It's Taper Time: Hopes and Dreams!

The proverbial hay is in the barn. It's now taper time as Tom and I get ready to head to Hyannis Marathon Weekend in just two weeks! This past week I've been reflecting on the theme of hopes and dreams. When I first took a leap of faith, leaving behind my award-winning social work career to heal my life after the life changing diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome, I imagined a life where I shared my inspirational poetry and my life's journey of having overcome challenges since I was only 5 and a half years old. I didn't realize at first, that the poem, "Running the Race" had foreshadowed the dream of my running the 2009 Boston Marathon! The runner within me was born in my imagination.

 

I've dared to dream time and time again during these past 20 years with my most recent dream of returning to run the Hyannis 10K; a race I last ran in 2016. It's time for mental training and pumping myself up with inspirational quotes, reminding myself of the improbable dreams I've already achieved and the resounding success of this training cycle.

 

 

On Saturday, Tom and I woke up to a wintry mix and unplowed streets. Mother Nature was letting us know that we needed to do a strength training day in lieu of a shakeout run. We were so happy we did our last long run on Thursday I am hoping that the weather gods hear my plea for better weather as we head towards Race Weekend. We've had an amazing training cycle that's been more than the miles and more than the goal. I've grown and healed in many ways training in a way I had not trained since the 2018 Bermuda Half Marathon.

In addition to the wintry mix, I also woke up to a very tight IT band after all the cold weather miles and two long runs in a week. I was grateful for the strength training workout. I broke out my massage roller that I hadn't used in years, used conscious movement to not habituate movement to the discomfort of the tight IT band and reminded myself of the body's tremendous capacity to heal when given the right environment. Tom and I agreed that we are well trained and ready to embrace taper time! We enjoyed almost an hour of stretching, strength training and our "On the Road To" playlist.

 

We continued with our pre-breakfast Monday morning strength training routine. 

 Tom and I feel an incredible sense of accomplishment celebrating an amazing training cycle. We have trained through every kind of weather. These last few weeks have really tested our mettle with the cold, snow and ice. We are proud of every step and every mile we have taken toward our goal. Our strength training session this morning included a lot of stretching and foam rolling but still kept the intensity and joy celebrating aging strong. We worked out with mindfulness and gratitude for all our bodies give us knowing these next few weeks of rest are just what we need to prepare mind and body for an amazing race day experience.

 

It felt a bit strange to have a Tuesday rest day scheduled especially with a beautiful weather day.

This training cycle has flown by. Tom and I were very diligent about rest days during our training cycle and, now that we are in taper time, are even more mindful about rest and recovery. There is always a tendency to "top off the training" or even stick to the previous training schedule. To have the best race day, taking that victory lap for all of our hard-earned work, we are taking extra rest days and tapering our miles. As a recovering Type A personality having overcome the challenges of polio and Post-Polio Syndrome, rest days can be challenging, but the benefits of this taper time far outweigh any additional training. It's also a great time to amp up my mental training, kicking those old beliefs to the curb and savoring the anticipation of race weekend. My mindset is to enjoy having this extra time to take exquisite care of myself with meditation, stretching and foam rolling, reading, listening to podcasts that make me smile and have uplifting content, and spending relaxing time with Tom. I'll also be getting ready for the Expo and Race Weekend. Taper time is touted for its benefits of:

-Re-energize before race day

-Won't see benefits from additional training
-Repair muscle damage
-Avoid fatigue

I look forward to experiencing all of these benefits during the next two weeks. 

 

I did not sleep well Wednesday night despite my best efforts at meditation. Even the most positive and enthusiastic humans get weighed down by events at times.  I felt tired on Thursday morning and debated for a NY minute about whether or not to forego Thursday's easy 2 miler. I did a half hour meditation before Tom and I were going to head out for our runchie reminding myself that the cold fresh air and sunshine would be far more beneficial than curling up in bed. We fueled and hydrated and once more put on our layers. There was a cold headwind that greeted us on our way to the Reservoir. It was exhilarating and invigorating whisking away the heaviness of all that has been going on with recent events. I was delighted that my right leg had loosened up with all of the stretching, foam rolling and rest. It was a beautiful winter's day with bright sunshine and a bluebird sky. The wind died down and I was sweating at the end of our run. I felt cleansed and refreshed.

 

As Tom and I wrap up a week of taper time and get ready to head to Hyannis in two weeks, I leave you with a few more inspirational quotes about hopes and dreams:

 

l am so excited to embrace this time of anticipation {and rest}. My hopes and dreams of once again experiencing the Hyannis Marathon Weekend and running the 10K are about to manifest in just two weeks. I'm ready!

 

I hope to see many of you at the Expo where I'll be sharing my incredibly inspiring journey as a most unlikely runner and will have my books for sale.  Here is the link to register and to the event website  Bill Rodgers returns as the special guest for Race Weekend. 

 

See you in Hyannis!

 

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.

