Occasional Runner
This would have my QOTD if I had started the thread, but it might be worthy of its own thread anyway. I know some people prefer that.
Will you be more reluctant to enter big city races as a result of the bombings at the Boston Marathon? If not resistant, will you worry about the potential threat?
I'm always worried about these things. My concern probably borders on paranoia. I hate being in overly crowded public spaces because I recognize them as potentially, casualty rich environments. When I'm forced into those situations, I instinctively look for the most secure place to stand and I scan for the areas that pose the greatest threats so I can put space between myself and those locations. And most importantly, I get out of those areas as quickly as possible.
Having said that, I have 3 big road marathons on my schedule and I'll definitely be running them all.
That's a hard one for me to answer as I generally avoid big events not because of the inherent dangers but because I don't get my energy from people and certainly not that many people. I don't do well in big cities or in big crowds which is funny since my job has me living in cities now (The wife and I are looking at moving over to the east side into the desert more). That being said the events certainly will put more doubt in my head about signing up for larger events. My folks live near Philly and I have considered running the Philly marathon but I don't know anymore.
Somehow, I've always felt a false sense of safety in crowds at marathons. Call me naive, but the sense of comradery and excitement always calmed me. Obviously, this is not the case any longer.
It just makes me angry. I've found myself so angry this morning at very small things. I don't have any road marathons on my schedule this year, but I will still run them. I'm sure I will still even try to qualify for Boston someday.
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NYCM: 11/4/2018
Le professeur de trail
It's hard to say right now. I truly have loved the BM growing up. I grew up in MA and used to watch it every year. It was (and still is) a big deal. It's been a lifelong dream to run it. Because I may never qualify for it, I have not really been serious about it. But now I have so many mixed and strange feelings over this. I am having a grief type of reaction despite not knowing anyone specifically involved in this. I generally stay away from heavily populated areas and big events but not because of paranoia of things like this. I just don't like crowds. But does this change me? I think it will in some fashion but nothing to do with what races I would run. My heart is just breaking.
It will be interesting hos this changes these big races. They already had lots of precautions. They had swept the same area the bombs were in earlier in the morning (as reported). I don't know how you can truly manage security on a 26 mile course. It's mind boggling.
But I will always love Boston. It's a great city!
My favorite day of the week is RUNday
I think any domestic act of terror changes all of us, at least on the inside a little bit; I don't see how could it not. I'm unlikely to alter my behavior from it because I generally avoid big cities to begin with. Big cities are way out of my comfort zone.
I'm Holden McGruyen. Would you like to join me?
I've already begun to shy away from the bigger events, mainly because I run more ultras these days. That said, I would still like to run New York, and possibly Boston again (I've run it three times). Yesterday I was looking at the picture my husband took of my after I finished my first Boston; I had a huge-ass grin on my face and tears of joy. THAT'S what the finish line should be about, not overwhelming tragedy.
I am so fucking pissed at what happened.
Irish Luck
Today, I say no, but I may have a different feeling in less than 3 weeks, as I prepare to participate in Philadelphia's Broad Street Run (one of 2 big events I do in Philadelphia). My husband and I talked last night and we are both committed to running it. I am sure security will have an increased presence (both seen and unseen). It's completely shitty that something so wonderful--running, supporting friends/family in their accomplishments--will forever be connected with an act of hatred.
BT survivor since 2003. Trail runner since 2009.
I think brain surgery stimulated my running nerve and made me into a trail runner. I'm grateful for both.
By the way, there's a movement underway for runners to wear a race t-shirt today. I'm in.
Faster Than Your Couch!
I have never run a big event, and have never had plans to do so. So Boston is not going to change me. However, I do feel more insecure about visting big events (of any kind) as a spectator, even though I know attacks and accidents can happen any time anywhere.
I think we all had fallen into a lull about security and not paid the necessary attention to potentially dangerous things happening (e.g. someone dropping off bags and leaving them). In any case, this was a tragic wake-up call for all of us.
I live close to one of the largest stadiums in the world (Beaver stadium), and I pass it several times a week, often also during football games or other events happening there. I won't feel too comfortable in that area for a while now, but I won't change my routines. I will pay more attention to details, and just "watch out" for anything I might consider dangerous, and do whatever I think might be appropriate then, though.
