Keep Calm It's Race Week!

 

 

 

Taper madness is real. I've said it before and I am saying it again. It's also a wonderful opportunity to transform my worrisome thoughts and doubts into powerfully positive affirmations. It's an opportunity to become more awake and aware feeling my passion and purpose deep in my heart and soul. I remember taper time in 2018, the last time I took on a live event. I thought the 2018 Bermuda Half Marathon would be my farewell to any distance longer than a 5K but sometimes the Universe has other plans. I miss my Saturday training runs but I am redirecting my energy into getting us ready to travel this week; an adventure we have not had in four years! Taper time is a wonderful time for me to reflect on this training cycle and my journey of transformation.

As I clicked on my google calendar and turned the page of my planner - there they were! All the activities for race week were saying to me, "Keep calm. It's Race Week!" I had an email from JetBlue reminding me about what I need to travel to Bermuda to ensure that surprises are not a part of the itinerary.

This training cycle has brought incredible gifts of seeing amazing sunrises on early morning runs, feeling stronger and more fit than I have since 2018, trusting my body and being grateful to my body for it all gives me. I can fit into clothes I haven't been able to fit in since 2018. I discovered clothes in my closet that now fit while packing for the warmer weather in Bermuda! I've relished rest and meditation time feeling the satisfaction that comes with training for a new goal.

During the past two weeks, as Team McManus was under the weather with COVID, I felt my habit of worry begin to intensify. With the physical and mental training for the 10K, I've been able to shift gears from imagining all that could go wrong to seeing with my 3rd eye that everything is going to go great. I can harness the power of my imagination to create wonderful outcomes or go to my 'dark and twisty' place. It takes the same amount of thought and one is oh so much more pleasant than the other. Besides, worrying, fear and anxiety only serve to rob me of today's happiness. Now I do greet myself with compassion and kindness when anxiety, worry and fear take root especially since I don't have running as one of my favorite ways to cope with worry. I feel incredibly blessed and grateful by the messages I am receiving through emails and social media posts fueling affirmations and suggesting 2024 is the year to write a new script. 

I could easily be a DNS - do not start - and allow Bermuda Marathon Weekend to be a vacation sitting by the pool or at the beach. I know that after the stress of COVID and Ruth Anne's health challenges, people would totally understand and be supportive. As I entertained those thoughts (as I had in our hotel room in the early morning hours of race day in 2018) I realized that's not who I am. I am well trained. My body achieves what my mind believes. Tom and I are worthy of this wondrous adventure that happens to include a celebration of healing and life.

I have NOT come this far to only go this far! I imagine how absolutely glorious it's going to feel to go the distance again and go the distance in Bermuda! The weather keeps shifting and changing which is typical for our beautiful Island in the middle of the Atlantic. I love when the long range forecast calls for wind and rain. Jackets and hats are packed. Seeing challenging weather circumstances helps me to mentally prepare to say "bring it on!" I plan to embrace and seize the days of our Bermuda adventure! And then if the conditions improve, it will be a pleasant surprise! 

On Saturday, Ruth Anne suggested we go to South Boston to do a gentle shake out walk. It was freezing with a serious wind chill. The sky was a brilliant blue and the sun shined brightly. I felt invigorated by the brisk air kissing my face. Our smiles reflected the joy we felt being together with 2023 being in the rear view mirror:

In a few more days, Tom and I will take our first plane trip since January 2020. I am keeping calm staying focused on imagining wondrous adventures even more amazing than what I can conjure up in my imagination. Checking things off on our packing list and to do list fuels the sense of excitement and anticipation. I am topping off the tank of mental training with lots of meditation, rest, hydration, reading "The Happiness Advantage" by Shawn Achor (a book recommended by Deena Kastor), listening to my Bermuda training playlist and remembering so many magical moments during my adventures as runnergirl 1953. I warm my heart and soul with memories of when our Coach from Spaulding Rehab met us on Heartbreak Hill during the 2009 Boston Marathon. He had tears in his eyes when he told me to go get my medal. Women's running pioneer and running champion Jacqueline Hansen met me out on the course of the 2016 Hyannis 10K. She gave me a hug and told me how strong I looked. I felt as though she was my fairy godmother telling me you will go to the ball. The feelings of being a back of the pack runner melted away. I am allowing the fears and worries of race day to melt away. Tom will be by my side every stride of the way. I haven't experienced the excitement of being a participant in race weekend since 2018. I already feel the buzz of energy that's unique and infectious to runners anticipating a race weekend, beginning with the runners gathering at the airport.

The Bermuda Triangle Challenge website lets me know that the Countdown is On!

It's time for me to keep calm! It's race week!

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

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.

Happy New Year!

 

 

 The energy of this month is optimism. Every choice I make is a stepping stone along the path to the wonderful future that I am creating for myself. I let go of the negative energy of the past and become a "now" person. I welcome each day with open arms. ~Louise Hay

How strange to not start the New Year with a run. But I am in serious taper mode and know that this time of rest and taking care of myself will serve me well come race day.

