Every year, a diverse group of runners from across the country join together to form the esteemed Back on My Feet Boston Marathon Team, Team Running Home. This April 15, team members will descend upon Boston from as far away as Georgia to run one of the world’s premier marathons while raising money and awareness for the Boston chapter.

As of today, the team has raised over $44,002 towards their collective goal of $81,000. We’ll be highlighting runners from Team Running Home until April 15 so everyone can get to know this phenomenal team a little bit and cheer them on from near and far. I asked each runner to answer three short questions about themselves, and I’ll share those with you here. You can help support the 2013 Team Running Home here.

This week’s featured runner is … me. Bridget Horne. This is my fifth marathon, but my very first Boston and I could not be more excited. Here’s a quick intro to who I am and why I’m running the 2013 Boston Marathon for Back on My Feet.

I’ve been a part of Back on My Feet since July 2009. I first joined the organization as a Non Res member in my hometown of Philadelphia. Less than a year later, I found myself moving to Boston around the same time that BoMF was launching the Boston chapter. I was soon hired as the Director of Communications and Corporate Relations, and have dedicated not only my volunteer hours, but my career to Back on My Feet ever since.

2012 was a particularly tough year for me with a few serious health scares (two major stomach surgeries within 11 months) and some personal issues that turned my life upside down. Throughout it all, BoMF and my running helped me keep my head up and stay sane (usually).Today, I’m proud to say that I’m cancer survivor with an officially clean bill of health who is running the 2013 Boston Marathon — I never dreamed that would happen six months ago! Back on My Feet has changed the course of my life and I am proud to be a member of this year’s Team Running Home. When I’m not “BoMFing” you can usually find me on the beach (come on, summer), curled up with a good book, or spending some time with my good friends.

Q1: If you had to sum yourself up in 140 characters or less, what would you say?
A1: Loving of running, words, and late night dance parties.

Q2: What does running mean to you?
A2: Running has literally been a life saver for me. During the days I was too sick to get out of bed, I longed to feel the pavement beneath my feet (I keep reminding myself of that when I’m out there cursing winter on a 20-mile training run). While I’ve been going through personal issues, it’s helped me make sense of my life and gave me concrete, attainable goals during a time when I felt like I was spinning out of control – like running the Boston Marathon. It keeps me fit; it keeps me happy; and perhaps most importantly, it allows me to eat all the pizza and donuts I want without feeling guilty.

Q3: Why Back on My Feet?
A3: I’ve been a part of Back on My Feet for almost four years and can honestly say it has changed my life. It’s brought some of the most amazing people into my life and formed lasting friendships. It’s showed me that there are second chances and that everyone is deserving of them. It’s taught me as much about myself as it has about the issues and challenges of homelessness and addiction. I will forever be thankful for what Back on My Feet has been for me.

I’ve currently raised 45% of my fundraising goal of $5,400. Help me get to the finish line!

Knocking out some snowy miles with my favorite trail running partner, Roo!

Every year, a diverse group of runners from across the country join together to form the esteemed Back on My Feet Boston Marathon Team, Team Running Home. This April 15, team members will descend upon Boston from as far away as Georgia to run one of the world’s premier marathons while raising money and awareness for the Boston chapter.

As of today, the team has raised over $34,000 towards their collective goal of $81,000. We’ll be highlighting runners from Team Running Home until April 15 so everyone can get to know this phenomenal team a little bit and cheer them on from near and far. I asked each runner to answer three short questions about themselves, and I’ll share those with you here. You can help support the 2013 Team Running Home here.

This week’s featured runner is Brian Cotter.  Brian hails to us from the Back on My Feet D.C. chapter. We are always thrilled to welcome fellow Back on My Feet family members from across the country to our Boston team and are honored that Brian chose the Boston Marathon to make his miles count for more than just distance.

Q1: If you had to sum yourself up in 140 characters or less, what would you say?
A2: Native New Jersey-an who pumps his fists, not his gas. Joined BoMF La Casa (D.C.) in January 2011 and have been a part of the org. ever since.

