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. 

 

Portal to Possibilities

In December of 2006,  I sat in the waiting room listening to the soundtrack to Wicked on my  CD Player. Two songs, "Defying Gravity" and "Dancing through Life" spoke to my soul. I sat in a toe up leg brace and was using a cane for support. I waited to hear my fate from the team of physiatrist, speech therapy, physical therapy and occupational therapy based on the recent evaluations I had since October of 2006.

I was ushered into the airless conference room where white coats seemed whiter by the glare of fluorescent lights. One by one the therapists shared their assessments. The decision was unanimous that my clinical presentation was consistent with Post-Polio Syndrome, a diagnosis of exclusion. My only "hope" was to quit my job and go on disability. My job was my career. I was at the height of my award-winning career as a VA social worker. 

We highly recommend a Sleep Apnea machine at night. Based on your swallowing assessment you may need a feeding tube in the future since you are at high risk for aspirating your food due to your weak swallow muscles. We recommend a semi-soft diet, drinking liquids through a straw and not talking while you eat to diminish the risk of choking. Given the progressive nature of the disease, you will need to either adapt your Cape house or move to a ranch. They handed me a thick binder with resources for housing, wheelchairs, applying for social security disability and patient education.

I know they meant well. They were sharing information based on what other polio survivors were experiencing but I often wonder what other polio survivors may have experienced had the message they received been one that my physiatrist who treated me after contracting polio in 1959, wrote in an Op-Ed piece in the NY Times:

Caution and Hope On Polio 'Signs'
Published: March 3, 1985
I read with interest the article entitled ''A Group for Polio Survivors Who Have New Symptoms'' (Feb. 10).

Having supervised the rehabilitation of poliomyelitis patients at Grasslands Hospital during the epidemics of the 50's and 60's, probably including the ''then'' infants mentioned in the article, I would like to add a word of caution and even hope as an afterthought.

Firstly, there is no reason to suspect deterioration in the nerve cells in the spinal cord. After 30 years, one must accept some loss of endurance, increased fatigue and even some discomfort induced by other unrelated medical problems. This is true in the athlete with repeated injuries, in the obese person with back problems and even in the jogger with foot ailments.

Any individual with paralytic disability in an extremity will experience the normal process of ''wear and tear'' except that it may be more difficult to adjust to it. Just as one learned to compensate for the initial impairment so must one adjust to the later, more subtle changes rather than develop an emotional hang up of being a ''polio victim.'' ~EUGENE MOSKOWITZ, M.D. Mount Vernon

I found this article after I set out on my healing quest.

For my Christmas/Birthday holiday, I went to Bermuda. I used a wheelchair to travel. I relied on my toe up leg brace and cane, hugging banisters if I had to navigate stairs. My travel agent with whom I had also become friends told me I had to watch "The Secret." She inundated me with very different resources: Wayne Dyer, Tony Robbins and “new age thinkers” that were really based on ancient wisdom that included Bernie Siegel. I had been intimately familiar with Bernie's work ever since 1984 but had gotten away from his wisdom and teachings that talk about the meaning of dis-eases that manifest in a person's body. 

After an MRI of my cervical spine indicated there was a nerve pressing on a disc, the physiatrist on the team referred me to Dr El Abd. There was a flicker of light in the dark night of my mind, body and soul. When Dr. El Abd looked at my MRI, he said, "This is a slam dunk." He focused on pain relief and wondered why I lived with the pain for 10 years before seeking help. So did I! After the 2nd trigger injection, he suggested I see his PT at the downtown Spaulding Rehab Outpatient Clinic. 

Shortly before my first appointment with Allison Lamarre-Poole in February of 2007,  I got still and asked for Divine Guidance. The poem, 'Running the Race' flowed out of me. It opened the portal to possibilities as poetry flowed out of me. I imagined a future very different than the one the Team predicted for me. I was harnessing the power of the mind/body connection to inspire me to heal from the once devastating effects of paralytic polio and childhood trauma. Allison let me know through words, actions and her incredible professional care as a PT, that I was not destined to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair. 

With her support and encouragement and the support of my family, I took a leap of faith leaving behind my award-winning social work career to heal my life. Little did I know that Running the Race foreshadowed my 2009 Boston Marathon run!!!

