save his left leg and they had to cancel it because they found pieces of metal around his heart

He was in town to see a friend in the marathon. He was there with 2 other friends of his, brothers, who my brother also knows. They are at Beth Israel and they both also lost legs.
http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/04/15/mother-nightmare-two-sons-two-lost-limbs/67hOUjic1trR7AkX6kZZsI/story.html

As I am writing this, 24 hours ago right now those bombs went off. Killing 3, injuring over 170. Changing lives. Changing Boston. Changing memories. Stealing hopes, triumphs and joy.

Yesterday was a sad day.

I pray for the families and friends of everyone injured.

** And wanted to add in:

A charity account has been set up at TD Bank for JP Norden, Paul Norden and Marc Fucarile. Stoneham Mass ELKS critically injured during the Boston Marathon.
Donations can be mailed or dropped off at any TD Bank location.
The name on the account is "Marc, JP, and Paul Marathon Victim Fund". The account number is 8371871647. Donations can be mailed to TD Bank 280 Montvale Ave. Woburn MA 01801. Or you can call 781-376-0100.