Boston Marathon bombing: One runner's story

I have to step away from the horror. I can't deal anymore but one last link from Charlie's place to Jon Marcus who was there when the bombs exploded in Boston. It's a somber but inspiring story.

It turns out the race was already won long before the bombs exploded. But it's a big race. The rest of the runners would be coming in for a long time yet. Boston Marathon isn't about winning. As Jon Marcus tells us:

For runners from around the world, the marathon is a life goal. They train not for months, but years, to meet the daunting qualifying times. Crossing that small strip of pavement is an accomplishment that’s as hard to explain as the attack that bloodied it is impossible to understand.

This time, some of the last runners to cross kept going, to the hospitals to give blood. Doctors and nurses among them volunteered to help.

But all of that extraordinary generosity couldn’t reverse time. ...

Even if you're feeling as overwhelmed by the horror as I am, this is worth reading in full. I found oddly comforting.