The Joy Is In The Journey

 

I am giddy with delight and gratitude to be in a new training cycle on the road to the Hyannis Marathon 10K. I am today years old when I found out that it is the 45th Edition of Hyannis Marathon Weekend. Hyannis was the first half marathon race I ever participated in. I emailed the race director asking if there was a time limit for the Half explaining that I am a mobility impaired runner and was training for the 2009 Boston Marathon. We've become dear friends through the years. I affectionately call Hyannis Marathon Race Weekend, Camp Hyannis. There are many runners who gather there every year and it's usually only once a year that we see these runners in real life. The last time I was in Hyannis, I was the guest speaker at the Pre-Race Pasta Dinner. What a thrill to share the stage with Bill Rodgers. 

 That was in February of 2020. We haven't been back since. Tom and Ruth Anne ran the 10K that year. The last time I ran Hyannis was in 2016. 

There's a stirring in my soul and excitement in my Being to be training for Hyannis again. On Saturday, Tom and I went to South Boston to run 3.5 miles as I slowly build my base to go the distance again. My goal is to get to 10 miles by January and then taper for the 10K. The heat in Boston began to build although there was a cooling sea breeze on the first full day of summah as we like to call it in Boston.

 

We are so fortunate to live just 25 minutes away from South Boston where we get to experience the expansiveness of the ocean and the beauty of Boston's Bay. I was mindful to focus on hydration, fueling and not pushing the pace given the heat and that I am going for distance. When I trained for the 2024 Bermuda 10K in 2023, I had the time pressure of finishing in 2:30 (and bear in mind that for someone who was supposed to be in a wheelchair, I run pretty fast). During this training cycle, there is no time pressure as the finish line is the same for the 10K, Half and Full Marathon although I want to have a solid performance for me. I felt so much joy on Saturday's run. Going back to where I ran my first half marathon, where a friendship was born with champion Bill Rodgers and when I was given a blessing by Frank Shorter for my Boston Marathon run fuels the joy in the journey.

As I was waiting in line to meet Bill and Frank, I started a conversation with Ric Beaudoin, sharing my story on the road to Boston with him. That's why running is the greatest sport. You strike up a conversation with a complete stranger and before you know it you become like family. At the time, Ric was a member of the L Street Running Club and Merrimack Valley Striders Running Club. I was welcomed into the running family with open arms. Ric ran the 2020 10K with Tom and Ruth Anne. I'm still a member of L Street and friends with the Striders. I was a guest speaker at each of the Clubs after my epic Boston Marathon run. 

 The weather forecast called for a heat advisory for Monday and Tuesday. I set the alarm for 6:00am so Tom and I would beat the heat of the day. It was 70 degrees with high humidity. To be honest, if I weren't training for Hyannis, I might have either taken a rest day or done cross training in our air conditioned home. I had put the water bottles in the refrigerator Sunday evening and laid out my coolest tank top and shorts. No excuses when there's a goal race on the horizon. 

It was a gorgeous morning at the Chestnut Hill Reservoir. What a blessing to see the Dawn of a new day; a privilege not given to everyone. Being able to be out in nature feeling vibrant and healthy is not something I EVER take for granted. I remember one day when I went to Wollaston Beach shortly after I started working with a personal trainer after being discharged from outpatient physical therapy in October of 2007. I could barely walk with my cane and toe-up leg brace. Every day I get to train is a gift; my journey is a miracle. It takes incredible effort and discipline given the toll on my body from paralytic polio and trauma to train but what gratitude swells in my heart when I see the beauty of nature with a before breakfast run:
          

What a serene and peaceful way to start a new day and a new week setting the tone and intention to be a harbinger of light and peace. What a wonderful antidote to the noise and chaos in the world. 

 

Mile by mile, I am training mind, body and soul for the 45th Hyannis Marathon Weekend 10K but my sights and intention are focused on every run and strength training workout feeling the incredible joy in the journey.

 

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.