This Week in Training: Taking Risks

 

At the beginning of this week's training on the Road to the Hyannis Marathon Weekend 10K, I reflected on the risks I have taken since December of 2006 when I was diagnosed with Post-Polio Syndrome and told to prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair expecting an accelerated decline in functioning as I aged. I was told that if I used it, I would lose it. Yes you read that right. The thinking was that because of the initial polio virus, there were fewer nerve to muscle connections and they would just continue to burn out at a faster rate as one aged. Neuroplasticity and the body's tremendous capacity to heal were not factored into the prognosis.

 

I took the risk of a leap of faith leaving behind an award-winning social work career to heal my life in May 2007 and I took the risk to start a greeting card business of original poetry for every occasion. It was an epic fail but sure brought a lot of joy to my customers. I still write original poetry for family and friends for special occasions. Perhaps the biggest risk I took was to train for and run the 2009 Boston Marathon defying Western Medicine's prognosis. I continuously reap the rewards of having taken the risk to become a most unlikely runner.

 

On Saturday, Tom and I made an 'audible' about where we were going to do our 5K. At the last minute, we decided to go to the Chestnut Hill Reservoir having no idea of the magic that was about to happen. As we headed to the Reservoir we heard, "Mary! Mary!" and saw a runner with his friend charging down the hill to meet Tom and me. It was our dear friend Dan, aka The Bearded Runner, aka Forrest Gump!

We exchanged warm hugs and I said, "Congratulations!" Tom asked for what. I rattled off, "The BAA Distance Medley, an ultramarathon and sobriety." "And don't forget a sub 1:30 half," Dan chimed in! We exchanged introductions with Adam who was running with Dan. Dan asked, "So you're taking a walk around the Reservoir?" "No Dan. This is my running." I went on to tell Dan and Adam what I was told by the medical community and added, "For someone who was supposed to be in a wheelchair I go pretty far and pretty fast." Dan totally got it. "If we listened to doctors, we'd all be popping pills and be bed ridden." Dan is going to run for his Fourth Star in London next year for a wonderful charity. Here is the link if you'd like to support him. We told him what we were training for. We took the obligatory selfie.

While running into a running friend is always magical, especially when they come charging down the hill to meet you, running into Dan who embraces the character of Forrest Gump when running, was especially magical for me.

 In February of 2007, I began writing poetry about running, imagining myself winning a 10K race, running free, coming out of my toe-up leg brace and I just knew that one day I was going to run. At the time I had no idea when, where, how or why. I fired up my mirror neuron system by watching Forrest Gump as he breaks out of his leg braces over and over again. It worked!

Tom and I were pumped after seeing Forrest and embraced the cold headwind with joy. I shared with Tom how, if I would have taken the diagnosis and prognosis sitting down, we would have never known all the love, joy and camaraderie that makes, what Bill Rodgers says, running, as the greatest sport. I would also not be able to experience the glorious sunshine and beauty of late Autumn in Boston.

 

 Monday's strength training session was inspired by this quote from Thoreau. While having gone through 10 years of not feeling well prior to the Post-Polio diagnosis finally being made and those early days, weeks and months of beginning to emerge from the dark night of my mind, body and soul were extremely challenging, I now get to experience a state better than what I was ever in before. I was a stranger to athletics, and a stranger to my body. It was how I survived the horrors of my youth. Now I get to enjoy every workout and run celebrating what's possible despite all appearances to the contrary.

Mother Nature shined the spotlight on the late Autumn splendor as we made our way around the Reservoir for our early morning Tuesday run. It's become our favorite place to run in the early morning. We know what a privilege and blessing it is to see the dawn of a new day especially when the Master Artist paints a mystical and magnificent scene as happened on Thursday morning.

 

While I was putting on my running shoes, I 'just happened' to look up and out our dining room window. I left the jacket, hat and gloves on the couch as I ran out to see if I could capture the magnificent colors before they would fade.