We have had a stressful few weeks albeit weeks that were also filled with joy and celebrations. It was easy to go to my "dark and twisty place" (iykyk from Grey's Anatomy) especially after Tom tested positive for COVID on 12/29. I am so deeply grateful for the primary care practice he has. His doctor was on vacation but the PA he had for his visit was absolutely phenomenal. I thought that he'd have to have two negative tests within 72 hours of travel which of course I googled and was protocol during the height of COVID. The PA told us that he is cleared regardless of test status after 10 days of isolation. His symptoms began Christmas Eve. Tom gets the week off between Christmas and New Year's but has to use vacation time. We had planned day trips but with Tom feeling unwell, Ruth Anne experiencing UTI symptoms and the upper respiratory infection, and me continuing to recover from it as well, we were very content to stay at home and let ourselves recover.

I spent New Year's Day continuing to clean and disinfect the house, creating social media content, cleaning out my digital files and focused on getting ready for our trip. We took extra long time for meditation and visualization and nourished ourselves well. Tom and I reviewed the itinerary from Marathon Tours and Travel taking notes and adding to the to do list. I took a lot of time for stretching. I cleaned out the planner from 2023 and cracked open the new planner for 2024. 

Ruth Anne gifted me a self-care journal as part of my Christmas Birthday celebration. It's a wonderful tool for reflections on what I want to heal this year and envisioning what I want to create this year. I get to choose my perspective on circumstances that happen in our lives. I could have had a wonderful pity party about what we weren't able to do after Christmas and that we were all experiencing discomfort. Instead I focused on gratitude and the blessings and gifts in the challenge. I was so deeply grateful for wonderful health care providers and that while our symptoms were uncomfortable, they didn't require more intense interventions than hydration, gargling, hot tea and lots and lots and lots of rest. Did I mention rest? I must admit, I am not the best when it comes to rest. I do know when the Universe is letting me know it's time for a big time out and all I can do is surrender.

I've had time to cook and focus on nutrition for the body and meditation for the heart and soul. Self-love, kindness and compassion take center stage exiting 2023 and embracing health and wellness for 2024. Tapping into happiness and joy regardless of circumstances is a top priority. David Hamilton shares a story about when his dog Oscar encountered a duck that snapped at him. He ran to David and David noticed that he literally shook off the experience. During this 'down time' I've been working on better managing my fear and anxiety. When that fear and anxiety take over, it's challenging to be in a creator mode allowing pleasant imaginings to be at the fore front of my thoughts. Soooo I had the image of David's dog shaking off the unpleasant experience and going about his day. He recently added a course to his on line offerings about how the mind can heal the body. It's been a wonderful refresher for me to harness the positive power of the mind to overcome these recent challenges and move forward with joy into 2024. Taper madness certainly intensified with us all being under the weather and not having our usual outlet on the roads.

While Tom's vacation was not what we envisioned and our post-Christmas time focused on medical care initially fraught with worry about whether or not we would be able to have our vacations to Bermuda and Nashville, we used the time and circumstances to regain our health and spiritually grow. We surrendered and accepted to the circumstances using gratitude and believe it or not humor as we navigated through disrupted sleep, lots of hot showers with steam and watching episodes of Psych in the evening. We read, meditated and listened to music. We stayed connected with friends and family through social media. Sure it would have been awesome to see the ice sculptures downtown and enjoy First Night festivities maybe going out for dinner but it was also awesome to be grateful for the gift of the dawn of a new year. And what an exciting adventuresome New Year we have planned.

On the 11th, Tom and I head to Bermuda on Jet Blue and Ruth Anne heads to Nashville to visit her best friend from college. On the 13th, I toe the starting line of the Bermuda Triangle Challenge 10K. I trust the training and let the excitement of anticipation wash through every part of my Being. January 26-27, I am an Ambassador for the Boston Run Show. How exciting and exhilarating to have meet ups with friends from social media, hear inspirational speakers and share my incredible journey. In February, Tom and Ruth Anne take on the Hyannis Half as their final training run for LA. In March, we head to Los Angeles where Tom and Ruth Anne take on the LA Marathon! I have a non-running adventure in New York City to hear Barry Manilow in Concert at Radio City Music Hall. I've been imagining manifesting a meet and greet with him. 

Hello 2024 - Team McManus is embracing you with open arms.

Happy NewYear!  

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

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.

