????杰西卡?香博拉在2008年至2011年期間擔任《財富》記者，我和她亦師亦友。目前她在Facebook任市場經理，但對我來說她仍然是一名新聞記者。因此，當杰西卡發短信告訴我她跑完了波士頓馬拉松的全程，雖然驚險但安然無恙時，我問她是否愿意分享她在這場悲劇事件中的經歷。我們很高興杰西卡一切安好，并能再次為《財富》撰寫文章：

????在等待波士頓馬拉松比賽開始時，我和男友正反思我們為什么要跑這些比賽。和其他上千名選手站立在寒風中，唯一的感覺只有不舒服。“好吧，看看跑到最后會是種什么感覺。”我說，“也許到那時我們就會記起為什么要跑。”

????對于周一發生的事情，我不知道還能再多說些什么，我自己和親朋好友都沒有受到傷害。但顯然那些遭受傷害以及痛失親人的人對這件事的感覺遠遠超出我們余下人能夠觸及的范圍。不過，我可以分享作為一名參賽跑步者的經歷。

????對跑步者來說，參加波士頓馬拉松比賽是跑步生涯的一大亮點。僅僅有資格參賽就已經是一種成就，例如，我必須在3小時35分鐘內跑完26英里385碼（約合42公里）才能入圍。還有就是，波士頓馬拉松是全球最古老的年度馬拉松比賽，也是世界六大馬拉松之一。我曾經不確定自己能否獲得參賽資格，但去年我在洛杉磯以39秒的優勢成功入圍。

????盡管如此，我也不認為自己已經為參加波士頓馬拉松而拼盡全力。那可能是因為我把視線投向了今年晚些時候一場距離更長的跑步比賽，我沒有全身心地投入訓練，我不確定自己的心思是在這場比賽當中。

????我的男友埃里克隨著同齡組選手在上午10時作為第一組出發，我跟隨第二組選手在20分鐘后開跑。在稍稍熱身之后，那天就變成了一個非常適合跑步的日子，我對波士頓馬拉松的欣賞之情也開始滋長。我跑得很快，腦中想著西海岸的親朋好友現在才剛剛開始新的一天，也許其中有幾位會查看一下我的比賽進度。

????我在上半程跑得很順利，但到了18英里的時候，我的臀部和膝蓋開始疼痛。為了在最后交出一個好成績，我不得不盡力跑完最后的8.2英里，并利用意志力和人群的加油聲作為自己的動力。在整個比賽過程中，我對觀眾的友好驚嘆不已。接著，我想起自己也曾是觀眾的一員。這兩種角色都帶來了極大的滿足感，一方向陌生人表達支持，另一方從陌生人那里接受鼓勵。

????當我在下午2點跑完全程時，眼中的終點線已經是一片模糊，我的成績是3小時43分36秒。我們這些參賽選手雖然跑得頭暈目眩，但情緒很高，我們在波士頓大街上踉踉蹌蹌地走著，從人們手中接過水、食物、毛毯和獎牌。

????當我們走近安放隨身物品的黃色校車時，聽到了“轟”的爆炸聲！我們很擔心，但并不知道是什么在幾個街區外造成兩下如此響亮的爆炸聲。也許是慶祝時燃放的煙花？接著，我們看到煙冒出來，知道肯定是出事了。

????我跑出比賽區域去尋找埃里克，非常幸運（他沒事），因為他本應該在那個爆炸區域等候我，救護車從我們身邊駛過去，是什么造成了這一切？

????我們緊緊地握住彼此的手，找到了前來為我們加油的朋友。我們對發生了什么一無所知，也不知道該做什么，在這種情況下，我們走到站臺乘著電車回到坎布里奇。埃里克和我都沒有帶手機，但我們的朋友帶了。他們在網上張貼出我們的照片，好讓大家知道我們沒事。

????等我們回到居住的公寓，Facebook上滿是朋友們表達關切的信息。我們很快發布了狀態更新，并收到源源不斷的支持。

????埃里克和我都為Facebook工作，但直到今天我才充分認識到它的力量。關注我的不僅有身邊現實中的朋友，還有上百名網友通過Facebook也在關注我。這些Facebook好友在我們的個人頁面發表評論，對我們的狀態更新點擊“喜愛”，并給我發送信息，因為他們看到我的名字在一群來自門洛帕克的參賽者中間，于是想詢問一下我的情況。一位朋友使用Facebook的社交圖譜搜索功能搜索“我居住在波士頓的好友”，以此來查詢他們的狀態。

