Last week was the second week, of the who knows how many years, of this season. I missed the first week due to an event that I have now completely forgotten about, so I'm sure it was super important. But last week I went and signed up, becoming runner 1280 in the club. There are three different courses, a jr. run, a short run, and a long run. Jr. is for brand new runners and kids, short is for those who aren't quite ready for the long, and then, obviously, the long run is for people like me, who
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Lynn Woods Running club
I joined it. Apparently, this thing has been around since the 90s. Not that I was super into running in the 90s. I mean, I was on the track team in high school, but if we're being realistic, that was the LATE, (LATE) 90s. Almost the 00s. So there's a 99% chance that I wouldn't have joined the club then anyways. Nor would I have joined in 2003 - 2013. Let's be serious here. I barely even wanted to go running when I signed up for the Jingle Bell Run last December. Now let's be really serious, I still barely want to go running, but sometimes I just force myself to do it so I feel like I'm getting some sort of exercise. However, I do think it's a pretty cool idea. I almost wish I had thought to start a running club of my own. Sure, there'd only be about 3 people in it, and sure, I'd have no official timing, but it would've been smart. Since I did NOT start my own running club though, it's nice to have one that's so close to me. (Until I buy a new house and it is no longer close to me. That'll happen in the next year, I swear.)
Last week was the second week, of the who knows how many years, of this season. I missed the first week due to an event that I have now completely forgotten about, so I'm sure it was super important. But last week I went and signed up, becoming runner 1280 in the club. There are three different courses, a jr. run, a short run, and a long run. Jr. is for brand new runners and kids, short is for those who aren't quite ready for the long, and then, obviously, the long run is for people like me, wholike to go on long runs. The mileage for each run varies every week, but it doesn't seem so bad. Last week it was 5.7, this week I believe it's 5.5, and then next week is 7.7. Even though it's in the woods and it was just a straight line from one gate to the other, and back, the run wasn't too bad. It's always nicer to go for a run when there are other people out, especially other people that are also mad at the hills for being so hilly. At the end of the run last week, my time came in around 54 minutes. Not too shabby for the first woods run in months. Plus, on Monday when I went for another long run, not in the woods and on mostly flat roads, I ran 5.6 in 49 minutes. Boom. Shaved off 5 minutes already. So, there's another run tomorrow, hopefully I can make my run a little shorter, a little closer to my time from yesterday, not my time from last week. We'll see I suppose.
Last week was the second week, of the who knows how many years, of this season. I missed the first week due to an event that I have now completely forgotten about, so I'm sure it was super important. But last week I went and signed up, becoming runner 1280 in the club. There are three different courses, a jr. run, a short run, and a long run. Jr. is for brand new runners and kids, short is for those who aren't quite ready for the long, and then, obviously, the long run is for people like me, who
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Will Run for Beer - FIN
Well we finally finished the race series last Sunday. This series has been going on for so long that it's strange to not have another run expected. Overall the races were fun but I don't think I'll be signing up again next year. Spending the money on each race was too much, in my opinion, so it was a one time thing for me. I know some people do it every year but that's not going to be me. In fact, I've decided to cut back on all my sanctioned race events. I hate to sound greedy, but I'd rather have the money.
You might have noticed that I said that the series was fun overall. There were a couple of races in less than ideal weather, the last one being this race on Sunday. It was almost 90 degrees and the race didn't start until 11 a.m. which was a bad combination. Everyone was immediately pouring sweat, even just walking to the start line. I had the foresight to bring my running water bottle, even though it was only 3.7 miles, but a lot of people were just out to run. With only one water stop, mega-heat, and little shade, I'm surprised there weren't more medical emergencies. Unfortunately the heat combined with the rolling hills made the course pretty miserable. I finished at 35:30, which is an awful time, considering my recent 5K times. I also saw a ton of people walking, which you never see. That included people up towards the front of the race, where it's usually the super fast elite runners.
Right after the finish line there was a sprinkler set up, which felt awesome, and there was a barbeque feast, with of course, free beer. They also had a live band. So, the after-party was fun, but running the race was not. We even had some friends come up to watch the last race, which we all appreciated. Thanks ladies! So, I made it through the series and got my jacket. Mission accomplished.
I've decided that summer time is the best time to give up paying for races, because there are a ton racing clubs running timed races for free. Tonight I'm going to check out the Lynn Woods running club, which offers three different courses, all timed. There's a short race, under 2 miles, an almost 5K, and a long run which happens to be 5.5 this week. I think it will be fun to try something new and run with a group of people for free. Plus, the races are timed and you get a bib number and everything. It's the joy of a sanctioned run with none of the expense. Along with this, there's a running club in Beverly that does 5Ks. One meets on Monday and one on Thursday. I think it will be fun to run with more people and check out new routes.