Rest & Remember

 

It's especially in times of stress that we need to rest and remember. During these past few weeks, Ruth Anne had a lot of medical appointments. In hindsight, I realized that I was focused on helping to boost Ruth Anne's spirits through the appointments and procedures and not balancing it with my own self-care. Without going into details and staying focused on health and well being, there were some concerning moments during the past few weeks. Thank God everything is okay; more than okay with a better diagnosis, and treatment plan, and a plan for prevention of UTI's. Everything that happened during the 7 weeks of hospitalization can now be healed and her body is recovering from the toxic meds. Despite all of my knowledge about self-care and the need for mindfulness, I must admit, I got caught up in the whirlwind of stress. 

 

I experienced anxiety and depression and had great difficulty reaching for thoughts that would help me to better manage the stressful situations. After all, it is never the stress itself but the lens through which we view the stress. I found myself feeling triggered from both childhood trauma and the more recent trauma of Ruth Anne's health crises. It is vital that I greet all of my feelings and behaviors with kindness and compassion including when I wanted to ditch the Bermuda trip and forego taking on the 10K. In all fairness to me, this came from not knowing if the results of one of Ruth Anne's scans would require immediate attention and we'd be unable to go. 

On Monday, as Tom and I were about to get out the door and get our miles in over his lunch hour, the skies opened with wind swept rain. Even though the temperatures were warm, we opted to do a rigorous strength training session and planned to get in our miles on Tuesday.

We got up at 6:15am on Tuesday to get Ruth Anne to her liver ultrasound. She couldn't have anything to eat or drink. In sympatico, we didn't either. The waiting room was crowded. The air was stale. We took deep breaths to calm our anxiety and focused on prayer that all would be well. We let out a collective sigh when the procedure was over. Tom and I got in our miles over his lunch hour. Despite feeling exhausted, I knew that the fresh air and beauty of the Reservoir would serve as a wonderful antidote to the stress of the morning.

I have always been a push through, do what needs to be done kind of gal. I keep it together during the crisis and then fall apart once it's safe to do so. Only this time, I have a race on the horizon and need to be exquisitely diligent about taking care of myself. As often happens, my body cried out and said whoa girl. You've got to start taking better care of yourself! The stress manifested in my body as a cold. Ruth Anne's body also experienced the same symptoms. I had not had a cold in four years! That cold was a gift. It was a reminder that it's time to release the trauma; that worry and fear only rob us of today's pleasures and joys. Somehow the colds became a symbol for our incredible resilience and 'gave us permission' to take a lot of time for rest, reflection and meditation.  It gave Ruth Anne confidence in her body's ability to experience and overcome an infection without a tail spin into a crisis. It's amazing how having competent and caring professionals to partner with has helped to transform Ruth Anne's relationship with her body. The cold was a reminder that I need to ask for support and help releasing all the pressure I put on myself.

 

I was able to talk with Tom about my feelings and need for support, expressing my fears and worries, while putting together a plan to ensure that I didn't wallow in that dark place. I revisited my notes from Deena Kastor's book in which she talks about repetition is the mother of learning; how vital it is to have an array of tools available to pull from a tool box to emerge from negativity.  Rather than get up with Tom at 7am, after we did our meta meditation, I stayed in bed for extended meditation harnessing the power of the mind/body connection from Dr. David Hamilton's website and Personal Development Club. I repeated the meditations in the afternoon and before bed to help my body reset from the prolonged stress response I was experiencing. If I woke up in the middle of the night or while being present in the shower, I'd sift through what was underneath all the panic and fear; what could I do to release it? What do I need to let go of and not take with me into 2024. What do I want to take with me into 2024? I was amazed at how quickly old habits came to the fore in the face of crisis yet how blessed I am to have the awareness and tools to emerge from those patterns. Transformation is never a once and done kind of experience. Tom pointed out that part of the problem was my sheer exhaustion and feeling shell shocked from Ruth Anne's health crises. 

Before fully emerging from the anxiety and depression, to make an energy shirt, I pulled out the suitcases and started to pack. It was my declaration to myself and the Universe that it's full steam ahead on the road to the Bermuda Triangle Challenge 10K and a celebration of 17 years of healing and my 70th birthday. I remind myself that I am a conscious creator, a mighty manifester and able to meet any challenge that may come my way. I also know that the more positive energy I generate, the more fortified I am to create positive outcomes and meet challenges with greater ease and flexibility.

Tom and I decided that I would take a few days off from workouts until we celebrate 70 minutes of miles on my 70th birthday. He lovingly reminded me that the hay is in the barn. I've had a great training cycle and the best thing I can do for myself in preparation for race day is to rest with a couple of easy miles the week of New Year's. Race week is for getting ready to travel and focus on mental preparation. 

 

This weekend is for resting, feasting,  relaxing, reading, playing a game of Scrabble or two, listening to music, connecting with family and friends, being present and experiencing the joys of giving and receiving gifts. It's a time to heal and say goodbye to a year that was fraught with the most unimaginable challenges and incredible triumphs. Most important of all, this weekend is a time to rest and remember; to feel the light, to be the light and to celebrate my light as I get ready to embrace the sensational seventies!

 

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

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.