By all appearances crossing the Boston Marathon finish line was impossible; becoming a most unlikely runner and coming back after injuries and an adverse reaction to the 2nd COVID vaccine to have many adventures as runnergirl 1953? Out of the realm of possibilities! Only it was and is all so possible.

I may not have another marathon to run. Once was enough to show to myself and others what is possible despite all appearances to the contrary. I did come back after a serious knee injury in December 2014 when, by all appearances on the MRI, I was destined to have a total knee replacement in a few years. I went on to run 3 Bermuda Half Marathons in 2016, 2017 and 2018, and the 2016 Hyannis 10K. After an adverse reaction to the 2nd COVID vaccine in 2021/2022, I once again harnessed the power of my imagination through visualization and the mind/body connection and on 5/4/2024, went the distance of a 10K  again in a virtual run. I am training for the distance of a half marathon this year and my goal race is the 2026 Hyannis 10K.

Unbelievable? Perhaps. Impossible? Absolutely not! There is always a portal to possibilities; an open door to find the path forward. The path forward for me may have been to live my life in a wheelchair. If that would have been my destiny, I was sure going to do it "Dancing Through Life." But my destiny called me to one of "Defying Gravity."

From my heart to yours--

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.

My books are available on Bookshop that share a powerful message of healing, hope and possibilities; what's possible despite all appearances to the contrary. Be sure to visit my Author Page 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 .

 

My Word For 2025 - Believe

 

 

 

As I reflected on what word to choose for 2025, the phrase clearing a path to joy came to me. A poem started percolating and then flowed out of me. Thank you to Nita Sweeney's books, "Make Every Move a Meditation" and "A Daily Dose of Now" for inspiring this poem.

 

Clearing the Path to Joy

 

Believe
Just be
Whisking away fear and doubt
leave behind dead end thoughts
robbing us of life’s joy
In mind’s eye see the way
Clarify
a path paved with problems or possibilities
burdens or blossoms of hope
Weeding with compassion
tender understanding for roots of despair
path once strewn with lies
belied my being joyful
Consumed with worries
robbing me of today’s joys
blocking out landscape?
Shift perception
unlock the fullness of life
What if…?
Ease lights the way
erasing nagging negativity
a knowing smile
gifting myself presence
unwrapping treasure troves of truth
trusting
Simplest of pleasures tickles soul with delight
Believing is seeing the way made clear
clearing the path to joy!

I realized that my word for 2025 is Believe! 

From the Polar Express: "Seeing is believing but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we cannot see."

Ever since I was a little girl, I had a powerful imagination. I would imagine a life very different from the pain I endured in the wake of paralytic polio and abuse at the hands of family members. I believed that I would make it through that horror and one day have a wonderful life.

For years, I allowed busy-ness to quell my imagination and creativity. In the wake of the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome, my imagination and creativity were fired up and I believed that one day, in my mind's eye, I would win a 10K race. Well I may not have won that 10K race but I did go on to run the 2009 Boston Marathon despite all appearances to the contrary.  I was in a toe-up leg brace at the time using a cane and at times a wheelchair for mobility. I was told to prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair.

For many of us, the results of the 2024 Election were devastating. I am blessed to be surrounded by like-hearted friends who, like me, can share the emotions while also believing that ultimately love and light win the day. The arc of justice may bend slowly but it always bends toward the light. One of the things my friends and I agree on is that we can not and will not allow ourselves to be as shaken as we were for the 4 years after the 2016 election. We all see beyond the appearances of what may be and tune out the doom and gloomers figuring out what we can do to be the change, to be the light workers and believe that something beyond what our eyes can see can happen at any moment to turn the tide.

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.

On January 15th, I will be speaking at Cohasset Elder Affairs to share my journey and have a book signing.

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.

When Passion & Persistence Meet

 

It took the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome in December of 2006 to ignite having a dream for my life. Passion was set aflame in February of 2007 after I got still and asked for Divine Guidance. A spigot was turned on in my soul as poetry poured out of me. Once I made the commitment to leave my award winning career as a VA social worker to heal my life (having no idea what that meant at the time) and follow my new found bliss as a poet. I was a Communications Major at Boston University and rekindled my passion for writing. As I journaled about "A Day in the Life Of" as I prepared to leave my career, I dreamed about being on Oprah and becoming a NY Times Bestselling Author talking about how I transformed my life by taking a leap of faith reinventing myself.