You might have noticed that I said that the series was fun overall. There were a couple of races in less than ideal weather, the last one being this race on Sunday. It was almost 90 degrees and the race didn't start until 11 a.m. which was a bad combination. Everyone was immediately pouring sweat, even just walking to the start line. I had the foresight to bring my running water bottle, even though it was only 3.7 miles, but a lot of people were just out to run. With only one water stop, mega-heat, and little shade, I'm surprised there weren't more medical emergencies. Unfortunately the heat combined with the rolling hills made the course pretty miserable. I finished at 35:30, which is an awful time, considering my recent 5K times. I also saw a ton of people walking, which you never see. That included people up towards the front of the race, where it's usually the super fast elite runners.
Right after the finish line there was a sprinkler set up, which felt awesome, and there was a barbeque feast, with of course, free beer. They also had a live band. So, the after-party was fun, but running the race was not. We even had some friends come up to watch the last race, which we all appreciated. Thanks ladies! So, I made it through the series and got my jacket. Mission accomplished.
I've decided that summer time is the best time to give up paying for races, because there are a ton racing clubs running timed races for free. Tonight I'm going to check out the Lynn Woods running club, which offers three different courses, all timed. There's a short race, under 2 miles, an almost 5K, and a long run which happens to be 5.5 this week. I think it will be fun to try something new and run with a group of people for free. Plus, the races are timed and you get a bib number and everything. It's the joy of a sanctioned run with none of the expense. Along with this, there's a running club in Beverly that does 5Ks. One meets on Monday and one on Thursday. I think it will be fun to run with more people and check out new routes.
Pre-race
During the race: that's me in the white and blue
Post-race
Post-race: that's not all sweat, some of it's water
Free Smuttynose!
All the ladies, cheerleaders included!
Race jackets, with a spot for Jenna.
Sunday, May 26, 2013
I know, I know,I slacked off!
Alright, so I haven't been the best blogger this month. It's been a pretty busy month with the tutoring after school, checking out venues, and preparing for my first half. But, now that everything is winding down, I'm free to update again! Rejoice, rejoice.
Today was the Boston Run to Remember. There were 10,000 runners, which was crazy. Some people were only doing the 5 miler, but that's still a ton of people. Last weekend I went for a 13 mile run alone, just to make sure I could do it this weekend. A week ago, my time was 2:05. The goal of today was really to break 2:00. This is how close I came to that goal: 3136 707/1603 F1929 2:01:03 9:14 2:02:18 Allison Runyan 28 F 6528 Lynn MA. The official time was 2:02:18, my time, as you can see bolded and underlined, was 2:01:03. I missed making the 2 hour mark by seconds. Seriously. I'm a little bummed about that, even though I know I shouldn't be. 2:01 for my first half is a fantastic time. But, when I want to reach a goal, it's always slightly sad when I don't.
The weather for the run was actually pretty bad. I originally signed up for this race because it was at the end of May so I figured the weather might be hot, but not overbearing. Turns out, it was the exact opposite. Start time was 7:00 a.m. and the weather at that time was 41 degrees with a wind chill that made it feel like 33. (I got that direct from the weather channel, I didn't make it up!) Seriously, at the end of May. Plus, it was rainy off and on. Weather aside, the run was actually pretty good. I felt great basically the entire time. I went through a lot of sport beans, especially in the last four miles, but it was worth it. My legs are a little sore, but nothing too crazy. Overall, a wonderful experience for my first half. Plus, Ryan came out to watch, so double bonus.
Earlier in the week, I volunteered to stuff packets for the race, which turned out to be more fun than I expected, even though I didn't win any prizes from the raffles. What I did get was free pizza, and really, that's the best prize there is. Yesterday I went to the race expo to pick up my number and get some free swag, of which I got none, but whatever. Then I went over to Boyleston with Cynthia, Murdock, and some of her family. We stopped by the marathon memorial and had lunch at the Pru, in the middle of an anime convention. I told you I've been busy!
Other than that, not much happening. Ryan's mom and sister came to visit, I checked out a couple of venues, and Ryan's dad is coming in two weeks. Next weekend I also have the last race in the Will Run for Beer series. I'll finally get my jacket and be done with that, which is really a long time, considering it started back in January. Cynthia is trying to get me a bib for the Marine Corps Marathon in D.C. this October as well. I'm not really sure how I feel about that. In the meantime, I think I have to find another half to run, just to get that time down. With the end of the school year SLOWLY creeping up, I might be able to get more time in for everything, running included. We'll see.
