The heart of the runner

Like many, I was greatly affected by the news of the bombing at the Boston Marathon.  I quickly learned I had a best friend who had an immediate family member who might be in harm's way - who we could not immediately contact to confirm was safe.  Then, when I blessedly learned that the family member was safe, I felt immediately elated.  This was quickly followed by guilt because I knew there are others who did lose loved ones or whose loved ones were severly harmed.

I knew I wanted to respond. I thought about writing a prayer. I thought about writing a poem. I also thought about breaking down in tears or screaming into the world at those who would set off the bombs. I saw a lot of those similar responses on Facebook, which made me smile. It fulfilled my need to respond in these ways but that left me with a question about how I personally should respond.

Then I went for a run.

I wasn't conscious of the defiance built into this very act. I just knew I would gain clarity through a run.

I had one of my better runs (yay!). During my run I thought about those runners; the best of the best. A group I have no expectation that I will ever join. A group of people that have struggled, perservered, failed, and succeeded in life. A group that as a whole sustains funding for numerous charities (like the Boston Marathon).

The heart it takes to be a good runner is something that has always impressed me. Here is what I mean by heart:  Each runner has undergone training that can only be described as time consuming and strictly regimented and through this training they have learned to care for themselves and make a difference in the world.  Through this training, they have had to struggle with themselves.  In the middle of a run, different muscles would ache or cramp and they had to decide to slow down, quit, or keep running.  The better they can balance pushing through the discomfort or listening to that particular pain, the healthier they are.  Most of the official runs they attempt to qualify for the Boston Marathon are charities.  Almost every runner I know has that one cause that they promote the most and that motivates them to keep going - whether that is MS, AIDS, a specific cancer, or other noteworthy charitable cause.  While they may have started running for personal reasons, what keeps them running is the cause.

What was your response to these tragic events?