This Week in Training: Difficult Roads - Beautiful Destinations

 

At the age of 5 1/2, I encountered the difficult road of contracting paralytic polio. I was blessed with a gifted physical therapist, Miss Holly and a physiatrist, Dr. Eugene Moskowitz who specialized in treating the after effects of polio. My childhood and adolescence was fraught with challenges beyond recovering from polio but there were always earth angels at the ready to support and encourage me.

At the age of 53, at the height of my award-winning social work career at the Boston VA Outpatient Clinic, I was diagnosed with Post-Polio Syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease. I was told to prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair and expect an accelerated decline in functioning as I aged. I was just 3 years shy of when I was eligible to retire and had my retirement plans all in place...or so I thought. My destiny was waiting for me as a most unlikely runner, poet, author and motivational speaker.

Saturday morning 7am:
Me: {still in bed after meditation} Tom can you check the weather please?
Tom: Sure. It says it's snowing and will be stopping in 45 minutes.
Me: Oh well. That's okay. I remember when it snowed a few times when we ran Hyannis.
Tom: Let me look out the window and see how everything looks....It's not snowing! There's no snow on the ground.

And so began the day for our fantastic 5 miler to start another week of training on the Road to Hyannis. 

We did a 2 1/2 mile out and back route from our house breathing in the clean crisp air and savoring the sights of nature. Tom and I agreed that these times unplugged out in Nature are a sanity saver these days. With all that is going on in our country and the world, and a stress-filled week for Tom at work, running is the gift that keeps on giving for physical and emotional well-being.

It's a gift that I am deeply grateful for knowing that if I would have succumbed to the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome 20 years ago, my life would look drastically different today. I'm not even sure if I would have been alive today given Western Medicine's view that Post-Polio Syndrome is a progressive neuromuscular disease. Jean Baker Miller,MD with whom I worked as a social worker at Charles River Hospital, suffered for years with debilitating symptoms and died from complications of Post-Polio Syndrome.  

This training cycle has been filled with the kind of joy that comes with challenging oneself experiencing discomfort and pushing limits. 

On Sunday, as my social media news feed filled with photos and videos from Bermuda Triangle Challenge Weekend, I reflected on another difficult road that led to an astonishingly beautiful destination.

In December of 2014, I suffered a serious left knee injury. My left leg was affected more by the polio virus than my right leg. When I went for the MRI, it showed an atrophied gastroc muscle, torn cartilage, degenerative changes from osteoarthritis and changes from when I had reconstructive leg surgery. There were bone spurs and a fatty lipoma. As the physiatrist shared the results with me, he noted there was nothing we could do about the atrophied gastroc muscle, a result of polio. Arthroscopic surgery to repair the torn cartilage was not an option. I should have never started running in the first place as a polio survivor, and should stop running or cap my distance at a 5K. I'd need a total knee replacement in a few years. 

In February of 2015, I was blessed to meet Ryan J. Means, a chiropractor healer who believed, as I did in the body's tremendous capacity to heal. We partnered together using chiropractic, a new strength training regimen and, as I had done after the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome, harnessed the power of the mind/body connection using visualization.

These photos are from the Bermuda Triangle Challenge Weekend Half Marathon in January of 2016 and the Hyannis Marathon Weekend 10K in February of 2016. Six weeks from today, Tom McManus and I once again toe the starting line of the 2026 Hyannis Marathon Weekend 10K!

Another snowstorm came through the area on Sunday. Tom and I were so grateful that Monday was an indoor workout day and the holiday that commemorates the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. My heart was warmed by how quotes and dedicating our lives to honor his legacy filled my news feed throughout the day. Tom and I started the new day and a new week with a 45 minute rigorous strength training session. I was inspired by this quote:

Before the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome in December of 2006, as I experienced debilitating symptoms of chronic pain, fatigue, the limp from polio returned, difficulty swallowing and breathing, my zest and enthusiasm for life began to wane. In February of 2007, I discovered the gift of poetry in my soul. I imagined a future very different than the one Western Medicine predicted for me of expecting an accelerated decline in functioning as I aged, and prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair! I saw life through the lens of the words that were pouring forth from my heart and soul. My pen lit the spark within me that was dimmed but could never be snuffed out.

Black ice lined the street on Tuesday morning. Tom and I opted for a 2nd day of before breakfast strength training. We got ourselves pumped up with our playlist and feeling incredibly excited to return to our favorite race weekend of the year.  This quote from Amby Burfoot was a great reminder that our training is more than the miles and more than crossing that finish line, although we are psyched for the bling!

