Tag: BostonStrong

Kirsch on the Mountains

Paul Kirsch is deeply involved in the Mountain/Ultra/Trail (or MUT) running community. Paul serves as both a team manager for the US Mountain Running Team and also the MUT Chair on the USATF-NE board. It’s only natural that we turn to him when looking to get a finger on the pulse of the mountain scene. Road races are all the rage these days, but there’s just something gritty, hard-nosed and olde school about mountain running that the Level finds very appealing. We plan on expanding our scope to cover more of that, and here’s a nice intro to the 2013 mountain running circuit from Paul:

It’s been a tough last month in the running community, especially in New England, where we all know someone who was within 50 or 100 feet of the bomb blast on April 15th. I remember going for a trail run the morning of the 16th with my dogs. What is normally my zen moment of the day, my escape from all that is tough and stressful in the world, had been fouled by the tragic events of the day before. A few heartless people had taken our outlet, our escape and done something that caused us to associate it with sadness and pain and death.

I say all of the above with the perspective of someone who was affected on a minimal level compared to the people who were there in Boston that day. I can only imagine what they are all going through on so many levels.

I’ve continued to have those thoughts all in the back of my head until this past Sunday when I made the early morning drive over to Huntington, VT for the first race in the 2013 USATF New England Mountain Running Circuit. When you live in rural New Hampshire and you drive across NH and VT at 4AM, it’s hard not to be at peace and pretty mellow on the drive. No one is on the road, the scenery is amazing, and you better have a well stocked iPod because Satellite radio only gets reception for about 50% of the time. When I got to Sleepy Hollow Ski and Bike Center in Huntington, I started to see familiar faces and I was reminded again of the amazing feeling of community and all that is right with the world when I am in the midst of my favorite people – the mountain running folks. We come in all shapes, sizes and abilities but we all share a fierce competitive spirit and a good sense of humor, as we voluntarily go up and down mountains for the fun of it. It was the perfect antidote to my feelings of the last 3 weeks.

Leslie O'Dell Beckwith appears to be all smiles at Sleepy Hollow. Courtesy of Scott Mason.

Leslie O’Dell Beckwith appears to be all smiles at Sleepy Hollow. Courtesy of Scott Mason.

Sleepy Hollow is the perfect way to kick off that beautiful simplicity that is mountain running- a low key race with a focus on a quality course and enough amenities to enjoy it but not so many that the “race” gets lost in the “event” of it all. The race is organized by Kasie Enman and Liz Hollenbach and the GMAA. That’s Kasie Enman as in “2011 World Mountain Running Champion” Kasie Enman, because, in the no-ego world of mountain running, it makes perfect sense that the world champion would follow up her amazing performance in 2011 by organizing a great mountain race for the rest of us.

I look forward to race #2 in the circuit at Wachusett and the rest of the series, surrounded by amazing people, who will remind me throughout the series of the amazing vibe of the mountain running community and everything that is right in the world with runners.

We do have something coming on the Sleepy Hollow race, I swear! Come on Newbould, all eyes are on you. No pressure no pressure no pressure…

Memorial Bridge

At the most recent USATF-NE board meeting (held on Monday, May 6th), association president Tom Derderian presented an artist’s rendition of a new footbridge in Boston. The bridge would not only replace the current eyesore, but would also memorialize the victims of the bombing and a be symbol of the strength of the community and the race.

Of the proposed bridge, Tom said:

“Yes, the Boston Marathon Bombings have shocked, angered, and saddened us. USATF-NE has made a cash donation. Now it is time to plan for a lasting memorial to the victims, the race, and the community. At Monday’s USATF-NE board we unanimously approved a concept for a running gateway bridge over the Mass Pike connecting the Boston University area with the Allston/Harvard area. There is already an aging, ugly bridge there, but the proposed span would arch the highway with signage that would greet visitors to the Boston Stong/Marathon City. Competitors to the marathon would pass under the bridge into the city and on buses out to the starting line. Mayor Menino  said, “I’m proud to say that the car is no longer king in Boston.”  This running/cycling bridge would show the mayor’s vision to visitors and residents. Bridges are symbolic as ways to bring people together and that is something that runners and the larger community need in the wake of the bombing. Such easements to exercise are of course good public health measures.”