Today was the Boston Run to Remember. There were 10,000 runners, which was crazy. Some people were only doing the 5 miler, but that's still a ton of people. Last weekend I went for a 13 mile run alone, just to make sure I could do it this weekend. A week ago, my time was 2:05. The goal of today was really to break 2:00. This is how close I came to that goal: 3136 707/1603 F1929 2:01:03 9:14 2:02:18 Allison Runyan 28 F 6528 Lynn MA. The official time was 2:02:18, my time, as you can see bolded and underlined, was 2:01:03. I missed making the 2 hour mark by seconds. Seriously. I'm a little bummed about that, even though I know I shouldn't be. 2:01 for my first half is a fantastic time. But, when I want to reach a goal, it's always slightly sad when I don't.
The weather for the run was actually pretty bad. I originally signed up for this race because it was at the end of May so I figured the weather might be hot, but not overbearing. Turns out, it was the exact opposite. Start time was 7:00 a.m. and the weather at that time was 41 degrees with a wind chill that made it feel like 33. (I got that direct from the weather channel, I didn't make it up!) Seriously, at the end of May. Plus, it was rainy off and on. Weather aside, the run was actually pretty good. I felt great basically the entire time. I went through a lot of sport beans, especially in the last four miles, but it was worth it. My legs are a little sore, but nothing too crazy. Overall, a wonderful experience for my first half. Plus, Ryan came out to watch, so double bonus.
Earlier in the week, I volunteered to stuff packets for the race, which turned out to be more fun than I expected, even though I didn't win any prizes from the raffles. What I did get was free pizza, and really, that's the best prize there is. Yesterday I went to the race expo to pick up my number and get some free swag, of which I got none, but whatever. Then I went over to Boyleston with Cynthia, Murdock, and some of her family. We stopped by the marathon memorial and had lunch at the Pru, in the middle of an anime convention. I told you I've been busy!
Other than that, not much happening. Ryan's mom and sister came to visit, I checked out a couple of venues, and Ryan's dad is coming in two weeks. Next weekend I also have the last race in the Will Run for Beer series. I'll finally get my jacket and be done with that, which is really a long time, considering it started back in January. Cynthia is trying to get me a bib for the Marine Corps Marathon in D.C. this October as well. I'm not really sure how I feel about that. In the meantime, I think I have to find another half to run, just to get that time down. With the end of the school year SLOWLY creeping up, I might be able to get more time in for everything, running included. We'll see.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Whoops
I guess it's been a few days since I updated. Clearly my blog skills are not on par with what they should be. Here's the thing. I've been busy. SUPER busy. Not too busy to run, just to busy to write apparently. So, let's just recap, shall we?
Last weekend I went for a nice 10 mile run in Manchester by the Sea with Cynthia, Murdock, and Jenna. Overall I think the run was pretty nice. The views were nice anyways. I also spent some time ripping up the wild bamboo growing in the backyard. Monday I went for a 5 mile run with Katie, up and down the beach. That was also...nice. It was crazy foggy out, but worse than that, it smelled like Lynn beach. There's nothing to explain the smell of Lynn beach to you. Just know that low tide smells like a combination of sulpher, rotten eggs, and porta-potties. Yes. Lovely, isn't it? So, that part of it was, not so nice, but the run part wasn't too bad.
Some of Ryan's family came to visit during the week, so I didn't run on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. Shameful, I know. Friday I got in a nice little 3 miler in the morning, but the humidity was at 90%, so it was awfully sweaty. I guess it's time to accept that the humidity factor is now something to take into account when running. That means it's time to start trying for early morning runs, because the humidity is not going to be much help to timing.
Today I managed to get in 6 miles around the Wakefield lake. Unfortunately, it started to rain on me about a third of the way into the run. It wasn't a huge rain storm, and luckily it was warm enough that it didn't bother me too much, but I still did not enjoy the wet sneaker sensation. My time was fairly good though, 6 miles in 54 minutes. I am pretty confident that I can keep that 9 minute mile pace, which would put me under 2 hours for a half marathon. Seeing that I only have about two weeks to ensure this pace, I aim to get in another 10 mile run at that pace.