Training in Winter in Boston for the Hyannis Marathon Weekend 10K requires flexibility and perseverance. According to weather reports, the polar vertex will arrive on Saturday with feels like temperatures below zero. A major storm is forecast for Sunday. 

Tom and I usually do an easy 2-3 mile shakeout run on Thursday to wrap up our week of training but, given the weather forecast, we decided to do Saturday's 5K today. We were grateful there was only a 5K on the training plan this week so we could fit it into Tom's work day. The day warmed up quickly and we could easily navigate around slush and ice. We did an out and back route down Beacon Street after taking back roads to the Reservoir. It was inspiring to see the grey sky transform into a sky with blue streaks.

I am so grateful for all my body gives me with every run and workout remembering how, in December of 2006 I was told to prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair and expect an accelerated decline in functioning as I aged! Talk about a plot twist; how a difficult road led me to this beautiful destination of the sport of running being out in Nature living life to the full with my bestie. 

That's a wrap on another week of training for Hyannis. We got in solid 5 mile and 5K training runs working around what Mother Nature decided to do with the weather. Strength training is always a great option to complement our running. Taking a bye day is always an option but Tom and I will do whatever we can to stick to our only rest days on Wednesday and Sunday. Five weeks from today, Tom and I pack up and head to Hyannis. I will be at the Expo on Saturday inspiring runners and doing a book signing. Dinner reservations are secured at Colombo's, our favorite Hyannis restaurant, and we have our room reserved at the host hotel, The Cape Cod Irish Village at the Emerald Resort and Conference Center. It's almost go time!

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.

My Trilogy of Transformation chronicles my journey from having been told to prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair with the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease by Western Medicine standards to a woman transformed through the sport of running. Take a journey into a world of healing, hope and possibilities with my 7 books, available on Amazon. My 7th book, "A Most Unlikely Runner: Inspiration From The Heart of a Warrior" is a selection of the WBZ News Radio Book Club and Bill Rodgers Running Center Billy's Bookshelf: Recommended Reading for Every Runner. You will be inspired by my strength, courage, resilience, determination and overcoming the inevitable setbacks that come with a journey to health and wellness. 

 

 

 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.

 

Reach out to me at maryamcmanus@gmail.com if you'd like me to speak to your organization or group to inspire them with what's possible despite all appearances to the contrary; how one finds strength, resilience and determination in the face of seemingly impossible odds.

 

 

This Week in Training: Dancing Through Life!

 
 

Tom and I had 4 fabulous miles last Saturday to start another week of training on the Road to Hyannis. What a joy to have dry ground and no ice or snow to navigate along with moderate temperatures and no wind. The geese flying in formation reminded us to stay connected to a Force greater than ourselves and feel the Creator in all things. We reflected on the events of the past week and opened our hearts with compassion to lives lost while talking about how we retain our optimism. The Optimism Institute founder, Bill Burke, was recently the guest on an episode of SideBar:Optimism in Action podcast. I listened to it on Friday and shared with Tom how I was uplifted and inspired by how Bill answered very difficult questions from the hosts about maintaining our optimism to meet these moments. 

 

 

As I wrote about in a previous blog, "From Atrophy to Astonishing, during one of my early morning meditations, early on in this training cycle, I embodied myself as the young, lithe ballerina in Miss Patricia's ballet class. I experienced the muscle memories from before I contracted polio.

Saturday night, I had a dream about Miss Patricia only we had aged in the dream. She was holding class for a small group of older women. In the dream, I called her Patricia when I asked a question of how many steps we should take before we made a certain dance move. I loved the joy of feeling free in my body and dancing again. When I woke up I felt amazing remembering how happy I was for two years in her ballet class before contracting paralytic polio. 

This week's theme for my training cycle is "Dancing Through Life." I listened to the song from Wicked when I was in the waiting room for my therapy appointments after the diagnosis and having been told to prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair and expect an accelerated decline in functioning as I aged. I made the decision that even if I had to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair, I would do so dancing through life as happens in the song. Little did I know that in February of 2007, I would discover the healing power of poetry and become a most unlikely runner! 

 

For Monday's strength training session, I was drawn to this quote from Dr. Joe Dispenza. It's my why!