The bridge in question that this one would replace is by the Regina Pizzeria in Allston, where the Mass Pike goes under Cambridge St. It certainly is an ambitious project and will take a lot of hard work and cooperation to get done, but with a little luck we could soon have an inspiring arch welcoming people into the city.

NBB Headed to Austin

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New Balance Boston Athletes to Represent Boston at Red Sock Relays

Screen Shot 2013-05-07 at 12.14.47 PM(Austin, TX) -­ Sarah Crispin and Dan Kramer from New Balance Boston are the latest athletes to confirm their participation in the Austin Track Club’s Red Sock Relays, being held in Austin, TX on May 11. Crispin, a two-­time All-­American in the 800 meters and distance medley relay at Tufts University, has been with New Balance Boston since 2007. Kramer attended McGill University in Montreal, where he earned all-­Quebec honors in cross country and several conference championships in the indoor 1500 meters. After graduating McGill, Kramer ran with Montreal Endurance (now McGill Olympic) before returning home to the Boston-­area and joining New Balance Boston.

Crispin’s participation adds an extra level of significance to the Relays through the event’s beneficiary, the GiveForward fund established on behalf of Patrick Downes and Jessica Kensky. Downes and Kensky were severely wounded in the Boston Marathon attacks. Downes and Crispin were co-­workers at The Giffords School, and when she learned about their injuries, Crispin wrote a blog for the running website Level Renner asking for donations for her friends. “That was how Sarah first came to our attention,” says Austin Track Club director George Perry. “We were looking for a beneficiary that would allow us to make a direct, personal impact on someone who survived the attack. At the same time, Sarah was reaching out to the community she knows best. Once we were put in contact with her, it didn’t take much convincing to get her to sign up.”

Crispin and Kramer join Matt Duffy of the Northern California-­based Asics Aggies and the Austin Track Club’s roster as the elite athlete contingent at the Relays. These athletes will be available to any mile relay team looking for an extra burst of speed to get under the 4:15 time that earns a donation on the team’s behalf. An elite mile race will cap off the Relays’ festivities, which include a series of 200-­meter sprints, all-­comers mile relays and individual miles, and a social media scavenger hunt powered by MapMyFitness.

Registration for the Red Sock Relays will cost $10. For more information, please visit www.redsockrelays.com.

The Austin Track Club, L3C, a low-­profit limited liability company, is a professional track and field team with the mission to train, develop and support aspiring Olympic athletes. Since its inception the club has coached numerous athletes to compete in national and international competitions, most notably 2012 Olympic silver medalist Leo Manzano.

The Return of the Group Run

Marathon Sports hosted their usual Wednesday night group run, but there was nothing usual about this particular run. It was the first time that the group has been able to meet at the Boylston St location since the bombing on Patriot’s Day. On an average night one can expect to find about 40 people gathered for a workout, but last night drew a crowd of closer to 300.

 

 

The gathering was so big that it caught the attention of more than just the underground running media, as mainstream outlet WBZ was on hand to cover it as well.

Before the run started, store manager Shane O’Hara addressed the crowd and reminded us to keep the victims “in your hearts, minds and in your miles.” Although the store looked great and it was a positive upbeat environment, there are still people out there that need your help. Talking to Shane after the event, he mentioned  a couple of people that were badly hurt, and I believe this is the link to help them out directly.

Shortly after that, members of the run club presented Shane with a plaque thanking him (and the rest of the company) for his service to the running community.

After the run, returning runners were greeted with pizza provided by Bertucci’s and drinks and snacks from Shaw’s.

Below are some pics taken during the event, and additional pics can be found on the Level Instagram page:

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See you there next Wednesday!

Rising to the Occasion

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A couple of socially awkward, psychotic, douchegoblins did the unthinkable on Patriot’s Day. They don’t deserve to have their names repeated here. Instead we’ll call them Douchegoblins 1 & 2 should we need to specify as we go along. I don’t want to dwell on their acts either, but focus more on the response from the city in the following days.

In the wake of the tragedy, before the shootout that brought the whole city to a grinding halt, there was a few days in between in which we were all still trying to make sense of it all. It was in that time where I ventured out into the city to see for myself what Back Bay now looked like.