????回到周一早晨在我腦中盤旋的那個問題：為什么要參加波士頓馬拉松？當然，我喜歡成就感，但在爆炸案發生后，現在慶祝這個并不合時宜。

????而真正值得慶祝的，是我收到的支持和關愛，尤其是在比賽被暴力破壞之后，這是我參加這些跑步比賽的另一個原因。跑步訓練可能是非常孤獨的，人生也可能是一樣。

????在比賽那一天，我們走出來，跟彼此以及這個世界分享我們對跑步的熱愛，那是一件值得關注的盛事。在周一的事件之后，我比以往更加確信，我們應該以更大的熱情繼續跑下去。

????那么，下次在起跑線再見。（財富中文網）

????譯者：王燦均

????Jessica Shambora was a reporter at Fortune from 2008 until 2011 -- my great protegé and now a lifelong friend. Jess is now a marketing communications manager at Facebook (FB), but she's still a journalist to me. So when she texted me last night to tell me that she had finished the Boston Marathon and was shaken but okay, I asked her if she would share her take on the tragedy. We're very happy to have Jess safe and also writing for us again:

????While waiting for the Boston Marathon to start, my boyfriend and I pondered why we run these races. Standing in the cold with thousands of other runners, our discomfort got the best of us. "Well, let's see how we feel at the end," I said. "Maybe by then we will have remembered."

????It's hard to know what perspective I can add to what happened on Monday. Neither I nor my loved ones were harmed. And clearly those who suffered injury and loss will feel the impact far beyond what the rest of us can comprehend. But I can share my experience as a runner.

????Running Boston is the highlight of many a runner's career. Merely qualifying is an accomplishment. For example, I had to run the 26 miles and 385 yards faster than 3:35 to get in. Then there's the fact that it's the oldest annual marathon in the world, and one of the six World Marathon Majors. I wasn't sure I'd ever get the privilege to run it, but I made the cut last year in Los Angeles, by 39 seconds.

????Still, I don't think I was giving Boston its due. Probably because I've got my eye on a longer race later this year, I hadn't committed fully to the training. I wasn't sure my heart was all in this race.

????After Eric, my boyfriend, went off in the first wave of age-group racers at 10 a.m., I followed in the second wave, 20 minutes behind. Once it warmed up a bit, it was a glorious day -- perfect for running -- and my appreciation of the Boston Marathon began to grow. I moved along at a good clip, thinking about my friends and family who were just starting their day back on the West Coast. Maybe a few would even check in on my progress.

????I made good time during the first half of the race, but by mile 18 the pain had set in to my hips and knees. To post a good finish, I would have to grind out the final 8.2 miles, using willpower and the cheers of the incredible crowds as my fuel. Throughout the race, I kept marveling at the spectators' goodwill. Then I remembered that I'd been in their shoes before. Both roles are incredibly rewarding -- to give and receive support, to and from strangers.

????The finish line was a blur as I cruised across it just after 2 p.m., with a time of 3:43:36. Elated but dazed, we runners stumbled down Boylston Street to pick up water, food, blankets and medals.

????As we runners approached the yellow school buses that held our belongings, we heard the BOOM! We were concerned, but we didn't know what make of the two loud blasts a few blocks away. Maybe it was celebratory fireworks? Then we saw the smoke and knew something was wrong.

????I made my way out of the area and ran into Eric -- lucky because he was supposed to have waited for me in an area that was now inaccessible. Emergency vehicles raced by. What to make of it all?

????We held onto each other tight and found our friends who had come to cheer us on. With little information about what was happening or what to do, we found our way to a T station to head back to Cambridge. Neither Eric nor I had our phones, but our friends did. They posted a photo of us to let everyone know we were okay.

????By the time we got back to the apartment where we were staying, Facebook was filled with messages of concern from our friends. We quickly posted updates and received an outpouring of support.

????Eric and I both work for Facebook. I'm not sure we fully realized its power until today. I was surrounded not just by real friends next to me, but also by hundreds more through Facebook. These Facebook friends posted comments to our profiles, "liked" our status updates and sent me messages because they saw my name among a list of participants from Menlo Park and wanted to check on me. One friend used Facebook's graph search feature to find all "my friends who live in Boston" and account for them.

????I returned to my question from Monday morning: Why run the Boston Marathon? Of course I love the feeling of accomplishment, but now it seems wrong to celebrate in the face of what happened.

????What seems right, though, is to celebrate the support and love that I felt and I saw, especially after the race was marred by the violence. This is another reason why I run these races. Training can be very solitary. So can life.

????On race day we come out and share our love of running with each other and with the world. It's an awesome thing to behold. After Monday, I'm more convinced than ever that we should continue, and with even greater fervor.

????So, see you at the next start line.