 I love starting a new day and a new week with a before breakfast rigorous strength training workout with Tom. I can't believe that we are in the final 7 weeks of training. There will be so much to celebrate in Hyannis. I'll be celebrating 20 years of healing after the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome when I was told to prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair and expect an accelerated decline in functioning as I aged. Tom will be celebrating his 74th birthday on 3/2. We met on a blind date 49 years ago on his  25th birthday! And on 3/4, we celebrate 48 years of marriage.

 

 On Tuesday morning, we were treated to a cotton candy sky; a sweet reward for getting up at 6am to get in morning miles. The last few weeks have been hard runs with bitter temps, and having to navigate snow, ice and rock salt. Those hard runs help me to appreciate an easy run like this morning. I felt as though I were dancing through the miles as Tom and I breathed deeply savoring these moments unplugged in Nature. We kept expressing how grateful we are for this training cycle celebrating being in our 70's feeling healthy enjoying life.

I remember how 20 years ago I was NOT enjoying life and faced a grim prognosis after the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome when I was told to prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair and expect an accelerated decline in functioning as I aged. 

Cue the fog horn for Thursday morning's mystical miles as we wrapped up another week of training. We found a nickel on our way home that, aside from how finding money is always a sign, a nickel has special significance.

"The Five Pennies" was a 1959 film based on the true story of bandleader Loring "Red" Nichols who leaves his burgeoning musical career with his band, "The Five Pennies" to care for his daughter who contracted polio. If you decide to watch it, be sure to have a box of Kleenex handy. Spoiler alert: Red Nichols daughter recovers from polio and encourages her dad to return to his passion. In the final scenes, Nichols, nervous and terrified of playing in front of an audience again, is disappointed when he sees no other old friends in the audience. He opens the show, and after a few notes, “Won't you come home Bill Bailey?” echoes through the dark. The lights come up, and he is greeted by Louis Armstrong and his friends. Willa, his wife, comes up on stage and tells him she has a surprise for him. Dorothy, his daughter, steps onto the dance floor without her cane and asks her father to dance. Here is the link to watch the emotional ending to the story.

What a beautiful affirmation for this week's theme of "Dancing Through Life" as we wrapped up another week of training on the Road to the Hyannis Marathon Weekend 10K.  Come see me at the Expo! I'll be inspiring runners with my journey as a most unlikely runner and having my books for sale. Here is the link to register.  

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.

My Trilogy of Transformation chronicles my journey from having been told to prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair with the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease by Western Medicine standards to a woman transformed through the sport of running. Take a journey into a world of healing, hope and possibilities with my 7 books, available on Amazon. My 7th book, "A Most Unlikely Runner: Inspiration From The Heart of a Warrior" is a selection of the WBZ News Radio Book Club and Bill Rodgers Running Center Billy's Bookshelf: Recommended Reading for Every Runner. You will be inspired by my strength, courage, resilience, determination and overcoming the inevitable setbacks that come with a journey to health and wellness. 

 

 

 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.

 

Reach out to me at maryamcmanus@gmail.com if you'd like me to speak to your organization or group to inspire them with what's possible despite all appearances to the contrary; how one finds strength, resilience and determination in the face of seemingly impossible odds.

 

This Week in Training: The Year of the Horse

We were told to pretend we were horses galloping around the indoor gym with its parquet floor lined with green benches around the perimeter. I loved feeling free in my lithe, strong body whether in gym class or in ballet class with my beloved teacher Miss Patricia. But on that day in early June, my body collapsed and my life was forever changed when I was 5 and a half years old.

 

During this week's training cycle, as we ushered in the year of the Horse, I remembered that day in gym class and how horse imagery has been an integral part of my healing journey after the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome. In addition to visualizing the "Run Forrest Run" scene as he breaks free of leg braces, I let the images of horses running wild and free fuel my mirror neurons.  I used the metaphor to ignite a sense of running free in my body; to heal a neuromuscular system that was once ravaged by the effects of childhood paralytic polio and enduring abuse at the hands of family members.