It wasn’t until Wednesday that I made the trek over the bridge from Charlestown, but as you already know the area was still locked down. However, amongst the ramped up p0lice presence, national guard and barricaded streets, were signs of hope.

At every blocked off street there was a memorial of some type. The biggest one seemed to be (at the time) at Boylston and Berkeley. The stretch of Berkeley was open to traffic, but the stretch of Boylston between Berkeley and Arlington was so quiet that I thought that stretch of road was closed too at first. In fact, even Newbury was quiet enough where I had to keep reminding myself to be on alert for traffic. With so many people walking around outside and so few cars around, it was easy to forget that not all the roads were closed off to vehicles.

 

It was nice to see the flags, flowers and signs there, but it was pretty crowded (big media presence) so I made my way out to Newbury Street and continued walking up towards Dartmouth Street. Each intersection had its own little memorial, a sign of hope and beauty amongst the reminders of the ongoing manhunt and investigation.

People were out trying to help lighten the mood and raise spirits, by either adding to the memorials, playing music or even bringing refreshments to the cops who were out keeping a watchful eye on the scene. Even the Scientologists were out pushing a cart full of Dunkin Donuts and stopping to offer some to the police. I wouldn’t want to drink their kool-aid, but is the coffee safe? At this point I was up to Exeter St and figured it was time to head back anyway. Better go before the Scientologists try recruiting me. I didn’t make it very far before one of them caught up to me, made eye contact, and said….hi. And that was it. Wait, that was it? I guess I’m just not Scientology material.

IMG_1441Along the way home I noticed that somebody had been busy writing uplifting messages on the sidewalk in chalk. It wasn’t until I was on my way back that I caught a glimpse of who was doing it. It turned out to be just a couple of BU students, a boy and a girl, just roaming the street and dropping down whenever they felt inspired to do so. I turned the camera on to capture them writing one of the messages, but beyond that they had no interest in any credit being given to them. They just wanted to anonymously do some good.

Shortly after I happened to be walking near a young lady (don’t know her name) wearing the 2013 marathon jacket so I asked her about her race. She was one of the many who got stopped at mile 25.5 and couldn’t finish the race. According to her, the cops just told them all to disperse. Her family was in the bleachers when the bombs went off but thankfully escaped unharmed. Every time she added another detail I couldn’t help but feel even sorrier for her. It was her first marathon. She was running with her sister, and it was on her birthday. Her 26th birthday, and she couldn’t even make it the 26 miles because of the aforementioned douchegoblins. But she was determined to run again in 2014 and it was nice to see yet another runner who undeterred by the cowardly act.

A couple days later, the suspects were “accounted for” and my focus was on to more positive things. The Western Mass Distance Project hosted a Run For Boston at Stanley Park (home of Jason Ayr) in Westfield, MA. Seat belts buckled, radio turned up, check engine light on…we were ready to hit the road (ignoring the check engine light as usual). We were leaving home just as things were quieting down and part of me wanted stay there and get out and enjoy the city. This swelling of pride for my city only got worse when I started playing Black Out by the Dropkick Murphys.

Stanley Park was alive with activity on Sunday morning. There was a crowd there ready to do some good. Since there was no registration, it was tough to put an exact number on just how big the crowd was, but it looked like it was north of a thousand. Companies like Dunkin Donuts and Stop & Shop stepped up to donate refreshments, there was a DJ, and even some port-a-johns were donated.

Jason Ayr grabbed the mic and said some inspired words to us all, followed by a moment of silence. There was a lighthearted moment just before the race got underway when everybody was in the start area but unsure of which direction the run would progress in. It was funny, and it represented the day fairly well. We were all just a bunch of runners getting together to do some good. There was no timing, there would be no winner, heck there wasn’t even a distance. Just go run some laps!

When all was said and done, the Wolf pack had raised over $7,000. It’s comforting to know that as impressive as that is, it’s just a drop in the bucket for the One Fund. Because we’ve all risen to the occasion, it now has over $26.5 million in it. It’s absolutely incredible. It’s amazing what can happen when the community comes together. We saw it on a smaller scale in Westfield on the 21st, and we’re seeing it on a larger scale every day in the wake of the tragedy. Boston Strong.