In February of 2008, my soul gave birth to a new dream; to run the 2009 Boston Marathon! My passion to raise money for Spaulding Rehab and to defy the diagnosis and prognosis of Post-Polio Syndrome and persistence fueled my training on the road to Boston. I never missed a training session. When the weather prevented us from running outdoors, we ran the track at Boston University. On April 20, 2009, my dream of crossing the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon became reality!

Receiving my medal from a BAA volunteer! We raised $10,535 for Spaulding Rehab and I was a woman transformed!

My bucket list item to run in Bermuda got derailed by my nephew's death by suicide on 3/4/2011 and a serious knee injury in December of 2014. But at my comeback race from the knee injury and feeling a fire in my belly again after being across the street from the Boston Marathon bombings, I met the Bermuda Marathon Weekend Race Directors at the July 2015 Finish at the 50 Race Expo. With passion and persistence, my dream to run in Bermuda became a three time reality in 2016, 2017 and 2018!

Passion and persistence have been the theme for my training cycle on the road to the Bermuda Triangle Challenge 10K. I set weekly goals for running and strength training. I had to modify some goals being mindful of how my body responded to work outs. There were days when I was sore and hurting.  I wanted to take an unscheduled rest day but I knew persistence and consistency are key when pursuing a dream along with remembering my why.

It's time now for me to stay persistent and consistent while reeling in my pace. The weather this week has been balmy for New England in late November/early December. I did my two weekday runs of two miles each in glorious sunshine; one around the 'small rezzie'

 

 and one around the 'large rezzie' capturing sunbeams and orbs in my photos:

I felt a need to do tempo runs. Despite a grey damp day for Saturday's 5K, I felt sunshine in my heart and soul. 

 The training cycle is winding down. I just need to reel in my pace and focus more on my mental training. With Tom and Ruth Anne training for the Los Angeles Marathon, my runs are solo runs. I love the solitude as I enjoy nature. Gratitude overflows that temperatures are mild and there is no snow or ice on the ground. I pushed the pace at mile 2. During my last mile, I took time to reflect on what caused me to push myself. The only thing I can possibly gain at this point in training is risk for an injury with more speed work. I talked to my tender child who desperately tried to catch up to peers while wearing an ankle to hip leg brace using crutches to compensate for the muscles and nerves compromised by the polio virus. Tom will be with me on race day and help with my pacing to ensure a safe and happy run. Over the next few weeks I am going to get myself in the zone and trust my training! After Saturday's miles, I took a hot shower, reminded myself that my body recovers with ease from training runs and meditated with a heating pad.

I released the tension around race day, visualizing staying loose and went through my affirmations focusing on strength

When I first set out to heal my life in May of 2007 with passion in my heart and soul and the seeds of persistence planted by my incredible physical therapist, I've been blessed to see dreams become reality. As I check off training runs, and put the finishing touches on my mental and physical training, my dream of conquering the Bermuda Hills on January 13th, 2024 is coming into view. 

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.

Phenomenal Final 5.5 Miler in Afternoon Autumn Splendor

 

Although my plan was to "maintain..maintain..maintain..." I knew I needed to get one more 5.5 miler in the books before I went into my taper mode for the Bermuda Triangle Challenge 10K happening in just two months. This training cycle has flown by!

Two months from today I will be enjoying my victory lap on the beautiful Bermuda 10K course. I have butterflies as I anticipate a day I have diligently trained for since May; a day to spread a powerful message of healing, hope and possibilities despite a diagnosis of a progressive neuromuscular disease.

Ruth Anne wanted to join me on this training run. Tom and Ruth Anne's training for the Los Angeles Marathon kicks into high gear. This was the last opportunity for us to share a training run together at my pace. The timing is Divine. As I go into taper mode, Tom and Ruth Anne amp up their training. After Bermuda, I will be able to be support crew for them.

