Today is not that day

This morning J and I watched the Boston Marathon from our usual spot on Commonwealth Avenue between Miles 18 and 19 here in Newton.

Whereas last year’s race was cold and rainy, today’s weather has been mild and sunny: perfect for spectators, but verging on Too Hot for runners.

J and I have been watching the Boston Marathon together since 2009, so every year we take the same assortment of photos.

First, we watch the wheelchair runners race past, then we wait for the pace trucks that precede the elite men’s and women’s runners.

Throughout our time clapping and cheering, we also see military marchers clad in camo, the usual assortment of police and first responders, and an endless parade of dog-walkers, parents shepherding children, and all sorts of sign-waving spectators.

In Newton, the marathon is as much a parade, block party, and day in the park as it is an elite athletic event.

Every year, I’m cheered by the spectacle of random folks cheering on friends, family, and random runners.

If you run Boston in a shirt with your name on it, by God you’ll be greeted by 24.6 miles of random strangers yelling “Go, Brian!” and “Way to go, Jenna!”

Boston is renowned for the passion of its sports fans, and on Marathon Monday, folks who spend the other 364 days screaming for the Celtics, Bruins, Red Sox, and Patriots will turn their fanaticism to elite runners and everyday Joes alike.

This year, my eye was caught by a bold, brightly colored sign that said “There will come a day when you cannot do this. Today is not that day.”

Perhaps because this is my first Marathon after my Mom died in December, this sign hit me like a barn door.

For runners and spectators alike, there will come a day when we can’t do the things we currently take for granted: winter weather will drive us back inside, and old age, sickness, or death will stop us in our tracks.

J and I have been walking to watch the Marathon together since 2009, but there will come a day when one or both of us are too old, too infirm, or too frail to do so. Today, however, is not that day.

CLICK HERE to see all my photos from today’s Boston Marathon. Enjoy!