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Boston Well Represented in London

Guest blog by Stacy Brinegar

I’m not a runner. What a great way to start a post on a running site, right? But I’m not. I never have been and I never will be, it’s just not in me. But I married a runner and I live on the marathon route so running has crept into my life from an early age and it’s not going anywhere. While I won’t ever be lacing up the Mizunos for a relaxing 10-miler, I know just how much these last few days have meant to the running community.

Marathon Monday means many things to many people. For me, it means the start of spring, happier days, warmer weather, no more threats of snow, flowers blooming, people emerging from their winter caves, the Red Sox, school’s out, BBQs, parties, friends, beers, sports on all day, runners, wheelchair racers, pace cars, legendary athletes, TV coverage, and for 26.2 miles, the best the human mind and body can offer.

For others, it’s sweat, tears, blisters, Band-Aids, Gu, blankets that look like tin foil, little cups of water and crowds that won’t let you give up. It’s an addiction to some; pain means nothing as long as you finish. So when my cousin Carolynn told me she was running her sixth marathon in the historic city of London just a week after Boston (which she ran in 2012) I said I’d be there!

It was supposed to be such a fun and carefree trip (at least for me, for her there might be some chafing and cramping), but two days before we left, two evil radicals poisoned our day, killed our people, maimed our citizens and paralyzed a community. Flights were being grounded so I didn’t know if we could take off, and there was chatter about what this would mean for the London race. If we did get there, would there be a safe place for us to watch? Not to mention, did I want to go to a foreign country just days after a massive terrorist attack and leave my husband and two young boys at home? Would my husband want me to go? What if I went and never made it home? What if I made it home, but with injuries? What if I could never run after my boys, or hug them again? How do you decide when you are supposed to live your life without fear and when it’s time to be cautious and give up experiences to have a future?

In the end, I went. I was scared, but I did it. I got on that plane and sat in my cramped seat thinking that no cowardly act would keep me from experiencing life.

And I’m glad I did.

The world came together this weekend in London and it was amazing.

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L-R: Katie, Carolynn, Stacy, all leaving little doubt as to where they’re from.

Every person we met who found out we were from Boston reacted the same way, with a mix of sadness, curiosity, pity, anger and an overall happiness that we were there. We fielded so many questions about the details, some of which we hardly knew, because of the time change and roaming/data charges we were fairly unplugged while we were there.

People were so supportive though, everyone kept telling us that London stood with Boston and that they were amazed at how strong our city was. Many people at the Expo said they were doing this for us, and would be writing Boston on their shirts, shorts, or even skin somewhere. Each runner had a black ribbon they wore throughout the race in honor of those that were killed or hurt. It was quite a site to see, watching almost 40,000 runners from every corner of the world show solidarity for their athletic brothers and sisters across the pond. I did feel a bit of irony though, to see so many British people honoring Boston for a tragedy that happened on the day we celebrated the first battle in the war that separated us from England…apparently no one else thought that.

Race day was full of excitement and, according to the London news, more than 700,000 people showed up to watch this race. Normal attendance is only about 5-600,000. They attributed this bump to the tragedies in Boston. Everyone wanted to support the runners and show the world of radical terrorists that we are not afraid. Plus, the weather helped…it was a really nice day and apparently spring in London is as frustrating as spring in New England.

My friend Katie and I were still in our hotel after Carolynn went to the starting line and we were able to watch the 30 second moment of silence before the start. It was quite emotional and many in the crowd were crying. Carolynn was too, she told us she couldn’t stop even though she told herself her tears were sucking up valuable hydration.

After that moment…Off they went. Running, laughing, smiling, waving; a collective middle finger to the world of terror.

Katie and I found a great spot at Mile 23 and watched them roll in. Every person we saw with Boston ANYTHING (shirts, shorts, Rondo jerseys, markered arms and legs, hats) got the full strength of our voices. I think we offended some Brits. They are very calm spectators. It’s a lot of polite clapping and some slightly louder “well done, chaps”. Not like us, we were screaming like it was the bottom of the ninth and Big Papi was up. A few people moved away from us. But, not before asking where we were from (really, guys? Did our screaming and Red Sox shirts and hats not give it away?) Once we answered, the understanding flooded their faces and we could see we were forgiven for acting so uncouth in public. We even got a few to join in. Quietly.