Although afternoon runs are not my favorite time to run, it's how the day played out. I harnessed the power of my mind/body connection telling myself I was going on an after breakfast run. I had a bagel and cream cheese for lunch. The sunshine was brilliant and warmed our faces. It shimmered on the still water of the Reservoir. The golden leaves remaining on the trees glistened as the sunshine peeked through the bare branches. 

We kept a steady, easy pace passing disappointed Boston College Eagles football fans. At halftime they were losing and fickle fans were leaving the Stadium. Ruth Anne had to make a pit stop. The Waterworks Museum doors were locked. We changed direction to have a shorter route to the Boston College Fit Rec Center which we thought would surely be open. It was closed because of game day! Two girls wearing Virginia Tech jackets asked if we would take a picture of them. Ruth Anne shared how her dad works for V-Tech. He'd be delighted they won although Ruth Anne and I are both Eagles.

We had another half lap around the Reservoir before heading back home. Ruth Anne suggested we engage in conversation to keep her distracted from needing to get to a bathroom.  I was surprised to learn that Ruth Anne wanted me to have a new goal so I would have the opportunity to get more fit. I am exhilarated that I have risen to the challenge of training for a 10K again. I feel stronger, more resilient and more determined than ever to conquer the hills in Bermuda. I feel the joy of being off the sidelines again and the thrill of anticipating being a part of Race Weekend. I embrace the discomfort that comes with being out of my comfort zone again after a 5 year hiatus!

Ruth Anne spotted a Portapotty just in time to avoid a #codebrown. Fortunately it was open! I stretched while I waited for her feeling the soreness that comes with training for a 10K. 

That was my final 5.5 miler of this training cycle. I was profoundly grateful for the warm sun and moderate November temperatures. I am hoping the weather will cooperate as I top off my training with easy miles focusing on my mental preparation over this next month and 29 days according to the website's countdown clock. Here is my race day mantra:

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.

Getting Stronger

If you read Julie Silver's book about Post-Polio Syndrome written in 2002, you'll read a cautionary tale about what happens to many people who have contracted paralytic polio. You'll read about progression of symptoms, needing to conserve energy, and accepting disability. You won't read about getting stronger. You won't read about running a race. You will read about adaptive equipment, falls prevention and you certainly won't receive a message of healing, hope and possibility.

Reading Dr. Silver's book and seeking out care at the Spaulding Rehab International Rehab Center for Polio and Post-Polio Syndrome was a place for me to begin my healing journey but I quickly learned that I could not stay in that framework of Western Medicine if I were to heal my life. 

In 2021/2022, I hit a wall in my healing and running journey. I am fairly sure it was a reaction to the 2nd COVID vaccine despite my best efforts at harnessing the power of the mind/body connection to ward off any untoward side effects. 

Fast forward to today when I am training for the 2024 Bermuda 10K. 

The temperatures were cooler than they'd been for the past several weeks and there was cloud cover. I told Tom and Ruth Anne that I needed to include a steep hill in our neighborhood in our four mile training run on Saturday. As we ascended the hill, I was in awe of how I was able to navigate it with relative ease. I recalled the words from Deena Kastor's book, "Let Your Mind Run," "Your job is to be stronger than the hill." In addition to the physical training I've been doing, I have been doing a lot of mental training reviewing the notes I took while reading Deena's book.

I also thought of the above quote how things don't get easier, we get stronger.

There are also many cautionary tales about aging; combine that with the messages I once received from the Post-Polio Clinic and if I listened to those messages, you'd find me sitting on my porch in a rocking chair and using a wheelchair for mobility. Instead I am out the door three times a week to get in miles and one day a week doing strength training to complement my running. {I did find that an extra rest day on Sunday is vital to my training at this time.}A great reference for countering the myths of aging is Counter Clockwise written by Ellen Langer. I am mindful about my thoughts and beliefs as I train feeling strength coursing through me regardless of how I may actually be feeling. Deena Kastor quotes David Thoreau: "We must think over and over again the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives."

