It's Taper Time: Hopes and Dreams!

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

 

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

 

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

-Re-energize before race day

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

See you in Hyannis!

 

In health and wellness - Mary

Visit my ***NEW*** website to learn how poetry, optimism, gratitude and the mind/body connection helped me to transform my life. After having been told in December 2006 that I should prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair, I went on to cross the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon and have many adventures as runnergirl 1953. Be sure to visit the recently updated News and Events Page for links to podcast interviews, speaking engagements and where you can find my incredibly inspirational story.

My Trilogy of Transformation chronicles my journey from having been told to prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair with the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease by Western Medicine standards to a woman transformed through the sport of running. Take a journey into a world of healing, hope and possibilities with my 7 books, available on Amazon. My 7th book, "A Most Unlikely Runner: Inspiration From The Heart of a Warrior" is a selection of the WBZ News Radio Book Club and Bill Rodgers Running Center Billy's Bookshelf: Recommended Reading for Every Runner. You will be inspired by my strength, courage, resilience, determination and overcoming the inevitable setbacks that come with a journey to health and wellness. 

 I was recently the guest on The Optimism Institute Blue Sky Podcast. 
"Mary McManus has never had it easy. As a kindergartner, she was a victim of polio just a short time before the vaccine was introduced. She also faced trauma in her home life but somehow managed to persevere and overcome these and still more obstacles throughout her life. Today, Mary is an inspiring author, poet, motivational speaker, and finisher of the Boston Marathon." Here is the link to the Episode Website. Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and on YouTube.

 

Reach out to me at maryamcmanus@gmail.com if you'd like me to speak to your organization or group to inspire them with what's possible despite all appearances to the contrary; how one finds strength, resilience and determination in the face of seemingly impossible odds.

 

 

The Heart of a Champion

 

As Tom and I got ready for last Saturday's 5.5 miler on the Road to the Hyannis Marathon Weekend 10K, I wondered to myself, "What is stoking the flames of this training cycle? After all, I'll be 72 on Christmas Day and have absolutely nothing to prove. Why am I doing this and where does my motivation come from?" 

 

Daniel Pollack-Pelzner, the author of the captivating book, 'Lin-Manuel Miranda: The Education of an Artist' posted a prompt on Instagram asking us to consider who was our Ms. Ames; one of Lin's most influential mentors. I shared my Joe Stetz story.  I had contracted paralytic polio at age 5. My first day camp experience was horrible. Fortunately, my rehab medicine doctor, Dr. Moskowitz, suggested my parents send me to Badger Day Camp known for their philosophy of inclusion and premier swimming program. They even held an end of year Olympics. The first year I went was wonderful. The counselors were supportive and emphasized my strengths rather than my limitations. I sat out the end of year Olympics. Towards the end of my second summer at Badger, my swimming counselor, Joe Stetz, with the dark hair, wide smile and soulful brown eyes, standing at the far left of the Olympic contenders in the above photo, asked me to compete in the end of year Olympics. I thought he must have been talking to someone else. He wanted me to compete in of all strokes - the Butterfly! There were only two other campers willing to compete in the Butterfly. They needed at least 3 campers to compete or there would be no event. I was guaranteed a place on the podium. 

 

Joe kept his promise that he would work with me one on one supporting me as I overcame my fears and physical limitations. On the day of the Olympics, he reminded me to swim my own race at my own pace. "Don't look at the other swimmers. It doesn't matter that you might finish last, you are a champion by stepping up to the starting block and finding the courage to overcome your challenges." When I finished long after the other two competitors, he extended a hand to me as I got out of the pool. He walked me to the podium and proudly looked on as I received my Bronze 3rd place plaque.  His words and actions stayed with me during these past 61 years. When I was diagnosed with Post-Polio Syndrome in December 2006, I once again felt his presence. Despite 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 took on the 2009 Boston Marathon. Whenever I faced a setback, I called upon what Joe instilled in me to have a strong come back. You can learn more about Joe and his extraordinary life in my blog post, "A Penny From Heaven."

 

This week's training cycle theme has been the heart of a champion.