We were feeling great, loving the atmosphere, cheering for everyone, scanning the crowd for Carolynn and anyone with Boston ties…and then a balloon popped. About 10 feet from us. I almost went down. I don’t know the specifics for PTSD and don’t want to minimize it in any way but my mind said “bomb” and my heart almost stopped. Any other day and I would have probably not even heard that balloon but after the Boston events, my adrenaline kicked in. It’s true that a million thoughts can go through your head in one split second and they sure did.

Katie felt it too and as we looked at each other with terror in our eyes, I said “we’re OK”. We both breathed for a second and went back to looking for Carolynn and any other Boston supporters and runners. We had to put that out of our minds and keep cheering for all the people that were running.

I’m proud to say that Carolynn finished in 3:53, her fastest marathon by over 10 minutes. She said it was the atmosphere, the support from so many runners and spectators and knowing that she was running freely on her own two feet while many of her fellow Bostonians were struggling to survive in a hospital thousands of miles away. She did it for the families that had to say goodbye and for the thousands of first responders, cops, FBI, doctors, nurses, and regular people-turned life-savers who went above and beyond for our city and its people.

This was an emotional day for all but it was healing as well. We will get past this, we will run again. Or in my case, I will cheer again for those running Boston 2014. Boston Strong. Start running.

For more from the runner’s perspective, you can find a blog by Carolynn about her experience on the City Running Tours website.

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Theraflu and Whiskey

Guest blog by Jason Ayr

So what do we talk about when referencing the 2013 Boston Marathon?  I, like many others, feel a sense of guilt in recounting my race experience from a running perspective.  It is, however, important for us to talk about our races.  Our races are what make this event so special.  How very special this event is has not gone away, nor should the stories of our races.

The marathon matures you in many ways.  The long efforts after a work day, the execution of willpower during your taper, and the mental battle over the final miles are unlike any other racing experience and they mature you.  In the running world it is a guaranteed long term goal; an “all your eggs in one basket” challenge no matter how you look at it.  A disappointing result in this race requires the patience to prepare and race another.

I felt pretty good about my training going into the 2013 Boston Marathon.  It was by no means perfect, but it was a vast improvement on anything I had done before it.  I attribute this to coming off my first competitive marathon in October 2012 and my growth as a runner resulting from this race.  All was looking good, until the Friday before the race…

I broke out with a 103 degree fever Friday night and the idea of racing drifted away.  In all honesty, I was feeling bad for myself.

Screen shot of a Google chat conversation between EJN and Jason, less than 24 hrs before the gun went off. Luckily he didn't need any cowbell.

Screen shot of a Google chat conversation between EJN and Jason, less than 24 hrs before the gun went off. Luckily he didn’t need any cowbell.

Saturday was spent drinking a Theraflu and whiskey combination recommended by a Lady Wolf and chugging water in between naps.  I tried to remain focused on the marathon, but it became a bit of a fairytale idea when my symptoms were up.  The body aches were not jiving with the “above the neck” symptoms I was reading about in my countless Google searches for “racing with fever”.  Saturday was not a good day for the body, but I forced my mind to remain on the race.  I owe that to the Wolfpack.

Sunday my symptoms had vastly improved.  I was congested, but my fever was down and my back aches were gone.  I trotted a 4 mile jog to evaluate my situation and besides some very stiff legs I was feeling optimistic.  I attributed my heavy legs to my 36 hour stint in bed to keep the thoughts positive about racing.  It was time to head to the Expo and pick up my packet before 6PM.

One complete scan of the Hynes Convention Center and I was pumping with adrenaline from head to toe.  I was still eating Zicam like skittles and drinking water until my pipes hurt, but I was feeling the race atmosphere and confidence was growing.  I made it a main objective to keep the bout with sickness out of my mind; the marathon puts enough doubt in your head, no room for extra baggage.

Monday came and excitement ruled the morning with subtle fear coming along for the ride.  I executed a nice 7:30 mile warm-up with drills and entered the corral about 8 minutes before the gun – perfect timing thus far. I was relaxed and ready.