"The fatigue was there but I didn't claim it" is one of my favorite quotes from Deena's book. I claim my strength and allow the pain and fatigue to fade into the background. It's vital to both be in my body yet beyond my body to take in the amazing sights and sounds of nature as I did during this morning's early morning run:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It takes but a few moments to capture these magical moments and fuel my connection to Source knowing that every day in every way I am getting stronger and stronger as I train for the Bermuda 10K and continue to heal my life in the wake of paralytic polio and trauma.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From my heart to yours
In health and wellness,
Mary

Visit my ***NEW*** 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 https://tinyurl.com/bdzhtebj 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 https://tinyurl.com/yckuej6v  Be sure to subscribe to their new YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@OnTheRuns to enhance your podcast listening experience!

Two Pennies and a Dime!

 Despite getting up and out of the door early for Saturday's four mile run, the heat and humidity was intense as we ran around the Route 9 Reservoir. We slowed our pace, made sure we hydrated and fueled but by mile 3, I hit a wall. A big wall! My thoughts were "How will I ever be able to do another 3.2 miles in Bermuda. I am running on relatively flat ground. Bermuda has hills on the 10K Course." I quickly reeled in those thoughts along with all the fears that reared up about not finishing before the finish line closed and told myself to be in the mile I was in. When we finished the four miles, I thought "See it's only another 2.2 miles. You've got this and look at your pace. Even in the heat and humidity, you were well under the pace you need to finish before the finish line closes." 

While Tom and Ruth Anne finished their training run on the road to Half Marathon #3 for Ruth Anne's fundraiser for Victory Programs, I reflected on the Virtual First Run 5K on January 1st. During my training, I focused on maintaining regular running and strength training workouts, rekindling my joy of running and preparing for a 5K. I took the week off before I did the Virtual 5K focusing on strength training and on 'race day', I nailed a pace I had not seen in a very long time. I loved challenging myself as the only competitor and was thrilled to see the results on the race's website. I finished several places ahead of the last runner. 

Saturday's date was July 15th. It was the birthday of our dear friend, Herb Simmons who introduced us to Bermuda and the 7 month anniversary of when our cat Jamie had crossed over the Rainbow Bridge. On our way to lunch at Joe Pace and Sons, we found a 2023 penny. Tom, Ruth Anne and I all agreed that it was a sign that 2023 is the year of Team McManus. As we got closer to the restaurant, there was another penny dated 2006, the year Ruth Anne graduated from High School. Commencement - new beginnings - and celebrating where we are today!

Our friend Joe who we knew from when we went to Joe Pace and Sons in the North End when I worked at the VA,  took time to lovingly prepare our sandwiches. We sat outside, seeing the water of Boston Harbor and savoring every bite of our well earned sandwiches. We took recovery naps when we got home as I continued to transform any fear or doubts into imagining the magic of race weekend giving thanks for the signs from Herb and Jamie reminding me to tap into Source and all I have been able to create in my life.

Set alarm - Rise early - run - repeat! 

High humidity and warm temperatures were once again on tap for Monday. After a meditation, we grabbed our water bottles from the fridge that we freeze and defrost in the fridge overnight, and headed out the door for magical morning miles at the Cleveland Circle Reservoir.

We make sure to express our gratitude for the blessing of a new day and the gift of running in our lives. I always feel light with a before breakfast run as I feel the light blessing a new day and a new week.

As we headed home, I saw what looked like a dime in the street. Making sure there were no cars, I went over and sure enough, there was a dime!

I felt goosebumps to reflect on the significance of a dime beyond it validating my new goal of the Bermuda Triangle Challenge 10K in January. FDR, a polio survivor, and champion of the March of Dimes campaign to fund research for polio is on the dime. Citizens sent dimes to the White House to support his campaign to end polio. Jonas Salk became a March of Dimes grantee and his vaccine ultimately led to the eradication of polio in the US. 

This is the 2nd time we have found a dime and two cents since I made the commitment to train for the Bermuda Triangle Challenge 10K:

We found the first dime and two pennies in Falmouth in May. Herb also introduced us to the beauty and joy of Falmouth and Martha's Vineyard shortly after I had reconstructive leg surgery in 1992. Herb made his transition on July 10, 2010 (more 10's) and although he left the physical realm, he continues to let me know he is with me blessing every step of my journey on the road to the Bermuda 10K along with other angels who have woven together my beautiful tapestry of life. 

