COMMUNITY: Returning to Boston Marathon an honor and privilege

Editor's note: Mike Schulte of Cedar Rapids is vice president for sales for Fleck Sales Company, married with two adult children and an avid runner 20 years. He has completed 25 marathons since 2000.

By Mike Schulte, community contributor

I ran my very first marathon in 2000 with my brother, Chris, in Chicago. At the time, I thought one marathon in my life time would be plenty and a good thing to check off my bucket list.

When I discovered a Boston Marathon appearance must be earned with a qualifying time, my hobby of running was transformed from a recreational activity to a sport I could participate competitively in as an adult.

I ran my first Boston Marathon in 2005. After two failed attempts to qualify, I earned my first appearance in the spring of 2004 in St. Louis. Most Boston qualifiers know the disappointment of intense training for 16 to 18 weeks only to come up short in gaining qualification. That disappointment is a key ingredient of my Boston experience and certainly made the accomplishment much more satisfying.

I've run two Boston Marathons with my dear friend, Sam Houston. In 2007, we ran our first Boston together. That year, the marathon was nearly postponed due to a nor'easter. Temperatures were in the mid-30s with head winds the entire way at about 20 mph.

Last year, Sam and I were joined by our good friends Jim Quigley and Tom Wolle. Sam and I had very comparable qualifying times and were assigned the same corral and ran the entire race together. The very fact we did so is evidence of why Sam is such a close friend. I suffered a hamstring injury two-and-a-half months before to last year's Boston and was able to do very little running before the event.

Needless to say, I was in no shape to run very well. Sam slowed down substantially and pulled me through to the finish. Sam is that kind of guy. He has been a pace setter in many marathons, helping many finish their first marathon and has helped several people qualify for Boston.

April 15, 2013 was a beautiful day when the race started. Since I could not run competitively, I made the point to slow down and experience all the sights and sounds along the route. Sam and I must have broken a course record for high fiving kids. It was a special experience to see the excitement in joy in their faces as we ran.

It was about one hour after Sam and I finished when the bombs on Boylston Street exploded. We found Tom and Jim and were making our way back to the finish line. We heard the explosions and saw the plumes of smoke come our way two blocks away from the chaos of the finish line.

Why am I coming back to Boston this year?

First of all, because I feel fortunate to still be able to run. I am fortunate enough to be qualified another year and this is something one cannot take for granted. More importantly, I feel an obligation to come back to run for the victims of Boston, especially those who lost their lives — Krystle Campbell, 29; Lu Lingzi, 23; and Martin Richard, 8.

When I first saw Martin's picture, I immediately thought of all the kids I saw on the route, so innocent, having such a great day with their families. Ignorance and anger took their lives. It is the hope of the terrorists that their actions will intimidate us into not living our lives in celebration and experiencing great traditions like the Boston Marathon.

When we choose not to return and celebrate events like these, they win. They have not and cannot win.

This year a record 36,000 runners will participate in the Boston Marathon. It is an honor and a privilege to be part of it.