A-Z Challenge: Marathon

Well, I've derailed from my music theme twice now (Ebert, Legs) although half of my deviations at least contained a gratuitous mention to stay close to topic.  But since yesterday's post was about running, or at least the after-effects of running, I thought today's events warranted an extension on that topic.

There are some sick people in this world.  The trouble is, sometimes we can't spot them until it's too late.  It's tough in a situation like the Boston Marathon bombings, when we don't know where to direct our ire.  Was this terrorism?  Clearly.  Was it foreign or domestic?  Time will tell.  I cast the odds at 50 / 50.  I hope I'm just overly cynical.

It looks like it was a coordinated attack, that more than one person conspired to pull this off.  Multiple bombs being planted and detonated in a heavily guarded public area...is anyplace safe?  Probably not, at least when it comes to the execution of an event.  There has to be video footage of the culprit(s) out there somewhere, though, so they can't get away with it.

But then again, the asshole in Colorado had his entire apartment wired to blow.  Materials are readily available to make crude bombs.  Was this some gun-rights nut trying to prove a point, that gun laws won't keep people safe?  If so, then this deft political motherf&^%er also proved that crazy is as crazy does, and you can't legislate sanity.

I'm pissed, regardless of who was behind this.  People gathered to cheer on friends and family as they competed in a very difficult event, celebrating personal achievement, endurance, and comradery.  An exercise in good spirit on so many levels, marred by a demented act of terror.

You know, there have been times in my training where I thought about throwing the towel in, not running this half-marathon on May 4.  I'm not really obligated.  But now, I am resolved to run this race.