Jason and Brandon working together. Courtesy of Scott Mason.

Jason and Brandon working together. Courtesy of Scott Mason.

Out in 5:29 – IDEAL. I settled into a nice group with Brandon Newbould and some other non-New England runners. We were a solid bunch and there was a fair amount of work shared. We came through half in 1:11:22 off of pretty even splits. I was very excited with this, but there were some lingering doubts that drifted in and out from as early as mile 4. I was able to continually convince myself that these doubts were a result of the “excuse” I had in my back pocket – that I was “sick”. I wasn’t playing that game, so I continually pushed them away. As Dave Johnson and I talked about earlier on Sunday, if I was really being affected by the sickness I would know right away, so no carrying that crutch for the inevitably hard parts of this grueling event. Moving forward with my recount we will forget about the sickness all together, it had no effect on my day.

Going into Newton I was actually gaining confidence. I began shining through as one of the stronger ones in the pack I was running with and pulled away on some of the uphill stretches. My splits slowed to 5:38-40, but since I was stretching out my pack I knew these slower splits were a result of the hill and I had no concerns. It was not until Heartbreak Hill when I knew the day would feature a real struggle to get to the line. This is a typical timeline for a Boston runner as I gather. I fought hard for my 6:05′s through the final 10 kilometers of the course. I was inspired by fans at some points and too numb to hear at others. The self-doubt was the hardest battle being fought – in my head. My body was in a state of work that it was not happy with, but able to maintain, as long as my head stayed out of its way.

Turning onto Boylston was magic. The dip of the sewer at the turn I have learned about in the Duel in the Sun to the beautiful Blue and Yellow archway awaiting my arrival – simply amazing.

I finished and hobbled my immediately sore body through the shoots and towards baggage pick-up. I hopped a T back towards my family at Washington Square via Arlington Station. My time was barely a PR and several minutes off my goal, but I was legitimately happy with myself for the effort. Even more so than Chicago I believe I left it all out there.

The marathon is interesting. It is true what they say, this race humbles you. In a shorter event the failure to obtain a goal time results in a depressing analysis of what went wrong. In a marathon the only variable that can be controlled is your effort. Because of this, if you controlled that variable appropriately, there is no analysis to be done. For this day I controlled that variable to the best of my current abilities. There is room for improvement, but as I see it this day was an improvement on all days that came before it. There really isn’t much else you can expect.

And then the tragedy.  At about three o’clock my mother called from a nearby apartment, urging us to get off the street and hurry inside.  There was still celebration at mile 23 and leaving this party was not what I wanted to do, but her voice was serious and nervous when it rang, ‘Two bombs have gone off at the finish line of the Boston Marathon”.  It took the walk back for the news to settle as my initial response was purely to calm my nervous mother.

Everything that I wrote above now looks so selfish and meaningless, but I had to write it. If we weren’t faced with this tragedy that is what I would have written on the experience, so that is my experience as of 3:00PM Monday. By 5:00PM it was as if the racing never happened.

I sat and stared at the TV watching the replay of the bombs with my family and friends who had come to cheer.  Twenty-seven thousand runners had spent months – years – trying to reach this finish line.  Now they were running away.  It was a place that I had so recently experienced emotions of pure joy.  Now it was a place of fear.

I said a couple weeks ago that if everyone was training for an endurance event there would be world peace. I believe this to be true. The cowards that committed these acts were not runners. This is an absolute fact. It has to be. How we heal is by sharing our tool for peace with the world. It may not seem important, but it is.

With all the respect in the world for those tragically affected by Monday’s events, my eyes are set on Boston 2014. Respect the Boston Marathon.

It’s easy to feel guilty when it comes to talking about your race, but as Jason said it’s important that we do discuss this. His is a great example of an inspirational story to come out of it, and I’m sure that there are many more out there. We need to share the triumphs, while helping those affected by the tragedy. Once again, thanks to Scott Mason for use of his great work. Check out Scott Mason Photography for more shots from this race and many other events.

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Got ‘Em!