Q2: What does running mean to you?
A2: Running gives me a great opportunity to socialize with new people in a new city while staying fit. There is nothing like going out for a long Saturday run with a great group of people who take your mind off the next 20 miles!

Q3: Why Back on My Feet?
A3: I heard about BoMF when Ann Mahlum was nominated as a CNN Hero (video here) for starting this organization. I thought it would be a great way to get out there and help people vice the traditional way of just running 5k, 10k etc. that donated to a number of different causes.

Brian has currently raised $2,640 out of his goal of $5,000. Let’s help get him across the finish line! You can support Brian’s Boston Marathon campaign here.

Go, Brian, go!

Every year, a diverse group of runners from across the country join together to form the esteemed Back on My Feet Boston Marathon Team, Team Running Home. This April 15, team members will descend upon Boston from as far away as Georgia to run one of the world’s premier marathons while raising money and awareness for the Boston chapter.

As of today, the team has raised over $27,000 towards their collective goal of $81,000. We’ll be highlighting runners from Team Running Home until April 15 so everyone can get to know this phenomenal team a little bit and cheer them on from near and far. I asked each runner to answer three short questions about themselves, and I’ll share those with you here. You can help support the 2013 Team Running Home here.

Today’s featured FundRacer is Nicole Reilly. Nicole is another dedicated Non Res Member here in Boston. She has been a member of Team Father Bill’s since the team’s inception in Quincy. Her quiet leadership has kept this eclectic group coming back for more every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Due to their location in Quincy, Father Bill’s is a bit more isolated than the rest of our Boston teams and we are grateful for the dedication and perseverance of members like Nicole.

Nicole has previously been a FundRacer for the chapter’s Falmouth Road Race team and is back in bigger and better ways for this year’s Boston Marathon.

Meet Nicole.

Q1: If you had to sum yourself up in 140 characters or less, what would you say?
A1: Mother of five … practical jokes … won ‘Slowest Woman’ trophy … 26.2 sub 4-hour wannabe … faith filled … loves Poor Me Tea … all things purple … cooking … rainbows … child’s pose

Q2: What does running mean to you?
A2: I have discovered that running cures all. Running helps me solve my problems. It helps me find an answer to a question. I run because I am happy. I run because I am sad. I run because it is a beautiful day. I run because it’s raining and I want to feel raindrops on my face. 

I love running for what it does for me. I think that it makes me a better person.

I do not run because I am fast. Because I am not. But that is okay. It makes me humble. I can run alone and I can run with others.

I run because I can. I am grateful for that.

Q3. Why Back on My Feet?
A3: BoMF “had me at hello.”

The serenity prayer…early morning/sunrise runs … giving someone hope … priceless …
My alarm goes off at 4:30 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I am pulling into Father Bill’s at 5:10 to meet our team. We do introductions. We have a question of the day. We circle up, arms together to say the Serenity Prayer and off we go into the dark morning. I have never, ever regretted waking up for one of these runs. I learn something about myself. I learn something about a teammate. Maybe they don’t want to talk. Maybe they were waiting for someone to care enough to want to talk to them. Every morning there is a story that I bring home with me. Whether it was something I heard, something I said, something I saw. BoMF makes me better and if I can make at least one person’s day better, then it’s more than worth it.

Nicole and all of her kids showing off their hardcore BoMF Boston pride!

Every year, a diverse group of runners from across the country join together to form the esteemed Back on My Feet Boston Marathon Team, Team Running Home. This April 15, team members will descend upon Boston from as far away as Georgia to run one of the world’s premier marathons while raising money and awareness for the Boston chapter.

As of today, the team has raised almost $25,000 towards their collective goal of $81,000. We’ll be highlighting runners from Team Running Home until April 15 so everyone can get to know this phenomenal team a little bit and cheer them on from near and far. I asked each runner to answer three short questions about themselves, and I’ll share those with you here. You can help support the 2013 Team Running Home here.