I look forward to relatively cooler runs with a renewed sense of optimism and faith on the road to the Bermuda 10K!

From my heart to yours
In health and wellness,
Mary

Visit my ***NEW*** 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 https://www.youtube.com/@OnTheRuns to enhance your podcast listening experience!
 

Imagine - Believe - Achieve

 

"Imagination is everything. It's the preview of life's coming attractions." ~ Albert Einstein

“The body achieves what the mind believes.” ~Napolean Hill

 When I set out on my healing quest 16 years ago, after the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome, my pen became my divining rod for healing writing poetry, harnessing the power of the mind/body connection. I imagined myself running a race although I had never run a day in my life. I imagined myself splashing in puddles without my leg brace and dancing in the rain. In my mind’s eye, I saw myself as happy, healthy, healing, whole and free. The first poem I wrote, “Running the Race,” foreshadowed my 2009 Boston Marathon run. Training for the Boston Marathon meant training my mind for success at a sport that was foreign to me. I repeatedly watched the scene in Forrest Gump when he broke out of his leg brace while young Jenny yells “Run Forrest Run!”

 

After a serious knee injury in December 2014, I was told to stop running or cap my distance at a 5K and be prepared for a total knee replacement in a few years. I used various kinds of imagery to heal my left knee and grow a new gastroc muscle, partnering with a chiropractor who used KT taping, and chiropractic care while prescribing a new strength training regimen for me. 

At my comeback race, the Finish at the 50 on Independence Day (the metaphor is not lost on me) we met the Bermuda Marathon Weekend Race Director. It had been on my bucket list to run in Bermuda and then life happened. Tom and I were quickly drawn into the vortex of their delicious Bermudian accents and charming ways. Bermuda was our favorite vacation destination for years! We had made friends on the Island through the Sea and Surf Anglers Club of Boston. Anthony told me that if I could get to the Half Marathon distance, I would enjoy the race more than the 10K which had a very hilly course.

Another half marathon? Why thank you Universe - yes!

As I trained, I visualized a spectacular finish on Front Street. As we'd finish the final moments of our training runs, Tom and I would hold hands and then thrust them high in the air saying "Here comes Team McManus! Welcome back to Bermuda!" There was a photo on the website with finishers posing with the Town Crier. I imagined Tom and me posing for one of those photos.

And as we came into the finish line, the announcer said, "Here come Tom and Mary McManus from Chestnut Hill Massachusetts. Welcome to Bermuda!"

In January of 2024, I will be taking on the Bermuda 10K which is the 2nd race in the Bermuda Triangle Challenge Weekend. Before our Saturday runs, I take out the course map and visualize going mile by mile through the gorgeous Bermuda hills and running by the uniquely blue waters of Bermuda.

 

This past Saturday we did a tempo run around Jamaica Pond. 

Tom and Ruth Anne run at their pace as we run in opposite directions. They are training for the Bay State Half Marathon which is Half Marathon #3 in Ruth Anne's Trilogy of Half Marathons for Victory Programs. We high five and check in with each other as we meet up. I am so blessed and grateful to have such a great team and support crew cheering me on as I take on a new goal. I always make time to stop and savor the beauty of nature around me. At the end of our run, we take selfies and celebrate what we achieved during the training run.

It still feels surreal that I am training again for 10K especially on the Bermuda hills. Throughout this training cycle, I am using the mantra imagine - believe - achieve. Next Saturday I begin to slowly build mileage. I have complete trust in my body's tremendous capacity to heal again after an adverse reaction to the 2nd COVID vaccine and to continue to build strength and endurance despite having once been diagnosed with a progressive neuromuscular disease.

Imagine -- Believe -- Achieve!!!

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 susbscribe 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.

I'm Now Off the Sidelines..or...

 for someone who was supposed to be in a wheelchair, you run pretty fast!

Wow it's been a little over 16 years (December 2006) since I was given the life changing diagnosis of Post Polio Syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease and told to prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair. In February of 2007, I got still and asked for Divine Guidance. The answer came in the form of a poem, 'Running the Race' and then a volume of poems flowed through me healing my past and creating a future very different than the one the doctors predicted for me. Little did I know at the time, that poem would foreshadow my 2009 Boston Marathon run. Here are the final stanzas of the poem:

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.