Earlier I also mentioned the virtual 10K by Charity Miles. I can say with full confidence that I have definitely surpassed the 6 mile requirement and I am expecting my t-shirt to be shipped any day now. That's a bonus for me and for all the charities I've been selecting. Once again, if you don't have this app yet, you really need to get it.
I think that's it for running news. I'm signed up to stuff packets next week for the Run to Remember. That should be fun. Since Ryan's family was visiting, we did a lot of touristy things this weekend, so I shall share some photos of that with you, as well as a map my run photo of my 10 mile run. I'm sure you're pumped. Enjoy them!
Last weekend I went for a nice 10 mile run in Manchester by the Sea with Cynthia, Murdock, and Jenna. Overall I think the run was pretty nice. The views were nice anyways. I also spent some time ripping up the wild bamboo growing in the backyard. Monday I went for a 5 mile run with Katie, up and down the beach. That was also...nice. It was crazy foggy out, but worse than that, it smelled like Lynn beach. There's nothing to explain the smell of Lynn beach to you. Just know that low tide smells like a combination of sulpher, rotten eggs, and porta-potties. Yes. Lovely, isn't it? So, that part of it was, not so nice, but the run part wasn't too bad.
Some of Ryan's family came to visit during the week, so I didn't run on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. Shameful, I know. Friday I got in a nice little 3 miler in the morning, but the humidity was at 90%, so it was awfully sweaty. I guess it's time to accept that the humidity factor is now something to take into account when running. That means it's time to start trying for early morning runs, because the humidity is not going to be much help to timing.
Today I managed to get in 6 miles around the Wakefield lake. Unfortunately, it started to rain on me about a third of the way into the run. It wasn't a huge rain storm, and luckily it was warm enough that it didn't bother me too much, but I still did not enjoy the wet sneaker sensation. My time was fairly good though, 6 miles in 54 minutes. I am pretty confident that I can keep that 9 minute mile pace, which would put me under 2 hours for a half marathon. Seeing that I only have about two weeks to ensure this pace, I aim to get in another 10 mile run at that pace.
Earlier I also mentioned the virtual 10K by Charity Miles. I can say with full confidence that I have definitely surpassed the 6 mile requirement and I am expecting my t-shirt to be shipped any day now. That's a bonus for me and for all the charities I've been selecting. Once again, if you don't have this app yet, you really need to get it.
I think that's it for running news. I'm signed up to stuff packets next week for the Run to Remember. That should be fun. Since Ryan's family was visiting, we did a lot of touristy things this weekend, so I shall share some photos of that with you, as well as a map my run photo of my 10 mile run. I'm sure you're pumped. Enjoy them!
6 miles in the half rain.
Old Ironsides
Ryan and I on the deck of Old Ironsides herself.
Ryan and Britney down below.
Got my ring back, FINALLY!
Emerson's grave
Bridesmaid dresses FOUND!
Fenway <3 nbsp="" p="">
Jacoby
Nothing says Summer like Fenway and the Sox
Friday, May 3, 2013
Just one of them days.
Someone in the land of the internet will be able to make sense of my title and understand that I'm not a total whack out when it comes to grammar. The rest of you, well, you'll have to take my word for it. Even though it's Friday, it was a LONG day. We had lots of teachers out today and only two subs, which meant a lot of room covering and running around. In the midst of covering a 1st grade room, right as I was about to give the math test, I had a puker. You can imagine how the rest of the class reacted, as this poor child was spewing liquid all over her desk and the surroundings. Needless to say, it took a few minutes, a bucket of sawdust, and some open windows before we could actually get on with the test.
As you might imagine, it was a good day to run. Sometimes work causes problems, and running them out is helpful. But, I wasn't exactly in the mood to run. In fact, I would have preferred to sit around at home with the dogs and watch tv/nap. Instead, I begged my facebook friends for motivation, which I got. After a few encouraging words, I headed to the beach for a 3 miler. The run itself was ok. My mile splits were all in 8s, and that includes an elevation gain of 95 feet. When I got to 3 miles my time was 25:57 and I threw in the towel right there, even though I had another mile before I was back to my car.
The odd thing about running is, no matter how often you do it, some days you feel awesome, like you could run for miles. Other days, two seconds in you're out of breath, your legs hurts, your lungs hurt, and all you want to do is lay down where you are and beg someone to carry you back to the car. Today it was the latter. It truly felt as if this 3 mile run was taking hours. My shins were burning, my knees were killing me, and I had major cramping. I think it was the sausage and pasta I had for lunch. But I made it through the 3 miles and really, that's all that matters.