This week’s Featured FundRacer is Erika Mark. Erika is sisters with Team Running Home member Heidi Wheatley. Awesome must run in the family, because Erika is the epitome of the word. She has been a member of BoMF Boston’s Team Hope House since the chapter’s inception in May 2010 and has been one of the team’s most diligent Non Res members since the get go.

Erika helped shape the face of Hope House through the team’s ups and downs and always brings her smile and contagious laugh to the morning circle. This is her first year running the Boston Marathon and we’re honored she chose to make her miles count for Back on My Feet.

Meet Erika.

Q1:  If you had to sum yourself up in 140 characters or less, what would you say?

A1: Enthusiastic BOMFer; coffee-aholic & am coming to appreciate running in the city.

Q2: What does running mean to you?

A2: Running can be a friend or a foe (depending on the day!).  It may take all my will-power to get out the door, and even if its only for a quick 3 miler, by the time I’m done, I feel like a million bucks just for having done it – ESPECIALLY with the winter we’ve had!  Its easy to run on a “perfect weather day” –  its the days when its gusting wind, blowing snow and 10 degrees out that I feel like a REAL runner!

Q3: Why Back on My Feet?

A3: I first heard about BoMF when I read about it in Runners World.  It was just launching in Baltimore when I moved to Boston.  In Baltimore, there is a large homeless population and I was intrigued by Anne’s idea to sew the seeds of running into such a diversely challenging population (mental health, addictions, etc).  When BoMF launched in Boston I jumped at the chance to become a part of the Hope House team.  And despite the heartache sometimes associated with the attachments that are inevitably made with our guys (seeing them through many successes and sometimes failures), I have nothing but respect for the BoMF mission and believe that we are doing our best every day to make a difference in our community.  Running the Boston Marathon for the first time and fundraising for such a unique and important organization was a no-brainer.  GO BoMF!

Help Erika get to her fundraising goal of $5,400. Team Running Home can’t do it without your support!

Erika earning her hardware with Steve and Joey, two Hope House teammates

Every year, a diverse array of runners from across the country join together to form the esteemed Back on My Feet Boston Marathon Team, Team Running Home. This April 15, team members will descend upon Boston from as far away as Georgia to run one of the world’s premier marathons while raising money and awareness for the Boston chapter.

As of today, the team has raised more than $14,000 towards their collective goal of $81,000. We’ll be highlighting runners from Team Running Home each week so everyone can get to know this phenomenal team a little bit and cheer them on from near and far. I asked each runner to answer three short questions about themselves, and I’ll share those with you here. You can help support the 2013 Team Running Home here.

This week’s Featured FundRacer is Heidi Wheatley. Heidi was the first official member of Team Running Home for the 2013 season and her enthusiasm was the perfect way to kick off the 2013 Boston Marathon at Back on My Feet.

Heidi takes this year’s prize of Farthest Teammate, hailing from her home in Acworth, GA. She’s been a member of the Atlanta chapter of Back on My Feet since the chapter’s inception and is lucky enough to be sisters of one of our most dedicated Boston Non Residential Members and Team Running Home Members, Erika Mark. Awesomeness must run in this family.

Meet Heidi.

Q1: If you had to sum yourself up in 140 characters or less, what would you say?
A1: Can’t get enough of running, my family or watching Law and Order reruns.

Q2: What does running mean to you?
A2: Running is my sanity. It has helped me get through challenging times and encourages me to push myself.

Q3: Why Back on My Feet?
A3: Running has been so good to me … I love sharing it with others. I believe that the way to change a life is to be supportive and provide the tools needed for them to do so. BoMF stresses self-sufficiency and not dependence … right up my alley. I am constantly inspired by our res members and think that they give me way more than I give them.

Support Heidi by donating to her campaign today!

Heidi with her son Colton and dog Abby: “I am in love with running but Colton is my heart — I don’t know who I am without either. ”

BOSTON — PHIL HAILER – BoMF Boston, or BoMF Kalamazoo (if BoMF were in Kalamazoo) or BoMF Anytown, USA could not function without the ongoing selfless dedication and sacrifice shown by its bevy of non-resident volunteer members to keep its teams running strong and healthy.

Loyal readers of this space — or blog-spot, if you will — may have no doubt noticed that over time we have recognized a “Non-Res Member of the Month.” This was, and is, done to give recognition to those who give so much of themselves, including their most precious and irreplaceable resource: their time. Those efforts help make BoMF a strong and effective vehicle that can truly changes lives, one mile at a time.

Regular readers may have also noticed that we acknowledge a “Non-Res Member of the Month,” not every month, but about every three to four months. That inconsistency does not mean that there isn’t a Non-Res member each month worthy of recognition, but at times it’s difficult singling out one person over some others because so many of our Non-Res do such a great job with their respective teams. Another reason is that the designated BoMF Boston blogster responsible for its content is an older gent who-quite frankly — isn’t exactly sure what a blog is.

So when asked why said blogster doesn’t write more often, he sometimes incoherently quotes John Lennon from a famous 1971 Rolling Stone interview (that no one under the age of 60 has read) muttering: “If I could be a (expletive) fisherman, I would,” says he. “It’s no fun being an artist. You know what it’s like, writing … it’s torture.”

Regardless, rest assured that the blogster has never been water-boarded here at BoMF (to the best of our knowledge) to write more, so please know that he would like to use this space right now to acknowledge each and every non-resident member of the BoMF Boston team and thank them profusely, if not profoundly, for everything that they do every month of the year. Make no mistake he says, this acknowledgement isn’t some kind of tee-ball league action where every game ends in a tie and where everyone gets a trophy for simply breathing. No way.

Actually, the BoMF Boston staff got a great idea recently to show all of its Non-Res a small token of its appreciation by making up some nifty (a.k.a., cool, snazzy, boss, groovy, fab, gear, etc.) BoMF Boston short-sleeved t-shirts for their personal use … just in time for winter.

The shirts should have been ready much sooner, but agreeing on a design wasn’t the easiest task for the crack BoMF Boston staff however. What color for the shirts? What should the slogan read on the back? Vic “Everything is Beautiful” Acosta’s idea of “Sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows everywhere” on the back was quickly shot down (Note: He really didn’t suggest that; we made that up, but … well … you know …).

The tempermental blogster made a suggestion to which Bridget immediately snapped back, “That’s #@%* stupid.” Then she suggested, “How about ‘Wicked, pissah, runnah’?” Then Meghan jumped in with, “How about, “Wake up. Get up. Show up. Circle up. Word up!”

Say what?

Word up?

“I like it except for ‘word up’”, said the blogster. “I don’t know what that means.”

“What does ‘word up’ mean?” asked Bridge

“Everyone’s idea is beautiful,” said Vic with a big dimpled smile. (Note: He really didn’t say that, but … well … you know … But he does have lovely dimples).

Meg said that Bridge was too young to get it.

And the blogster was too old to have a clue, so he said, “what time does Matlock come on? How about Perry Mason?”
And Vic was … well … you know … Vic.

And so it went, back and forth for much longer than it should, and then Vic finally cracked the whip. Everyone in the office shuddered as he thundered, “OK. No shirts ordered … then no ice cream for you guys. And I mean it!” (Note: He didn’t really say that … but … well … you know …).

So an executive decision was made in the dead of night by a gang of one to have the back simply read: “Changing lives, one mile at a time.”

It was so done, and if we do say so, the shirts look pretty terrific. So to all of our faithful Non-Res members who show up weekly for team runs before the crack of dawn in rain, snow, ice, sun, cold, heat, fog, you name it; thank you. For those who supported us at our insanely successful John Hancock Back on My Feet Second Birthday Breakfast last June and who this past summer accompanied our Res runners through the thunderstorms, downpours, heat and humidity, and an occasional tornado warning or two at the following races: the 26 x 1 mile relay at Tufts University, the Jim Kane 5K in South Boston, Quincy’s Jamie Cochrane 5K, the Falmouth Road Race, the Tory 5K in Harvard Square, and The Coaches vs. Cancer Road Race at Boston College, you are the best.

And from the Non-Res who calmly dialed 911 for help when a res runner collapsed after a morning run (actually, that happened a couple of times), to the Non-Res who held a res member’s false tooth for safe keeping during a race, to those many non-res who reach into their own wallets regularly to race with Res Members, or who counsel them in times of trouble, thank you, thank you, thank you. This one’s for you.

To us, all you Non-Res members are wicked pissah runnahs. You are indeed all beautiful people (right Vic?). And you really do help to make a difference in changing people’s lives and the perception of homelessness to the outside world. And you all do it one mile at a time.

To that we say (beyond thank you, again), WORD UP!!!!! Whatever that means. We hope you know what we mean because we really do mean it … even if we’re not sure what it means.

Show your BoMF pride!

Hey Boston, show off your Back on My Feet pride by sporting your favorite BoMF gear during your summer road races and be entered to win some great new shwag from the NEW BoMF merchandise line!

Just send a photo of yourself wearing a Back on My Feet shirt or hat, let us know what race you were running when the camera clicked and you’ll be entered to win. Each new race photo equals another official entry. The winner will be drawn at random.

The Back on My Feet Boston Summer Vacation Photo Contest will be open until September 1, so be sure to keep BoMFing all summer long! All photos can be sent to Bridget Horne at bridget@backonmyfeet.org. Happy running!

Jay (far right) with two Team Hope House alumni members, Kurt (left) and Sean (center).

In May 2010, Jay found himself standing outside of 8 Farnham Street in Boston for Team Hope House’s inaugural Back on My Feet Boston run. It was 5:45 a.m. and this was one of the chapter’s original team’s very first runs. No one that morning knew what would be in store for the next two years. But almost every single Monday, Wednesday, and Friday since then, Jay has been there experiencing all the breath-taking highs and heart-breaking lows of Back on My Feet. And all before most of the world has woken up.

Throughout it all, Jay has emerged as a leader of Hope House, unwavering in his commitment to his team. He is an ambassador of BoMF doctrine and has garnered deep, long-lasting support of the chapter through his enduring and outspoken support. Soon after the launch, Jay stepped up to the plate and became a Back on My Feet Boston board member. His insight and guidance around the conference room table as an everyday, boots-on-the-ground BoMF team member have helped shape the face and program of Back on My Feet here in Boston.

In the past two years, Jay has personally ensured many of our very lucky Residential Members have had the opportunity to participate in one of the country’s most iconic races, the Falmouth Road Race.

Jay coming in hot at the 2011 New Balance Falmouth Road Race

He’s been a pillar at our Birthday Breakfasts and at our First Annual BoMF Boston Snow Ball. And, just as importantly, he’s kept Team Hope house morale high and spirits warm during those particularly brutal winter mornings with special team trips to Dunkin Donuts.

Most recently, Jay has tested his mettle by taking over as official Team Leader of Hope House after our beloved Betty Yung stepped down and moved to New York City (she’s coming for you, @BoMFNYC). And despite some good-natured ribbing from his adoring teammates, he hasn’t missed a beat. With more than a few newer members of Hope House unsure of their fitness abilities, Jay has made it his personal mission to help each Residential Member reach a goal in their running that they can be proud of, whether that’s running one mile or completing their first 5k.

When asked about his involvement with Back on My Feet, Jay responded, “I don’t know. Make something up. Don’t embarrass me.”

After a few more minutes of thought he added, “I love to run, but more than that I love this team. I like to see how the team has continued to grow together as guys keep showing up over the years. Most of all, I love to see the positive effects of a finished run: happiness, self esteem, and new friendships. More than any other aspect of Back on My Feet, it’s these daily runs with the team that mean the most to me. For as much as I put in Back on My Feet, I get back tenfold.”

Clearly, Jay has helped shape Back on My Feet Boston through his leadership at Hope House, his guidance with the program, and his passion for his teammates. Thank you, Jay, for all you’ve done for Back on My Feet Boston. Congratulations on being Member of the Month! The next Dunkin trip is on us. But only if you promise the following 99 are on you.

BoMF FundRacers and Members ready to take on the 2012 Boston Marathon

April 16, 2012 dawned unseasonably hot in Hopkinton for BoMF Boston resident members Brian, Wahid, Austin, Jared and 27,000 other fellow runners as they huddled in the Athlete’s Village looking for shade before stepping onto the searing 26.2 mile asphalt griddle that would serve them up in the 116th edition of the Boston Marathon. Hopefully they would all do well and not be well done in the heat. Extreme weather warnings came a few days earlier with dire predictions of temperatures spiking into the 90s with generous dollops of brilliant sunshine to boot.

Some of the BoMF crew ready to board the bus to Hopkinton. Photo by Paul Bishop

“Could be hotter than the infamous ‘run for the hoses’ Boston Marathon of 1976″, said some Nostradamus and Chicken Little wannbes. Not exactly ideal race conditions for the many who trained for Boston in winter conditions or for those fortunate enough to train in warmer climates for that matter.

But if one makes a commitment to run Boston one knows well in advance that the world’s most storied marathon comes with a huge caveat: local weather in April can be cold, wet, windy and nasty. Or it can be hot, humid and nasty with no breeze at all, or it can be anything in between or all of the above. And possibly all in the same day. So one has to be prepared yet flexible to be successful in Boston. In that regard, preparing for the Boston Marathon is not unlike preparing for life itself: setting goals, doing the hard work in training and being ready to adjust the game plan accordingly when things get beyond one’s control.

Expect the unexpected. BoMF Boston’s team did all of that and then some heading into the race. As they all gathered for a final team photo just before heading to their starting corrals, the smiles were broad and confidence was brimming with heartfelt bravado. Heat? What heat? But to quote an anonymous joking wisegal in the group (with the initials MG), “Why does this remind me of one of those photos of folks smiling at Mt. Everest’s base camp just before … ?”

But nothing would deter Brian, Wahid, Austin or Jared that day from their dreams of completing their first marathon, not after the challenges they’ve faced in their own lives and all that they’ve gone through during the arduous months of training prior to the race. Each one went through undulations of uncertainty wondering if things like that strange ankle, hamstring or calf twinge was really just a tweak or harbinger something more ominous. Or some secretly wondered if they really had the right stuff to handle the rigors of 17 and 21 mile long runs because after all when fantasy collides headlong with reality sometimes the results aren’t pretty.

Marathon training is challenging enough for any runner but for someone who is working hard to get back on their feet, for whatever reason, the challenges can sometimes seem daunting and insurmountable. But again, Brian, Wahid, Austin and Jared had weathered too much personal heat on their own over time to come up short on a race day that freakishly served up an inconvenient truth of some hot weathered heat of its own.

As the medical tents along the course bulged with one running casualty after another, the crew from BoMF Boston soaked themselves in the garden hoses sprinkled throughout the course. They barreled through the retro-Beatlesque shrieks of Wellesley College co-eds, and past the well oiled and well intentioned yahoos that noisily dot and litter the course from BC right through to Kenmore Square, to the right on Hereford, to the left on Boylston and to the finish line in Copley Square. Brian, Wahid, Austin and Jared not only soaked themselves in hoses, but they soaked themselves in glory and accomplished something that will last them a lifetime.

Our admiration, pride and respect for them for what they did, especially in those conditions, is off the charts. They have all earned our heartfelt congratulations. We are grateful for their teammates and BoMF Boston staff who supported them throughout the long training season and on race day itself. Because of those efforts, the 2012 Boston Marathon was truly a major highlight in the two year history of BoMF Boston.