Douchegoblin in custody. Thank you to all the hard working first responders & law enforcement officials for taking care of this so quickly. #BostonStrong

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Boston Marathon Links

boston marathon blue ribbon png 4.16.13Here’s a list of links of relevant stories coming out of this tragedy. Some are disgusting, others are inspirational. There’s a mix of good and bad, but unfortunately that’s the situation we’re dealing with now. We can’t ignore the bad and hope it’ll go away, and we can’t over look the good that came out of it.

Just learned today that Jeff Bauman woke up in the hospital and helped crack the case. Amazing story.

Are they looting? The video doesn’t look good. Some of them could be bringing jackets to people that need them, but it’s tough to say for sure.

Some people sell medals after marathons, and I personally see nothing wrong with that. Selling anything after this race just seems all kinds of wrong to me. Shockingly (or not?) there appears to be a market for it.

Thor Kirleis ran a very impressive double marathon on Monday. His uplifting story, like all the others was marred by what happened after. Check this out for his account of both the triumph and the tragedy.

One of the most repeated concerns I heard in the aftermath of all this was about Tom Meagher. One line from the article jumped out at me:

“Probably all up and down Boylston Street, they’re going to have police standing at every corner searching every single bag,” he added. Whereas, late in the day, he used to let people down on the course to hug a loved one or drop on a knee to propose, he supposes those days are over now.

It’s all very preliminary now, but we can probably expect to hear a lot more along those lines.

Tim Ritchie ran a 2:21 on Monday, and then also wrote a pretty compelling blog entry about the ordeal: For Here All Are One

The Runners World newswire has been a very good source this week, and here are a couple of stories I wanted to pass along:

This one goes into some more detail about what happened at the Marathon Sports store. I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to say that this store is a pillar of the running community in Boston. We’re all eagerly awaiting it’s re-opening, and hope that the Marathon Sports family is okay.

There was an entry providing the perspective of some of the elite runners, and included in that was Sheri Piers. Sheri ran another great race (2:39) and luckily made it out of there unscathed.

By now you must’ve seen this gem from Stephen Colbert:

We’ll try to get some more material out at some point today. There’s a lot we want to pass along to you, but sometimes it’s not the easiest call to make (like right now with the manhunt all over TV).

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Help Needed

Special guest blog by Sarah Crispin

boston marathon blue ribbon 4.16.13On Monday my good friend Patrick and his new wife were both hurt in the Boston Marathon Bombings.  My understanding is that they each lost a leg, and are currently in different hospitals. Right now it looks like they are both going to be okay.

I have not yet had the good fortune to meet Patrick’s wife, but Patrick was a friend of mine from The Gifford School. We carpooled together every day for my first two years at Gifford, worked together, and often went out to watch (what else) the Red Sox.

You will not find a better person. He is the kindest, most selfless man I have ever met. I have every confidence that he will handle this with the grace, style, and infallible humor that characterize him. I wish I possibly had adequate words to describe how very, truly, GOOD he is. He’s the kind of person who is there when the chips are down, miraculously appears when your car needs to be jump started, and knows when you just need a hug and no words. I absolutely love him and am heart broken that he is among the affected.

I know that he and his wife are going to have loads of medical expenses as a result of this tragedy. I’m pasting the link to Patrick’s fundraising page below. If you have a second, take a look at it. If you have a few extra dollars, please donate. If you don’t, that is really, truly, OK, but please leave a message of support. Anything is helpful.

To my Team: Thank you, thank you, thank you.

To everyone: There are lots of you seeing this (again, I am so lucky), so please DO fwd this to anyone who you think might be able and willing to help. Post it on Facebook, tweet about it, send it to all of your coworkers, your entire class, your entire team, etc., anything to get it out there.

Quick aside, also to everyone: It’s worth noting that Tim Ritchie ran 2:21 (5:24 mile pace) in his marathon debut on Monday, coming in 25th overall. That is nasty. Katie Sheedy, my former 800m training partner at Tufts, ran 2:58 (6:50 mile pace). Sorry guys, but you deserve new fans! Their hard work and grueling efforts should not be overlooked.

Thank you all so much for taking the time to read this and to think of my friend Patrick.

http://www.giveforward.com/fundraiser/ygf1/helpforpatandjess

Lots of love, forever and always.

Sarah

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