I've actually done a lot of miles this week, 20 total. Wednesday we did a nice long 6.5 and this coming Sunday I'm attempting a 10 or 11. Only 3 weeks until Boston's Run to Remember and I'd like to get up to 13 at least once before that. I'm excited for the run, I think the crowd energy will be awesome and hopefully it's a nice day out.
In other news, I think the WDW marathon may be out of the question now. It's expensive to get down there and I need to save my money for a wedding. Maybe I can find a marathon closer to home. Or maybe I don't want to do a marathon at all. We'll see how the half goes first. Since we're going to be running long distances anyways, I decided to join Charity Miles Boston Strong 10K. It's a virtual 10K, but all the proceeds go to the One Fund. If you register here you get an awesome t-shirt after running. You can also win some great prizes, according to the site, but it doesn't say what the prizes are. It's $25, which includes the t-shirt. You also have download the app, which is free, and you should be using anyways, if you're a runner! I'll probably put my Sunday run miles towards it and be done, but you have the option of extending, doing some shorter runs that equal a 10K, as long as you're done before May 13.
Well that seems to be everything of importance this week. Here are two more routes for you, and a picture of the t-shirt I got from the b positive project, which is a local company that you should check out. Enjoy!
As you might imagine, it was a good day to run. Sometimes work causes problems, and running them out is helpful. But, I wasn't exactly in the mood to run. In fact, I would have preferred to sit around at home with the dogs and watch tv/nap. Instead, I begged my facebook friends for motivation, which I got. After a few encouraging words, I headed to the beach for a 3 miler. The run itself was ok. My mile splits were all in 8s, and that includes an elevation gain of 95 feet. When I got to 3 miles my time was 25:57 and I threw in the towel right there, even though I had another mile before I was back to my car.
The odd thing about running is, no matter how often you do it, some days you feel awesome, like you could run for miles. Other days, two seconds in you're out of breath, your legs hurts, your lungs hurt, and all you want to do is lay down where you are and beg someone to carry you back to the car. Today it was the latter. It truly felt as if this 3 mile run was taking hours. My shins were burning, my knees were killing me, and I had major cramping. I think it was the sausage and pasta I had for lunch. But I made it through the 3 miles and really, that's all that matters.
I've actually done a lot of miles this week, 20 total. Wednesday we did a nice long 6.5 and this coming Sunday I'm attempting a 10 or 11. Only 3 weeks until Boston's Run to Remember and I'd like to get up to 13 at least once before that. I'm excited for the run, I think the crowd energy will be awesome and hopefully it's a nice day out.
In other news, I think the WDW marathon may be out of the question now. It's expensive to get down there and I need to save my money for a wedding. Maybe I can find a marathon closer to home. Or maybe I don't want to do a marathon at all. We'll see how the half goes first. Since we're going to be running long distances anyways, I decided to join Charity Miles Boston Strong 10K. It's a virtual 10K, but all the proceeds go to the One Fund. If you register here you get an awesome t-shirt after running. You can also win some great prizes, according to the site, but it doesn't say what the prizes are. It's $25, which includes the t-shirt. You also have download the app, which is free, and you should be using anyways, if you're a runner! I'll probably put my Sunday run miles towards it and be done, but you have the option of extending, doing some shorter runs that equal a 10K, as long as you're done before May 13.
Well that seems to be everything of importance this week. Here are two more routes for you, and a picture of the t-shirt I got from the b positive project, which is a local company that you should check out. Enjoy!
yes, I took a selfie in my bedroom, after a run. Judgement free zone people!
Sunday, April 28, 2013
My week in running and other exciting things
they've had such a boom in registration and the races are now sold out, there is a major need for more volunteers. If you live in the Boston area and want to lend a hand, you can visit this website and see what positions they need help filling. There are race day and pre-race day positions available.
But, the most exciting news of the week came from an early morning walk with Ryan. We took the dogs for a sunrise walk on the beach and he proposed! It was all very lovely and I'm super excited to get married and bug him with my running for the rest of our lives ;)
Here are some pictures from the morning, and some race maps from this week. Sadly, my ring was too big so I had to send it off to get resized. Wahhhhh!
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| Ryan is sad because his life is ruined ;) |
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| Just kidding, he's super happy too |
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| We tried to get the dogs in the picture. It ALMOST worked. That white spot is the top of Stella's head. |
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| Ryan's ring. |
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Back to normal?
