the human spirit.......

Sister #1 here

I'm a runner. 

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When I want to be.

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I pretty much have a love hate relationship with my running shoes.

I've done ONE marathon {off the bucket list} and quite a few half marathons.

There IS a reason I've only done ONE marathon. ha!

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I enjoy half marathons a lot more as they are kinder to your body.

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Right now, I'm in the "not so much likely" mode and am taking a break.

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I'm human

My husband on the other hand - he's a die hard marathoner.

He has a goal to reach 50 marathons by the time he's 50.

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He's 49

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To be honest I've lost track of how many he's done

but it's somewhere in the 45+ range.

He's been trying for many many years and marathons to qualify for the Boston Marathon.  He really never thought it would happen.  But it did.  Three years ago the perfect marathon fell into place and he qualified and drew out to run in the Boston 2013 marathon.

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Yep, I said Boston 2013.

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The year of the Boston Marathon Bombings.

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He was there.

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Crossed the finish line about 6-7 minutes BEFORE the bombs went off. 

He has blogged about his experience.

He is an excellent writer and expresses himself well. 

It's well worth the read.  {tissue is recommended}

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Part 1

Part 2

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As you can image this was a traumatizing experience for all runners, spectators and family members involved...near and far!

It effected us personally as my husband soon started showing symptoms of PTSD.   Difficulty in dealing with every day tasks, depression, guilt and loud noises really seemed to send his mind back to that horrific day.

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It was a tough few months.....and still lingers

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His resolve for running was heightened even more with determination to return to Boston in 2014

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...and HE did

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This time we took the family.  We made it into a week long family vacation and it was healing and bonding for us all to be together and back in Boston where it all began one year earlier.

 

The City of Boston was electric.  The people so kind.

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The human spirit is amazing

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The atmosphere was unbelievable as the people of Boston were determined to take back their city

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Group of Utahans running the Marathon gathered near the finish line for a group picture.

Healing happened.  Boston was strong.

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The focus this year was "we all run boston"

loved it!

Many marathoners wore their 2013 blue jackets to honor the prior year.  We often heard and were asked "were you here last year?"  We were stopped on three different occasions for radio and tv interviews.  {I'm a star!}

 

None of us are exempt from life's trials.  None. 

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Everyone has "something" that they are dealing with. Truth.

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There is a lot that we won't understand about the reasoning behind why things happen they way they do.

We have to trust God and allow that faith to carry us.

In my house we are Lord of the Rings fans and I love this quote;

“The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater."

 

the human spirit is resilient...

Boston, Thank You!

Sister #1 out!