Happy Patriot's Day.

If you live in Boston, you celebrate today, Patriot's Day, by cheering for the runners in the Boston Marathon. I wasn't in Boston, but I was glued to my television as I hoped and cheered for Kara Goucher, a beginning marathoner from Portland, Oregon, who looked like she might be the first American runner to win in Boston since 1985. I only learned about her last night but the article I read made me an instant fan and I so desperately wanted her to win!

But it was not to be. Kara finished third today.


Kara's finish time was 2:32:25- only 9 seconds behind the winner. Her disappointment is obvious and those of us who wanted her to win feel her disappointment.

But she was still amazing!!

It is crazy to know that her finish time is less than my half-marathon time! I am blown away by her speed and by her commitment (you should read about her training schedule- it is insane)! In a post-race interview, Kara said, "I just wanted it for everybody that wanted it for me. I'm proud of how I did. I just wanted to be the one that won for everybody."

Well, I wanted it for her. And in many ways, she did win today. She may not have been the first to cross the finish line, but she ran strong, she tried her best, and she gave me a reason to watch. Today, I love running. And although I will never accomplish what Kara has, today I am proud that I am a runner!

So, Happy Patriot's Day! And Congratulations to Kara Goucher!

(For my sweet non-runner friends, I have posts from Easter and Spring Break that are coming. I've just been consumed all morning with the marathon, so I wanted to get it posted.)