| waynieZ |
04-18-2013 10:23 AM |
I agree. I heard on a news channel from RI that the entries to their 10K had gone up an extra 1/3 after the bombing.
Here's an E Mail she sent.
Dear Family and Friends,
It is with a heavy heart that I send this email today. I am filled with so many different emotions right now, pain, anger, disappointment and sadness, are just a few. The tragic events that took place yesterday overshadowed what I thought was going to be one of the my greatest accomplishments. When I was on my training runs back in January and February, running though the snow and ice, never did I think that two explosions would be the reason my race would end. I thought it could be knee pain or hip pain or maybe just exhaustion.
I started the day feeling great. The days leading up were amazing. People were coming up to my at my gym, to wish me luck and tell stories about their marathon experiences. A few people told me to soak it all in and enjoy it. That's exactly what I set out to do. I still can't believe all of the runners and fans, the people standing by the road, dancing, drinking and cheering. Kids were giving away twizzlers and oranges. Soldiers were walking, with full gear. There were blind runners, paraplegic runners, runners in their 70's and 80's, and of course Dick Hoyt, one of the most inspirational people alive. It started in Hopkinton and the crowds continued through every town. I saw many friends in the crowd in Wellesley and Newton and again in Boston. My two little boys ran along side me for about 20 feet, which nearly brought me to tears. It was amazing. I was running faster than all of my training runs and felt pretty good, until around mile 22. Heartbreak hill/s were terrible. I could feel myself losing steam and the headwind was pretty tough. A friend that ran last year's marathon for the same charity jumped in at mile 22, and she stayed with me until we were stopped. She was going to run with me to the finish to make sure that I didn't give up. When we crossed the 25 mile marker, I wanted to give every last bit of energy that I had to the get to the finish line. We heard the explosions, but didn't think they were actual bombs going off. I thought that it must have been a large truck crossing a bridge or backfiring. We were stopped just before the turn to Boylston St. I stopped my GPS watch and looked down, it still reads 25.75 miles, 4 hours and 7 minutes.
Word quickly traveled through the crowd and we found out there were two explosions near the finish line and there were mass casualties. All that I could think about was my husband, two little boys, my parents and father-in-law, all waiting for me at the finish line. The girl that I was running with had her cell phone and let me call my husband, but the calls would not go through. I sat down, freezing, with my head in my hands, worrying about my family. I decided to call them again and my call went through. Everyone was safe. The trains were so crowded that they had to wait until the third train to get to the finish line. I am so grateful. What a difference five minutes makes.
My running splits (5k, 10k, etc) were great for the first 30k, but after Heartbreak, I lost a lot of speed. Thank goodness, I did. I wanted to finish in four hours, which would have put me in the worst possible place.
I am thankful that my friends and family are all safe and unharmed. I am thankful for strangers giving me a warm coat and water. I am thankful for all of the support and well wishes before the race. I am also thankful for all of your generous donations to Christopher's Haven. Your generosity has allowed me to raise over $6,500 for a wonderful organization.
I went into Boston to pick up my bag and medal today. It was bittersweet. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of the families that have been affected by this senseless tragedy.
I am truly grateful for your support.
Warm regards,
Monique
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