Celebrating the Journey! - Fabulous 5.5 Miles!

 

Last Thursday, I was blessed to share morning miles with Ruth Anne. Dense fog filled the air. I love how the Universe offers wonderful metaphors during our runs. While Ruth Anne was in the hospital, there was a dense fog enveloping Team McManus. While we always held onto hope and faith, we did not know the outcome. 

 

We had to trust that the sun and light would break through the fog; that some how and some way, despite all appearances to the contrary, Ruth Anne would find her way back to herself and to our home.

The forecast called for a dense fog advisory for most of the day, but during our morning miles, the sun miraculously broke through the fog:

We celebrated Ruth Anne's journey of healing and how far she's come. She has amazing goals ahead of finishing her Masters Certificate and o ththen degree at Boston College, running the LA Marathon and getting back to work part time. It's so vital that we celebrate every step we take toward our goals and not wait until we cross a finish line. Ruth Anne started Occupational Therapy last Tuesday. She is so excited to be partnering again with her therapist who supp on for next Sunday's Half Marathon while Tom and I get in our miles. I was a bit anxious about the distance although I reminded myself that it was only a half mile farther than September's 5 mile runs...that is unless Tom McManus is calculating the miles - smile please!

As the weather turns cooler, we prefer to sleep in on Saturdays but with rain in the forecast for late morning, we were up and out the door early. I had a bit of pre-run jitters realizing that there are 3 months left until race day. I know each training run takes me one step closer to the starting line. I know the body achieves what the mind believes and that new sensations signal strength and building fitness! Yet this is my first in person event since the pandemic. I am going the 10K distance for the first time since 2018. This is also the first time that I am not partnering with a massage therapist or chiropractor but relying on exquisite self-care and the mind/body connection. 

We started out at an easy pace. "Tom this is for distance, not pace right?" "That's right. The pace will come as you've seen with your previous training runs." But my nerves started to get the best of me thinking about the 2 and a half hour cutoff time. It's really quite silly since my pace has been way under what's needed to make the cutoff. We've been training on hills and I can feel how my fitness is building. Last Saturday I had a PR for a 5K with Ruth Anne.

 

Tom suggested I let go of my focus on the  pace, run from the inside out and enjoy the beautiful start to Autumn. There was a lovely formation of geese and swans in the Reservoir with golden leaves gracing the perimeter of the trail that goes around the Reservoir. 

After two laps around the Reservoir, Tom 'calculated' what we needed to do to get in the extra .5 miles. When we realized he didn't get the math quite right, I used the extra distance for a cool down. We had done close to 6 miles. For those of you who might not be runners, a 10K is 6.2 miles. At the end of the day, I had close to 15,000 steps for the day! I remember when I thought 6,500 steps was a big accomplishment for me.

We celebrated my farthest run since 2018 with a hearty lunch and a long hot shower. The rain held off until later in the afternoon. I took a nap with a heating pad and visualized recovery from the run with the mantra, "My body recovers with ease." I made sure to thank every part of my body for giving me a fabulous 5.5 (+) miler on Saturday. 

Look out Bermuda Triangle Challenge Weekend - I'm comin' for you! {This is the countdown clock as of 10/9 at 10:45am.} That's a lot of mystical and magical number 3's and my moniker as runnergirl1953. What a wonderful sign and affirmation as I move ever closer to the starting line celebrating the journey!

From my heart to yours
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.

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

Thank you to Mike Reilly for featuring my story on Stories From the Finish Line Sponsored by CURAD Performance Series to inspire others. 

Be sure to subscribe to the On The Runs podcast for stories of individuals who are fierce and determined to overcome challenges, set goals and crush them. Here is the link to my Episode 56.

Be sure to subscribe to their new YouTube Channel to enhance your podcast listening experience!

Be sure to download and subscribe to the AdaptX podcast. Here's the link to my wonderful conversation with host Brendan Aylward sharing my journey of transformation and healing in the wake of polio, Post-Polio syndrome and trauma. 

