BAA 5K, and final pre marathon thoughts

So the baa 5k, Now this may not be the smartest idea days before a marathon, but I bout the medley pass, and I was not about to miss out! I ran with a friend, and it was a fun time. it was a down and back starting and ending on the Boston common, parking can be fun, but if you park just a few streets away, you can skip the big parking fee, that is if you live far away from public like I do. I found plenty of parking on Tremont st, about 1/2 mile away, perfect! One thing to keep in mind, you cross the Boston marathon finish line, so if you are superstitious, be warned. for those that are not, be careful, people stop and take selfies on the finish mid race, don't do that, don't be that person. The street is already closed off until Monday anyway. You can always grab a selfie after the race. The mc did a great job directing people before the race, and a good job saying hey don't take pictures on the finish line, keep running. Also, something to note, great volunteers! As I walked up to bag check, the lady read my number out loud before I was close enough to read it, that is awesome! Also fun note, my bib was 1776, it doesn't get cooler than that!

Try reading this at the expo on friday, that was hard

Boston day was Friday (4/15) and I went to pick up my bib because Friday is the least crowded. And walking around Boylston street and seeing everything going crazy in prep for Monday was cool. But the touching thing was all of the little shrines to those lost, and the messages of peace. Needless to say it is a very raw and emotional experience if you let it be. Facebook has been flooding with memories of 3 years ago, and the tragedy that happened that day. I have many dear friends that live in the city, some have moved out, many have stayed, I do not want to imagine how my life would be altered without them. I am reminded all the time, through facebook all the lives effected, most recently dream on, with team mr8, literally brought tears to my eyes, wile I was lying in bed before I got up this morning (Areosmith dream on Boston Bombing tribute, seriously look it up, it is powerful). So for many reasons, running Boston means more than I can put into words.

Running for charity, a common thing is the desire to qualify for Boston, but that is incredibly hard! There are running clubs and various other ways that you can get into the marathon, but those are incredibly hard to get. Some business can get bibs, and some do not want to be on the hook for the funds, 6 grand was the minimum, and good luck, there were not that many charities that had minimum funds that low. I got in through the town program, it started 3 years ago, the minimum is way less, and the charities are effecting your immediate town, so you can tell the impact it is making.

Now the reason that this is so important to me, the charity that I picked is simple, but complicated. Basically, I believe in kindness, almost as a way of life, though you may not alays see it, it is there. Through my life, I have had Rape, and Domestic Violence touch several friends, all the way back to middle school. I have not been around to help, and it kinda breaks my heart, the fact that I was never able to help my friends when they needed it. So when I got the charity that helps those suffering from Rape and Domestic Violence, I was extremely excited to be able to help. I am finally able to make a difference, and it means the world to me, I honestly think it has been something I have been missing for some years.

Also, I do not get the proud feeling much, but I do with this,I was able to reach my goal! I just got the amount the other day, and I will deposit the last bit of cash later today. So a HUGE thank you to all of those that helped out, I do not know if you truly understand what it means to me. I have never been a fan of asking for money, but I am lucky, many friends gave. One of the best things is when somebody gives me a donation, and apologizes that they can not give more. The simple fact tha you gave means a lot, the amount does not need to be high, it is the good deed, and helping others that matters, that is the principle of this entire thing.

also if you are lucky enough to get a bib, don't post it to social media, baa does not like it, and you can get in trouble, you are making it easier for people to sneak onto the course.

also if you want to follow my race, my bib is 28289, and the baa app will update, and their web site also changes on race day to make it easier to follow people.

So for those of you that may want to help me continue to help my cause the link is here.

Stay active
Stephen