Getting Ready for Runners Christmas!

 

Last Saturday, Ruth Anne wrapped up her training cycle for the 129th Boston Marathon for Spaulding Rehab with a 13 miler. 

Tom and I did our 5K followed by being support crew for Ruth Anne. There were charity runners and water stops hosted by the charities. There was a wave of energy that is indescribable as we count down to Runners Christmas weekend in Boston. Picture the bustling malls leading up to Christmas celebrations. Shoppers are bustling with bags overflowing with gifts for loved ones. The familiar music of the season and Salvation Army bell ringers fill the air. The anticipation of gathering together to exchange gifts, hugs and share great food is as joyful as the actual celebration. On Heartbreak Hill and out on the course, there were the sounds of "great job" and cowbells ringing. In lieu of eggnog and hors d'oevres, there was Gatorade, pretzels and Swedish fish. Everyone knew this was it! The last long run before 4/21/2025.  

Shoppers were leaving Heartbreak Hill Running Company and Marathon Sports with bags overflowing with last minute necessities for Marathon Monday. 

Tom and I remembered our last long run in preparation for the 2009 Boston Marathon. We could hardly contain our excitement.  We exceeded our fundraising goal for Spaulding Rehab (and the tote board continued to rise after we crossed the finish line) and could enjoy taper time.

The Boston Marathon Weekend kicks off a week from Friday. We love to call Boston Marathon Weekend Runner's Christmas. There are meet ups with friends from the greater Boston area who I haven't seen since last year. Texts fly fast and furiously with friends who are coming into Boston from out of Town. There never seems to be enough time to see everybody and do everything that the magic of Boston Marathon Weekend offers so we savor every moment of it all. We also delight in the moments of synchronicity and serendipity that we attribute to the magic of the Unicorn; the symbol of the Boston Marathon.

The excitement intensifies this year as we have watched the training cycle up close and personal with Ruth Anne and the Race for Rehab Team and other charity runner friends. It's almost surreal to be sharing Ruth Anne's bib number, 30690 as our running family posts their bib numbers. We are mindful about not packing too much excitement into the week and weekend.

Monday is a pasta dinner celebration for Boston College students running the Boston Marathon sponsored by the Mile 21 Committee. Ruth Anne will be finishing up her Masters Certificate in Corporate Communications and Marketing this summer. Ruth Anne got in a taper time workout at the BC Fit Rec Center today and saw herself on the big screen!

Friday is bib pick up at the Expo. I feel goosebumps all over as I type those words. Bill Rodgers will be at Central Perk Coffee for a book signing and to have his new line of teas available in the early afternoon. When we chatted with him at bib pick up for the Somerville Jingle Bell 5K in December, he was so supportive and encouraging of Ruth Anne's Boston Marathon run. He even sent her an email with words of encouragement and advice. We are looking forward to supporting him and for Ruth Anne to receive his blessing before the big day.

On Saturday, we head back in town to drop off Ruth Anne's clothes for after the Marathon at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel; the headquarters for the Race for Rehab Team after crossing the finish line. We look forward to meeting up with the On the Runs podcast family. Their Boston Weeks episode fuel the excitement.  They did a series of shining the spotlight on runners who are fundraising on their YouTube channel. We head home and do final preparations for Christmas Marathon Monday.

Coincidentally, Sunday is Easter Sunday. There will be the traditional Blessing of the Runners at Old South Church at every service. We will watch the live stream of the 10 am service. There will be lots of texts exchanged along with social media posts. Sunday afternoon we will Signal with Ruth Anne's twin brother Autumn and wife Michelle. We will go over details and have everything ready for Ruth Anne's victory lap on 4/21/25.

The excitement and anticipation of the Boston Marathon, an annual rite of Spring are expressed in the trees and flowers blooming poised and ready to welcome the runners on their journey from Hopkinton to Boston.

From my heart to yours--

In health and wellness - Mary

Visit my 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 books are available on Bookshop that share a powerful message of healing, hope and possibilities; what's possible despite all appearances to the contrary. Be sure to visit my Author Page on Amazon   My 7th book, "A Most Unlikely Runner:Inspiration From The Heart of a Warrior" is receiving rave reviews and is a selection of the WBZ News Radio Book Club .

 

 

 

April is My Favorite Month!

April is my favorite month. It's National Poetry Month the running of the Boston Marathon, and trees and earth are pregnant with possibilities poised to bloom.

In February of 2007, in the wake of a devastating diagnosis, I got still and asked for Divine Guidance. I discovered the gift of poetry in my soul that was initially in the cadence of Dr. Seuss. Why Dr. Seuss you might ask? My physical therapist, Miss Holly, was a healer way beyond her time. She read Dr. Seuss to me before my physical therapy sessions after contracting paralytic polio and had me recite back to her in tandem during the painful treatments. I invariably chose The Cat in the Hat.

My first poem was called "Running the Race."  Little did I know it would foreshadow my 2009 Boston Marathon run! Ever since April 20, 2009, April has become my favorite month!

At first, it all seemed impossible. I'd never run a day in my life. I sat in a toe up leg brace, using a cane and at times, a wheelchair for mobility. 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. My first reaction was that of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. "It's no use trying," she said. "One can't believe impossible things." Yet my personal trainer did, in fact believe in impossible things when I told her, after 6 months of working together, in February of 2008, that my next health and fitness goals were to feel free in my body. Diversify my health and fitness workouts. Maybe take a dance class since I took ballet before contracting paralytic polio.

She picked up her things after writing down my goals, had her hand on the door knob and I said....WAIT I have one more goal. "What's that," she asked. "I want to run the 2009 Boston Marathon for Spaulding Rehab. I hear they have a Race for Rehab Team."

"Well you are going to need a pair of running shoes!"

April is the month of possibilities. Before we see the trees burst forth with colors of pink, green and white, we feel the certainty of possibilities in the air. What a feast for eyes' delight when that first warm sunny day coaxes the blooms to burst forth. The once frozen ground yields to warmth as perennials slowly rise to meet the new season bringing joy to children of all ages! April is a time of celebration. The dark, gray days of winter are behind us. Boots, winter hats and gloves, ice scrapers, ice melt and sand are stowed away for the next 8 months or so. More time is spent in outdoor activities. April is the pivotal time between Winter and Summer. I savor every moment!

When I crossed the finish of the Boston Marathon I was reborn into a new season of my life. Every day is a celebration of life for me. While Ruth Anne finished her last long run on the road to the Boston Marathon for Spaulding Rehab, Tom and I did our 5K on Heartbreak Hill. Signs of Spring and the 129th running of the Boston Marathon are everywhere! Everyone cheers everyone on. We were blessed to "run into" Rachel, one of the members of our running family. Even though we are still running in winter clothes, nothing can dampen the sense of joy and celebration along with the anticipation of all that is April in Boston.

 I love enjoying the harbingers of Spring, savoring every moment of what is here-now and experiencing the joy of anticipating when everything is in full bloom. April is my favorite month!

 

 

 

 

 

 

From my heart to yours--

In health and wellness - Mary

Visit my 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 books are available on Bookshop that share a powerful message of healing, hope and possibilities; what's possible despite all appearances to the contrary. Be sure to visit my Author Page on Amazon   My 7th book, "A Most Unlikely Runner:Inspiration From The Heart of a Warrior" is receiving rave reviews and is a selection of the WBZ News Radio Book Club .