Five days post marathon and I am still a little sore, but otherwise feel pretty good. I’ll probably even go for a short run today or tomorrow – crazy right?

Just a few quick (final) updates:

Martin W. Richard Charitable Foundation – Team MR8 Fundraising Total

As of today, my fundraising total is $10,732 and the Team MR team fundraising total is $1.12M. This is all in the span of less than three months existing as a foundation. I have been a charity runner for over 10 years and this was my 7th time running a marathon for charity – never have I seen a response quite like this. Thank you to all who have donated! And if you haven’t yet but would still like to, here is the link: http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/LauraDonia/team-mr8-boston-marathon-2014. Martin Richard’s life was cut too short, but thanks to all of the resources that we were able to raise, Martin’s message of peace will make an impact in the lives of many for years to come.

Pictures!

I have created a video of all of the pictures that I (or others) have taken over the last three months. Some of you are in these pictures so enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_N4VBXpxMw

What’s Next?

Good question! I’m not entirely sure. I am planning to run the Boston Run to Remember Half Marathon at the end of May, the B.A.A. 10K in June, the Smuttynose Half Marathon in October, and the B.A.A. Half Marathon in October. (If I complete both the B.A.A 10K and Half Marathon I will have completed all four B.A.A. events in 2014). You can follow my running saga here if you are interested: http://www.railtrailrunner.com

As for Boston next year – I just don’t know. I had said this would be my last, but my experience with Team MR8 was just so inspiring I may have to go back next year. Or I may train a little harder and see if I have a BQ in me for 2016. So right now I don’t know but don’t be surprised if you hear from me again next winter! Regardless of whether I run the marathon or not, I do hope to stay involved in the Martin W. Richard Charitable Foundation in some way. Be on the look out for some great things that the foundation has planned. If you have ideas that support peace in athletics, education, or community, or are interested in following their progress, you can check in here: http://www.teammr8.org.

Thank You!

I know I’ve said this a million times already, but really I just don’t feel like it’s been enough. So once again, thank you all so much – whether you donated to my fundraiser, beeped at me when I ran, sent me an encouraging email/text/Facebook post, cheered for me very loudly on Marathon Monday or put up with my insanely crazy behavior for 3-4 months – thank you for it all. And I would be remiss if I did not especially thank my brother Gary at Nashoba Valley Medical Center for fixing my very painful foot in time to get me back on track with training, J. Ashley Jewelry for supporting an amazing fundraiser, and my parents, my in-laws, and Mike, Ryan and Adyson for all of their love, support, help, and sacrifices, and for giving me the time I needed to heal my heart. I could not have done this without them.

“No more hurting people. Peace” ~ Martin Richard (8)

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

With much love and peace always,

Laura

I started my journey to the 2014 Boston Marathon Finish Line on April 15th, 2013, just a few hours after terror ripped through our city. While still stuck in Boston, scared, angry, cold, confused, tired – you name it – I boldly announced to my family that I would return to finish the marathon in 2014.

I was determined to finish what I started. But what began purely as a personal mission, born from feeling cheated out of achieving something I had worked so long and hard for, took on a much larger purpose. It was no longer about me, but about turning something really, really awful, into something really, really great. It was about honoring the memory of the victims and the strength of the survivors. And for me, as a mother of two small children close to Martin’s age, it was especially important to honor the memory of that day’s youngest victim, Martin Richard.

In January, 2014, 100 runners were selected to run 26.2 miles wearing Martin Richard’s name, number and message of peace. I was honored to have been one of them. On April 21, 2014, Team MR8 – 100 strong – ran in the 2014 Boston Marathon and carried Martin’s wish for peace with us every step of the way from Hopkinton to Boston. And Martin was with us all – I am certain of that. From the beautiful blue skies, to the daffodils blooming along the marathon route, to the woman in the Athlete’s Village who stopped me and asked for my picture because of the name on my shirt, to the hundreds of times I heard strangers cheering for me because I wore Martin’s name – I could feel his presence everywhere.