I will start by saying that Friday was the craziest day I have ever experienced. All day I exchanged messages with various friends and none of us could find any words appropriate to describe what was happening. Instead, we just kept throwing out, this is crazy, sh*t is going down, this sh*t just got real, and where is he. Of course, sh*t was going down, but sh*t really only got real once. There were a few false alarms, which many of us picked up via police scanners. At two different points you could hear reports of someone on the ground in cuffs, so naturally we all assumed it was the suspect. But, let's rewind for those of you not in Massachusetts.
We went to bed Thursday night with pictures of suspect #1 and suspect #2 released by the FBI. Usually I go to bed around 10:30/11. So, I turned off the t.v. after watching a show on the DVR and went to sleep. Meanwhile, a completely unexpected and really, inexplicable story was beginning to play out. Around 4 a.m. on Friday morning I woke up to the tv on in the bedroom. Ryan never turns the t.v. on upstairs, because he gets up much earlier than I do, albeit never 4 a.m. early. Not being fully awake and still completely unaware, I sleepily asked him what he was doing. His response was simple but effective in waking me up immediately. "Suspect 1 is dead and suspect two is on the run." That sentence did it. I shot up and put on my glasses, now glued to the t.v. screen. As breaking news continued to flash across the screen, ABC news anchors got me up to speed.
The original story went as follows. Around 10:30 Thursday night, suspect 1 and 2 robbed a 7/11 in Cambridge. From there they continued on, shooting an MIT police officer dead in his cruiser, high-jacking a Mercedes SUV, letting the car owner out at a gas station, and continuing on into Watertown, where a shootout occurred. The suspects were throwing bombs and grenades at the police, as well as shooting. Of course, the officers were shooting back, in an attempt to get the suspects down, not necessarily dead, but down. In the course of the shoot-out, suspect 1 was killed. Suspect 2 ditched the SUV and fled on foot. Suspect 1 was taken to Beth Isreal and was declared dead around 1:35 a.m.
From 1:35 to 4 a.m. when I woke up, it didn't seem like much more had progressed. Suspect 2 was thought to be in the Watertown area, though it seemed impossible to find him. Around 5 a.m., the governor locked down all T services, basically eliminating the possibility of anyone on foot fleeing to far. No trains and no buses doesn't leave you a lot of options after all. Soon after, police were asking residents of Watertown and many surrounding towns to Shelter in Place. If you work in a public service, you know that basically means lockdown. Personally, even if that hadn't been the case, if I lived in those towns, I certainly wouldn't have left my house on Friday for anything. There was possibly a crazy person on the loose, with bombs and guns and who knows what else. As the day wore on, more information came out about the two suspects. We learned who the boys were and where the boys had come from. We learned that they were brothers, and that one was a US citizen. News stations went to known family members in the surrounding states, where we learned that their Uncle felt them to be losers, their sister, very nice boys, and their father, angels. We learned that one was 26 and one was 19. We found out that the 19 year old had actually driven over his brother in an attempt to flee after the shoot out. What we didn't learn was why they had planted bombs and more importantly at that moment, WHERE suspect 2 was.
I sat in the house, with the tv on loud enough to hear it in any room, hoping for some information, the report that the suspect had been caught. Police scanners were broadcast over the internet and subsequently taken down, by Boston PD when it was discovered that perhaps the broadcast was compromising the positions of the officers and making it difficult to actually find the suspect. As SWAT teams and 1000s of police officers moved methodically through the neighborhood, searching homes and clearing homes, I think everyone was getting increasingly anxious. The entire town and it's surrounding areas were deserted. Everyone was inside, giving the police officers their streets, something I think everyone was glad to do. (I should hope so anyways.) But yet, no sign of this 19 year old boy. I did all my laundry and cleaned the house a bit, and eventually I couldn't take it anymore, so I went for a run.
My plan all along had been to go for a 10 mile run on Friday morning. When I heard the news though, I couldn't have left the t.v. if I tried. But, by 2:00 pm, I was just tired of watching the same coverage and I'll be honest, I was pretty sure he had escaped. I had no idea how, but I was sure he was gone. So I went for my run, making it 9.5 in an hour and forty five minutes. Not a great time, but at least I did something. Then, I went to the grocery store. I got home around 4. The news was unchanged. Suspect 2 was no where to be found. More texts were exchanged. People were nervous and anxious. A few hours later, city officials and police took Watertown off lockdown. They opened up the T for service, asking people to be vigilant. (There is no way I would've ridden the T that night, but that was just my opinion.) Just as I was texting my friends that it was a disappointing end, I got a message from a different friend that simply said, Channel 7, shots fired in Watertown. I immediately flipped back to the news and put on the police scanner, which was back on air. From that moment, sh*t got real. Really real. You just knew, this was it. They had a thermal scanner of a body in a boat. No one knew if the body was dead or alive, but it was a body, in the boat, which is more than we had in a hours. One or so hours later, the suspect was caught. He was alive and he was in custody. I think we all hoped he would be alive, because we all wanted answers, and two dead suspects would tell us nothing.
