Three Years Later

 On March 8, 2020, Team McManus hosted a water stop for L Street Running Club, our beloved running club since 2009. There was a din in the background about the Coronavirus that was growing louder with each passing day. We were in blissful denial as we had our table set up at the corner of Commonwealth Avenue and Centre Street, exchanging sweaty hugs while runners shared cups of water and Gatorade. They scooped up handfuls of goodies to keep them fueled for one of their last long runs before the Boston Marathon.

We were still on a high after Tom and Ruth Anne ran the Bermuda 10K in January, the Hyannis 10K in February and I was the guest speaker sharing the podium with  Bill Rodgers in Hyannis. Hyannis Marathon Weekend was in all its glory and as we left the weekend with high fives and hugs we said, "See you in Boston." 

At the water stop, everyone asked where we would be watching on Marathon Monday. "Where we always watch ... at the corner of Beacon Street and Dean Road." 

There was no way to predict that there would be no Boston Marathon until September of 2021.

The next time we would gather as a Club when we would share hugs and break bread together was on 9/11/2022. Every moment and event since emerging from the pandemic has been filled with gratitude overflowing from our hearts.

We got up at 6am to make sure we were set up and ready when the first runners arrived to our table at the corner of Commonwealth Avenue and Centre Street. L Street was leaving Cleveland Circle heading out along the course to Wellesley College for a total of 20 miles. The sun was out to start the day but once the clouds and wind moved in, it felt quite chilly. Seeing our beloved L Street Running Family and other charity runners out on the course in full force along with the Heartbreakers group of 600 strong kept us warm.

While waiting for our L Street runners to return, we cranked up the car heater and watched a wonderful social science experiment as runners debated whether or not to partake of the goodies at our unattended table. Since there was a small group of L Street runners, we were delighted that runners could refuel and hydrate with our windfall of treats. Tina, one of our dear friends, an OG of L Street ran by with her posse of runner girls. I scooped up this photo from her post from the day:

This year's running of the Boston Marathon marks the 10th anniversary of 4/15/2013. We collectively feel how we are Boston Strong. In addition to the 10th anniversary of 4/15, we continue to emerge from the pandemic feeling the strength and resilience we have as individuals and in the power of our amazing running community.

We greeted the runners on their way to finishing their last long run before Boston and London. We hugged while they chugged Gatorade and water and took provisions for the last 2 1/2 miles back to Cleveland Circle. After we broke down the water stop, we brought 'leftovers' to Heartbreak Hill Running Company where staff reflected the glow of having Coach Dan out on the Hills cheering on 600 runners soaking up the energy that you feel only on the Newton Hills a few weeks before Boston Marathon weekend.

Our hearts were so full after being reunited with old runner friends and making new runner friends during a water stop on the Newton Hills. Being able to hug each other is something we took for granted three years ago but three years later, those hugs are precious gifts with moments to treasure.

Two weeks from Friday, the Boston Marathon Expo kicks off. Last year the Expo and the Boston Marathon were still emerging from the pandemic. This year it's going to be in high gear as we have a deep appreciation for all we have been through and the joy and celebration of the 2023 Boston Marathon.

"As marathoners we know about pacing, about hard days, about broken dreams and yet we keep showing up. We hang onto hope.  We can beat this current storm. We will win this race. And the after party will be glorious!" ~Anonymous

 

From my heart to yours
In health and wellness,
Mary

Visit my website to be inspired by my journey. May it ignite a spark within you to go farther than you ever believed you could.

My books that pack powerful messages of healing, hope and possibilities are available on Amazon 

 Thank you to Mike Reilly for featuring my story on Stories From the Finish Line Sponsored by CURAD Performance Series to inspire others.

A Run Around Jamaica Pond - My Happy Place

 

 

Saturday mornings always beg the question, "Where should we run today?" It was a toss up between Heartbreak Hill and Jamaica Pond. Tom and Ruth Anne had 8 miles on tap as they ready for Half Marathon #2 for Victory Programs. I had my weekly 5K planned. We vacillated between the two running spots weighing the pros and cons of each. I had everything ready knowing that it would not be an out the door run where Ruth Anne and Tom could stop at the house for provisions.