To the Richard family, I continue to be inspired by your strength, courage and grace. No family should ever have to endure what you’ve had to. I thank you for allowing me this opportunity to be part of Team MR8 and entrusting me to be an ambassador for Martin’s message of peace. Martin’s life was cut too short but I hope you find some measure of peace in knowing that he has touched the lives of many, and has already made the world a better place.

To my Team MR8 teammates, we came together in January as strangers with a common goal to spread Martin’s message of peace. I now consider many of you to be friends. We all came with our own unique and special reasons for running for Martin, and for that reason alone I think we will always be connected. Martin was known for bringing people together and even though he is no longer with us, he is still bringing people together. Thank you for sharing your stories and this experience with me.

To my family and friends, thank you – for all of your love and support over the last four months, for supporting my fundraising, for taking this journey with me, and for allowing me to grieve and heal in my own way. I could not have done it without each and every one of you. Together we have raised over $10K for the Martin W. Richard Charitable Foundation, and we should all be so very proud of that.

It’s been a long year, filled with so many emotions. But on April 21, 2014, we ran, we finished the race, we healed a little more, we showed the strength and resiliency of the human spirit, and we brought peace back to Boston.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Two more sleeps until marathon day 🙂

We kicked off the weekend this morning with the BAA 5K run. Two of my biggest fans were there and Ryan even ran the last half mile with me. He was very excited to cross the finish line. Hopefully we get a picture of that!

Adyson has since claimed my medal – I don’t think she will ever give it back!

We then took a walk to the finish line to take some pictures.

Before heading to the Expo, we stopped along Boylston Street to watch the One Mile Tribute Run. It was very inspirational to see survivors and families and friends of the victims run/walk this mile to the Finish Line (including some survivors who are now amputees – simply amazing. I will never complain during a run ever again…)

We then headed to the Expo to pick up my 2014 Boston Marathon Number.

So grateful that I was able to enjoy such a beautiful day in Boston with my family.

Two more sleeps!

“Life is a journey, not a destination.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

I’ve heard this quote a million times, but never has it rung more true for me than it has over the last year.

On April 15th, 2013, while sitting in a small, side-street restaurant somewhere in Boston, tired, cold, confused, scared and still somewhat in shock, I announced to my family that I would return to run the Boston Marathon in 2014. I didn’t realize it at the time, but my journey to the 118th Boston Marathon actually started in that moment – just hours after a horrific tragedy had ripped through our city.

I’ve thought about that moment at least once a day for the last year. At first, it was born from the need for closure, to “finish what I started.” I felt cheated out of achieving something I had worked really, really hard for. But then I joined Team MR8 and my commitment to run the 118th Boston Marathon took on a much larger purpose – it was no longer about me, but about turning something awful into something good. And now, as much as I am looking forward to finally getting my “Boylston Street Finish”, in many ways I’m not quite ready for this journey to end.

In life, eight-year-old Martin Richard was known for bringing people together – in school, in sports and in his neighborhood. And even though he is no longer with us in this life, he continues to bring people together. Over the last twelve weeks, 100 runners have come together to train for the Boston Marathon through a harsh New England winter, all bound by a common goal to honor Martin’s message of “No more hurting people. Peace”. And on April 21st, we will all run the 118th Boston Marathon in memory of Martin – and his wish for peace.

As always I would like to thank all of you for taking this journey with me. The marathon is just one week from tomorrow (or as Adyson would say – 8 more sleeps!). My fundraising total is now just over $8K, about $400 shy of my goal of $8,500. Please visit my Team MR8 fundraising page if you would like to contribute to this very special cause. I also ask that you keep the Richard family in your thoughts this week, as we observe the one-year anniversary of the Boston Marathon Tragedy, and the loss of their child, Martin Richard, as well as all the victims, families and survivors.

Thank you again so much for reading, and for your constant support. I appreciate it more than you know!

With much love and peace.

I was recently speaking with a reporter about a potential story for our local paper.