 

 

Connecting the Dots: Hyannis Marathon Weekend

                                                

As I train for the 2026 Hyannis Marathon Weekend 10K, I've been reflecting on Hyannis Marathon Weekend through the years and how Hyannis Marathon Weekend has had such an incredibly special place in my running career and heart. There's no way I could connect the dots from February 2009 going forward. It's only by looking back that I see how my decision to reach out to the Race Director at Hyannis to share my story and ask if it would be okay for me to participate in the Half Marathon given my back of the pack status, was one that has changed my life in many ways.

As a newbie runner, I relied on the guidance of my personal trainer and the goodwill of the running community to guide me through this uncharted territory for me. I joined the "Just Finish" Forum. Their motto was "Run.Walk.Crawl" Just Finish. I wore their shirt to the pre-race pasta dinner in 2009 where I met Frank Shorter and Bill Rodgers. I smile to myself amused at how little I knew about the sport of running as I walked into the ballroom of the pre-race pasta dinner the evening before my first half marathon race.

 

While I'd gone 17 miles in my training plan and had run the Corrib Road Race 5K, the Marathon Sports 5 Miler, and the Tufts 10K, this was my first big road race. Our Coach for the Spaulding Race for Rehab team suggested that this would be a great warm up to the 2009 Boston Marathon. I met up with one of the members of the Just Finish Forum and met members of the L Street Running Club and the Merrimack Valley Striders running club. We have become running family. Was it my nerves or a deep knowing, that it was my destiny to share my story with members of the running clubs, Bill Rodgers and Frank Shorter. 

 

The sleet started during coming down during the second half of the race. I lost track of hydration, fueling and pacing and just wanted to get to the finish line. Frank Shorter could tell that the run had taken a lot of out of me. I was shivering from the sleet that had started falling during the last several miles of the race. He put both of his hands on either side of my arms, looked at me straight in the eye and told me how much courage and strength I had to do what I had just done. He told me he had no doubt that I was going to cross the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon. 

 

Although I wasn’t feeling well, and should have gone upstairs to take a hot shower, there was a reporter interviewing runners. I told him my story and I was in the next day’s Cape Cod Times: 

Mary McManus, 55, of Brookline completed her first half marathon after making a remarkable recovery from a life-long battle against post-polio syndrome.

She spent time at the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and began running just last February. She competed in her first race in June 2008, finishing a 5K.

“It’s like having a new lease on life,” said McManus, who ran yesterday’s half marathon with husband Tom. “I was limping my way through life, but then decided to do something about it.”

It was a phenomenal weekend. I earned my first of many medals for finishing a race but the greatest prize was the friendships forged at the pre-race pasta dinner. 

 

As Frank said I would, I indeed finished the 2009 Boston Marathon. While I was on a running hiatus in February of 2010, we returned for Race Weekend where the Race Director gave me a table at the Expo.

 

 

Frank and Bill were once again the speakers at the pre-race pasta dinner. They signed my bib.

 

Hyannis Marathon Weekend became an annual tradition. In 2011, I coined the phrase, "Camp Hyannis" when I ran the 10K again. Throughout the years, there have been special memories made. 

In 2014, Tom ran the Half Marathon. He was on pace to run a PR. He happened upon two of the Spaulding Race for Rehab runners training for the 2014 Boston Marathon on the side of the road crying at the 5K mark. It was their first half marathon race. They went out too fast and were feeling overwhelmed. Tom adhered to the runner's code and paced them to the finish line. He was regaled as a hero (although he was humble and honored to help them).  We had a mini-reunion of the 2009 Race for Rehab Team and all celebrated at a restaurant in town.

 

In December of 2014, I sustained a serious knee injury. I was told to prepare for a total knee replacement in a few years and cap my distance at a 5K. By 2015 I was back on the roads having used the mind/body connection and chiropractic care to heal the injury. In January 2016, I ran the Bermuda Half Marathon. We returned to Camp Hyannis in February of 2016 where Tom and I had an amazing 10K. I was also surprised with a table at the Expo where I met runners from the Mystic Valley Running Club. When they saw my Bermuda Half Marathon medal, a group of runners proclaimed, "It's a sign." They had just been talking about having Bermuda Race Weekend on their bucket list!

Camp Hyannis 2020 was a highlight of my journey as a most unlikely runner and motivational speaker. I was invited to speak as a special guest at the pre-race pasta dinner along with Bill Rodgers. I wrote about the experience in my blog, "Embrace the Possibilities". You can also read Parts 1 and 2 that capture the magic of Camp Hyannis; the last event before the pandemic shut everything down.

 

 

 

Hyannis Marathon Weekend came back strong after the pandemic. We are so excited for Camp Hyannis 2026 when I will run the 10K after a 10 year Hyannis Marathon Weekend hiatus. I wonder what other adventures the weekend will bring. One thing I know for sure, I continue to connect the dots in the future from that first Hyannis Marathon Weekend in February 2009.

 

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.

 

 

 

  

Rest Is Not a Four Letter Word!

 

I often joke I am a recovering Type A personality. Many polio survivors became Type A personalities as a way to cope with the challenges of overcoming the initial polio virus. To complicate my recovery from polio, I endured years of abuse at the hands of family members. My wake up call to transform the Type A personality habits came in the form of Post-Polio Syndrome in December of 2006. As one who typically could not sit still and was always "busy", it was a big challenge to learn how to rest and pace myself. 

