Take It Easy On The NYC Marathon Runners!

Wow, for all of those runners who were in NYC for the Marathon, I feel bad for them. It's like they were "damned if they did or damned if they didn't," when it came to the kind of help they could provide while being stranded there. People have the audacity to ridicule them for not doing enough? Something is better than nothing! Many of these individuals fundraised for different charities and came a long way for the race, having very personal reasons for why they run. Some people who projected anger towards those runners should not assume that "all runners" are selfish or have their own agenda to just "race." Seeing people post things on social media like "F@^! the runners" is disheartening. Don't let a few runners who were let down by the decision of the race organizers, the mayor, etc., who may have poorly expressed their distaste for how the race situation was handled, let that be the stereotype for who runners are. I come across a few rude runners, or some who are just in it for themselves now and then, but the runners I know on a personal level, are not like that whatsoever! We have good hearts, we run to help others, we run to overcome our fears and to inspire others. Whether we run with our own personal health issues to better ourselves so that we can pay it forward, or run because we ourselves are motivated by someone who's out their doing it despite their personal set-backs, plain and simple- We all have a personal story to share.

Whether those NYC runners were able to donate some money (keeping in mind that they already did bring revenue to the city by just coming into town) or donated their time to those affected by the Hurricane, any type of support is good support. From what I've read through articles or from individuals who were physically there posting their experiences, many runners were out there helping to pick up garbage, handing out headlamps, asking how they could help, etc. Let's be thankful, not disrespectful to them by saying they haven't done enough!

I commend some of the people who wrote back to nasty FB posts that people had about the runners pointing out that angered individuals should maybe direct their questions about getting assistance to other organizations, like the professional sports teams that continued playing, big retailers, etc. One person had a good point. If someone that lives there locally has the time to rant on Facebook by swearing and blaming runners, they themselves are not necessarily out there doing good for the greater cause...they obviously have resources to be able to access the Internet, etc. Maybe they should change their negativity and harness it into something positive by spreading the word about what is needed through their social media networks.

I know I'm not perfect, no one is, but just seeing all of the rude, nasty things that have been going on around the topic of the NYC Marathon, the runners and non-runners, tourists and local residents alike, has just been crazy.

As Thanksgiving is just around the corner, I'm thankful for so much. I send my thoughts and well wishes to all my friends, their families and those affected on the East Coast. Stay strong out there. Remember that even though people might not be able to physically or monetarily help, spiritual positivity is a very powerful thing. I recently interacted with a lady from New Jersey, who despite what happened there, took the time to want to learn more about helping the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. She spoke to me over the phone as she was standing in the crazy gas lines, trying to recoup from what happened in her area. Despite the terrible things that surrounded her, she was still positive and actually signed up for Team In Training because she wanted to pay it forward. Amazing.