Memories of the Boston Marathon

My eyes locked on the television when I walked into the Togo's in downtown Pleasant Hill on Monday afternoon.

"Breaking News: Two explosions at the Boston Marathon"

My mind immediately zipped back to April 1986. That's when I ran the Boston Marathon with my college friend, Mark Shuman, who was living in that great city at the time.

As soon as I sat down, I called Mark. He didn't even say hello when he picked up the phone. He simply said, "Can you believe this?"

No, I really couldn't. Still can't.

I ran races for almost 20 years, more than 400 total. The Boston Marathon was the best organized, most inspirational race I ever ran. In fact, I retired from competitive racing after that marathon because I didn't think I could top the experience.

The video of those blasts hit me in the stomach. Seeing the grandstand demolished, the finish line empty, the emergency vehicles rushing in. All unbelievable.

I thought back to finishing the race in 1986. I remember the elation coming down that final stretch in downtown Boston.

I can't imagine the sudden turn of emotions for those runners who were striding down that avenue when the bombs blew. From euphoria to fright to devastation.

I also thought of the spectators who line that final stretch.

I finished my marathon in 3 hours and 25 minutes, more than an hour after the winners had crossed the line. There were still people crammed along the route when I plodded toward the finish. They were still cheering, yelling, encouraging.

The jolt today's spectators must have felt, both physically and mentally, when those bombs went off had to have been monumental.

I blinked heavily at the thought. Then, my mind switched to the spectators along the route.

On race day, there are people along that entire course. Think of it -- 26 miles of unbroken spectators.

The crowds are thicker in the small towns outside Boston and near the colleges. But there are always people along the way, rooting you on. It's a source of pride for Bostonians.

Mark reminded me that the Red Sox always play an early day game on Marathon Day, so baseball fans can pour out of Fenway Park and go to the finish line to help cheer everyone on.

You see, the Boston Marathon is more than a race. It's more than a community event. It's a magical day for not only the city but for all the towns nearby.

Whoever was behind this bombing, they knew what they were doing. They weren't just attacking runners and spectators, they were attacking a beloved institution.

They knew the bombings would send shock waves throughout the Northeast, ones that would reverberate across the country and strike anyone who has been touched by that special thing known as the Boston Marathon.

Patch coverage of the explosions