Two Dimes, a Butterfly and Dogged Determination

 

"Mary McManus - A Life of Determination" was the title of a Brookline Tab article from October 2021 as we emerged from the pandemic. The article coincided with World Polio Day that year and offered my unique perspective on the pandemic as a polio survivor. Journalist Susie Davidson wrote, "At the age of 53, McManus was diagnosed with Post-Polio Syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease, and was told to prepare to spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair. But she is both scrappy and determined."

After contracting paralytic polio at the tender age of 5 1/2 years old it took strength, will and sheer determination to be able to walk again. I was blessed with my physical therapist, Miss Holly,  but there had to be something within me that was greater than the circumstances I faced with not only recovering from paralytic polio but enduring years of abuse at the hands of family members. 

 

 

 Determination was the theme for this past week's training on the Road to the 2026  Hyannis Marathon Weekend 10K. Six miles was on the training plan for Saturday; the longest mileage since I ran the Gone for a Run Virtual Series 10K on 5/4/2024. Tom and I are building a solid foundation for the 3/1/2026 race with our stretch goal being a half marathon next year. We never know what a New England winter may bring and want to make sure we get in solid training runs before we face the possibility of severe weather.

Saturday was another phenomenal weather day with bright sunshine and unseasonably warm temperatures. As we were doing an out and back route along Carson Beach in South Boston, I spotted a dime half buried on the side of the road. 'How could you possibly spot that?" Tom asked me. "I just happened to see it," I said. "I know it's a sign that I am meant to do this." 

As if there were any doubt that I was on the right path training to go the distance again, we spotted a butterfly on our way back to our car. Tom was able to take this photo as the butterfly lighted on the bush.

My mental training is just as important as my physical training. I break down the 10K into 2 mile chunks celebrating each mile with its challenges and joys.

 

One of my anchor memories came up on Facebook last week from when I was at Mile 10 in the 2016 Bermuda Half Marathon. In December of 2014, I sustained a serious knee injury and was told that I would need a total knee replacement in a few years; to stop running or cap my distance at a 5K. I went on to run 3 Bermuda Half Marathons and the 2016 Hyannis Marathon Weekend 10K.

You can caption this photo sheer determination!

 

I experienced exhilaration and exhaustion when we finished our 6 miles. I stretched, refreshed with an orange and hydrated as sweat and tears of gratitude mingled together. Tom and I refueled at Stoked Pizza and went home for an hour and a half nap.

 

Sunday was our rest and recovery day. I still felt the afterglow of having gone the distance of 6 miles again. Monday morning I was refreshed and ready for a before breakfast run. It was another glorious morning. We were treated to a spectacular sunrise AND I found another dime! In case you weren't aware, dimes have a special significance for me as a polio survivor. FDR's image is on the head of a dime. He spear headed the March of Dimes campaign that helped to fund the research for the polio vaccine. Polio is close to being eradicated worldwide.

 

What an amazing way to start a new day and a new week as we settled into Tom's vacation week in the afternoon. 

 

Tuesday was our strength training day. What a luxury to sleep in a bit later and take extra time with stretching and our strength training routine throwing dancing into the mix. Wednesday was our rest and recovery day which became a cleaning and decluttering day as we get the house and closets ready for Fall and Winter.

 

We wrapped up this week in the training cycle with the first real taste of Autumn weather on Thursday's morning miles. We embraced the chill in the air taking notice of the vibrant blues of water and sky. The bright green leaves have paled and we anticipate when in short order the vivid reds and oranges will take center stage. It was wonderful to once again sleep in a bit later since Tom is on vacation yet we wanted to stick to our before breakfast morning miles. I was moved to take this first photo of a lamp post pointing toward the setting moon.

Another week of training on the Road to the Hyannis 10K is in the books. My dogged determination to continue to defy the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome and the grim prognosis offered by Western Medicine is fueled by the beautiful signs of two dimes and a butterfly. 

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.

 

Looking for great books to curl up with this Fall? My books share a powerful message of healing, hope and possibilities; what's possible despite all appearances to the contrary and are available on Amazon.  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 Amazon Author Page for book descriptions and rave reviews.

 

 

 

 

 

It's a Sign - or 3 on the Road to Hyannis 10K

                             

Last Thursday, Tom and I found a penny on our run. While picking up bagels at Rosenfeld's in Newton Center on Friday, I found a quarter. The mother lode of signs happened on Saturday's 4 mile run on the road to the Hyannis Marathon Weekend 10K. A couple paused ahead of us looking at these bushes. One of them said, "I wonder if it's a Monarch." We didn't immediately see the butterfly. After they walked by, it reappeared. Rather than just continue on our run, I wanted to pause and savor the moment. I tried to capture the butterfly in a photo when it lit on the leaves. It wanted to just keep on flying. Tom took my phone, pointed at the butterfly and took a series of photos. 

