Lots of thoughts and feelings as I headed out to Boston for my 4th time running this race. If it was any race other than this particular Boston Marathon I probably wouldn’t be running, I’m just not prepared. I am not making pre-race excuses, actually I hate hearing that from other athletes. My run training has been spotty at best over the last couple of months, I did not push myself out the door when it was cold, or snowing, or raining. Since this was an awful winter all up and down the east coast there was lots of days I just didn’t push myself out the door. My eating has not been spotty — and the extra 10 pounds I’m carrying are a testament to that. Last year’s race was a gift — I ran well, had fun, qualified again for this year and most importantly — I finished about 4 minutes before the bomb went off. My finish time was courtesy of the bathroom stop that I did not make.
This year’s race is a privilege to be part of, and I intend to enjoy every moment of the journey tomorrow. I will high five those spectators, and look in their eyes and say thank you. Just as us runners are running in spite of what happened last year, the
spectators are also doing what they do in spite of what happened last year.
I will run tomorrow for all those who can’t, for so many different reasons. I dedicate my run to Lt. Ed Walsh and firefighter Mike Kennedy from Engine 33 in Boston, they were killed in a fire on March 26. Mike Kennedy had planned to run the marathon this year. So, I guess there went my excuses.
“Mike Kennedy knew then that he wanted to run the race this year to honor the victims he treated, and the courage he witnessed, to show people that you don’t back off after you are attacked. When Frankie Flynn got job-related cancer before Christmas and died a month later, well, Mike Kennedy had one more reason to run, and so did nine other guys from the house, Chris Dunn among them. It was all a go until 2:43 on the afternoon of March 26, when the alarm sounded at Engine 33, Ladder 15 for a fire on Beacon St., a few doors down from Tom Brady’s place.”
moirahoran 