Run for fun.
flashlight and sidewalk
I've done some big crowd running events, but never felt unsafe. Typically, I'm like lace up and I avoid big crowds...there's no way you will catch me in Times Square when the ball drops for New Years. Right now I feel like finishing a race will never be quite the same. I'm sure that will fade over time, but for now I feel weird about it. My heart goes out to the families and the people who have to deal with this tragedy first hand. To me,the Boston Marathon is the crown jewel of running in the USA. As someone still fairly new to running, I have dreams of someday qualifying and running THE BOSTON MARATHON. I'm not sure how that will change. On one hand, letting this tragedy deter me or anyone from living the life we want is in some ways conceding happiness. On the other hand, I don't see how running Boston could ever be anything but bittersweet.
**Ask me about streaking**
My concern probably borders on paranoia. I hate being in overly crowded public spaces because I recognize them as potentially, casualty rich environments.
The sick twisted fuck that did this must have had an axe to grind with the BM and the federal government (April 15). The Olympic Park bomber had the goal of scaring people away in order to embarrass the government and the Games. This has a similar look and feel. If people avoid situations out of fear of another incident, then the terrorists win. If it changes you, let it be this: Mourn the victims, and honor them with a thought every time you toe the line, knowing that they wouldn't want you to stop doing what you love in the wake of a senseless tragedy.
I think the terrorists have won. They win every time they pull these things off. If we wander around thinking we've won, we're just being blind to evidence. Only Americans put this in the perspective of "winning", as if it there's only two possible outcomes, winning or losing. The people that plant these bombs are thinking in a much broader perspective.
You can't ever "WIN" in this situation because you're battling against an ideology. You can kill millions of terrorists, yet the ideology will continue to live. We have to stop thinking of it the terms of winning.
I also think we NEED to change our behavior because the world around us has changed so dramatically over the last 15 years. We can't keep walking blindly forward, pretending that we don't live in constant threat. If terrorist attacks in the US have forced me to be more aware of my surroundings and they have taught me to take a more defensive posture, I'm ok with that. I'll adapt to the new world we live in, even if it pains me to do so.
Being in the military I'd say no. It is almost to the point that I am numb to the situation. Not in a sense that I have no feelings toward how tragic and sick the attack was (because it was and it makes me angry), but numb to the realization that there are threats like this each and everyday. My mind thinks similarly to Kelly's. I can't watch a movie at the theater, drive in a major city, fly on an air plane, attend a major event, etc. without having a contingency plan. That is truly sad but it is the life we now live with in the US. The really sad part is this is everyday life for other parts of the world.
I am running the Marine Corps Marathon later this year to help one of my friends get a PR. It might be cliche but I will not let events like yesterday change my plans. That is no way to live.
Not really. In my 3+ short years of running, the largest race I've ran in was maybe a thousand people, and it was a 5k. Most other races, especially any of length, haven't been more than a few hundred. I have no desire to be in a race with a bunch of people. And now that I've gotten in to ultras, I like the 'low-key' scene. Trail races that require a permit and only allow a certain number of people are perfect for me.
In the back of my mind, I guess one day I would like to run Boston. But A) I'm not fast enough right now, B) speed kills (and I've gotten my share of injuries from doing speed work), and C) now that this has happened, It makes me want to continue taking my chances running in the woods and mountains with the coyotes, bears, rattlesnakes, and other wildlife. At least they won't purposely blow me up. they may get pissed if I aggravate them, but that'd be my fault.
1/8/22 - Frosty 50k - 5:21:19 (strava)
3/26/22 - Blackbeard's Revenge 100 - 27:27:06 (strava)
9/30/22 - Yeti 100 - Abingdon, VA - 25:46:01 (strava)
4/1/23 - Umstead 100 - Raleigh, NC
It pisses me off that someone would do something like this. I will be doubly pissed off if we find that it was a domestic terrorist, and it most likely was. I just can't comprehend that we can not get along in this country. People don't seem to want to accept the fact that you don't have to hate everyone that doesn't feel, think or act like you do.
I always think about these things happening but I never let it both me. I've seen people die from gun violence, drug overdoses, falling downstairs, from car crashes, and the list could go on. Some were innocent victims, some were not. I've seen young people just starting out in life, have that promising young life snuffed out by a drunk driver. Again the list of tragic ways to die is extensive.
This will not really change the way I live and what I do with my life. I could go to a marathon where the security is so tight that it would be like living in a communist country. Because of that tight security I could feel safe, only to be killed on the way home by a drunk driver.
There's a lot more I could say and would like to say but I have too much going on right now to put it all together.