Believe It! Achieve It! The Value in Setting Goals!

 

My initial goal for this year was to get up to the half marathon distance again. I scaled the goal back to running an in-person 10K at the Hyannis Marathon, Half Marathon and 10K Weekend as I wrote about in "Let The New Training Cycle Begin! - You're Never Too Old!" At the end of my conversation with Bill Burke on The Optimism Institute's Blue Sky podcast, that we recorded in January and dropped this past Wednesday, I shared that my next goal is to get to the half marathon distance again. After listening to our conversation, I whipped out my planner. I can get to 10 miles by the end of the year pacing myself to avoid injury and maximizing my joy. I'll be on a similar training cycle to those taking on the Boston Marathon next year. After I reach double digits again, I'll scale back and focus on training for the Hyannis 10K. After the 10K, I'll take a bit of time to recover and build my mileage back up to 13.1.

In 2021/2022, I had an adverse reaction to the COVID vaccine. It happens! But I told myself that I had not gone that far to only go that far. I set out to conquer the Bermuda Hills in January 2024 during Bermuda Marathon Race Weekend at the age of 70.  I had contracted COVID in December of 2023 and was a DNF. On May 4th I conquered the 10K distance with a Gone for a Run Virtual 10K. I've been enjoying seeing what this body can do with pace and kicking up my distance to 3.5 miles to begin building my base. I am registered for the Hyannis 10K knowing I can go that distance. But why stop there?

As I wrote out my training plan, I felt this sense of joy and determination flood through me. I certainly have nothing to prove at this point in my life. On Christmas Day I will turn 72 years old. I feel a powerful need to keep moving forward and to test the limits of what my body is capable of. I certainly know the power of the mind/body connection; the power of belief in my ability to meet these goals. I embrace the joy of visualizing only success as I build mileage; slow and steady with the emphasis on steady.

What fuels my belief that I can go the distance of a half marathon again? I flash back to January 2016. In December of 2014 I sustained a serious left knee injury. The MRI indicated that I had torn cartilage, bone spurs, a fatty lipoma, degenerative joint disease and scar tissue from previous surgeries. The physiatrist told me that repairing the torn meniscus would provide no benefit. "Oh and that atrophied gastroc muscle? That's been there since polio. There's nothing we can do about that and is part of the reason why your knee is injured and you should stop running." I should prepare for a total knee replacement in a few years. In the meantime, I should stop running (which he knew I would not do) or cap my distance at a 5K. He gave me a referral to a physical therapist. I've always had positive experiences with physical therapists but the Universe had other plans for me. The physical therapist I saw was the worst provider I had ever known BUT I was magically led to a chiropractor who believed in the body's tremendous capacity to heal. While he was in chiropractic training, he was fortunate to have learned from Candace Pert, explorer of the brain, body/mind and beyond. He was a personal trainer as well as a chiropractor healer. He told me I just HAD to read Dr. Joe Dispenza's book, "You Are the Placebo" and watch the movie, "What the bleep do we know..." 

We partnered together to get me back on the roads, heal my left knee with chiropractic, a revamped strength training program and harnessing the mind/body connection through visualization with a practice deeper than I had done before. We grew a new gastroc muscle using KT tape and gastroc strengthening exercises. I went on to run Bermuda Half Marathons in 2016, 2017 and 2018 with the 2016 Hyannis 10K thrown in after I'd run the Bermuda Half in January.

Just look at the joy on my face at the Hyannis 10K Finish Line:

As I write this, I feel that joy stirring in my soul feeling overwhelming gratitude for all that my body has given me through these 18 years since the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome. I am up for the challenge. I've learned that if I am going to do any races, there can't be the pressure of having to finish within a certain time.  I'm doing a 2.5 mile fitness walk at the ALS Squirrel Run, volunteering at the BAA 10K and then focusing my energies on executing my training plan. I don't have to be support crew for Ruth Anne who successfully ran the 2025 Boston Marathon. I've honed in on what I need for good self-care after supporting Ruth Anne through her appointments this past year for Functional Neurological Disorder. 