The day was cool but the sun had that hint of Springtime is coming to Boston. Ruth Anne loves how I embrace this time of year when we get to experience anticipation of buds on the trees pregnant with possibilities before everything bursts into bloom. I love savoring the moments that lead up to Spring and Summer. My heart opens with joy knowing the beauty and warmth that is about to burst onto the scene.

The day started out with clouds yet the beauty of Jamaica Pond endures through any weather.

 After their warm up, Tom and Ruth Anne set out in the opposite direction from me. My solo run is a time for solitude and reflection. As Boston has begun the countdown to the Boston Marathon in less than a month, I reflected on our training runs around Jamaica Pond. We did speed work, hills and long runs as we built speed and endurance in preparation of 26.2 miles. What a thrill and delight to be out in the elements and experience the change of seasons, especially since I was given stern warnings about the risk of falls especially in winter.

My poem "Courage" was inspired by one of our training runs around Jamaica Pond:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As Tom, Ruth Anne and I passed each other we gave high fives and took a water stop. 

The clouds began to yield to sunshine and Mother Nature gave us a sneak preview of Spring's coming attractions.

While Tom and Ruth Anne finished their 8 miles, I savored the satisfaction of having completed my 5K while soaking in the sunshine as I refueled and hydrated. Geese honking and the gentle waves lapping against the shoreline were a wonderful soundtrack for my meditation.

Tom and Ruth Anne felt incredible joy that they completed their 8 miles feeling great knowing that they are one training run closer to the Providence Marathon Half Marathon for Victory Programs.

Prior to the start of my running career, I had been to Jamaica Pond only a couple of times. Tom and I rented a canoe before we had children. If you would have told me 16 years ago as I was just setting out on a quest to heal my life that Jamaica Pond would become a place near and dear to my heart for training runs, I would have said, "No way." But "Yes, way" as Jamaica Pond has become my happy place.

From my heart to yours
In health and wellness,
Mary
 

Visit my website to be inspired by my journey. May it ignite a spark within you to go farther than you ever believed you could.

My books that pack powerful messages of healing, hope and possibilities are available on Amazon 

 Thank you to Mike Reilly for featuring my story on Stories From the Finish Line Sponsored by CURAD Performance Series to inspire others.

What's Your Why?

 

During Saturday's run as snow and rain pelted our faces around the Reservoir, I wondered "What's my why?" 

Sixteen years ago, I did not have a 'why' for a regular health and wellness routine. I did have a why as a social worker at the Boston VA Outpatient Clinic. I had a why as a wife and mother. I did not have a why or how for self-care. I could have had my picture next to a definition of burnout in the dictionary as I faced the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome and told to prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair. I was blessed to find a path to heal my life from the once devastating effects of childhood paralytic polio and trauma. 

My why now is to share a powerful message of healing, hope and infinite possibilities.  My why now is to be and feel the best I can be. During the pandemic,  running outdoors was the only option we had as gyms were closed. I became conditioned to running in all kinds of weather occasionally using a treadmill if it was not safe to run outdoors. On Saturday's run, as the snow became heavier and the winds became colder, I felt a sense of power surge through me. The medical community gave me many admonitions as a polio survivor about being out in winter and being at risk for a fracture if I fell. They recommended that I use a cane with an ice gripper. Western Medicine providers meant well. They were basing their recommendation on what they observed happening with other patients who had the same condition as I had. My why is to let people know that living in fear only further compromises one's health and well-being. My why is to let people see by example that if you use it you do not lose it which had been the guidance of those living with neuromuscular conditions such as Post-Polio Syndrome or Multiple Sclerosis. Fortunately, there is a wealth of research about the power of the mind/body connection and the benefits of exercise for individuals with neuromuscular conditions.

The Centers for Disease Control in the US is trying to understand the scope and impact of Long COVID on individuals. It is estimated that 1 in 5 individuals are living with symptoms of Long COVID. It was recognized as a disability in July 2021. The symptoms of Long COVID

bear a striking resemblance to those of PostPolio Syndrome. 

