Running is Different Now

This morning I woke up as I often do on Saturdays to head out for the Boulder Running Company’s Saturday morning Tony’s Run.  My iphone battery was low so I was frustrated that I couldn’t run with DigiFit helping me with my pace and music in my ears as I usually do.  Getting there just in time for the 7:30 am start I could tell right away that running today was going to be different.

We started today not with Collette doing her usual too loud and too much energy for that early in the morning raffle, but instead talking about the events of the past week at the Boston Marathon.  Several folks in our running community ran the race including one person who finished 20 seconds BEFORE the first explosion.  Everyone was OK, but we all talked about how running might be different now.

Runners Before This Morning's Tony's Run

By coincidence the sponsor of today’s run was Adidas, who also is the main sponsor for the Boston Marathon.  Despite having over 100 employees at the Boston Marathon they too were fortunate enough to not having anyone harmed. To commend the city of Boston, first responders, the Boston athletic association which puts on the race, and all of the volunteers for their reaction to the tragic events on April 15^th, Adidas is selling “Boston Stands as One” tribute t-shirts for $26.20 (http://www.adidas.com/us/boston-marathon/_/N-1z13ulu) with 100% of all profits going to the One Fund Boston (onefundboston).  They will also be for sale in Boulder Running Company stores. Ironically Adidas gave us the opportunity to demo new shoes and after giving them feedback we received t-shirts with the slogan “running forever changed.” This slogan took on new meaning today.  Thus it seemed appropriate to run in silence without my usual music.

Today was also the anniversary of the Columbine High School tragedy, which occurred on 4/20/99.  Every time I do the Tony’s run we run right by the Columbine Memorial and as a Columbine High School alumni that makes that route special.  However, unlike past runs when I am all to happy to start heading downhill after climbing up the small hill to the Columbine Memorial, I took a short break to walk around and read all of the plaques that make this place a unique tribute to the tragedy.  It also reminded me that it is time to sign up and recruit others to join me in running the 8^th Annual Run for Remembrance (http://www.active.com/running/littleton-co/8th-annual-run-for-remembrance-2013). Craig Rehabilitation Hospital, the Columbine Memorial and the Frank DeAngelis Columbine High School Academic Foundation all benefit from the race.

Not only was today’s run different, but probably all runs going forward, whether they be formal races or training runs, will feel different after what has happened at the Boston Marathon.  But I believe going forward that this difference can be positive as the already existing tight knit running community draws closer.  In fact I expect even more people to now run races, attend races to cheer people on, and volunteer to help at events.  Running will be different going forward, but I think it will be better than it was before.