It's new for me to put myself and my priorities first but I know that at this time in my journey, it is vital. And therein lies the value of setting goals. It's for my well-being mind, body and soul. My passion and purpose in my second act is to share a powerful message of healing, hope and possibilities. My plan is to continue to fuel my belief with memories of all that I have already achieved imagining how all this will feel as it unfolds believing and achieving going the distance of a half marathon for this most unlikely runner. Let's see what this body can do!

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. 

 

The Vicarious Thrill of Cape Cod Marathon Race Weekend!

As Kara Goucher once said, "When it comes to running, participation and spectating go hand in hand. Watching the world's best compete, fires you up to achieve your own feats of greatness." I may  not have been watching the world's greatest competing at the Cape Cod Half Marathon, but I was tracking Tom and Ruth Anne as they set out on their quest to finish the Half Marathon in 3 hours or less. I chose to stay home with our newly adopted cat MoMo. We didn't feel comfortable leaving him home along after only 3 months of his being in his furever home.

Ruth Anne and Tom texted me photos from bib pick up and their pre-race dinner at The Flying Bridge along with photos from lunch with our beloved cousin Kathy. She has been on her own marathon of healing. She was in a rehab facility for recovery from complications from a heart attack. She worked so hard in PT to make sure she would be out in time to have lunch. I followed Cape Cod Marathon on social media and the excitement was palpable. On Saturday morning I set my alarm along for 6am so I could join Tom and Ruth Anne as they prepared for race day. I had butterflies and #allthefeels of pre-race jitters. We all took time for meditation to 'get in the zone'. I had exchanged messages with the social media coordinator with whom I have been friends through the years. We had lost touch in recent years. It was a joy to reconnect with her. I asked her about the strict 3 hour time limit and she assured me that she would be there past the 3 hour mark calling the runners in. She knew about what Ruth Anne had to overcome with her journey with Functional Neurological Disorder since July. She has had her own health challenges and her compassion and kindness transcended cyberspace.

I got ready for my Saturday morning 5K. I was planning an easy loop around the big Reservoir at Cleveland Circle. As I checked the tracker for Tom and Ruth Anne, I got fired up. There was no way I could do an easy pace while they were out there giving it their all. I am training for the 45th Bill Rodgers Somerville Jingle Bell 5K happening on December 15th. My goal (and remember that for someone who was supposed to be in a wheelchair I run pretty fast) is to do it in under an hour. There are a lot of hills and who knows what the weather will be but I have every confidence I can meet or exceed my goal.  I've already conquered the distance of the 10K again in May and did a 4 miler last month. It's a matter now of working on speed. I've been doing two speed workouts during the week so I do try to keep my pace easy on Saturdays. I was too fired up to not see what this body could do while Tom, Ruth Anne and many of my friends were out on the Cape Cod Half Marathon course.

It was a glorious day here on Saturday. I started out with short sleeves and a pull over but after a mile I was in short sleeves. I had to pause for a water stop and to savor the beauty of nature in all of her glory:

I was disciplined and focused on my miles feeling the connection to those running in Cape Cod. It was windy with white caps on the Reservoir. Ruth Anne sent me a video of a view along the course and it was very windy on the Cape with white caps on Nantucket Bay. I pushed myself and was delighted with negative splits and and a 19:48 pace. My total time was 1:01. I visualized my December race during my run while checking in to see how Tom and Ruth Anne were progressing along the course.

I refueled and debated about whether or not to watch the live feed from the finish line. As the tracker told me they were getting close, something nudged me to go to the YouTube channel. It's always a thrill to hear the race announcer beckon runners to the finish line with great enthusiasm. I could see Ruth Anne and Tom heading toward the finish line when oh no....Tom tripped and fell. Thank goodness I was watching the finish line because I got an alert on my phone from Garmin connect that Tom had an incident followed by a text and an email since I was his emergency contact. With the help of the medical team he got up and crossed the finish line. The only thing that was hurting was his wrist and a bruised ego. Ruth Anne got their medals and they were able to relish their epic Half Marathon with a time of 3:01 which was exactly their goal pace.

We all shared an incredible runners' high together in the evening via Face Time. We shared that feeling of the shift in mind, body and soul that happens after an all out effort, being with our runner family in real life and on line. Tom and Ruth Anne exchanged shout outs with runner friends who passed on the out and back route.