I did not see the sun with my naked eye. My breath caught when I saw the beams from the rising sun. After showing Tom the photo I said, "It's not too cold out there." "That's what we always say for the first few minutes until we're out there for awhile," he quipped. But we have great cold weather gear and were energized by the spectacular colors that lit up the morning sky. 

We let the serenity of the Reservoir settle into our souls as we wrapped up another week of training. What a spectacular finish to the week!

 

This photo was taken at the start of the 2016 Bermuda Half Marathon. In December of 2014, I had a very serious left knee injury. The MRI indicated that my gastroc muscle was atrophied from polio, the knee had degenerative changes, bone spurs, torn cartilage, and a fatty lipoma. It was beyond arthroscopic repair. I should stop running or cap my distance at a 5K and prepare for a total knee replacement in a few years. Fortunately, I was led to a wonderful chiropractor who also just happened to be a personal trainer! With chiropractic care, KT tape, and a revamped strength training session that I continue to build on today, we got me back on the roads. It was always on my bucket list to run in Bermuda. I went on to run 3 Bermuda Half Marathons in 2016, 2017 and 2018 with the Hyannis 10K in February of 2016 and many 5K's after that. Last year I went the 10K distance again after a set back in 2021/2022 and am so excited to return to Hyannis next March.

 

No matter how all those risks ended up, I am overjoyed and grateful that I took them. I am especially grateful to my husband Tom, who I call my hero for supporting me every mile of the way during these past 19 years. There were moments of financial stress and strain, and physical set backs but those pale in comparison to the fullness of life we are blessed to experience.

 

 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: Momentum

In December of 2006, life as I had known it came to a screeching halt with the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease by Western Medicine standards. My future, if I were to have a future, looked grim with the prognosis of preparing to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair and expecting an accelerated decline in functioning as I aged. How was I going to stop this negative momentum of being in a debilitated state and having been told there was no way to gain positive momentum?

 

I got still in February of 2007 and asked for Divine Guidance. The answer to my prayer was the poem, "Running the Race" that opened the portal to healing with poetry flowing out of me as though a spigot had been turned on in my heart and soul. My imagination was fired up by my pen that I have come to call my divining rod for healing. "Running the Race" foreshadowed my 2009 Boston Marathon run. Talk about turning the tide of negative momentum!

 

As Tom and I set out for our 6 mile run last Saturday at Jamaica Pond, I could feel the building of momentum in our training cycle on the Road to the Hyannis 10K. It was our third 6 mile run in a month as we build a solid base of miles and fitness. Jamaica Pond was our go to place during our Boston Marathon training. It was where Bill Rodgers trained. We knew we would be treated to late Autumn splendor even with the cloudy start with gray skies, and feel the energy of fellow runners doing the Park Run. What we did not know was that we would have another Spirit animal sent to us or that the sun would break through the clouds sending temperatures to 60 degrees. Tom and I agreed that it reminded us of Christmas Day in 2016 when we had our last long run for the Bermuda Half Marathon.

 

Falcon  as a spirit animal symbolizes ambition, focus, speed, and vision, representing the ability to see clearly and pursue goals with power and determination. It is associated with victory, freedom and spiritual insight and acts as a reminder to stay true to your path and overcome fears. Culturally, it is also a symbol of divine power, messengers, and protection. The falcon is a fierce hunter, embodying a powerful warrior spirit and the courage to fight against your fears. 

Monday's strength training session was one of our best ones yet. We cranked up our playlist, rolled out the fitness mat and, despite another 6 miles on Saturday, felt sore and strong. We used Amy Cragg's marathon mantra of breathing in strength and breathing out weakness. We don't have a moment's hesitation when the alarm goes off; we feel the joy of momentum as every run and workout takes us one step closer to that starting line on 3/1.

Tuesday morning was the first noticeably cold day of the training cycle. My heart overflowed with gratitude for great cold weather running gear, dry ground despite a rainy day on Monday and that I no longer experience cold intolerance.  The combination of childhood paralytic polio and trauma caused a short circuit in my thermostat (among many other issues) that I was able to heal with visualization. I was concerned about Monday's downpours knowing that temperatures were going to plummet overnight but Source is watching over us. It was a magical run as we experienced the dawn of a new day in glorious technicolor. We noticed the change in color and movement in the Reservoir's water as Autumn slowly exits and Winter begins to make an appearance.