He sent me the following questions to answer for the story. I have no idea yet if a story will be written or published (I hope so!) but I wanted to share the questions and my answers.

Why did you decide to run for Team MR8?

I was a runner in the 2013 Boston Marathon and I was not able to finish the marathon – I was stopped on Commonwealth Ave. at the Mass Ave. underpass along with thousands of other runners.

Because I was not able to finish, the BAA granted me (and all of the other 5500+ non finishers) an invitational entry to return in 2014. This invitational entry waved the qualifying time requirements along with any fundraising requirements that typically exist in order to run in the Boston Marathon. However, I felt as though I would be remiss if I used this opportunity solely to “finish what I started” last year. It was important to me to honor the victims and the survivors in some way. My family was on Boylston St. at the finish line last year waiting for me to finish the marathon. I was a half mile away from finishing at the time of the explosions. My husband and children were actually standing directly across the street from where the Richard family was standing and my parents were on a section of Boylston Street in between the two explosions. I am extremely grateful that we were all unharmed, but I have not been able to get the Richard family out of my mind since the world learned that 8-year old Martin was one of the three lives lost that day. My heart aches for the family and I have not been able to shake the ‘why their family and not my family” feeling since last April. Joining Team MR8 has given me the opportunity to do more than just “be grateful” – it has given me the opportunity to honor the memory of an 8 year old boy who I never knew, and his wish for peace.

How did you initially get involved with Team MR8?

The Richard family announced in January that they were establishing a foundation in their son’s name – The Martin W. Richard Charitable Foundation – and would be accepting applications from people interested in running the 2014 Boston Marathon as part of the inaugural Team MR8 (‘MR’ are Martin’s initials and ‘8’ was his age and his favorite number). All funds raised by Team MR8 would go to the Martin W Richard Charitable Foundation. I heard about the foundation, and Team MR8 on the news and I filled out the application that same day. Each applicant had to fill out an eleven page application and submit the completed application to the foundation for review. It is my understanding that the Richard family read each of the 300+ applications, and hand-selected each runner for the inaugural Team MR8. I am incredibly honored to be one of the 100 runners that have been selected to run for Team MR8.

How have you raised money for the cause thus far and what is the mission of the foundation?

As of this writing I have raised over $7,500 for the Martin W Richard Charitable Foundation and my goal is $8,500. All of my fundraising has been through donations made by my own personal network – family, friends and colleagues and of course, social media. I am extremely fortunate to have a large network of people who support me. Shortly after the attack at last year’s marathon a picture of Martin Richard holding a sign that read “No more hurting people. Peace.” went global. I think everyone has probably seen that picture. The mission of the Martin W Richard Charitable Foundation is to honor Martin’s message of “No more hurting people. Peace” by investing in education, athletics and community.

Have you run for charities in the past and if so, which ones?

Yes. I have run the Boston Marathon 4 times for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. In 2013 I ran the Boston Marathon for Dana-Farber.

Talk to me about your training thus far. Is it different from previous years?

Not really. This is New England. It’s cold and it snows. It’s been cold and snowy for just about every Boston Marathon I’ve trained for. I am lucky that I have a treadmill that I use for my mid-week runs, and I brave the elements for the longer runs. Once you get started, if you are dressed properly, it’s really not that bad. The only tricky part was getting my long runs in around my son’s hockey game schedule!

The only real difference this year is that I got a late start with my training because I was injured in December, when my training should have started. I was sidelined with Plantar Fasciitis until about mid-January when I gradually started running again. Since I am an avid runner, it did not take me long to get caught up to where I needed to be in my training plan mileage wise, but my pace is a little slower than it was at this time last year.

After last year’s bombings, why did you decide to run again?

There was really never a question in my mind as to whether or not I would run this year. I remember sitting in a side-street restaurant in Boston last year on April 15th after walking around Boston for over an hour in search of my parents. We were tired, cold, confused and could not get to our car to get out of the city because it was part of the crime scene. I looked at my mom and I said “You know I am going to have to run again next year, right?”. And she just shook her head. At the time – I really had no comprehension of the severity of what had happened at the Finish Line because I was a half-mile away. But my husband, children and parents had been right there and had seen things that no child, no person should ever see.

