When the Weather Outside is Frightful

Last Thursday the temperatures climbed into the 40's. We watched the piles of snow from the Blizzard of 2022 begin to dwindle. There was bare pavement and even though the day was grey and cloudy, I felt the stirrings of Spring in my heart as it tuned into a few birds singing their song. I found a spot of beauty in the sky:

 

When I saw the forecast for Friday I thought, "This can't be happening. They must be getting it wrong." 

There was a Winter Weather Watch that turned into a Winter Weather Advisory with flash freezing. Friday morning brought lots of rain and we thought, "Yup they missed the forecast." We went about our day. The social media feed filled with car accidents and a flash freeze happening across the region. The rain turned to sleet and covered sidewalks, bushes and cars.

I was in awe of how quickly it happened. 

Having yet another Friday storm begged the question of whether or not we would be able to get out for our Saturday morning run. Tom and Ruth Anne had a half marathon scheduled on their training plan. I am not one to experience cabin fever but as the sleet rained down (pun intended) I felt agitated. I knew I had no control over the weather and the ice that quickly gripped the region so I knew I had to get a grip on myself!

I meditated and surrendered to what was happening. Fortunately Tom was able to safely get our groceries. We hoped that our Town would do a good job at making our neighborhood safe for our Saturday run. 

I felt deep in my soul that we just had to get out for our Saturday run. Nine miles on the treadmill for Ruth Anne last Sunday followed by two days of running in the cold caused her knee to become injured. Fortunately she had an appointment with her sports acupuncturist on Wednesday. He is also a physical therapy assistant and personal trainer. He used a combination of sports acupuncture, manipulative therapy and KT tape to facilitate recovery. Tom had dug us out from the Blizzard of 2022 and done a 10K on the treadmill. His back and legs were very sore. We knew there was no way we would do another treadmill run. My knees were not happy with my 5K on the treadmill.

As the official Marathon Manager for Tom and Ruth Anne, I got everything ready for their Half Marathon; their longest run in this training cycle. They both thought I was crazy to go ahead as if we were going to be able to get out and get in a run but I know the power of intention.

We woke up to freezing temperatures but glorious sunshine streaming through our windows. It was hard to tell whether or not the streets were safe to run. We debated about whether or not we would get in our run and if the answer were yes, where we would go. As I looked out the window, a runner passed by. "It's a sign," I yelled upstairs to Tom and Ruth Anne who were getting dressed.

I filled up the water bottles and set up the 'aid station' on the dining room table. We donned our layers and did a "Gooo Team" before heading out the door.

The first few moments were testy as we all worked to find our footing. Ruth Anne wanted to abort the mission but I pointed out, "We have no choice. It's too late to head over to try to find another route. We can't do the treadmill especially for a Half Marathon for you and Tom. There's lots of bare ground. It's time for a mental toughness run."

When we crossed paths during our loops, I was going to suggest that they might think about a run/walk strategy given the conditions. I saw them walking and they shared that they decided on that strategy after their first few miles! 

The warmth of the sun despite the cold air was delicious. 

I could feel the Divine with us during every step.

I felt triumphant after my 5K and experienced the excitement and anticipation of Tom and Ruth Anne doing their longest run for this training cycle preparing for the Providence Marathon and raising money and awareness for Victory Programs and their ReVision Urban Farm. I rang my cowbell as they completed their 21 loops on Eliot Street for 13.1 miles!

As we celebrated with pizza and tuna subs we reminisced about our Boston Marathon training. 21 loops around the neighborhood was sure better than 117 laps around the BU track. We felt the sense of celebration of Hyannis Marathon Weekend even though we won't be going to Hyannis this year. I felt a deep sense of joy and exhilaration rise up within me.

There is so much we are yet unable to experience during COVID to feel good but doing good for others is a wonderful antidote to feeling the restrictions that came with the pandemic. Not having access to a gym is a blessing. We have no choice but to go outside, brave the elements and experience the sense of power that comes with braving and embracing the elements.

These past two weeks the weather has been frightful, challenging the mettle of even the heartiest New England residents. As runners, we are trained to be strong, resilient and harness the power of our mental toughness to not let frightful weather makes our lives miserable.

As often happens in February, we see temperatures slowly on the rise and the snow piles melt. What a treat to see 57 degrees with sunshine for Saturday in the forecast.

When the weather outside is frightful I always remember, no storms last forever. Spring always returns. Resilience and strength prevail when we call those qualities up from deep within our heart and soul.

After the Storms

Blizzard and ice storms
sub zero temperatures
seemingly never ending winter
housebound
grey and gloom
thoughts turn to doom
what if's swirl with bone chilling winds.
Does any storm last forever?
Sun returns
greets me with a warm hug
stepping outside door's threshold
having met my threshold
temporarily lost my way
even in the midst of winter storms
though invisible to the eye
Divine's presence shines brightly
always guiding us home
into the light. 

From my heart to yours,

In health and wellness,

Mary

Be sure to visit my website at https://marymcmanus.com to learn about my journey to health and wellness in the wake of paralytic polio and trauma

Visit the News and Events tab to listen to my inspiring and uplifting interviews

My books to motivate, uplift and inspire you are available on Amazon