Finishing Unfinished Business!

 Yesterday's 10K embodied the Nike motto of "Just Do It!"

I had unfinished business from the Bermuda 10K in January. I know that I made the right choice to 'call it' at 3.06 miles to avoid injury or worse. Believe me when I say that you do not want to have to access medical care in Bermuda. Most Bermudians come to Massachusetts for their care. I knew that I needed/wanted to finish a 10K before the year was out. When I was unable to find a race that would accommodate my pace, I opted for the Gone for a Run Virtual Series 10K Challenge. I started the challenge on March 30th.  My planner had a training plan mapped out as I had for when I trained last year for the Bermuda 10K. I planned to slowly increase my mileage.

Last week, during my strength training session, I was inspired to up my game with core work. I'd been inspired by all I had seen and heard at last weekend's Boston Outdoor Expo. I felt the benefits of strengthening the core when Ruth Anne and I did fartleks last Thursday.

Let me digress for a moment, This time last year, I recorded my episode for the On the Runs podcast. I gave them 'an exclusive' that my next goal was to do the Bermuda 10K walk as a way to celebrate my 70th birthday and 17 years of healing in the wake of the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome. Here is the link to my episode on Apple but subscribe and download on your favorite podcast platform. 

Race day in Bermuda did not go as planned-spoiler alert for "A Most Unlikely Runner:Inspiration From The Heart of a Warrior-but other goals were met. Tom and I had a wonderful time.

Having that unfinished 10K was gnawing at me since January. Part of me wanted to do the Hyannis 10K where I knew that my pace wouldn't matter since there is a half marathon and marathon but that didn't feel right in March. I've been using conscious movement and meditation/visualization to continue to heal the late effects of paralytic polio and trauma and the reaction I had to the 2nd Pfizer vaccine (coincidentally 3 years ago today on 5/5).  Yesterday morning I was able to remove the top of the full orange juice jug with ease and pour the OJ into glasses without spilling any concentrating on keeping my hands steady. I tamed the nerve pain in my right leg by lovingly talking to my body with the mantra, "The Power that made the body, heals the body." My day was off to a good start!

I went on social media to do my morning post. I stopped my scrolling when I saw what my dear friend, Candice, who I met through the On the Runs podcast posted. She was diagnosed with an aggressive type of breast cancer last month and has crossed the starting line of her marathon of healing. She posted her 5 mile run with the quote, "Keep your face always toward the sunshine, and shadows will fall behind you." Loved this quote so much! Happy Saturday! 5 miles on this beautiful morning. I go into each run with a number of miles in mind. If I don't hit my number that's ok. I celebrate that I no longer beat myself up for what didn't happen and be proud something happened! It's the little things.

Last Tuesday (the day she receives chemo) she ended her post with, "I'll continue to stay mentally strong and surround myself with amazing people! A seed can only grow to its full potential by what it's surrounded by."

I felt a stirring deep in my soul. I knew I wanted to dedicate my miles to Candice but not the 4 miles I had on the training plan. I knew that even though I had not built up the mileage again to do the 10K, it was go time. I knew in every fiber of my being that it was time to once again see what this body could do ( a favorite phrase from my personal trainer from the 2009 Boston Marathon) and finish that unfinished business. Ruth Anne said she would go the distance with me as was our original plan for Bermuda. There were many layers and factors inspiring and motivating me to finish what I started a year ago. When I said goodbye to Scott Jurek at last week's Boston Outdoor Expo with a hug, he got a gleam in his eye. "Go finish that marathon." I knew he was referring to the 10K. For me, a 10K is a marathon these days. He talked about keeping the fire lit and the passion alive while feeling that child-like aliveness in our endeavors. 

