Magic, Miracles and Mindfulness In The Miles!

 

Last Saturday, Tom and I opted to sleep in a little later and do an out the door run. We parked at the Cleveland Circle Reservoir using our car for a water stop for our last 5 miler in this part of our training cycle. After once around the Reservoir, we had our water stop and headed down Beacon Street along the Boston Marathon course. I could feel the magic in this training cycle and in my running shoes. Having the goal of a 10K with a stretch goal of another half marathon fuels my feeling of transformation in the wake of polio and trauma. Beacon Street offered rolling hills and plenty of places to stop for a bathroom. The miles were filled with memories of training for the 2009 Boston Marathon. Conquering the hills as we headed back to our car was at once exhilarating and challenging. During this training cycle, I am more focused and determined than I have ever been in recent years. I bring mindfulness to each training run paying exquisite attention to pace, fueling, hydration and effort. My meditation sessions are a sacred time that I prioritize using them for visualization and healing any of the inevitable niggles that accompany a rigorous training cycle. 

 

Our loop around the Reservoir was filled with magical moments that reminded us of the miracles in nature:

Just look at those orbs, brilliant sunshine and sweet turtles that remind us all of this miracle we call life. When we got to our car, I took a few minutes to stretch and hydrate. It made a big difference in my recovery and something I will incorporate into my after run mindfulness practice.

 

We treated ourselves to a healthy yet hefty brunch at Johnny D's in Newton before coming home to take our afternoon rest after a mindful stretching session.

 

Sunday was our rest day; a vital part of any training plan. By Monday morning, we were ready to lace up our running shoes that have magic in them and head out the door. The neighborhood was uncharacteristically quiet as though everyone was sleeping in for the last unofficial day of summer. Even though it was a holiday, we still wanted to get an early start to the day savoring early morning before breakfast runs. The sky was overcast. There was a sense of mystery and magic as we had the Reservoir to ourselves; it was the calm before the rhythm shifted from the lazy days of summer to back to school. I noticed the layers of blue that could only be painted by the Master Artist.

 

As we navigated the hills to and from our home, I felt the benefits of those Beacon Street hills we did on Saturday.

 

Tuesday was our strength training day. A quote from Jillian Michaels inspired the workout:

                                                                                                    With every run and every workout, I remember my WHY. I am celebrating this miracle of healing after having been told to prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair and expect an accelerated decline in functioning as I aged. I feel joy and gratitude deep in my heart and soul that at 71 years old I crank up my playlist and work out with my bestie of almost 49 years. We have a 45 minute workout and continue to challenge ourselves with reps and increased difficulty.

Wednesdays are for rest and recovery!

 

Today's morning run was the jewel in the crown of this week's training. The magic and majesty of the dawn of a new day filled our hearts with love and gratitude. In contrast to Monday morning, cars were careening down the road. Runners were getting in their before work, drop the kids off or get to class runs. The energy of a new season had arrived. The colors at the Reservoir are slowly transforming from summer to Autumn. 

             

 Tomorrow is a feel good Friday rest day when I get everything ready for Tom and me to take on a 5.5 mile training run on Saturday morning. Each week there are new adventures and learning how to best take care of this magical miraculous body during this training cycle. Magic, miracles and mindfulness are sure to be infused into our runs, strength training workouts and recovery days.

 

 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 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.

 

 

 

 

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.

Plot Twist - Be Kind

 On May 29th, all restrictions were lifted in Massachusetts. The vaccine was touted as highly effective. The vaccinated population was told to go forth and resume all their activities. The unvaccinated population were encouraged to get vaccinated and mask up. Cases of COVID plummeted and then "plot twist" - the Delta Variant.

As new data emerged, new guidelines for mask wearing and social distancing were put in place to try to contain the sharp uptick in cases.

With an uptick in cases came an uptick of anger and frustration. It seems as though soul lessons that were learned during the pandemic of 'we're all in this together' with kindness and compassion breaking through the once vile diatribe of the previous Presidential administration, is slowly eroding. People expected that with the vaccine, a carefree life would resume just in time for summer. 

The pandemic to date has left restaurants short staffed and tempers flaring. It's sad to hear horns honking as soon as the light turns to green. Fear and confusion seem to prevail alongside a sense of bravado in the face of the variant as people attend concerts and go unmasked indoors.

There was an article in the Boston Globe about people lying in an attempt to get a booster shot even though there is no data to support the potential benefit of a booster shot before the end of September.

The anger, fear and panic can be infectious. We noticed that we were getting impatient with our neighbors who have a tendency to walk through our yard and not respect the boundaries of our property. We were going to have a fence installed but then opted for small trees to create a 'natural' boundary. The day came for installation and we were anxious about spending the money with the general uncertainty of the economy these days and realized that we needed to be more open-hearted and kind even when others were not acting in kind.

Kurt Vonnegut's quote came to mind:

We called the contractor and explained our concerns. He had done our walkway earlier this year and we gave each of his team extra money. We opened our yard to them while they ate their lunch making sure they had what they needed for their big noonday meal. We explained the situation to him and Tom asked him what he wanted for his trouble since he was about to get the trees to plant. He said, "You are my friend. You don't have to pay me a thing. Let me know when you need me." I cried as he spoke from his heart in his thick Brazilian accent.

We had a ladder down on our yard where the trees were going to go to mark the boundary. We took it up. It felt liberating to open our hearts and realize that we ARE all in this together. We are all One. 

The divisiveness and rancor from a year ago when the pandemic was raging has returned. We are blessed with strong leaders in President Biden and Vice President Harris. It is up to each and every one of us to do our part to promote kindness and practice compassion especially ourselves as we ride the waves of emotions and experiences that the pandemic has left in its wake.

The pandemic 2.0 is definitely a wake up call for us as a family. We are going to be kind and compassionate with ourselves opening our hearts and trusting the Universe provides as it always has throughout our lives. 

I discovered this meta meditation in my Facebook memory:

May I be happy and have peace of mind
May I be healthy and strong
May I be free of suffering and safe from internal and external harm
May my life be of ease and well-being
May I have a compassionate heart filled with loving kindness
May I be free
May all beings be happy and have peace of mind
May all beings be healthy and strong
May all beings be free of suffering and safe from
 internal and external harm
May all beings have a life of ease and well-being
May all beings have a compassionate heart filled with loving kindness
May all beings be free

As we navigate COVID 2.0 may we all dig deep to have patience, compassion and kindness with ourselves and one another.

From my heart to yours
In health and wellness,
Mary

Visit my website to learn more about my journey of transformation in the wake of paralytic polio and trauma to the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon and beyond.

Be sure to listen to my recent conversation with Liz Brunner, award winning journalist, now CEO of Brunner Communications on her podcast Live Your Best Life. I share how I live my best life despite the challenges that I faced at an early age.

For all of my recent appearances, be sure to visit my News and Events tab on my website.

My books to inspire and uplift you are available on Amazon.