A Redemption Race!

 

I wasn't planning on running it and I certainly wasn't planning on racing it. As I reflect on Sunday's Squirrel Run XXVII aka my accidental race, I realized the impact that the DNF at the 2024 Bermuda 10K had on me. I was 'gun shy' of being part of a race again where I'd feel the pressure of a time goal. There is no time limit for my next goal race, the 2026 Hyannis 10K. I will, of course, be training to make it a personal best with a goal of 2:30 or less. I opted for the 2.5 mile fitness walk at the Squirrel Run to take any time pressure off of myself. The Universe had other plans. I am so glad She did! 

As I reflect on that DNF, I realized that while there were physical factors that contributed to my DNF, there were also psychological factors that contributed to my body calling it at 3:06 miles. Somewhere inside of me, I had doubts about being able to go the distance again in Bermuda despite having had 3 successful half marathons there in 2016, 2017 and 2018 and an exhilarating 10K in Hyannis in 2016. I went into the race feeling depleted mentally and physically from having contracted COVID in December of 2023, and family crises that year. I neglected to focus on mind and body self-care during my training cycle. 

Part of what made Saturday's race as spectacular as it was for me was that I took two rest days before the event. I treated it as just another 2.5 miles to do to support ALS research, a cause near and dear to my heart. When there is a breakthrough for treatment and understanding the etiology of any progressive neuromuscular disease, there is hope for all of them. There were no pre-race jitters because well - there was no race. The inner fire was lit when I found myself mid-pack.

 I was on the struggle bus early on at the Bermuda 10K. The weather was warm and muggy. The hills were unrelenting and extremely challenging. I didn't feel the joy of being off the sidelines in Bermuda. There were no crowds and the roads weren't closed. There was an energy and sense of purpose at the Squirrel Run that was missing in Bermuda. The roads were closed. The high school kids who hosted the water stop were genuinely happy to be there. There was camaraderie among the participants and there were some spectators lining the course cheering us on. There was no water stop in Bermuda until after the 5K mark! Ironically, the scene that I mentally rehearsed of coming into the finish with Tom and Ruth Anne, hands held high, receiving a medal,  happened not in Bermuda but at Saturday's accidental 5K. It was a moment of redemption for what did not happen in Bermuda.

 My love of being off the sidelines and seeing what this body can do was rekindled last Saturday. When I crossed that finish line, I stepped into feeling the joy of my next training cycle. I feel focused and a deep stirring in my soul that I am called to do this again. Hyannis Weekend holds incredible memories for me. It's a beautiful course and the weather adds to the magic and mystery of the event. At my first Half in Hyannis in 2009 on the road to the Boston Marathon, it was cold at the start with sleet at the end.  In 2011, it snowed. In 2014 it was a picture perfect end of winter day when Tom ran it. In 2020, it was a cold but sunny day. One year the race was cancelled due to unsafe conditions. I'm manifesting a picture perfect day for my triumphant Hyannis return and my return to the 10K distance at a live event. Even though I was a DNF in Bermuda, I did do a Virtual 10K on May the Fourth last year.

My heart overflows with gratitude and my soul dances with delight for the accidental 5K race. When I did an age-graded calculation for my 1:00:30 time, it came to 41:44. Wow for somebody who was supposed to be in a wheelchair, I really do go fast! 

This training cycle is a mile by mile every step is a gift every mile is a blessing adventure. Training beyond the distance of the 10K with my long term goal of doing a half marathon next Spring gives me a bounce in my step and a boost to my mental training. I see it and I feel it happening. Isn't it crazy how the Universe works sometimes?

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.

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.

My books share a powerful message of healing, hope and possibilities; what's possible despite all appearances to the contrary and are available on Bookshop  My 6th book, "Into the Light:Emerging From the 2020 Pandemic" and my 7th book, "A Most Unlikely Runner:Inspiration From The Heart of a Warrior" are selections of the WBZ News Radio Book Club. "Inspiration From The Heart of a Warrior" is also a selection Bill Rodgers Running Center Billy's Bookshelf: Recommended Reads for Every Runner. Visit my Author Page on Amazon for rave reviews.