 

"The Thoroughbred" was one of my earliest poems harnessing this powerful imagery:

As we set out on Saturday's 4 mile training run, we quickly realized we were not going to be able to run three times around the Route 9 Reservoir as originally planned with the ice and snow covered sidewalk as we walked out our front door. We headed to the Cleveland Circle Reservoir. Bitter cold wind came off the frozen water of the Reservoir. When we faced a solid patch of snow and ice, we reversed direction realizing we would need to #dothemath and do an out and back on Beacon Street. As we got to our turnaround point at 2.4 miles, a very strange thing happened to me. I hit the wall! I wanted Tom to get the car and take me home. I didn't tell Tom about this until we'd finished the run and were on our way to lunch thawing in our warm car. As I observed myself hitting the wall, I thought of the image of the thoroughbred. I harnessed the power of my mind to remember my strength and the champion I was always meant to be despite how others would treat me differently. I was delighted when I got my second wind and took off at the last mile. "Whoa girl," I said to myself and reined in my pace as Tom also said, "Hey where you goin' there?" I felt totally badass running up the last hill to the 'finish line.' Tom and I figured out that there were several factors that resulted in my hitting the wall so early in our run. We were out of bagels. My usual pre-run breakfast routine was not as hearty as when I have a cinnamon raisin bagel with my oatmeal, juice and banana. Despite the sunshine, the bitter cold wind coming off the Reservoir was an energy drain. Extra energy was also used being mindful of snow and ice. Changing our route midway through our run threw a wrench in my ability to get into the zone and rhythm of the run. Getting a second win and surging through that last mile gave me a tremendous boost for race day.

Monday morning marked the start of a new week, new day and new year with the same habit of Monday morning strength training. Getting up at 6:30am in the dark to work out in our home gym is made easier with my partner on the roads and in life. Since we are going to see Hamilton the Musical in April with a trip to New York,  I've added more songs from the soundtrack to get us pumped when we work out. 

 

On Tuesday, Tom and I weren't sure if we would get in our early morning miles with Monday night's snowfall. We were so grateful to our Town for plowing and salting our streets to make it safe for today's training run. It was a very Robert Frost-like training run. As I watched the sky transform from night to dawn, I felt my heart open and a connection to all that is. Writing poetry, 19 years ago next month, is where this journey as a most unlikely runner began. I felt I was poetry in motion on this morning's run. We passed a few other runners and exchanged a heartfelt "Good morning!" These early morning runs unplugged, breathing in cold crisp fresh air and being out in nature is a sacred time for Tom and me as we age strong and live well.

On Thursday, Tom and I could have easily done another strength training session but opted to wait for the warm sun to make it safe for us to get out and get in our miles during his lunch hour. It was a runderful runchie that required mindfulness with every step. Before setting out, I reminded myself that it was still cold outside despite the warmer temperatures given the ice and snow covered ground. We did take a moment or two to luxuriate in feeling the warm sun on our faces. Our cross training that incorporates balance work held us in good stead when we hit a patch of ice on a sidewalk. Thank goodness for bike lanes! It's hard to believe that 19 years ago I was told to prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair and expect an accelerated decline in functioning as I aged. I was warned that going out in winter could be perilous for me as a polio survivor with presumed osteoporosis. The sun and fresh air helped to clear our minds and open our hearts given the horrific events of the past 24 hours in Minneapolis and the chaos that is being wrought by this Administration. Our time together unplugged in Nature is a gift and we give thanks for the freedom and spaciousness we felt on today's run.

Another week of training is in the books! The weather made for challenging runs, but each mile takes us one step closer to the starting line of Hyannis Marathon Weekend 10K.  Last year's Year of the Snake symbolized wisdom, intuition, elegance, and transformation, representing a time for deep thought, strategic planning, and shedding old habits for renewal. It was a year of inner work for me that was a year of letting go and making space for wondrous new connections and experiences that I carry forward with me into this New Year. The Year of the Horse signifies energy, freedom, independence, and perseverance. I'm off to a great start of 2026!

 

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.

My Trilogy of Transformation chronicles my journey from having been told to prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair with the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease by Western Medicine standards to a woman transformed through the sport of running. Take a journey into a world of healing, hope and possibilities with my 7 books, available on Amazon. My 7th book, "A Most Unlikely Runner: Inspiration From The Heart of a Warrior" is a selection of the WBZ News Radio Book Club and Bill Rodgers Running Center Billy's Bookshelf: Recommended Reading for Every Runner. You will be inspired by my strength, courage, resilience, determination and overcoming the inevitable setbacks that come with a journey to health and wellness. 

 

 

 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.

 

Reach out to me at maryamcmanus@gmail.com if you'd like me to speak to your organization or group to inspire them with what's possible despite all appearances to the contrary; how one finds strength, resilience and determination in the face of seemingly impossible odds.