While I ran several virtual races during the pandemic, I had recently shied away from being a part of any races. I haven't wanted to give any extra energy to a reaction I had to the vaccine booster in May of 2021,  and so haven't posted about my running or shared about the reaction I had. I've been consistent with my health and wellness routine of strength training twice a week and going out to get my miles in three times a week. I walked/ran through the discomfort.

I gave thanks to my body for whatever it could give me while focusing on feeling the healing harnessing the power of the mind/body connection. I was focused on being support crew for Tom and Ruth Anne as they were training for the Providence Half Marathon to raise money and awareness for Victory Programs. I was not focused on self-care. In February of 2022, I knew my body needed a break. I wrote a blog, Rest and Hope. Little by little, my body responded to the much needed rest and being able to better express my needs to the family amidst the whirlwind of activity that was happening in our lives. But the symptoms persisted. I continued to harness the power of the mind/body connection and peeling back the layers of childhood trauma that still needed to heal. I focused on patience and compassion for and with myself.

I decided that I would focus on strengths and abilities letting go of any time goals and enjoy being outdoors in every kind of weather. I would cheer on Tom and Ruth Anne at their races. We would go in opposite directions around the Reservoirs near where we live or as we ran around Jamaica Pond to give high fives and selfies. 

On November 30th, I played around with speed work on a short neighborhood run. I saved photos of a 14 and 15 minute mile pace remembering when I was able to maintain that pace for a 5 or 10K. 

 

 

Several weeks ago, I revamped my strength training workouts feeling enough was enough. I incorporated some of the workouts that Tom and Ruth Anne were doing to complement their running. I knew I needed to make a shift rather than feeling stuck with the cycle of symptoms that persisted. I intensified my meditations and visualization. I released attachment to any specific outcomes. I saw posts from Dr. Joe Dispenza who reminded me that there are no limits to the body's capacity to heal. One of his posts said Believe...Behave...Become. I needed to once again embody the me I was always meant to be beyond trauma and paralytic polio, and how my body responded to the vaccine despite my best efforts to ensure ease and comfort after receiving the booster.

Ruth Anne has been asking me about doing a race with her and Tom that was walker pace friendly. In my mind I thought my racing days were over. In my heart and spirit I knew otherwise. I was hesitant, but Ruth Anne insisted we do the Virtual First Run 5K/10K. When I looked at the last finisher from 2022, I said there was no way I could get close to that pace for the 5K and suggested I be support crew for them running the 10K. But she was quick to point out that if we did a Virtual Race, I wouldn't have to feel the pressure of what if I finish last or the finish line closes before I finish. The last finisher of 2022 finished at a 19:18 minute pace. I'd been doing an average of a 20+ minute/mile pace. 

When I got up this morning, I felt pre-race jitters like I had not felt in a very long time, especially since I had not run a race in a very long time! This quote came to me during my morning meditation:

Yes it's a new day and a new year and it's time to harness the power of strength from the Divine and new thoughts transforming the physical sensations I experienced after my booster shot. During our drive home from a day trip to Falmouth last week, we were treated to a spectacular sunset that became a magnificent light show in the sky. As I saw the magnificence of that sunset, I drew energy from it to incorporate into my healing. In my meditations and visualizations, I anchored to my previous success as a runner.

I had no idea what my body could give me today but whatever it was I would be grateful and celebrate the gift of being outdoors on a glorious day for 1/1/2023. 55 degrees and sunny is a gift from Mother Nature in Boston in January as winter took a hiatus for now.

I embraced the miracle of healing that allows me to get outside and go for 3.11 miles whatever the time.

Team McManus had a perfect pre-race morning. We were in perfect rhythm getting ready to go to the 'starting line.' at the Cleveland Circle Reservoir.

We did a warm up before we left the house. My thought for the day was a quote that my beloved personal trainer Janine Hightower (who tragically passed in March of 2022) used, "Let's see what this body can do."