Be sure to also subscribe to their YouTube channel

I'm Really Off the Sidelines Now!

 

In February of 2007, after the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease, I got still and asked for Divine Guidance. The answer came in the form of a poem. The first poem I wrote was called "Running the Race" and it foreshadowed my 2009 Boston Marathon run. Here is an excerpt:

 

Using wheelchair to travel, set limits on what I could do

resulted in joy to realize I could live life anew.

Celebrated my body-creaks, groans and need for a brace

while in my mind I focused on winning a 10K race.

 

I'm now off the sidelines, no need to sit and whine

so much gratitude fills my heart and love and beauty shine.

After all these years I can join the loving human race

I exceed all expectations and now I set the pace.                                                                                             

At the beginning of this year, I wrote a blog after running the First Run of 2023, "I'm Now Off the Sidelines...or..." It was a glorious start to the new year and the year I turn 70.

Yesterday I ran 3.5 miles, the farthest I had run since late 2021. I have been using the mantra, "The power that made the body, heals the body," to remind myself of my body's tremendous capacity to heal. I knew I needed to get back on my healing path after my body had experienced an adverse reaction to the 2nd COVID vaccine. It took a little while for me to shake off what I'd been originally told about Post-Polio Syndrome and to shift from focusing on symptoms to healing but here I am! 

 It was cold and rainy yesterday, quite a contrast to the heat we experienced during Thursday's run. I know the weather during January in Bermuda can be anywhere from rainy and cool to sunny and warm. I expressed gratitude for the gift of running, being able to feel the joy in the challenge and savored every foot strike with a heart overflowing that once again I am training to go the distance. {I even have my sights set for another half marathon where there is no time limit.}

On Friday, the Bermuda Triangle Challenge posted on social media that the guest speaker and ambassador for race weekend is Deena Kastor.

"Did you hear the exciting news? 

Olympic medalist Deena Kastor will be the guest speaker for the 2024 Chubb Bermuda Triangle Challenge."

I responded to the post, "I did and am over the moon excited! We are all booked with flights and hotel and registered for the 10k. We are celebrating my 70th birthday on the Island and a comeback race."

 

To which Bermuda Triangle Challenge responded, "Mary McManus oh my gosh!!! You’re coming back!!! That’s so exciting! Please let us know where you will be staying! And we should get you in touch with The Royal Gazette and maybe they can do a feature article on you closer to race weekend!"

 

Wow!  

  

Deena Kastor is a hero of mine. In 2019, I wrote a blog post review of her book, "Let Your Mind Run." I dusted off my copy, un-dogeared the pages and am devouring all the wisdom that Deena shares as I get ready to go the distance again!  

 

To avoid the midday high heat and humidity last Thursday, we got up early and got in our miles. What a great way to start the day and despite the heat, which was once my nemesis, I felt great.

 

I feel wonderful after yesterday's training run on rolling hills in and out and back route on Beacon Street. Hills are my friends and I will become intimately reacquainted with them as I train for Bermuda. As we peeled off the layers of wet clothing, shoes and socks, and as I remembered how amazing it felt to do an early morning run again,  I thought to myself, "Yup I'm really off the sidelines now!"

 

From my heart to yours
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.

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

Thank you to Mike Reilly for featuring my story on Stories From the Finish Line Sponsored by CURAD Performance Series to inspire others.

Be sure to subscribe to the On the Runs podcast for stories of individuals who are fierce and determined to overcome challenges, set goals and crush them. Here is the link to my Episode 56:

Join us on episode 56 for lovely Mary McManus as she shares her remarkable and inspiring story of hope and unimaginable possibilities that she made happen after being diagnosed with Post Polio Syndrome and being told she would live the rest of her life in a wheelchair. But at the age of 53, Mary wasn't going to let that happen and she started doing something for the very first time in her life, Run. However before she could start that journey, she needed to get a pair of running shoes first.