Boston -

The following is a note from a friend who ran the marathon That I want to share completely unedited. You can imagine our fears - and tremendous relief when we read the notes from friends that they were okay. Prayers of peace.... Inner peace for the troubled... and peace among people to each other.... ॐ

"I want to thank everyone too for all your support. I was pretty shaken up, in fact I still am. It was great to read that you guys were all out there and concerned for us.

As Carla said, we ran together for 13 miles and then Glenn and I went ahead a bit. At about mile 19 Glenn pulled away from me, my pace fell off some in the hills. I made the turn onto Boylston and had gone about halfway down - I had about two blocks to go to the finish line. I figured Glenn was at the finish already, and I was thinking about which side of the finish chute to take in.

Then I heard the first blast. I thought it was part of the race - odd, but something they planned. Maybe somebody famous had just finished or something. I thought it sounded like a cannon. I could see the smoke but no one around me reacted. Then the second blast went off about a block ahead of me. I saw the fireball, felt the percussion in my chest, and then the smoke.

I stopped, everyone around me stopped. The cops started walking and then running towards the blast. I thought of Glenn being ahead of me and that Diana may be waiting at the finish line for me. I started running towards the finish before the cops yelled to go back. I turned around on the course and there was Glenn. I don't know how I passed him, I never saw him. Then I got my phone out and called Diana. She was at the hotel, thank God, and had not heard anything yet so was not in a panic. I was lucky my call connected, I couldn't call her back for over an hour after that.

So I won't drag this on and on but thank God for Glenn. My legs started to cramp up, I got very cold, and after 26 miles I wasn't thinking very well anyway, and I was very scared. The police directed us off the course after they thought there could be more bombs so we took the back streets around, found the mylar blankets which helped with the cold, and eventually found the gear bags where I had some clothes and some water. I couldn't get in touch with Carla during this time but Glenn did get some texts from her so I knew she was safe.

OK so that's all the bad stuff.

The first 26 miles of the race were awesome. It is a beautiful course, rural for a very long time, wooded, but lots of spectators cheering. The Wellsley Girls - well let's just say they didn't disappoint. But the award for most drunken college students along the course goes to Boston College. Those guys were hammered.

I am back home now, safe and sound. Tired. Sore. Still getting teared up when I see the pictures. So grateful I was not one block further along the course. Sorry that I didn't officially finish, but that is so small in the total scope of things now.

I feel so lucky in so many ways. You guys rock."

_/\_