If you haven't heard it already, you will hear it eventually. "No more races for you, huh?" "How do you think those runners feel? Losing their family members because they were running a stupid race?" "You better not go to (enter spring marathon here) in a couple weeks!"
What utter cowardice.
Who do people think we are? One (or possibly more) disturbed individual wreaks havoc at our most prestigious race and we are expected to simply quit? To hang up our shoes in defeat? Quite the opposite!
We don't back down from 20 milers in the freezing cold. We don't back down from speed work and hills. We don't back down when every sinew in our bodies scream "STOP!!" If torn muscles and a hard case of runner's knee doesn't keep us off the road, no much will. For many, running is not just a sport or a hobby. It is a part of our lives. It is a way to cope with stress, family and work. It engages our creativity and makes us happier, gentler people. For many, running is as essential to daily life as driving to work.
We will not be forced into submission by this one event. It defines neither the marathon nor the general population. Before the dust had settled, bystanders were applying tourniquets and running to donate blood. That is the type of people we are.
Let the few live in fear. We will show up, band-aids on our nipples, Body Glide on our thighs and a prayer in our hearts and minds. Defiant to tyranny.
What utter cowardice.
Who do people think we are? One (or possibly more) disturbed individual wreaks havoc at our most prestigious race and we are expected to simply quit? To hang up our shoes in defeat? Quite the opposite!
We don't back down from 20 milers in the freezing cold. We don't back down from speed work and hills. We don't back down when every sinew in our bodies scream "STOP!!" If torn muscles and a hard case of runner's knee doesn't keep us off the road, no much will. For many, running is not just a sport or a hobby. It is a part of our lives. It is a way to cope with stress, family and work. It engages our creativity and makes us happier, gentler people. For many, running is as essential to daily life as driving to work.
We will not be forced into submission by this one event. It defines neither the marathon nor the general population. Before the dust had settled, bystanders were applying tourniquets and running to donate blood. That is the type of people we are.
Let the few live in fear. We will show up, band-aids on our nipples, Body Glide on our thighs and a prayer in our hearts and minds. Defiant to tyranny.
I really like the way you start and conclude your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteuk masters dissertation