• progressive weakness in muscles and joints
• pain in muscles and joints
• body/mind fatigue and exhaustion with minimal activity
• loss of appetite
• fever
• muscle atrophy (wasting)
• bone distortions such as scoliosis (curving of the spine)
• breathing issues
• sleep disorders, insomnia, sleep apnea
• swallowing issues
• cold temperature intolerance, occasionally intolerance to heat

My why is to let people and health care professionals know there is possibility for healing beyond a diagnosis despite all appearances to the contrary.  My why is to give hope to individuals who may be feeling anxious, helpless and hopeless in the wake of COVID-19. My why is to shine brightly sharing my passion and my purpose through my books, blog and appearances on podcasts and in print media. My why is because I am so blessed and grateful for the miracle of healing in my life that I want to ignite the spark of hope in others for what is possible.

From my heart to yours
In health and wellness,
Mary

Visit my website to be inspired by my journey. May it ignite a spark within you to go farther than you ever believed you could.

My books that pack powerful messages of healing, hope and possibilities are available on Amazon 

 

 

My Master Electrician

 

I am going through my previous books to create a new book called "Running the Race: Inspirational Poetry From the Heart of a Warrior". It's an incredibly wonderful creative endeavor as I reflect on my healing journey and will be able to inspire others juxtaposing poetry with prose. 

 

In February of 2007, after the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease, I got still and asked for Divine Guidance. I was told to prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair and to expect an accelerated decline in functioning as I aged. It was a cold, dark February evening and I was home alone grappling with the dark night of mind, body and soul.

A poem, 'Running the Race' flowed out of me. My pen became my Divining rod for healing as a spigot was turned on in my soul. Poetry poured out of me healing the past through poems about forgiveness and gratitude for all of my experiences finding the gifts and treasures inside the challenges. I created a future very different than the one being predicted for me by Western Medicine.

 

While rereading "Feel the Heal: An Anthology of Poems to Heal Your Life," I came across the poem, "Release". How amazing that before I had full awareness of what I was creating through my poetry, I was harnessing the power of the mind/body connection to heal the once devastating effects of childhood polio and trauma. I imagined God/Divine Intelligence/Source as my Master Electrician.

 

 

Over a decade later, in 2018, Dr. David Hamilton included my story in his Tenth Edition of How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body with the title, "Mary's Story: My Master Electrician."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When I first set out on my journey to heal my life, taking a leap of faith leaving behind my 20 year career as an award winning social worker at the VA Outpatient Clinic in Boston, I knew about the work of Bernie Siegel, MD.  His books and words of encouragement through the years, gave me hope that I could heal. He supported me through my 2009 Boston Marathon run and I believed I was off and running (pun intended) on my journey of transformation.

In December of 2014, I was stopped in my path by a very serious knee injury. I briefly returned to Western Medicine to see what needed to be healed. I found my way to a chiropractor who introduced me to the work of Dr. Joe Dispenza. His book, "You Are the Placebo" turbocharged my healing journey. In 2017, the Heal Documentary was released which is how I came to know the work of Dr. David and many other mind/body luminaries.

David shined the spotlight on the science behind what I was doing and had done through poetry and visualizing meditations!

There are so many studies confirming how the brain cannot tell the difference between real and imaginary. As I imagined being out of my leg brace, running and feeling free in my body; as I felt the Master Electrician healing the effects of trauma and polio, my body responded with new neuromuscular connections, growing a new gastroc muscle and being able to go beyond previous physical limitations caused by polio and trauma! I was blessed to initially partner with a physical therapist at Spaulding Rehab who believed in the body's tremendous capacity to heal and then a personal trainer who believed in infinite possibilities despite all appearances to the contrary. Here's a link to David's blog from March, 2018 explaining the science behind why visualization works.

When I told my personal trainer that I wanted to run the 2009 Boston Marathon in February of 2008, she told me that I was going to need a pair of running shoes!

 

Whenever my body is experiencing aches and pains, twinges or muscle spasms, I return to meditations visualizing My Master Electrician doing needed repairs from wear and tear through the years all the while expressing gratitude for the miracle of healing I've been blessed to experience. I use guided meditations from Bernie, Dr. David or whatever Spirit prompts me to focus on during a silent meditation.

I am deeply inspired by looking back at my journey through poetry and prose, knowing that it is going to bless the lives of so many who are looking for a spark to ignite the torch of healing on their path.

From my heart to yours
In health and wellness,
Mary

 Visit my website to be inspired by my journey. May it ignite a spark within you to go farther than you ever believed you could.

My books that pack powerful messages of healing, hope and possibilities are available on Amazon