As the ongoing saga related to the Boston Marathon bombing continues (click here for a summary of events), I log into Garmin Connect to enter my week’s mileage and I’m brought to tears (for like the 9th time this week) by Garmin’s message of support: “Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the tragedy at the Boston Marathon. You have the strength and support of our entire community.”

Those two sentences contain so much emotion for me. Running has saved my body, soul and mind countless times over the years. Throughout it all I’ve felt nothing but love from the running community. A community mostly of complete strangers (especially for a solo runner like me).

I remember my first marathon….at mile 25 I was in a lot of pain, there was a slight hill so I figured, ‘I’m pacing 20 minutes ahead of my goal, I’ll just walk the last mile.’ I only had time to walk for 5 seconds before a fellow runner tapped me on the shoulder as she ran by and said “Only 1 mile left. I know you can do this.” She sounded so sure of me that I forced myself to run through my sore knee, aching left foot and throbbing left hamstring. The memory of that continues to play in my mind whenever I need encouragement.

So when people say “you have the strength and support of our entire community”, know that this includes me…..it includes every runner and then some.