Coincidentally, I found my way to the sport of running. The runner within me was born in my imagination. I wrote the poem, "Running the Race" in February of 2007. That poem foreshadowed my 2009 Boston Marathon run! Any runner will tell you that one of the most challenging parts of training is rest days, and taper madness is real. Yet rest, both on the roads and in life is vital for recovery. We often think of rest as a waste of time or label ourselves as lazy. I don't know about you, but when I feel stressed, it is a challenge to let go of trying to control things; to rest and trust with meditation and prayer, visualizing positive outcomes being grateful for the blessings in my life. Resting in a state of grace and gratitude is one of the best ways I know to recharge and have the strength I need to meet whatever the challenge may be.

As an older runner and one who has had challenges to my neuromuscular system, I know what happens if I don't honor my rest days. I become vulnerable to injuries and mental burnout. I lose the joy of running and the health benefits it brings to me mind, body and soul. There are many different kinds of rest days depending on what any individual needs.  There are times when a total rest day is needed; times when an unscheduled rest day needs to be taken. Other times, a gentle walk or an added day of strength training feels good for a rest day. The more active kind of rest days always seem to be easier but the days when we need to honor what our bodies and minds are telling us; to take a total time out are somehow harder to navigate.

Often times, the Universe will push us to rest when we get ill or injured. One of the reasons I am writing this post is to remind all of us to not wait until we reach that point but to give ourselves permission to rest when we need it and NOT FEEL GUILTY!

 

Here's the paradox. We often feel and think that we have to 'push through' to get something done or go beyond when our body says stop. Now there are times when we can go a little farther or if there's a deadline looming, to keep going until it's done. But most times, when we take that break or give ourselves an extra rest day, we become more focused, more creative and, on the roads, are able to come back even stronger after rest AND before we end up injured or ill.

Ben Crosby who I met through the On the Runs Podcast (and be sure to listen to his Episode 126 by following this link) posted his struggles about rest on his Instagram page @a_better_ben   He is in comeback mode after having surgery this past summer. He shared how he couldn't finish his 10 miler as planned and realized he needed to take unscheduled rest days. Yesterday he posted the joy of a sunrise run and being able to do 10 miles!

David R. Hamilton PhD's latest book, "The Joy of Actually Giving a F***" has excellent advice on self-care. He talks about how we cannot give from an empty cup. He talks about the various ways we can take care of our physical and mental well-being that goes beyond the often thought of spa day when it comes to self-care. When we deliberately carve out time to do what brings us joy, we are practicing self-care. He underscores the need for exquisite self-compassion and self-love which ties in to giving ourselves the grace to rest and take care of ourselves when we need to. 

During these past 18 years, in the wake of the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome, I have learned about patience, pacing, trusting the process, having faith that when I let go of control I am actually gaining control over myself and that rest is NOT a four letter word. It is a vital part of being able to perform at our best.

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.

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.

Every Season Has a Reason

When I was in the fourth grade, we put on the play, "Every Season Has a Reason." Isn't it funny how that stayed with me all these years? Of course as a fourth grader, I could not possibly grasp the depth of the play's meaning. Here in New England, as the seasons change, I deeply appreciate the change in seasons. For years, I was unable to experience the glory and beauty of nature up close and personal due to severely limited mobility. After the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome, a whole new opened before me. I found a portal to healing through writing poetry. As my heart and soul expressed gratitude, love, joy and forgiveness and my imagination was ignited to see myself running free, whole and healed, my life was transformed.

Whatever the weather, whatever the season, I am blessed to experience being up close and personal with Mother Nature.

Ruth Anne and I laugh about how we either under dress as when we ran in torrential downpours and wind in South Boston or overdress as we did the other day when we needed to peel off jackets and layers. It's so much easier to just throw on a t-shirt or singlet and shorts but what a joy to embrace the change in  seasons. We have often said we cannot imagine living anywhere else but New England.

On the First Full Day of Fall, given Tom and Ruth Anne's training schedule for  the Cape Cod Half Marathon, I did a solo run. It was overcast skies and I could sense the change coming as yellow replaced the fading green color of the leaves.

I remember the days when I would bemoan the change in seasons. As a polio survivor, I experienced cold intolerance. With limited mobility that eventually manifested as Post-Polio Syndrome, I experienced depression and anxiety with ice and snow fearing a fall.

Soaking in the beauty despite the grey skies filled my heart with gratitude and unbridled joy.

Just as I savored the weather slowly changing over from Winter to Spring, I now savor the slow transition from Autumn to Winter. I enjoy the vivid fall colors of flowers and the soon to be burst of colors from the trees. Just as summer has its unique scents and flavors, so does Autumn. We baked pumpkin bread and made a hearty vegan stew that replaces the sight and smell of food on the grill. It will soon be time for all things apple and the sights, sounds and smells of the holiday season. 

I am loving the season of my 70's as I garner all the wisdom I've gained during these past 18 years since setting out on a quest to heal my life. I know that every season of my life had a reason. Do you know what the best season is? The season we are living in right now being mindful to be living in the present moment!

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.