Run for Boston

woah, tonight has flown by! After work, I hurried to the gym for a quick weights workout since I slept in this morning. And then I headed to Camino to meet up with a friend, Mary Jane, for a glass a wine (I realize that’s not Cleanse friendly…more on that later) and some much-needed catch-up chatting. It had been ages since I’d seen her! Our time flew by so it was almost 8 by the time I got home and almost 9 by the time I had dinner ready (an awesome very Cleanse-friendly recipe with loads of greens, asparagus, green beans, and olives). And now, here I am blogging just before I get ready for bed. I try to be in bed between 10 and 10:30…but wish it was between 9 and 9:30. Maybe someday.

Anyway, what I really wanted to tell you about tonight was last night’s Run for Boston that I attended. Over 800 people showed up to show their support.

Before the run began, the owner of the local Fleet Feet store, Keith, shared a few words and introduced a man whose daughter was injured in the blast. Her boyfriend, who pushed her out of the way, lost his legs. And so did his brother who was with him. It was gut-wrenching to hear and my heart ached for him and his loved ones. Keith had those from Winston Salem who ran Boston this year, including a couple of my friends, go to the front of the crowd and told them, “Welcome home.” Then he had the crowd move in and asked everyone to hold hands while he read a scripture. It was a really beautiful evening…lots were choked up, including me, as we reflected on those who were impacted by the tragedy and expressed gratitude for those that were not.

photo source

And then we ran. And while I ran, I thought about those who won’t run again. And those who will run again someday, but not without a lot of pain and suffering first. And again, I felt this huge sense of gratitude for this running family that I’m a part of, locally, nationally, and world-wide. And I still haven’t forgotten.

They had 1, 2, 3 and 5 mile courses so people of all levels in the community could participate. My friend and I did the 3 mile course. We were actually the first to finish, and the Winston-Salem Journal briefly interviewed me about why I wanted to participate. You can see the video on this page…about half way down, on the left-hand side. It’s after the interview with the guy in the yellow, who was actually at Boston this year. [Side note: I think I really have a Southern accent now….especially the last sentence. Oi.]

Afterwards, the running crowd gathered at Carolina Vineyard & Hops for additional bonding over booze. It’s a new wine bar in Winston, and it’s pretty cozy. They were donating a portion of the proceeds from the event to One Fund Boston and to help cover the medical expenses of the girlfriend, her boyfriend and his brother who were severely injured. Very cool Carolina Vineyard & Hops. You get my return business just for that.

Side note: they have the little self-serve tasting tool that I’ve heard so much about from people who’ve seen them in [much bigger] wine bars in other cities.

It was a great evening, and I’m so glad I was able to participate. Big thanks to Fleet Feet for organizing!

Were you able to participate in a Run for Boston event? What was your experience like? 

Do you have these fancy self-serve wine-tasting thingys in your town?