Heartbroken near Heartbreak Hill

I can't begin to express the sadness as a runner, as a mother, as a human being, as an American for those who were hurt and passed away as a result of the bombings at the Boston Marathon.

As a runner, I feel the pain, feel like I was there so many times running a race......waiting for friends or my husband at the end of the race. Feeling the excitement as I crossed the finish line.....feeling just as excited for my friends and family as they cross the finish line. 

As a mother, my heart aches at the thought of losing one of my children. Three young lives were lost on Monday. Family and friends are devastated. Seeing little eight year old Martin Richard's face as he wore a Boston Bruins jersey tugged at my heart thinking of my oldest son who just turned 9. Thinking of how my son is about the same age and loves hockey as well.

As a human being and American, I wonder why someone has chose to perform such a horrible act of violence and evil at one of our country's greatest road races. I cannot understand, and I never will, why these events happen.

Will I be worried when I cross the finish line at the Pittsburgh half marathon in a few weeks? Maybe. Maybe I will just be so tired from running for 2 hours straight, I will just be looking for my husband's handsome face at the finish. Maybe I will have a bit of worry at the back of my mind. But I can guarantee that I will think of the victims as I cross that finish line and say a prayer for them.

I will not let this hold me back or change my life. The evil will not win. There is so much good in our world, and I see it every day. I see the smiles in my children's faces. I see the joy of something as simple as getting a hot dog at the hot dog card making my son's entire day exciting. I see my oldest son excited about baseball and getting a new helmet. I see my precious daughter making others smile and laugh when they are sad. I see the beauty of love and forgiveness in my parents who are best friends now after a divorce many, many moons ago. I see my husband spending hours and hours for months working on planning a 5K that raised thousands of dollars for veterans last year. I see fireman and emergency personnel helping people and risking their lives and not getting paid a penny for it. There is good in this world, and it surrounds us every day. Look around and see some today; let it comfort us all in this time of sadness.