I think the only reservations I have about running is the effect it will have on my children. My son cannot watch fireworks anymore and has asked me multiple times if I am sure that there will not be a bomb at the marathon this year. He has also asked me numerous times why anyone would want to hurt people. It is hard to not be able to answer a question your child asks you – when the truth is I have the same question. We have been back to the Finish Line on Boylston Street as a family a number of times since that tragic day and I am hopeful that these most recent memories will help to fade the frightening memories they have from last April. My husband is planning to bring our children to the Finish Line this year, and I want them to be there. It is important to me that my children not associate the Boston Marathon and the Finish Line with danger, but rather as a place to celebrate the human spirit, resilience and our city.

It was a busy, Team MR8 activity filled weekend.

On Saturday, I spent the day in Boston filming a spot that will air at the end of an ESPN E:60 special about the marathon, the one year anniversary and the victims. I believe it will first air on Saturday, April 12th on ABC, and then again on ESPN on April 15th for the one year anniversary. I am not sure of the times yet and will let you know when I find out. Suffice it to say this was a unique experience that I was honored to be a part of. I met a lot of my Team MR8 teammates and despite it being a long, cold day — we were being filmed running so we had to wear shorts and t-shirts all day, despite the fact that it was below 50 degrees all day… thank goodness that the Four Seasons was gracious enough to let us seek warmth in their lobby when we weren’t being filmed — we all had a great time, with lots of laughs throughout the day.

Today (Sunday) was the Team MR8 ‘Swag Pickup Event’ in Dorchester, MA, at a restaurant located in the Richard’s neighborhood (the owners closed the restaurant for the evening for the Team MR8 event). I can’t decide what I enjoyed the most about this event – getting the first look at the Team MR8 marathon singlet, hearing Martin’s father speak, seeing Jane running (yes running) around in her new prosthetic, or the company of new friends. It was a very special night, in so many ways.

As the 2014 Boston Marathon is getting closer, each day brings new and different emotions. I am discovering that being a part of Team MR8 is really helping me with the healing process by picking up some of the pieces that have left me still not quite whole since last April. Seeing Martin’s parents smiling and enjoying themselves and seeing Jane Richard running around like a typical kid really warms my heart and it makes me feel a little “better” to see that they are doing OK. It helps with the “why them and not me” feeling that has not left me since last April. I made this video which I think captures why running in the marathon this year for Team MR8 is so important to me.

Once again I would like to thank all of you for taking this journey with me. The marathon is two weeks from tomorrow and I am in full out “taper mode” now (this week’s long run was a “short” 12 miler). My fundraising total is approaching $8K, and our team’s fundraising total has surpassed $750k – all of which is truly amazing and a testament to how much Martin’s short life truly mattered to everyone he’s touched – whether you knew him or not. Please consider donating if you haven’t already! This is such a special, meaningful and worthy cause.

Thank you again so much for reading, and for your constant support. I appreciate it more than you know!

With much love and peace.

Laura

Instead of hearing from me this week, I thought I would share this message that the Team MR8 runners received from Bill Richard today, as his words are more meaningful than mine could ever be. I also wanted you to see first hand how truly grateful the family is for all of the support they are receiving in the memory of their child, as well as some of the initiatives they are considering with the funds raised.

This weekend I ran a total of 22 miles – 18 yesterday and 4 today. Both days were perfect running days – beautiful, sunny, not too warm and not too cold. I think of Martin and his family often during my runs, and always carry his picture with me as a reminder of how truly precious this life is.

Thanks to all who have supported me already – I am extremely grateful for all of the donations I have received. If you would still like to contribute you can do so here: http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/LauraDonia/team-mr8-boston-marathon-2014. Six weeks to go and counting…

Dear Team MR8,

We hope you are all doing well and perhaps back from a training run this morning — the weather is certainly warmer.  Our son Henry just left with his MR8 hat for a two mile loop we do in our neighborhood.  His first day of cross country practice is this Monday evening.