Even Tom's visit to Urgent Care on Sunday that indicated he has a hairline fracture of his wrist could not dampen the joy of what we all accomplished together. It was a thrilling weekend that extended into Sunday. The festivities of Cape Cod Marathon weekend continued with the 5K and full marathon. I tracked friends and a family member running in Chicago. As Bill Rodgers loves to say:

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 with links to podcast interviews, speaking engagements, where you can find my incredibly inspirational story and upcoming events.

Proud to BU is a podcast highlighting the illustrious achievements of Boston University Alumni. Here is the link to my episode.

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

Running for Victory

 

Last August, Ruth Anne declared that she was going to run a Trilogy of Half Marathons for Victory Programs with a fundraising goal of $10,000. Tom and I were a bit startled at first since she had just raised $8000 by running the 2022 Providence Half Marathon but I knew deep in my soul this was something that was important to her. You can read more of the back story in a recent article by Boston College by following this link. It also shares how our running journeys intertwined 17 years ago when I was diagnosed with Post-Polio Syndrome.

The initial plan was to run the Newburyport Half Marathon in October, either the Hyannis or New Bedford Half in March and finish with the Providence Half in May.

Newburyport brought Ruth Anne a new Half Marathon PR. Tom wasn't able to run because he was still recovering from Providence in May. The Hyannis Half was on the weekend of our 45th Wedding Anniversary. They were trained, poised and ready to run New Bedford when we discovered there was a strict 3 hour time limit. Fortunately the race director reimbursed our registration fee. Tom and Ruth Anne registered for the Bay State Half in October.

It was an odd training cycle for Providence. They had a great base for running the Half and we had to balance maintaining pace and endurance with the extended time of training for Providence. About a month ago, while on one of their last long training runs, Tom tripped and fell bruising his ribs! 

We went back and forth with what to do. We initially settled on going to Providence with Tom and I cheering on Ruth Anne. Two weeks ago, I could sense Ruth Anne was unsettled about Providence. She didn't want to run the race without Tom but knew that driving, packing and unpacking while his ribs were still healing would not be a good idea. We both were inspired to have them change to the Virtual Race.

Tom was still hurting and struggling with his runs. He increased his stretching and had several more visits with his Sports Acupuncturist, George Leung. We went back and forth with whether or not Tom would do a 5K with me and we'd be support crew for Ruth Anne, we'd all do a 5K together and then Ruth Anne would run her race or Tom and Ruth Anne would run together with me doing a 5K and being support crew.  Tom is also passionate about supporting the individuals running their marathons of healing and recovery, had been trained until his little fall and loves running side by side, stride by stride with Ruth Anne.

We got up at 6:15am, meditated, had breakfast and set an intention for happy, healthy and safe running! We decided that Tom and Ruth Anne would do their 5 minute warm up with me and then get into their race pace mode. Since it was virtual there was no time pressure (which Tom felt last year at the in person race and how he started cramping at mile 11.) Rather than wait until Tom's body said "I need to walk," they used the Galloway Method of walking and running. There was a wonderful breeze off of the Reservoir along with stretches of shade. Our friends running in Providence posted about the record breaking heat. There were hills and little shade. I am always in awe of how things turn out for the best.

As I did my 5K, I took photos and cheered them on.

 

 

Ruth Anne and Tom texted me with updates of how well they were doing. They had rest rooms available and places to refill their water bottles. I made sure they had adequate fuel in their fuel belts and reminded them to take their nutrition at regular intervals.

Ruth Anne took photos to capture the beauty of the day as well as how strong Tom looked and felt on the 13.1 journey.

I met them back at the Reservoir to take a video of them coming into the 'finish line':

THEY DID IT!

Tom and Ruth Anne felt amazing after their epic accomplishment. It was Ruth Anne's 3rd Half Marathon in a year. She has raised almost $15,000 to support Victory Programs life saving work. They have one more Half Marathon to go in October and would LOVE to see that tote board climb to over $10,000. Follow this link to make a donation.

They ran with a sense of determination and purpose today overcoming obstacles along the way; running for those running their marathons of healing and recovery with the compassionate and caring staff of Victory Programs.

Two down and one to go! Running for Victory!

From my heart to yours
In health and wellness,
Mary

Visit my website at  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