Running With Reason

Yesterday (of a rest day) began an exciting, wonderfully worthy cause that I am endeavoring for the next month.  I found in my internet travels, with my obsession these past two months being this marathon training, a virtual running race, The Peace Marathon, that is raising money to buy prosthetics for kids who lost limbs in the terrible Boston bombings two weeks ago.  The Peace Marathon (virtual race)

As a runner and as a human being, I was feeling a little overwhelmed and a lot of shock with the whole event.  What does one do when one of the thing they love the most is so viciously attacked in such a horrific way?  Running has been my glue and my thing in my adult life; some of my proudest accomplishments have been through running (and or triathloning) and when my life felt like it was at the lowest of lows and my heart feeling it had been pummeled into bits, running was my solace and my quiet place away from my troubles.  I am sure there are worse things than a missing leg/arm/finger, and yet, to imagine that someone could take away a child's ability to run, play, reach out and touch or hold hands on a particular side, the thought is terrifying.  To also think that someone would use such a cowardly attack method to try to drive people away from something so amazing and awe-inspiring, that is not terrifying, it is rage-inducing.  It makes me want to fight and use all the strength I have against such evil. 

So here I am, not fighting in the most obvious way, but in the way I know best and the one way I believe will lead to the most healing of hearts, minds, and bodies.  It is my peaceful middle finger to the actual people who did this and a warning to those who are out there contemplating similar or worse atrocities.  I am excited to follow others who are joining in the journey with me; so far there are over 400 registered runners and over $17,000 donated (which sounds like a lot, but that may buy one prosthetic for a child).  I hope anyone reading this will take time to click on the link and either sponsor their favorite runner or lace up their shoes and get 26.2 miles in (can be spread out over the month---runners are chill like that!).  If anything, pass along the message, send this link to your favorite runner, get the word out that terror such as Boston 4.15.13 will not weaken the good, but will only make us stronger and push us to fight (peacefully) harder. The Peace Marathon (virtual race)