Okay, so I didn’t run the race, but Monika and our friends Kelly and Cynthia did, and I tried to be supportive by waking up the day after Barley Legal Big Brew Day 2013 (post to follow soon) with a wicked sun burn and a mild hangover, and drove them to North Philly to start the race.
I didn’t take a whole lot of pictures, mostly because my phone was nearly dead as soon as I arrived because it served as our GPS to the starting line and I couldn’t run out of battery because I wouldn’t be able to find the girls afterwards if I did. Also, I was distracted by trying to find a shot of whiskey at 830 on Sunday morning in South Philly. For the record, McFadden’s at Citizens Bank Park as well as Chickie’s and Pete’s are both NOT open that early on a Sunday, regardless of a huge race running down Broad Street for ten miles.
For what it’s worth, I did snap this picture down at the naval yard about 300 yards from the finish line. The security after the Boston Marathon tragedy was pretty damn tight, and it seemed like they were on top of their shit. The marine in this picture was just hanging out, watching people, and high fiving some of the runners. I was truly touched that about one of every twenty or so runners, after literally just running 10 miles, chose to say “thank you” to the marine. I’ll admit, along with those that ran the entire race holding American flags, I got a little choked up.
When I finally found the girls, who I missed running past me, they had made great time and we retired to the recovery tent. Afterwards, we headed to Westmont, NJ and grabbed a beer at The Pour House. They deserved it for sure.
Monika raised over 600 dollars for cancer research as part of Team Determination. And everyone who participated made a statement: those raising money, those carrying American flags, those wearing Red Socks to support Bostonians, those running for the good of others, those literally wheeling themselves across the finish line, proving that nothing can stand in the way of your personal determination, and all the spectators, who might not be ready to run just yet, but want to cheer those who’ve made such a commitment and show support for all of their passion and causes.
On The Verge of Tears 