I've run two marathons previously. The first one was to do it for the sake of doing it. It was brutal and an unprecedented 92 degrees out. But I finished. The second in the following year went much better; much more enjoyable, cooler and a half hour quicker.
My third attempt had no purpose, and I quit during my training and fell into a 2 year funk, and a fair amount of my time and energy was spent feeling sorry for myself.
Yesterday woke me up. 3 dead and countless wounded by a couple of bombs at the Boston Marathon finish line. Amputations, devastation and an 8 year old boy gone by unknown assailants. I've officially run out of excuses.
Today, I put on my running shoes and my stinky Minnesota Vikings longsleeve shirt and went for a run. It was actually sunny today for a change. April 16th and there's still snow on the ground. The grey days are still around, but it feels as though these will be limited soon enough.
It has been nearly 2 full years since I've been out there. And it felt like it. My legs feel like rubber after a 4 mile ordeal. I may have managed a 12 minute mile, and stopped once just to walk off that bandy-legged feel for a few blocks. I am 2 years older, most definitely.
But now I have purpose. I'm running for Krystle Campbell, who went to take pictures with her friend yesterday. And for Martin Richard, who was with his family at the finish line. And for the 3rd victim, who I don't believe was identified as of yet. And for the ones who have suffered losses that day I just can't imagine.
I'm going to find a fundraising opportunity to help those people. My life may seem as though it sucks for the most part right now, but I really don't know what really sucks. What sucks is losing a leg, or a foot, or a loved one. I have no excuses anymore. I have to do this, because I can do this.
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