 

Saturday was a spectacular end of September day. Seeing the seagulls glide effortlessly as they landed on the water reminded me of how free I felt in the water and freedom I feel when I am out on a training run. I knew there was a race happening in South Boston on Saturday and suggested Tom bypass the probable road closure. Instead, we ended up taking a detour dictated by the road closure. "I wish you would have listened to me," I said. "I wish you'd listen to me," Tom said as he pulled into a parking space.

"Watch this," he said. It's always a great idea to mix up training run routes. We enjoyed the new route that eventually took us back along the beaches.

 

The new route finished in an uphill like the finisher's chute in Hyannis. We visualized how we would feel coming into the finish line. I stretched at the car. As we build the miles, I can feel the pain that accompanies any training cycle. As I told my personal trainer when I first set out on this journey to health and wellness, I'd rather experience pain on the side of health and wellness rather than the pain of atrophy, decline and disuse. 

 

After our Sunday rest and recovery day, we woke up on Monday to our 6am alarm that now goes off in the dark. After meditation, we put on our water belts and head out the door. What a gift to see the dawn of a new day. What joy to rise, shine and run and be kissed by the light of the new day's sun. The cadence of Dr. Seuss is imprinted in my heart and soul thanks to Miss Holly, my physical therapist who tenderly ministered to me after I contracted paralytic polio. She'd have me recite Dr. Seuss in tandem with her to distract me from the pain of coaxing muscles and nerves back to health; a healer ahead of her time.

 

Tuesday was strength training day for this champion and Tom, my life and training partner. We set the alarm for 6:30, meditated and cranked up the playlist. Cooler air means open windows and no a/c but we still worked up a good sweat. 

 

 Wednesday was another rest and recovery day that included a lot of stretching and rolling out with foot roller and ball. I savor these new yet very familiar sensations in my body as we build a solid foundation.

 

Thursday was the first taste of October and Fall. Capris and layering for tops were perfect. I felt a powerful connection to Source seeing the sun rise and the dawn of a new day. My heart overflowed with gratitude for this sacred time with Tom, unplugged, out in nature knowing how fortunate we are to be doing this.

 

The magical magnificent morning miles were exhilarating. We even did negative splits. Hot oatmeal, toast, a banana and cold OJ tasted so delicious as we wrapped up another week in our training cycle. I am feeling strong, resilient, blessed and grateful, and determined to go the distance having the best time with my heart of a champion leading me each mile along the way.

 

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.

 

 

 

"I want to feel free in my body!"

 

From "A Most Unlikely Runner:Inspiration From The Heart of a Warrrior":

"Six months after meeting my initial goals of getting off of a low toilet seat and diversifying the program that Spaulding Rehab had given me, my trainer asked me for my next goals. 

“I want to dance. I want to feel free in my body. I want to take a walk outside…” 

She gathered up her belongings, had her hand on the door knob and I said, “Wait … I have one more goal … I want to run the 2009 Boston Marathon for Spaulding Rehab as a charity runner.” 

“Well you’re going to need a pair of running shoes!” 

She was totally non-plussed, and sent me off to buy my first pair of running shoes."

This morning wrapped another week in the training cycle on the Road to the Hyannis Marathon Weekend 10K. Last Saturday, when the alarm went off at 6:30am, I contemplated taking a bye day and heading straight to brunch which is the hard-earned reward for our training run. 

I recalled the words of my shero, Wilma Rudolph:

The reward goes beyond our weekly celebratory brunch. There is an incredible sense of freedom I feel when I run. My pace may be slow and I may not look like a runner, but for someone who was supposed to be in a wheelchair, I go pretty fast. I've come to love and appreciate my body for all it gives me in the wake of all it had endured as a child and adolescent. To navigate the challenges of ontracting paralytic polio and enduring years of abuse at the hands of family members, I dissociated from my body. The diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome was an incredible gift. My personal trainer's willingness to take me from having been in a toe-up leg brace and using a cane to running the 2009 Boston Marathon is a treasure for which I am eternally grateful.

The day got hot fast but we rejoiced in summer's splendor and needing only tank top and shorts. I had the image of rummaging through the winter hats/gloves bag to match up hats when the page turns to the seasons of Autumn and Winter.

I fueled much better this week. I thought ahead of time to bring a handful of pretzels in my fuel belt. I remembered to take that all important Gu waffle at mile 4. 

