When I was young I was addicted to long distance running. In fact I finished 33 (26.2 mile) marathons in my running career, but the only one that mattered was the Mecca of distance running: The Boston Marathon.

"Boston" was the goal and inorder to be eligible to participate you had to achieve a qualifying time (under 3 hours and 10 minutes) at another marathon and inorder to do that one had to train very hard. So hard that you had to run every day and sometimes twice a day.

It was morning, noon and night at the expense of family and life as I knew it.

Eventually I qualified and ran the 1983 Boston Marathon. I was so proud and as I ran the difficult race I fortified myself with the thought that my family was waiting for me at the finish line and when it was over I would make it up to them.

30 years ago was a far more innocent and simple time. We mourn Boston's loss.