After a rest and recovery day on Wednesday, we were ready to wrap up the week with morning miles. Despite not sleeping well Wednesday night, we felt momentum moving us up and out the door. There was no wind and temperatures were much milder than on Tuesday. 

We felt the Wednesday worries melt away with each footstep and embraced the possibilities that come with the dawn of every new day! The time of being unplugged and experiencing Nature's beauty up close and personal is sacred time for Tom and me. At this time of year we give thanks that I did not take the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome sitting down. I was touched by grace to embark on a profound healing journey of transformation that brings me to this moment in my life. 

We scale back miles for a few weeks while maintaining our momentum with consistent work outs and training runs. I'm so excited to hit peak mileage of 7.2 miles on my Christmas Birthday. It's the first time in a long time that I've run my age in miles on my birthday. It's exciting to continue to challenge myself. Let's keep this momentum going!

 

 

 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.

 

 

 

 

 

More Than The Miles - More Than The Goal

Saturday's run on 11/1 was the start of a new month, a new week in our training cycle and marked 4 months until Tom and I toe the starting line of the 45th Hyannis Marathon Weekend 10K. We've been asking ourselves what makes this training cycle so different than other ones we've experienced. We know each training cycle, just like each race, is different but this training cycle has been so much more than the miles and our race goal.

 

We know we can go the distance of a 10K. Even though I was a DNF in Bermuda in 2024, I went out on May 4th and finished my unfinished business. We have run 6 miles several times during this training cycle. I use the mantra, "My body recovers with ease." We could have easily taken our time to very slowly build to the 10K distance and gone out and done the race. But this journey is so much more than the miles. Our early morning runs are sacred time together. Getting up at 6am during the week to get in our miles, 6:30 on Mondays to do strength training, and 7am on Saturdays for our long run is great for our health mind, body and soul. We are building mileage to go the distance of 7.2 miles on December 25th; my 72nd birthday. That will be our peak mileage as we build a solid and strong foundation for a 10K. 

 

I look at photos on my laptop from when we trained for Bermuda Half Marathons 2016, 2017 and 2018. Here are two of my favs from December 2016. It was in the 60's on Christmas Day when we did our last long run of 12.5 miles. I'm manifesting another mild winter this year. 

 

 In December 2014, I had a very serious knee injury and was told to stop running or cap my distance at a 5K preparing for a total knee replacement in a few years. I know my body can do this despite now being in my 70's. Age is just a number as I saw watching the final finishers come in at the NYC Marathon last weekend. 

 

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. Mother Nature treated us to spectacular sights during our early morning runs this week. Tom and I want to be as healthy, fit and strong as possible. We are taking time for rest to ensure we are having good recovery times. Nutrition has been a vital part of this training cycle discovering what we need for pre- and post-run fueling. Gratitude, joy and celebration are an integral part of this training cycle that transcends miles and a goal.

When we set out for Saturday's 5 miles, I was keenly aware that it was 4 months until race day on 3/1, but the goal quickly receded into the background so I could be fully present to take on the very strong headwinds. We initially planned to go to Jamaica Pond and had a later start than usual since we thought we didn't have any commute time but as Tom started the ignition, he paused. The sun was shining. Since there was a wind chill, he didn't want to have the shade and the closed in space of Jamaica Pond. We were planning to use the car as our aid station. After we parked at Castle Island, we loaded up our jackets and fuel belt/vest with provisions. As the brisk headwind greeted us, I felt this stirring in my soul of "Yes. Bring it on." I remembered Bill Rodgers' words to me before the start of the 2014 Prostate Cancer 5K race. "Life is hard. That's why we run. When we conquer the difficulties on the roads, we can conquer the difficult challenges that are a part of life." It was cold but not that cold to the bone winter cold and the sun was still warm when the winds died down.

