Watching Not Running But Caring

Today I watched two hours of the Boston Marathon, thanks to Lynnette reminding me it was on. I had forgotten and didn't see the start, but tuned in after the men had started (which is around 30 minutes after the women started). Of course I was pulling for the American entrants - Meb (who won the race last year) and Ritzenheimer, and the women Shalane and Desi.

It was quite an exciting race. For the women, Desi and Shalane stayed with the lead pack for awhile. Shalane fell back but Desi continued in the lead. Finally, Desi fell back and it was down to the top three women.  Then it was down to two women. The woman who had held the lead stayed there until the last turn, when the other woman surged ahead and won. Technically Caroline Rotich won by .04 of a second, but that's all that counts. 

Meb and Ritzenheimer stayed with the lead group until the last mile or so, when Lelisa Desisa surged ahead and won. By .3 of a second. He was also the winner two years ago when the bombing occurred and he gave his medal back to the city, where it is displayed. 

I doubt I will ever run the Boston Marathon. Based on the qualifying times, I'm pretty sure I will never run it. Or wog it. Or crawl it. I'm guessing that the closest I'll ever get to it will be to watch it on the computer. But even though I'll probably never compete, it doesn't make it any less memorable for me.

This year I watched as Tatyana McFadden won the women's wheelchair division, She raced in honor of Martin Richard, an eight-year-old who was killed in the bombings. Martin's dad presented her with her winner's gold wreath, which she gave back to the family.

I watched as the runners ran past the "Scream Tunnel," a section of the course where students and faculty at Wellesley College are out in force to cheer the runners on. 

And I read the news report about the last runner who took 20 hours to finish the course. Mackiel Melamed from Venezuela has a muscular condition that makes walking difficult. But he finished all 26.2 miles.

Maybe all this is part of what makes me do these races. I get it - the starting, the cheering, the continuing, and the finishing. It's not always pretty (nor fast), but with each runner, there's a story. A story worth telling and hearing. There were a lot of winners today. Some got trophies and accolades and some finished and received their medals quietly. But because I know a little of what they went through, I am in awe of them all.

Nope, I will probably never complete (or probably ever enter) the Boston Marathon. But I'll always watch and care about everyone who does.

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Today is a gift because: taking Everley to school; watching the Boston Marathon on the computer;