- the people at the athlete's village who gave me duct tape to fix my bag check bag
- the porta potties right at the start line that provided me with relief when I needed it
- the cheers throughout the course; especially the Boston College gang at mile 21
- the fact that I have a life that allows me to train for a marathon and then have the means to travel to take part in these events
- being healthy and strong enough to carry me across the line
- having Scott at the finish line to have dry clothes, chocolate milk and a big hug of congratulations
How would I know that at the end of the day, what I was most grateful for was that the people who were there with me were safe and that I crossed the line safely.
This is a photo of Scott and I after I crossed the line, found him and told him that I had a PB!!!
About half an hour after this, we heard two loud bangs and weren't sure what it was and didn't hear anything about it for a long time. It wasn't until we saw my training partner Pat and heard her experience from the day that the reality of what happened actually set in. Pat did not finish the marathon because a bomb went off in front of her and one behind her. She is fine, shaken and unsettled but fine. We then found out that people had died and many people were injured, at a running event! As we walked back to our hotel, the sirens were streaming past as on a non-stop basis; there was chaos throughout the downtown and again, I was grateful that we were safe. We made it back to our hotel and are watching the news and seeing the scenes of what happened and again, I am grateful.
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| People trying to get out of downtown and the emergency vehicles in the background. |
- all the concerned friends and family members who reached out to us to make sure we were safe
- the power of social media that told us details of what happened and could let our family know we were okay
- being able to go home to a country where this kind of threat isn't a concern
I was asked by a media person if I would do this run again and I said I would. This is an exceptional and historic event and it is run in a beautiful, welcoming city. I would likely be nervous to run here again, but I wouldn't want the organizers of this event or the people of Boston to feel that this event is a reflection of them; it is not. We still don't know the details of who is responsible for today and I am sure we will know soon enough and it won't make sense as these things never make sense. I will wear my medal proudly and with gratitude.