 

                                                                

I felt a powerful connection to Source. See if you can see the angel in the first photo. We had a tail wind on the back 2.5 miles. My social media news feed on Saturday evening was filled with pre-NYC Marathon events. Roger Robinson, who moderated a panel I was on for the 2020 Boston Marathon Virtual Expo, received the George Hirsch journalism award. The donors' ceremony for the Museum of World Athletics featured champions Bill Rodgers, Jacqueline Hansen, Frank Shorter and Deena Kastor just to name a few. I've been blessed and grateful to meet them and have them embrace my journey as a most unlikely runner. While the years leading up to the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome in December of 2006 and the two years following the diagnosis were filled with physical, emotional and spiritual pain, the diagnosis led me to this remarkable running community. Spencer Aston fitted me for my first pair of running shoes at Marathon Sports. He posted his "Flat Spencer" photo. What a thrill to track him on race day.

 

Monday was our strength training day.

When we woke up on Tuesday, still a bit tired from the time change, our weather app said, "Feels like 29 degrees." No excuses! We were up and out the door by 6:30am. Seeing the sunrise now that DST ended and a heron speaks to why this training cycle is more than the miles and more than the goal. After breakfast, I googled the meaning of seeing a heron. Seeing a heron symbolizes patience, self-reliance, and wisdom, as it teaches the importance of stillness, keen observation, and waiting for the right moment. In different traditions, it can also represent balance, good fortune, independence, and the ability to move gracefully between different elements in life. It's a symbol of transformation and the importance of being present. Tom and I patiently observed this Being knowing that being present is an integral part of training that is so much more than the miles and more than the goal. Being one with nature and Source is a gift.  He was able to capture its grace in a photo.

There's no such thing as bad weather; only bad weather gear. Fortunately there was no precipitation - yet. My weather app has a snowflake in the forecast. And sure I miss putting on a singlet and shorts, not having to  go through the hat and glove bag to find my gear deciding which jacket would be best, but there is exhilaration and wonderful health benefits of getting up early and experiencing the cold air. The days may have less daylight but we are soaking up the sunshine in the early morning hours and during our Saturday long runs. 

 

Thursday morning miles were an amazing way to wrap up another week of training. When I saw the full moon, the beginning of a 5th Dimension song came to me. "The sun comes up the moon goes down a new day's on its way..." But I couldn't remember the rest of the song. During our magical morning miles, I kept remembering more and more of the song adding to what I remembered each time. By the end of our run, without googling it, and with Tom's encouragement to keep singing, I remembered the entire first verse to "Light Sings." It's a most appropriate anthem for our times. If you're not familiar with it - give a listen. I've added it to our On the Road to playlist.

Tom and I are filled with joy and gratitude for this training cycle. We celebrate our precious, sacred moments together unplugged out in nature. We celebrate our health and wellness ever mindful of where I was 19 years ago when I was debilitated facing a grim diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome. 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 am deeply grateful that, in February of 2007, I got still and asked for Divine Guidance refusing to take the diagnosis sitting down. I listened to the promptings of my heart and soul discovering the healing power of poetry as my imagination stoked the power of the mind/body connection. I could barely get out of bed in the morning, navigate the stairs in my house and I would put on a strong front to continue to serve my veterans, their families and my Team. Now I get up at 6am to get in morning miles and experience the magic of the Universe. Tom gets the credit for these Full Moon photos.

Tom has run several half marathons since our Bermuda Half Marathon days but I haven't challenged myself with a training cycle like this since I trained for that trilogy of Bermuda Half Marathons. I'm embracing all the sensations that accompany a challenging training cycle. I feel overwhelming gratitude that I get to experience Mother Nature up close and personal. I am relearning how to trust that my body is capable of impressive stuff; that limits only live in my mind.

That's a wrap! Another week of training is in the books. I'm discovering that training for the Hyannis 10K is becoming a lifestyle that is so much more than the miles and more than the goal. It's transformational!

 

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.