This Week in Training: It's a Celebration!

Next month marks 19 years since I received the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome when 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. I reflected on this milestone last Saturday as Tom and I kicked off another week of training on the Road to Hyannis Marathon Weekend 10K. The weather was gray and rainy but fortunately temperatures were relatively mild for late November here in Boston. I asked Tom if there was some place new we could run for our 4 mile run. He said he had just the place. As we made our way to the Charles River, Tom was turned around at first thinking there was parking just off the main road that would lead to the running path. After the 2nd time of not finding the spot, I suggested we go back to the Reservoir. But, he wanted to try one more turn. He found it!

 

We stretched,  fueled and hydrated and set off on a wonderful adventure along the Charles River. Tom used to run along that path but it was unfamiliar territory for me. Tom pointed out it was great training for race day since I'll be running along a course I have not run in 10 years. Tom was able to capture a photo of geese taking off from the water.

I was curious to see if geese can be considered an animal spirit since I see them so frequently. When I think of the geese around the Reservoirs, I am usually only focused on avoiding stepping in goose poop. I googled the meaning of geese as an animal spirit. As an animal totem, the goose symbolizes community, kindness, communication, loyalty, bravery and guidance. It represents the ability to synchronize with others, balance leadership and teamwork, and the importance of family and protecting loved ones. The goose signifies endurance, vigilance, freedom, and the ability to know when to lead and when to follow. When the trees are mostly bare and it's a seemingly gray and dreary day, Tom and I consciously sought out finding the beauty despite the weather.

 

As I've mentioned in previous blogs, at this time of year, our conversations often turn to how far I've traveled on my healing path since I was first diagnosed with Post-Polio Syndrome. One of my favorite sayings is, "I still remember the days I prayed for the things I have now." 

I had to hug the staircase when I walked from the first to the 2nd floor of our Cape home. Forget going into the basement and doing laundry. I depended on my family to get the laundry done. We either used PeaPod delivery service for groceries or I would use a scooter in the grocery store. I used weighted utensils to eat, drank water through a straw and could not talk while I ate because of the risk of aspirating food into my lungs. I used a tub chair because I did not have the endurance to stand for a shower. Going for a walk outside even with a toe-up leg brace and cane was not even a possibility. I felt as though my nose was pressed up against the pane on the window of life and I was watching the world pass me by. 

This is why I have such a profound appreciation for every step and every mile, regardless of the weather or season. This is why I say that every day is a celebration. The joyous feelings of celebration enable me to surf the waves of discomfort and pain. As I said when I set out on this quest to heal my life, I knew there was going to be pain and discomfort so why not experience it on the side of health and well-being rather than atrophy and decline.

Gratitude and celebration go hand in hand. Monday's strength training session was a celebration of all our bodies can do especially being in our 70's. 

It was a wonderful way to start a new day, new week and the week of Thanksgiving. Tom had worked on Sunday. We were a bit tired when the alarm went off but by the end of the workout we were energized and exhilarated that it was Tom's Friday since Tuesday would be comp time. It always feels so good to push through and get to the other side of the workout.

Since Tom didn't have to work on Tuesday, we got a later start to our morning miles but still got our miles in before breakfast. The still water made for a beautiful canvas of the trees and the Boston skyline in the distance. My perception of the geese shifted and I appreciated their special place in the Universe. After breakfast, Tom and I worked on getting things ready to celebrate Thanksgiving. What a treat to have unscheduled time together. Since every day is a day of celebration and gratitude, I don't experience a build up to the holiday as many people do. I focused on the gift of being present and enjoying the moments with Tom.

 

 

 

What a treat to finally see the sun on our before breakfast, before putting the turkey in the oven miles! There were many runners getting in their miles before the feast. Tom and I joked that they were probably also getting their ya-ya's out before getting together with the family. It seemed as though celebration was the theme of everybody's morning run as we exchanged smiles and Happy Thanksgiving when we passed each other.

What a glorious day to wrap up another week of the training cycle focusing on all there is to c elebrate and be grateful for.

We turn the page on the calendar on Monday to the last month of the year and the beginning of my birthday month. I'm gearing up for 7.2 miles on my 72nd birthday on December 25th. It will be the farthest I've gone since the Bermuda Half Marathon in 2018. Celebrating my journey of healing and having a heart overflowing with gratitude lights and fuels the miles on and off the roads!

In health and wellness - Mary

Visit my ***NEW*** 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 Trilogy of Transformation chronicles my journey from having been told to prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair with the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease by Western Medicine standards to a woman transformed through the sport of running. Take a journey into a world of healing, hope and possibilities with my 7 books, available on Amazon. My 7th book, "A Most Unlikely Runner: Inspiration From The Heart of a Warrior" is a selection of the WBZ News Radio Book Club and Bill Rodgers Running Center Billy's Bookshelf: Recommended Reading for Every Runner. You will be inspired by my strength, courage, resilience, determination and overcoming the inevitable setbacks that come with a journey to health and wellness. 

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.

 

Reach out to me at maryamcmanus@gmail.com if you'd like me to speak to your organization or group to inspire them with what's possible despite all appearances to the contrary; how one finds strength, resilience and determination in the face of seemingly impossible odds.