Boston

I won't be writing a race report from the Boston Marathon. It was not a good marathon for me, but I finished in one piece. None of that matters now. Thank God, all of our friends are safe and accounted for. That's what matters. Unfortunately, as we know, the same can't be said for many people. That's also what matters. My prayers are of for those who are most affected by this tragedy.

You finished and you survived. Weird that 'surviving' a marathon doesn't mean the temps were in the 80's.

Seth, you have 2 more Boston Marathon finisher's medals than most people will ever have. Something to be exceptionally proud of.

Also, as one of my dad's pilot sayings goes, any landing you walk away from is a good one, I think any marathon you cross the finish line is a good one. Maybe not that day, week, or month, but eventually it will become a good memory.

Well said, Seth. Glad you're safe.

But still, congratulations.

I'm glad that you and the others from here are safe.

I'm glad you're all safe. Congratulations on finishing Boston. I know so many who have qualifying for Boston as one of their top goals and it is so hard to achieve. I think I've given up on ever qualifying but it's definitely an accomplishment.

Do you have any fall races chosen?

Seth Harrison wrote:I won't be writing a race report from the Boston Marathon...

Congratulations, anyway, on finishing.

I don't think every race, even every marathon, deserves a report. I shouldn't want to persuade anyone to write when they don't feel inclined to. At the same time, I hope no-one would be put off writing a report by the thought that it might be insensitive. That would be giving in to the undoubted wishes of the evil perpetrator(s).

I am so glad all the 365Runners were unhurt, but I feel desperately sorry that many spectators, some of them children, suffered terribly. Only cowards attack defenceless innocents.

mul21 wrote:Seth, you have 2 more Boston Marathon finisher's medals than most people will ever have. Something to be exceptionally proud of.

Jim, I need to remember exactly what you said. It's a bit hard after yesterday's events, but it is something I'll carry with me.

I appreciate everyone's support. Thanks guys (and girls!). I know the rest of our friends appreciate everyone's concern as well.

Good to hear that everyone from here is OK.

I was sitting 1,500 miles away when everything happened and I was still affected by everything. I am just glad that you are safe and truly understand you not wanting to write a race report.

Seth Harrison wrote:I finished in one piece.
Unfortunately, the same can't be said for many people.
My prayers are for those who are most affected by this tragedy.

You sure cut to the quick Seth. It's a fitting race report. We're all stunned by the senseless act of violence that marred yesterday's race and are proud of all who qualified and ran.

That says a lot for you, Seth, considering your line of work. You knew this race was not going to be stellar, but congratulations regardless. You had no influence on the outcome of the day, take heart that all of us were with you yesterday.

Seth,
You may not consider it a good marathon but you qualified to run and finished it in spite of a tough training cycle. That's much more than many of us! I hope that with time you recognize the value of your accomplishment.
Glad to hear you're safe.

Congratulations on qualifying for and completing Boston, especially in the face of significant headwinds.

My thoughts went to you yesterday. You've gone through so much in the past year, it's a shame that this event was so marred for you and the many thousands of others by the callousness of a few.

Recover well, and carry on.

Seth, you are recovering from more than a marathon. You were thrown into a tragic event and now you have to deal with the emotion of that, as well. As the days go by, your physical recovery will be much faster than your emotional recovery. Take care and know your community of running friends are here for you.

Thank you all for your supportive comments. I appreciate every word.
Paula Sue, you couldn't be more right, the emotional toll is greater than I could have imagined. I'm used to covering tragedies, not being personally involved. There's no comparison, and no way to be prepared.

Seth glad you're ok and congrats on finishing dealing with what you went through.

Hey Seth, I'm very glad you survived & your report was short, but spoke clearly what we're all feeling.
I too have been very disappointed with my performance at Boston. When I got that 1st (& only to-date) Boston finisher's medal in 2010, it didn't seem to mean much & I didn't even want my wife to take my picture because I was so discouraged. Over time though, its meaning has changed, especially after what happened this year. I'm very happy now to be part of the running community as a whole, and specifically a part of that small fraternity of not only Boston Qualifiers, but Boston finishers too. I've been wearing my Boston shirts often this week, & I'm as determined as ever to get back to Boston & finally have a good race there, racing not just for myself, but in memory of those who died, the injured, the 1st responders, for all Americans. I hope your Boston medal will mean more to you over time as well. You were there. You are a part of that great marathon community.

Alex Kubacki wrote:Seth glad you're ok and congrats on finishing dealing with what you went through.

Thanks Alex!

Dave P wrote:Hey Seth, I'm very glad you survived & your report was short, but spoke clearly what we're all feeling.
I too have been very disappointed with my performance at Boston. When I got that 1st (& only to-date) Boston finisher's medal in 2010, it didn't seem to mean much & I didn't even want my wife to take my picture because I was so discouraged. Over time though, its meaning has changed, especially after what happened this year. I'm very happy now to be part of the running community as a whole, and specifically a part of that small fraternity of not only Boston Qualifiers, but Boston finishers too. I've been wearing my Boston shirts often this week, & I'm as determined as ever to get back to Boston & finally have a good race there, racing not just for myself, but in memory of those who died, the injured, the 1st responders, for all Americans. I hope your Boston medal will mean more to you over time as well. You were there. You are a part of that great marathon community.

Thanks for your thoughts Dave. It's funny how the Boston jacket from this year's marathon, which was by far the worst performance of my seven marathons, has become, at least for now, one of my most cherished possessions. I don't look at it like as a badge of honor, but more as a permanent connection to the city and to this amazing event.
I'm glad your perspective on your first Boston, and the finishers medal, has changed to mean what it does to you. I think you said it perfectly. I know you'll get back there again, and I know it will be a very meaningful experience, regardless of your finishing time.

First of all, Seth, I was glad to finally have an opportunity to meet you in person. I also wanted to thank you for the accidental phone call after the race. Even though I was there, not having witnessed the actual event versus what you, Vivian, John P, and Michele had to endure was a lot different in terms of impact. Strange days indeed..

Hope that your decisions regarding future running work out for the best for you and your family.

Seth,
Well said! It was a pleasure finally meeting you in person. We all will share a common bond after this senseless tragedy far beyond just running. Congrats on completing the race and also for staying back to document the aftermath for your newspaper, that had to be a bit rough!

Jon and Steve, thanks guys. It was great finally meeting both of you. As I've said on other threads, I'm so glad to have shared the experience, both the good and bad, with everyone here.

You are recovering and will continue to recover from a very traumatic event,I've never met you or many of the V-teamers ,but I thought about you all that day and sent prayers everyones way. I'm glad everyone came home and I hope you feel better and stronger each day.

amyjoann wrote:You are recovering and will continue to recover from a very traumatic event,I've never met you or many of the V-teamers ,but I thought about you all that day and sent prayers everyones way. I'm glad everyone came home and I hope you feel better and stronger each day.

Thank you AmyJoann. I really appreciate your thoughts.
Right now the only lingering effects are some wickedly bad dreams and trouble sleeping.
Bizarre stuff...

Seth Harrison wrote:

amyjoann wrote:You are recovering and will continue to recover from a very traumatic event,I've never met you or many of the V-teamers ,but I thought about you all that day and sent prayers everyones way. I'm glad everyone came home and I hope you feel better and stronger each day.

Thank you AmyJoann. I really appreciate your thoughts.
Right now the only lingering effects are some wickedly bad dreams and trouble sleeping.
Bizarre stuff...

Sorry to hear this Seth. I know you saw more than any of us, and I know I had a tough week after the fact as did Ken and Vivian. Peace to you friend.