Run for Boston

I  mentioned in my previous post that my Purpose for Running has changed since the bombings at the Boston Marathon. This last Wednesday night was an example of that. 

I follow several blogs of runners. One in particular, Organic Runner Mom was running Boston Marathon the day of the bombings and had some amazing posts on her reflections of the race. Her perspective was of course one the media couldn't mimic - she was there - only a block or so away when the bombs went off. She had qualified for and ran the 26.2 miles of this famous marathon and had ran another qualifying time that day. As she mentioned here in one of her recap posts "At that point [of the bombs] I had already spoken to my husband and my parents and had been on a super high from posting a requalifying time." Although she was feeling a lost for words in her initial recap of her race, I felt so connected to her and hurt for her. She had a successful race and should have been celebrating with her family, instead she spent hours wondering if her husband was ok and seeking answers for what had turned into a time a extreme sadness and worry.

She posted a link to a Facebook page that had been put up on Wednesday - 2 days after the Marathon - encouraging people to Run For Boston. My running group Canada Get Fit meets for our weekly runs on Monday & Wednesdays nights. Without evening thinking I sent out an email to the group with asking them if they wanted to participate with me. 

This is what was being asked of the running community:

1) You can run anytime today. Morning, lunch, afternoon, or night.
2) You can by yourself, with a few friends, or with a whole group of people.
3) Wear yellow or blue, the colors of the Boston Marathon
4) Before or after your run take a picture with a sign that says "Run for Boston" and includes 4/17 and your city/state.
5) Post that picture on this Facebook page
6) Keep being people who change the world!

So I made this sign quick during nap time.

The message got out to everyone the group meeting for the run because we all came in blue & yellow for this great picture!

Apparently it caught on. . . As of today that Facebook page as over 25,000 "likes". There were several news outlets that wrote stories about people who "Ran for Boston". A few are Competitor Magazine, WFAA Channel 8 in Dallas, and Boston Globe.Social Media is a powerful thing.

Did you "Run for Boston"? Share a link to your picture.