At about 2 miles, Tom and I each needed a pit stop. Would we overshoot our mileage if we stopped at the bathroom on Castle Island? It didn't much matter. Fortunately we were at 2.47 so went the other .03 and turned around.

At the water fountain to refill our water bottles, another runner was using the cooling spray fountain which we didn't know was there! "Halfway there," she spontaneously said. "Us too." we replied. She is training for the Tree House Half Marathon. We wished each other a great rest of the run. "Stay cool" we said to each other. Other than the occasional runner and families out and about for picnics, Southie was quiet. It was a welcome contrast to the hustle and bustle of last week. It was as though the Universe knew what we needed after a hectic week.

During the last mile Tom and I toyed with maybe just training for the 10K distance. We were hot and tired, but over lunch,overlooking the Harbor in the Seaport area, we shared the mantra "our bodies recover with ease." We reflected on how important stretch goals are especially as we age.  

We have the freedom of making choices every step and every mile on and off the roads in the marathon of life. Just as we chose to go on our training run, we are choosing to see what our bodies can do believing in what we want to achieve. Choosing our training run also gave us the sweet reward of hearing birds' songs and ocean's waves and seeing the splendid scenery of summer that will fade all too soon.

 We spent the afternoon resting and recovering feeling accomplished that our second 5 miler was done and dusted. Sunday was a rest day. Our bodies had, in fact, recovered well as we relaxed and enjoyed time at home. We live in a peaceful neighborhood with a spacious yard. Perspective is everything. Every day is a celebration and we find contentment in life's simple pleasures. Whenever Tom is not at work, we declare it as a vacation day.

Let me pause for a moment and share with you that my right leg and knee have a lot of sensations with this training cycle. In Candace Pert's book, "Everything You Need to Know to Feel Go(o)d" she talks about how our bodies respond biochemically to our thoughts. She was a brilliant scientist who used the rigors of research to prove her hypotheses. She specifically made reference to a knee injury. If one believes that a sensation indicates a recurrence of an injury, the body will respond in kind. However, if one interprets the sensations as healing, the body will do what it needs to do to heal. I've coupled the belief with visualization to make space in the joint and rewire the nerve pain. Belief begets belief. I was able to heal my left knee after a serious knee injury in December of 2014. 

In Norman Doidge's book, "The Brain's Way of Healing," he shares the impact that conscious movement has on neuroplasticity and enabling the body to heal. I experienced trauma to my right leg with family violence and was in an ankle to hip cast at the age of 11 for 6 weeks. I notice how that pattern of movement exacerbated the knee symptoms and mindfully move out of that pattern whenever I notice it. There is also a history of overuse of my right leg since my left leg was more affected by polio. I make sure to be mindful of feeling the power equally in both legs.

Rise.Shine.Run on Monday at 6:00am. I love these before breakfast runs with Tom when we throw on shorts and a singlet or t-shirt. It was a pleasant 66 degrees. The clouds and fog made for still water that was a great canvas for the reflection of the trees and vegetation that surrounds the Rezzie. This scene will look quite different in the coming months. There is nowhere I'd rather live than in Boston. As Tom and I were heading up the hill to our house, he said, "Come on Mare. You've got this. Let me see what you can do." I took off in a sprint! When we got in the house I asked him why he gave me that push. Had I slowed down? He smiled and said, "Our neighbor Diane was out there and I wanted you to show her your stuff. You should have seen her stand there in awe!

Tuesday was a rigorous before breakfast 45 minute strength training workout in our home gym.

We had a glorious morning for the last day in this week's training cycle. I often wonder what my life would have been like had I not exercised my freedom after the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome and taken the diagnosis sitting down. Or if my personal trainer would have had a different response to my asserting my goal as wanting to feel free in my body and to run the 2009 Boston Marathon. But here I am training for another 10K with my stretch goal of a half marathon distance next year. 

There was a pleasant chill in the air juxtaposed with warm sunshine. What a blessing to see the dawn of a new day and feel free in my body to experience magical morning miles.

With each week of the training cycle, I feel stronger, accomplished, and loving and appreciating my body for all it gives me. I am so grateful that I can feel free in my body!

 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.