A Wedding and Two Unlikely Runners - "Falmouth is Boston Strong" - Four Months Later

***Tissue warning when you click on the links to read the articles I share with you in today's post. ***

Two years ago I stopped running and focused on my yoga practice. Truth be told, I didn't know whether or not I would ever return to the roads. I would have bet money that I would not find myself in a field of runners again for a road race. Nope not me. Those days were behind me. I didn't feel well enough or strong enough in my body to return to running.

On April 15, 2013 at 2:50 pm, my body would be put to the test as Tom and I had to walk away from the scene of the Boston Marathon bombings to safety. We were blessed to have been protected from seeing the carnage. We were blessed that the hotel staff at the Mandarin Oriental were skillful and adept to lead everyone out to safety. I was blessed to be able to walk almost 3 miles to our car at a brisk pace being able to breathe deeply and move in my body rather than have to force my body to move.

We were with our friend Greg Gordon who was our teammate from the 2009 Boston Marathon Race for Rehab team. He is the race organizer for the Brookline Symphony Orchestra 5K- the last event I participated in two years ago. After Marathon Monday, I knew it was time for me to return to running and the Brookline Symphony Orchestra 5K Fun Run is the perfect event for me to train for. In addition to training, I have reconnected with my friends in the running community. Ahh one of the blessings of Facebook.

One of the friends I reconnected with is Marcie Butler who I met through the Merrimack Valley Striders Club. I was fortunate to be their guest speaker on two occasions sharing my inspirational Boston Marathon run with the members of their club. I met members of MVS when I ran my first half marathon in Hyannis in 2009. Tom and I saw Marcie at different races and I always enjoyed her Facebook posts. Recently I saw that she was talking about her wedding this weekend and I thought how cool, she is getting married the weekend of the Falmouth Road Race. Um not exactly - she is getting married at the starting line of the Falmouth Road Race before the start of the race which I discovered through the Facebook stream.

You can read the full story at Couples Passion for Running Sparks Romance.

Tom ran Falmouth twice. I was fortunate to be a spectator both times to cheer him on. It's a magical time to be in Falmouth as runners take over the town. I decided to enjoy the excitement in cyber space and 'liked' the Falmouth Road Race on facebook.

I saw these two articles posted:
Higgins:Is Desire to run strong enough to run Falmouth?
I relate to his response to the bombings and the desire and the need to be out there running and being a part of the running community. He visited the memorial in Boston and took one of his T shirts from the Falmouth Road Race and wrote Falmouth is Boston Strong on it.

And this article Peter Riddle Survives Boston Bombing - Runs First Falmouth Road Race Peter was across the street from where we were at The Forum when the 2nd bomb exploded celebrating with members of the Joe Andruzzi Foundation which helps raise funds for cancer patients. He was physically uninjured in the blast but is experiencing internal wounds as so many of us are. But rather than allow those wounds to cause him to contract in fear or anger, he is finding a way to heal those wounds through participating in the Pan Mass Challenge and the Falmouth Road Race with an eye on Boston 2014.

I am sure there are many more stories of how Falmouth is Boston Strong among the 10,000 runners that will take their place at the starting line. I will be with Marcie, Paul, Bill and Peter in spirit as they demonstrate that, four months later, we are Boston Strong!



Addendum 8/11/13 They made the front page of the Cape Cod Times (along with President Obama's visit to the Vineyard) and here is a grand photo of the wedding party with Dave McGilvrey at the start of the Falmouth Road Race: