The Icing on the Cake

 

As the page on the calendar turns over to November 1st this weekend, we are 5 months away from the 2026 Hyannis Marathon Weekend. As Bill Rodgers said, "The proverbial icing on the cake - has always been racing." My first race was on June 1, 2008. It was the Corrib Pub 5K; a friendly race that welcomed all paces and supported the West Roxbury Community. What a wonderful introduction to the running and racing community. In July of 2008, we ran the Marathon Sports 5 Miler. It was a highly competitive field; an evening race with hot and humid weather. I knew that if I quit, I would never be able to run the 2009 Boston Marathon. Because the staff at Marathon Sports knew my story, they celebrated me crossing the finish line as if I had broken the finisher's tape. 

Fast forward to Hyannis Marathon Weekend 2009 when I ran my first race at the half marathon distance. Because it was a race for the 10K, Half Marathon and Marathon distances, my being a back of the pack runner didn't matter; I was a mid-packer for the marathon distance. I'm using visualization again to both draw from anchor race memories and to create a magical day on 3/1/2026. 

Tom and I wrapped up another week in the training cycle with a 4 mile run on Saturday, an invigorating strength training session on Monday and two wonderful early morning pre-breakfast training runs.

Saturday's run took us twice around the Cleveland Circle Reservoir. It was a quiet run in contrast to the previous week's run when it seemed as though everybody was outside soaking up the sunshine and warmer temperatures.

Tom and I took notice of the still water and Fall foliage with hearts overflowing with gratitude for being together, unplugged and out in nature. I appreciate every step and every mile and never take my movement for granted. There was a crew cutting down the growth of bushes that line the Reservoir and we had to take a detour. We weren't sure how that would affect our mileage. We were just a tenth of a mile over 4 miles when we got back to the car.

 

While I am looking ahead to Hyannis Marathon Weekend and reflecting back on amazing race experiences, I am also looking ahead to my 72nd birthday on Christmas Day. Birthdays bring a time of reflection along with celebration. On Monday's strength training workout, I reflected on this quote:

I've known struggles since contracting paralytic polio at the age of 5 1/2 followed by enduring years of abuse at the hands of family members until my father ended his life by suicide when I was 17. There was no time for me to say "I can't do this" as I headed off to Boston University the month after he died. Throughout my life, whenever faced with struggles and challenges, my resounding mantra has been I must do this. I am incredibly fortunate that I found my soul mate in my mid-20's who also believes in an "I must do this" mantra for navigating life's struggles. We had an invigorating 45 minute strength training workout that complements our miles on the road.

Another one of my favorite Bill Rodgers quote is how running as a sport unifies us. "That's why we're the greatest sport," he is quick to say whenever the opportunity presents itself. Tuesday was a shining example of how running unifies us. Despite gray skies and a chill in the air, we exchanged smiles and said good morning to many runners like us, enjoying early morning miles.

 

A warm bowl of oatmeal, a cold glass of juice, toast and a banana made for perfect post-run fueling. By 8am our hearts and bellies were full.

The forecast did NOT predict rain for early Thursday morning. When the alarm went off at 6am, the weather app showed light drizzle ending in 21 minutes - NOT! Fortunately we decided to wear our ponchos and set out to feel the unbridled joy of the gift of running in the rain. There was no wind and the temperature was in the upper 40's. I love how these early morning runs help our bodies to adapt to the change in seasons. With fog and mist, the morning miles had a mystical quality to them. 

 

Despite all the chaos happening in the world right now; all the pain and tragedies, these morning runs fortify us to figure out how we can best use our time, talent and treasure to make a difference in the world. Taking care of ourselves by taking time in nature, unplugged and being fully present gives us the ability to be present in the world without becoming overwhelmed by circumstances.

 

We are looking forward to a sunny run on Saturday for 5 miles. The theme for the next week of this training cycle is shaping up to be It's More Than the Miles. 

 

In health and wellness - Mary

Visit my ***NEW*** website to learn how poetry, optimism, gratitude and the mind/body connection helped me to transform my life. After having been told in December 2006 that I should prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair, I went on to cross the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon and have many adventures as runnergirl 1953. Be sure to visit the recently updated News and Events Page for links to podcast interviews, speaking engagements and where you can find my incredibly inspirational story.

I was recently the guest on The Optimism Institute Blue Sky Podcast. 
"Mary McManus has never had it easy. As a kindergartner, she was a victim of polio just a short time before the vaccine was introduced. She also faced trauma in her home life but somehow managed to persevere and overcome these and still more obstacles throughout her life. Today, Mary is an inspiring author, poet, motivational speaker, and finisher of the Boston Marathon." Here is the link to the Episode Website. Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and on YouTube.

 

 

Born to Run: Nothing to Prove - Everything to Enjoy!

Tom and I kicked off another week in the training cycle on the road to Hyannis Marathon Weekend 10K with another 6 mile run. Since there were going to be "No Kings" protestors in and around the City, we opted for a Reservoir run combined with an out and back on Beacon Street. We stopped to chat with different people who caught our attention during our run and realized that in future long runs, we needed to conserve our energy and be more focused on the task at hand. In particular, there was an elderly woman on Beacon Street walking gingerly with a cane who was complaining about the trains running only every 22 minutes. We could have kept on with our run but I asked her how much farther she had to walk. "Just a few blocks now," she angrily said in response to my question. "You have no idea how lucky you are to be able to walk." I had to let her know how I do know how lucky I am before we went on our way. Perhaps I lit a spark of possibilities within her. Young boys were dressed in shirts, ties, khakis and a Bruins Jersey fundraising for a trip to Quebec as part of the AAA Youth Hockey League. We just had to chat with them and snap the QR code to make a donation via Venmo. Our pace had slowed way down by the last two miles but we made it through. That's why it's called a training run. While we enjoyed interacting with people we randomly met, we do need to be mindful of our goal. Everyone wanted to take advantage of yet another gorgeous Autumn day in Boston.

 

Monday was our strength training day. Tom and I each remarked how great we felt despite being out for longer than planned on Saturday's 6 miler. We can feel the momentum of strength, endurance and most important the joy in this training cycle.

Tuesday's early morning run inspired an aha moment for me. It was a glorious way to start the day. I was in a deep sleep when my alarm went off at 6am. I shook off the grogginess and by the time Tom and I got home after those magnificent morning miles, I felt energized, refreshed and ready to have a terrific Tuesday. I feel so much joy and celebration during this training cycle. This one's for me with nothing to prove and everything to enjoy. There is no fundraising and no time limit to be concerned about. Hyannis Marathon Weekend has been one of my favorite race weekends since I began my journey as a most unlikely runner in February of 2008. It's a time for reunion with old friends, making new friends and having the opportunity to inspire others with my journey from a wheelchair to the Boston Marathon and beyond! I am savoring the sore muscles, delighted with the consistency of our runs and strength training workouts, and experiencing this journey of transformation in the wake of a once devastating diagnosis in all its glory.

 

We were treated to Autumn in all its glory as moderate temperatures continue to prevail needing only a long sleeve shirt, a pullover layer and capris. We unwrap the gift of a new day with presence, unplugged feeling the grace and gratitude for the blessings in our lives.

 

Thursday morning's run was the jewel in the crown of this week's training. I woke up naturally about 15 minutes before the alarm went off. I meditated setting my intentions for a wonderful run and expressing my overwhelming feelings of gratitude for this training cycle and these sacred before breakfast miles with Tom. We were both energized after a good night's sleep excited that moderate temperatures continued to prevail for late October.

 

We could see the magnificent colors of dawn on our way to the Reservoir. Our breaths caught as we noticed them at the same time. The still water created the canvas to reflect the magnificent colors of the dawn of a new day.

 

We turned a corner as the day got lighter. "Look," Tom exclaimed. "An Eagle!" "Do you think you can get a photo?" Not only did Tom get a photo of the Eagle perched on the tree but caught it as it took off in flight. "An eagle totem symbolizes strength, courage, vision, and a deep spiritual connection to the divine." While most birds take shelter during a storm, the eagle soars above the storm! I felt its magic and powerful energy as my heart soared with gratitude as I celebrate 19 years of healing in the wake of the once devastating diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome. Western Medicine's prognosis suggested that I would be grounded for the rest of my days needing to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair and expecting an accelerated decline in functioning as I aged. But in February of 2007, I got still and asked for Divine Guidance tapping into Source in my heart and soul as poetry poured out of me. 

 

                            

The runner within me was born in my imagination in the poem, "Running the Race." Click on link to read the full text and back story.

 

Even though I contracted paralytic polio at the age of 5 1/2 and then endured years of abuse at the hands of family members, I knew deep in my heart and soul that I was born to run. I knew it when I started writing poetry imagining myself running and free. I knew it when I declared to my personal trainer in February of 2008 that my next health and fitness goal was to run the 2009 Boston Marathon even though I had never run a day in my life and was still wearing a toe-up leg brace. I'm now off the sidelines with nothing to prove and everything to enjoy on this wondrous training cycle.

 

In health and wellness - Mary

Visit my ***NEW*** website to learn how poetry, optimism, gratitude and the mind/body connection helped me to transform my life. After having been told in December 2006 that I should prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair, I went on to cross the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon and have many adventures as runnergirl 1953. Be sure to visit the recently updated News and Events Page for links to podcast interviews, speaking engagements and where you can find my incredibly inspirational story.

I was recently the guest on The Optimism Institute Blue Sky Podcast. 
"Mary McManus has never had it easy. As a kindergartner, she was a victim of polio just a short time before the vaccine was introduced. She also faced trauma in her home life but somehow managed to persevere and overcome these and still more obstacles throughout her life. Today, Mary is an inspiring author, poet, motivational speaker, and finisher of the Boston Marathon." Here is the link to the Episode Website. Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and on YouTube.

 

Looking for great books to get cozy with this Fall? My books share a powerful message of healing, hope and possibilities; what's possible despite all appearances to the contrary and are available on Amazon.  My 6th book, "Into the Light:Emerging From the 2020 Pandemic" and my 7th book, "A Most Unlikely Runner:Inspiration From The Heart of a Warrior" are selections of the WBZ News Radio Book Club. "Inspiration From The Heart of a Warrior" is also a selection Bill Rodgers Running Center Billy's Bookshelf: Recommended Reads for Every Runner. Visit my Amazon Author Page for book descriptions and rave reviews.

 

Just Imagine - Poetry in Motion

 

 

 

December marks 19 years since I received the life changing diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease according to Western Medicine. The prognosis of preparing to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair and expecting an accelerated decline in functioning as I aged was based on what was happening with other people who had contracted paralytic polio as I had when they were younger. 

I read the book about Post-Polio Syndrome and what my future would be including possibly needing a feeding tube since I had a sluggish esophagus that would only get worse. Rather than embrace and embody it, I got still in February of 2007 and asked for Divine Guidance.

My heart overflows with gratitude that I followed the promptings of my heart and soul as poetry flowed out of me imagining a future very different than the one portrayed for me by Western Medicine. 

Last Friday night I had a dream of Tom and me running the 2026 Hyannis 10K. I had all the feels of race day. I was disappointed that the Race Director forgot to take a photo of us coming into the finisher's chute but in the dream, I could feel that moment imprinted on my heart as I did in 2016.

As we set out for our Saturday run at Carson Beach, we had originally planned for a 5K after last week's 6 miler but Tom and I agreed that a 4 miler would help us to keep the momentum of the training cycle. 

During this training cycle, I have been embodying how I felt as a lithe ballerina before polio and trauma left their imprint on my body, heart and soul. 

After polio and enduring trauma, I felt anything but graceful but running ignited a sense of grace. I keep an inward gaze of believing that I am poetry in motion; not in the way the Kenyans or elite runners run but embodying both strength and grace in my unique way.

Once the sun came out on Saturday's run, we were treated to a taste of summer-like warmth. The waves lapping against the shore provided the soundtrack for our run. Unlike the past several weeks, there was not a lot of activity happening along our running route. It's almost as though the Universe knew we needed a quiet run as we wrapped up Tom's vacation week. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We did not keep a close eye on our pace as we said, "Well we are only doing 4 miles today." It was a joyful run that seemed to fly by.

 

Monday morning we woke up to a Nor'easter with wind and rain pelting the windows. We decided to switch our run and strength training days. We discovered the benefits of a Monday strength training session and will make this a part of our training plan going forward.  

 
It was still a dark and stormy morning when our alarm went off at 6am with rain pelting the windows but the wind was much less fierce than on Monday. Tom had suggested a few weeks ago that we buy ponchos for this training cycle. Brilliant idea Tom!

We discovered that having done strength training in between runs increased our strength and our legs felt fresher. I was so grateful for fun-filled muddy magical mystical Monday morning miles. Gratitude overflows with every step and every mile on the Road to Hyannis Marathon Weekend 10K. As a child who contracted paralytic polio and then endured years of abuse at the hands of family members, I never knew the unbridled joy of running free in the rain or experiencing and embracing the change of seasons. My joy overflowed as we said good morning and smiled as we passed several other runners braving the elements. Some did not outwardly share my enthusiasm and joy but I may have ignited a spark of joy within them.

 

We discover the beauty in every season whatever the weather

 

As we slid out of the rain-soaked ponchos and gingerly removed the mud caked shoes from our feet, we smiled feeling particularly bada**. We don't know of many septuagenarians who get up at the crack of dawn for a run in the rain. 

When I opened our bedroom window shade on Thursday morning after our 6am alarm went off I said to Tom, "I think that's a planet in the sky." It looked like a dazzling gem set in the middle of the pre-dawn sky. Poor Tom had to listen to me saying, "It's still there" after we meditated and as we were getting dressed. I was in awe of seeing what I knew must have been a planet. When I googled what planets would be visible from our location in the Eastern sky, sure enough, it was Saturn! The synchronicity of seeing a planet and feeling awe is also awesome since yesterday, Dr. David R. Hamilton wrote his weekly Better You, Backed by Science blog about "How Awe Rewires the Brain." I knew we were going to have a great run to wrap up another week in our training cycle. I get goosebumps all over when I see the dawn of a new day! 

This photo does not do Saturn justice but I wanted to capture the awe I experienced at seeing another planet. Be sure to read David's article to fully tap into the experience of awe.                      

19 years ago, as I sat in a toe-up leg brace using a cane and at times a wheelchair for mobility waiting for test results to determine why I was experiencing such debilitating symptoms, I could never have imagined the incredible experiences I have had since I became a most unlikely runner in February of 2008. But in February of 2007, after getting still and asking for Divine Guidance, my imagination was unleashed to create the gift of my beautiful life.

Tomorrow is rest and recovery before we launch a new week in the training cycle on Saturday with another 6 miler. I wonder what wondrous adventures this next week will bring! 

 

 

In health and wellness - Mary

Visit my ***NEW*** website to learn how poetry, optimism, gratitude and the mind/body connection helped me to transform my life. After having been told in December 2006 that I should prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair, I went on to cross the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon and have many adventures as runnergirl 1953. Be sure to visit the recently updated News and Events Page for links to podcast interviews, speaking engagements and where you can find my incredibly inspirational story.

I was recently the guest on The Optimism Institute Blue Sky Podcast. 
"Mary McManus has never had it easy. As a kindergartner, she was a victim of polio just a short time before the vaccine was introduced. She also faced trauma in her home life but somehow managed to persevere and overcome these and still more obstacles throughout her life. Today, Mary is an inspiring author, poet, motivational speaker, and finisher of the Boston Marathon." Here is the link to the Episode Website. Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and on YouTube.

 

Looking for great books to get cozy with this Fall? My books share a powerful message of healing, hope and possibilities; what's possible despite all appearances to the contrary and are available on Amazon.  My 6th book, "Into the Light:Emerging From the 2020 Pandemic" and my 7th book, "A Most Unlikely Runner:Inspiration From The Heart of a Warrior" are selections of the WBZ News Radio Book Club. "Inspiration From The Heart of a Warrior" is also a selection Bill Rodgers Running Center Billy's Bookshelf: Recommended Reads for Every Runner. Visit my Amazon Author Page for book descriptions and rave reviews.