Austin Baker and Meg Goughan, BoMF Program Director, as they crossed the finish line. Photo by Paul Bishop

BOSTON — PHIL HAILER – In so many ways conditions were perfectly imperfect for BoMF Boston’s five teams to gather last week for its second birthday run on the Boston Common. The results spoke for themselves. It looked like it was going to rain, but it didn’t. From the outside looking in, it might have even seemed like a well organized event, but it wasn’t. No one from the BoMF brain- trust had a clue as to how many people would show up to this 5:45 a.m. extravaganza. But show up they did. By the dozens, in fact. Resident and non-resident members and team leaders alike from all five squads came by subway, by bus, by car, by bike, and by foot. The only thing missing was a horse, and there was probably one around there somewhere too.

Some even waited for the event at the wrong street corner a block away. It was a true perfectly imperfect BoMF Boston moment when those folks loudly grumbled, groused, and squawked their way up to the corner of Tremont and Park Streets where they promptly threw Vic (a.k.a, Mr. Teflon) right under the bus. And yet like all things BoMF related, and true professional that he is (whereas he has seen many a bus undercarriage), Vic kept smiling and it somehow all worked out in the end.

Of course, it didn’t hurt to have a special guest add some serious cachet and inspiration to the morning’s festivities. All time running great Dick Hoyt graced the crowd with his presence and words of encouragement. His legendary exploits as the leader of Team Hoyt running with his physically challenged son Rick for more than three decades in more than 1,000 races, including 30 Boston Marathons and a host of triathlons (six of which being Ironman challenges) is the stuff of sports legend lore that few can understand but all can admire and appreciate.

With Team Hoyt’s slogan: Yes You Can!, there is a message there for everyone. BoMF Boston was truly blessed to hear from this sports icon at the birthday run and can’t wait to hear more from him when he speaks at BoMF’s birthday breakfast on June 11 . (If you’re a Res or Non Rest and haven’t RSVPed yet, be sure to do so to bridget@backonmyfeet.org by June 1!)

After Hoyt spoke, it was time to go for a group run, but once again it was another perfectly imperfect BoMF Boston moment when the realization struck that no one had planned a route for the 50 or so in attendance. So it was left to the one with the biggest mouth to shout out: ” Go down Tremont, turn right on Boylston, turn right on Dartmouth, turn right on Comm. Ave, run through the park and get back here.” Someone said, “What was that again?” The response? “Right on Hereford, left on Boylston. Just kidding. Shut up and follow the guy in front of you.”

Despite the ad hoc course, no one got lost because return they all did. In fact, they returned to a perfectly imperfect runner’s breakfast of coffee and donuts courtesy of a little (very little) TLC from Chez Donuts du Dunkin’ across the street. And even that establishment has an improbable place in BoMF Boston’s rich and colorful two year history.

A few weeks earlier while holding a pre-dawn non-res orientation in there, someone from BoMF had to suddenly give noisy chase to a would be thief out the door and down an alley to (successfully) recover an iPhone stolen from an unwitting customer there. Mission accomplished in a perfectly imperfect BoMF way.

As the morning celebration wound down and before everyone tore into the coffee and donuts, and rummaged through some surplus running clothes donations, another perfectly imperfect BoMF moment occurred. It was time to circle up and Grandmaster Vic was ready to lead the closing Serenity prayer. Now, we have been known in the past to be joined in the circle by not only BoMFers, but sometimes by ducks, pigeons, buskers and assorted disheveled passersby who loiter on that particular corner of Boston Common. That morning though, as Vic started the prayer, a poor, ragged and clearly disturbed woman chomping on a cigarillo crashed through to the center of the circle and stood in the middle and started ranting quite loudly and incoherently about David and King Solomon. Vic calmly gave her the floor for a few seconds and then said loudly, “Who brought us here today?”

We then adjourned to the refreshments and offered our friend and some other folks hanging around the corner some food and surplus clothes. That quieted things down a bit making it a perfectly imperfect ending to a perfectly wonderful morning.