All in all, it was the most absurd day I think many of us had ever lived, and that includes 9/11. Not on the same scale, it was just something that had never happened before. Entire cities were locked down so we could catch a criminal. Swarms of police and federal officials were covering the cities. A force like that has never been seen before around here, and honestly, I'm not sure it's ever been seen anywhere. It was a crazy end to a very surreal week. Four people are dead. Four people who did not deserve to die when they did. Four people who were all younger or the same age, as me. Many people are still hospitalized, some are still in critical condition, including one MBTA officer, who was shot right before the shoot out began.
I've heard and read a lot about this manhunt and these two suspects. People wonder how a nice boy went bad. Some people even pity him. To those people, I hope they remember, he killed innocent bystanders. He made a conscious choice to put down a bag with a bomb in it, in a crowd of people, knowing full well the consequences of his actions. Furthermore, he killed and attempted to kill police officers. He is not be pitied. He is not criminally insane, but acted in full possession of his faculties. Anyone who walks into a crowd of people and leaves a bomb beside an 8 year old child, is not to be pitied. You do not have to hate him. Hate will not change history and it will not bring anyone back, but you should not pity him either.
The best I can offer is hope. Hope that he confesses. Hope that he tells us exactly why he did this. Hope that he is, in some way, sorry for the pain he tried to rain down upon a great city. Do not hate, but do not pity. Hope that his story makes you a better person. Hope it makes you treat others with more compassion, lend a hand when someone needs it, and stick together as Boston has done so magnificently this week. Two brothers tried to conquer our city this week, for what, we do not know. But they failed. They failed greater than they could ever have imagined, by creating a community united as one. A community ready to lockdown just so they could be caught. A community ready to say, we will run again, and we will run faster, and longer, just because you thought we couldn't.
And so now, we should go back to normal. Whatever normal can be now, we should return. Though we await answers and justice, life resumes. For most of us. Some will never have the same life again, and for that I am deeply sorry. So can it ever really go, back to normal?
We went to bed Thursday night with pictures of suspect #1 and suspect #2 released by the FBI. Usually I go to bed around 10:30/11. So, I turned off the t.v. after watching a show on the DVR and went to sleep. Meanwhile, a completely unexpected and really, inexplicable story was beginning to play out. Around 4 a.m. on Friday morning I woke up to the tv on in the bedroom. Ryan never turns the t.v. on upstairs, because he gets up much earlier than I do, albeit never 4 a.m. early. Not being fully awake and still completely unaware, I sleepily asked him what he was doing. His response was simple but effective in waking me up immediately. "Suspect 1 is dead and suspect two is on the run." That sentence did it. I shot up and put on my glasses, now glued to the t.v. screen. As breaking news continued to flash across the screen, ABC news anchors got me up to speed.
The original story went as follows. Around 10:30 Thursday night, suspect 1 and 2 robbed a 7/11 in Cambridge. From there they continued on, shooting an MIT police officer dead in his cruiser, high-jacking a Mercedes SUV, letting the car owner out at a gas station, and continuing on into Watertown, where a shootout occurred. The suspects were throwing bombs and grenades at the police, as well as shooting. Of course, the officers were shooting back, in an attempt to get the suspects down, not necessarily dead, but down. In the course of the shoot-out, suspect 1 was killed. Suspect 2 ditched the SUV and fled on foot. Suspect 1 was taken to Beth Isreal and was declared dead around 1:35 a.m.
From 1:35 to 4 a.m. when I woke up, it didn't seem like much more had progressed. Suspect 2 was thought to be in the Watertown area, though it seemed impossible to find him. Around 5 a.m., the governor locked down all T services, basically eliminating the possibility of anyone on foot fleeing to far. No trains and no buses doesn't leave you a lot of options after all. Soon after, police were asking residents of Watertown and many surrounding towns to Shelter in Place. If you work in a public service, you know that basically means lockdown. Personally, even if that hadn't been the case, if I lived in those towns, I certainly wouldn't have left my house on Friday for anything. There was possibly a crazy person on the loose, with bombs and guns and who knows what else. As the day wore on, more information came out about the two suspects. We learned who the boys were and where the boys had come from. We learned that they were brothers, and that one was a US citizen. News stations went to known family members in the surrounding states, where we learned that their Uncle felt them to be losers, their sister, very nice boys, and their father, angels. We learned that one was 26 and one was 19. We found out that the 19 year old had actually driven over his brother in an attempt to flee after the shoot out. What we didn't learn was why they had planted bombs and more importantly at that moment, WHERE suspect 2 was.