We write for a few reasons, not the least of which is to remind each of you how grateful we are to have you as an inaugural runner for our first marathon team.  Clearly it’s been a brutal winter for training (here in the northeast), but we expect and hope you will reap the rewards of such harsh conditions with a strong run on April 21.  We have 99 runners and will be adding our final runner in a day or two, so we’ll be 100 strong on Marathon Day.  You may notice our number of runners doesn’t match the number of fundraisers on the First Giving site and that’s because we allowed some registered runners to join and fundraise as a team – the amount raised being the same as if they we fundraising alone.  A few runners who are part of our team that you may not know about are Amby Burfoot, winner of the 1968 Boston Marathon and current Editor-at-Large of Runner’s World; Dave Mcgillivary, Race Director for the BAA, well known for his run across America in 1978 but still runs Boston every year, at night, when his work is done; and Blake Boldon, Executive Director of the Indianapolis Marathon, and among his many accomplishments the third Iowan to complete a sub-four minute mile.

Speaking of First Giving and your fundraising efforts, we are amazed at the response and the amount raised to date.  THANK YOU.  After some discussions here, we intend to raise our goal to $750,000 from the current $500,000.  This is not to move the goal line but rather to hopefully incentivize folks to donate to each of you and not be deterred as we approach or reach our goal. If we close in on 750K we will raise it to 1M.  Now that we have our official letter from the IRS authorizing all donations as tax deductible, we hope to raise funds from corporate donors as well, which will all be tallied on the First Giving page.  If anybody needs a copy of this letter please let Susan or one of us know.

**We are planning an event at a neighborhood restaurant, Tavolo Ristorante, www.tavolopizza.com, on on Sunday April 6, time TBD but likely 3-7pm.  Here you will be able to meet many of your new teammates and re-connect with some you’ve already met.  But also it will be a chance to pick-up your Saucony Gear which includes your race singlet, jacket, sneakers, hat and shirt.  If you can’t make this event we will UPS everything to you.  Note:  An email e-vite will be sent to you this week, please kindly respond so we can plan accordingly**

Since the Marathon Weekend falls on Easter Sunday this year, the events in Boston are largely crammed into Friday and Saturday but I am quite sure the BAA is still sponsoring their Pasta Dinner that Sunday night — you should check their website for details.  We will not be doing anything, team-wise, on Easter Sunday before race day.  On Saturday the 19th we will have up to 150 runners participating in the BAA sponsored 5K run:  family, friends and youth.   We will be wearing the same long sleeve shirt in your Saucony gear pack, so if you are in town Saturday morning feel free to come cheer us on.  The race starts at 8am.  And following the race on Monday you are welcome to stop by Equinox  Health Club just a few blocks from the finish line: www.equinox.com/clubs/dartmouth.  There you can shower, rest, get a massage from one of our on-site masseuses and have a light post-race snack.  More details as we get closer to race day.

Foundation News: We continue to plan and meet with larger foundations and corporations who are interesting in helping or partnering on various initiatives.  As you should all know by now, our Mission is to: Honor Martin’s message of ‘No more hurting people – Peace’ by investing in education, athletics and community.  Many of your donors, and perhaps yourselves, would like to know what exactly that means (?)  Our ideas are still fluid and we continue to meet and discuss, but some ideas range from Library Peace Corners and peace-based curricula (Education); retrofitting or making ballparks and playgrounds accessible to all children (Athletics) and thru Community by inspiring and mobilize kids through service, to make a difference in the world.  Also, to help families like ours, who suffer tragedy and are in need of community and/or financial support.

Every Monday, beginning tomorrow, you will receive an email from us – a “Monday Countdown” till Marathon Monday on April 21.  The email will offer an update on what we’re up to, maybe highlight a particular fundraising effort, but really just to give you greater insight of our efforts while you all continue your training for the big day.

Thanks and enjoy your Sunday.

Peace,
Bill and Denise Richard