Tom and Ruth Anne warmed up with me. I did not look at my pace and ran from the inside out. I remembered how it felt to cross a finish line with a PR. It was a glorious day although at times there was a headwind. I powered through the headwinds and also took a few moments to take photos and enjoy the day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We go in opposite directions so we can meet up on the course to take a selfie:

and a photo of Ruth Anne:

 

Tom asked me what my pace was during one of our high five meet ups. I had not been looking at my pace until he asked. "Oh it's 18 something."

"Wow - you're crushing it," he said.

Tom and Ruth Anne were close by when I had .11 to go. They do a run/walk and said that it was time for their walk so they would finish my race with me.

I asked Ruth Anne what our pace was on her Garmin.

"It's a 19:00 minute mile."

At that point, I wanted to finish strong.

"We have to go faster. Pace me."

"Oops. That was lap time not pace right now."

We laughed and talked about how the power of belief can alter perception.

I went as fast as I could to finish. Tom and Ruth Anne suggested I stretch and sit in the sun while they finished their 10K. 

 When I saw my pace I was at once stunned and exhilarated. I looked through Nike+ statistics and the last time I had run an 18 minute pace was in March of 2021 at an 18:20 minute/mile.

Here are my statistics from today's race:

My average pace was 18:42 with an overall time of 58:14. I looked at the finishers' times for the in person race. There were 8 people who finished with times after my time. Who would have thought I could have been a successful back of the pack runner with the way I was feeling up until a few weeks ago and doing paces in the 20+ range.

What happened today was a miracle. I had no idea what pace I was doing during the race. I felt this profound connection to the Divine running my race at my pace releasing all attachment to the outcome. One of the intentions I set last night for 2023 was to break the sound barrier on once perceived limitations. I put together a Guidelines to Live By for 2023 at the prompting of one of my Facebook friends:

Guidelines to Live By for 2023: Open my heart to infinite possibilities. Gratitude for all my blessings Choose faith over fear. Expand and create Feel joy Harness the power of mood shifters Connect with like hearted souls Go on a trip Celebrate life’s moments big and small Carpe diem Be grateful Make time for meditation and self care Break the sound barrier of once perceived limitations Let go of control and lean into whatever may be happening Replace judging thoughts with thoughts of tenderness and kindness

Day one has been a most spectacular day for me and for Team McManus. For the first time in a very very long time I feel that I'm now off the sidelines. I am so excited for all the adventures that this New Year is going to bring both on the roads and in my life.

Here's the full text of "Running the Race":

Running the Race   

Early summer 1959 my kindergarten year
everyone around me filled with nervous fear.
Despite the Salk vaccine hope polio would disappear
the polio virus crept right up and knocked me in the rear.

Dancing all around the gym feeling free just like a bird
I dropped to the ground just like a stone and no one said a word.
The pain it was so searing-the diagnosis even worse
"It's polio" the doctor said...he was abrupt and terse.

Called one of the 'lucky ones' I had a 'mild case'
but with the other athletes I could never keep their pace.
Miss Holly physical therapist, curly hair and a warm, broad smile
it tempered the pain of being apart - to walk I'd take awhile.

I always wore those 'special' shoes the kids they poked and teased
with no support and much abuse with childhood I wasn’t pleased.
But put nose to the grindstone and learned all that I could
I couldn't kick a ball but my grades were always good.

Years went by and no more thought to polio did I give
I accepted the limp, everything else and decided my life I would live.
But symptoms of weakness and muscle pain did grow
I kept a stoic face hoping no one else would know.

Life no longer was my own I struggled through each day
suffered in silence, alone and afraid tried to keep depression at bay.
And with the grace of glorious God my world it opened wide
I discovered there was a Post Polio team and they were on my side.                                            

Sought out paths for healing and my spirit flew free
for the first time in life, I could truly be me.
The chains are gone and possibilities abound
I'm a tree with my roots planted firmly in ground.

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.

Happy New Year to you and yours. Cheers to a year overflowing with healing, hope and infinite possibilities!

From my heart to yours,
In health and wellness,
Mary

Be sure to visit my website at https://marymcmanus.com to learn about my journey to health and wellness in the wake of paralytic polio and trauma

Visit the News and Events tab to listen to my inspiring and uplifting interviews

My books to motivate, uplift and inspire you are available on Amazon