I sat in the house, with the tv on loud enough to hear it in any room, hoping for some information, the report that the suspect had been caught. Police scanners were broadcast over the internet and subsequently taken down, by Boston PD when it was discovered that perhaps the broadcast was compromising the positions of the officers and making it difficult to actually find the suspect. As SWAT teams and 1000s of police officers moved methodically through the neighborhood, searching homes and clearing homes, I think everyone was getting increasingly anxious. The entire town and it's surrounding areas were deserted. Everyone was inside, giving the police officers their streets, something I think everyone was glad to do. (I should hope so anyways.) But yet, no sign of this 19 year old boy. I did all my laundry and cleaned the house a bit, and eventually I couldn't take it anymore, so I went for a run.
My plan all along had been to go for a 10 mile run on Friday morning. When I heard the news though, I couldn't have left the t.v. if I tried. But, by 2:00 pm, I was just tired of watching the same coverage and I'll be honest, I was pretty sure he had escaped. I had no idea how, but I was sure he was gone. So I went for my run, making it 9.5 in an hour and forty five minutes. Not a great time, but at least I did something. Then, I went to the grocery store. I got home around 4. The news was unchanged. Suspect 2 was no where to be found. More texts were exchanged. People were nervous and anxious. A few hours later, city officials and police took Watertown off lockdown. They opened up the T for service, asking people to be vigilant. (There is no way I would've ridden the T that night, but that was just my opinion.) Just as I was texting my friends that it was a disappointing end, I got a message from a different friend that simply said, Channel 7, shots fired in Watertown. I immediately flipped back to the news and put on the police scanner, which was back on air. From that moment, sh*t got real. Really real. You just knew, this was it. They had a thermal scanner of a body in a boat. No one knew if the body was dead or alive, but it was a body, in the boat, which is more than we had in a hours. One or so hours later, the suspect was caught. He was alive and he was in custody. I think we all hoped he would be alive, because we all wanted answers, and two dead suspects would tell us nothing.
All in all, it was the most absurd day I think many of us had ever lived, and that includes 9/11. Not on the same scale, it was just something that had never happened before. Entire cities were locked down so we could catch a criminal. Swarms of police and federal officials were covering the cities. A force like that has never been seen before around here, and honestly, I'm not sure it's ever been seen anywhere. It was a crazy end to a very surreal week. Four people are dead. Four people who did not deserve to die when they did. Four people who were all younger or the same age, as me. Many people are still hospitalized, some are still in critical condition, including one MBTA officer, who was shot right before the shoot out began.
I've heard and read a lot about this manhunt and these two suspects. People wonder how a nice boy went bad. Some people even pity him. To those people, I hope they remember, he killed innocent bystanders. He made a conscious choice to put down a bag with a bomb in it, in a crowd of people, knowing full well the consequences of his actions. Furthermore, he killed and attempted to kill police officers. He is not be pitied. He is not criminally insane, but acted in full possession of his faculties. Anyone who walks into a crowd of people and leaves a bomb beside an 8 year old child, is not to be pitied. You do not have to hate him. Hate will not change history and it will not bring anyone back, but you should not pity him either.
The best I can offer is hope. Hope that he confesses. Hope that he tells us exactly why he did this. Hope that he is, in some way, sorry for the pain he tried to rain down upon a great city. Do not hate, but do not pity. Hope that his story makes you a better person. Hope it makes you treat others with more compassion, lend a hand when someone needs it, and stick together as Boston has done so magnificently this week. Two brothers tried to conquer our city this week, for what, we do not know. But they failed. They failed greater than they could ever have imagined, by creating a community united as one. A community ready to lockdown just so they could be caught. A community ready to say, we will run again, and we will run faster, and longer, just because you thought we couldn't.
 |
| This is a photo my cousin took Friday night, after suspect 2 was caught. The crosses represent Martin, Lu, and Krystle, though Sean deserves one as well, and may have one by now. This memorial continues to grow each day. Though soon BPD will be moving it to Copely Square, they will not be getting rid of it. Just another way to prove Boston has won. |
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