But the number one source of inspiration and motivation for getting out there and just doing it was Candice. While she is doing an incredibly hard thing with cancer treatment, I wanted to do a hard thing in her honor. I ran with my heart and my mind not paying attention to the fact that I was under trained to do a 10K. All of the admonitions from Western Medicine about if you use it, you'll lose it were washed away by the passion and drive I felt inside. I felt incredible joy knowing that once again I was running for something greater than myself. Candice and I are both warriors who refuse to let a diagnosis define who we are and how we live our lives.

When I set out on this quest to heal my life 17 years ago, I knew there would be pain whether I chose the pain of atrophy as a result of Post-Polio Syndrome or I chose the pain of healing and surpassing limits, listening to my intuition. I wore my 2009 Boston Marathon jacket as the anchor memory from when I defied the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome.

Candice talks about one day at a time in her posts. I took the 10K one mile at a time. Ruth Anne was mindful of helping me to keep a steady pace. When the wind intensified around the Reservoir, we went to the track across the street. She asked a person to take our photo. He was the Director of Grounds Keeping for the field at Cleveland Circle. Once the wind died down, we returned to the Reservoir. Although the temperature did not feel like Spring, the beauty of Spring shined through.

Baby geese once again grace the perimeter of the Reservoir.

I did not feel the pressure of a specific pace, reminding myself that for someone who was supposed to be in a wheelchair, I go pretty fast but secretly, I wanted to finish in under 2:30 which was the time limit for the Bermuda 10K. I was keenly aware of fueling and hydration. I thought greater than my circumstances as I thought to myself I should have cut my toenails and dismissed the inevitable soreness that was creeping into my IT band, quads and hamstrings.

We took our traditional selfie:

We made a pit stop at the Boston College Recreation Center to refill our water bottles and go to the bathroom when we were at about 4.5 miles. My right knee was crunchy. I imagined putting a washer into the joint to stop the bone on bone sensation and visualized lubricant moving through the joint. I even said to my knee -- there - that's better! When I got to 5.6 miles I said to Ruth Anne, "This is the farthest I've gone since 2018 when we ran the Bermuda Half Marathon together!" Ruth Anne was incredibly supportive and encouraging throughout the miles, especially when I hit this milestone reminding me we only had .6 miles to go. We called Tom to meet us with the medal from Gone for a Run Virtual 10K Challenge. 

 

 I had my third eye on the goal throughout the miles and when I approached the 'finish line', I felt a rush of emotion. It was clear to me that I was meant to finish the 10K on May the fourth! 

Tom put the medal around my neck coincidentally wearing the hat he bought at the Flying Colours in Bermuda:

And Ruth Anne was at the ready to take a photo of me with my medal:

Out of curiosity, I did an age grade calculation. My age graded time is 1:35:08. As Ruth Anne paced me to a strong finish, she suggested that my goal for 2025 should be a half marathon again. I suggested she let me recover from today's accomplishment and we'll see. I did love that incredible feeling that happens after a long run that I had not experienced since I crossed the finish line of the 2018 Bermuda Half Marathon.

Thank you Ruth Anne for going the distance with me to finish the 10K distance. I am so grateful to my body, mind, heart and soul for working together to achieve this new milestone. Thank you Candice for being the ray of sunshine that you are. Your strength, grit, grace, remarkable resilience and living life with an attitude of gratitude are an inspiration to all who are blessed to know you. Be sure to listen to her Episode on the On the Runs podcast.

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. Be sure to visit the News and Events Page with links to podcast interviews, speaking engagements and where you can find my incredibly inspirational story. My interview with the amazing On the Runs podcast team of Erika Hamel and Eric Knuuttunen is Episode 56. Be sure to subscribe and download on your favorite podcast platform and subscribe to their YouTube channel.

Proud to BU is a podcast highlighting the illustrious achievements of Boston University Alumni. Here is the link to my episode.

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

***COMING MAY 25, 2024***  "A Most Unlikely Runner: Inspiration From The Heart of a Warrior" Book Release Party 6/3  7-8pm at Livite Brookline in Washington Square