I felt energized by seeing the butterfly fueled by having found a penny and a quarter within just a few days' time. It's reassuring to receive signs knowing I am on the right path training for Hyannis.

As Maya Angelou said, "We delight in the beauty of the butterfly but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty." Have you ever looked up the stages of transformation of the caterpillar? It gets pretty messy along the way. As it emerges from the cocoon, it has what is called ''wet wings" and has to flap its wings hanging upside down to dry them. After the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome in December of 2006, I was a mess. I experienced the dark night of mind, body and soul. I thought my life was over!  I began my journey to becoming a most unlikely runner, flying free and feeling free in February of 2007 tapping into Source finding the healing power of poetry. 

Seeing the butterfly reminded me of when I competed in the end of summer Olympics at Badger Day Camp. I was 11 years old and still recovering from paralytic polio. My counselor, Joe Stetz asked me to compete in the butterfly. He was on his way to becoming an Olympian but chose to go to med school instead. You can read the full story in a previous blog post, "A Penny From Heaven."  Long story short, he worked with me one on one to overcome my fears and not be concerned about finishing last. There were only two other campers willing to compete in that race. I was guaranteed a place on the podium. Years later I drew from that experience to take on the 2009 Boston Marathon. It was also that experience that inspired me to name Hyannis Marathon Weekend, "Camp Hyannis."

I'm comparing this training cycle to my training cycle for the 2024 Bermuda 10K. While there are still stressors in my life (as there always will be), I am finding much better ways to manage them. I am making my self-care and my training a top priority. I meditate for an hour every afternoon and start the day with a 10 minute meditation. I take rest days very seriously. I am nourishing myself mind, body and soul with a  dogged determination to train well and run happy.

I know in every fiber of my being I am meant to train for the 45th Hyannis Marathon 10K.  2026 is the year I will be celebrating 20 years of healing after the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome which was given to me in December of 2006.

The stars are aligned and the signs are happening along the way. My heart overflows with gratitude for another 4 fabulous miles on the road to Hyannis blessed by the butterfly sighting.

 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.

 

 

Trust the Wait

Embracing uncertainty was never a strong suit of mine. Growing up in a household rife with alcohol and drug abuse, uncertainty was a threat to my very survival. Yet, after the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome in December of 2006, I learned that uncertainty, hope, faith and possibilities can bring great joy to this amazing journey we call life.

As I share my journey in different interviews, I reflect on how I 'took a leap of faith leaving behind my award winning VA social work career to heal my life.' At the time I truly had no idea what it meant. I kept a 30 day journal visualizing 'A Day in the Life' after I left the only career I had known for 25 years. I fancied myself being on Oprah sharing my childhood trauma and how poetry helped me to heal my life. I imagined being a NY Times Bestselling Author. I drew from experiences that were known to me and that I valued as a measure of success.

After I left the VA, I began to enjoy the beauty of becoming often using the analogy of a butterfly emerging from the cocoon. 

I had written the poem, "Running the Race" not knowing that it would foreshadow my 2009 Boston Marathon run although, as Carl Jung says, the unconscious prepares the way for the future. I am not a NY Times Bestselling Author - yet but when I receive feedback about how my poetry and journey bless the lives of others, I feel as though I am a bestselling author. I've been blessed to receive critical acclaim for my books.

The pandemic was the ultimate time for the entire world to trust the wait. We were in our 'bubbles' and had to ride the waves of uncertainty as I write about in my soon to be released, "Into the Light: Emerging From the 2020 Pandemic."

Last year, Tom took a leap of faith retiring from his tenure as a Systems Administrator at Boston College. We knew it was time for a chance (I meant to write change but chance fits). He thought he was going to get a little retirement job somewhere but realized he still had a lot of life left in him working in technology. He signed on doing contract work. We had never even considered that he would be offered a full time position after doing contract work for 8 months with one organization. When he left BC, nothing was certain except we had Medicare, a retirement savings and social security, and most importantly our faith that everything would work out.

Embracing the uncertainty, rather than trying to control outcomes (which as a trauma survivor was vital to my survival) allows for the expansion of life and the opportunity for the Universe to open the doors to all 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