This Week in Training: Magic and Mystery

 

This week's theme for training on the Road to Hyannis Marathon Weekend 10K is magic and mystery. I was thinking back to how bold it was of me to declare in February of 2008 that my next health and fitness goal with my personal trainer was to run the 2009 Boston Marathon. I was still wearing a toe-up leg brace and had never run a day in my life. In December of 2006, I was given the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome and was told to prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair, expecting an accelerated decline in functioning as I aged. What a magnificent mystery that, in February of 2007, I got still and asked for Divine Guidance vowing to not take the diagnosis sitting down. The poem, "Running the Race" flowed out of me foreshadowing my 2009 Boston Marathon run! An anthology of poems followed harnessing the power of the mind/body connection inspiring healing in the wake of childhood paralytic polio and trauma. While there is a plethora of research showing the power of the mind/body connection, the science that explains the phenomena doesn't negate the magic and mystery.

My cutoff for doing a training run outside is feels like 6 degrees. Saturday's temperatures were in the feels like -13 degrees. Fortunately, Tom and I planned ahead and got in Saturday's run on Thursday. We rolled out the mats, got out our strength training equipment and workout sheet, and cranked up the playlist. We mixed up the order of the workout and discovered that it made it a lot more challenging. Since our race is only 5 weeks away, we will keep the same order of the workout. After we recover from the race and this training cycle, we will mix it up! We incorporated more stretching and spontaneous dance movement into the workout celebrating our health and wellness at 73 and 72 years old.

I am celebrating 20 years of healing feeling so much joy and gratitude in this training cycle. After being given the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome and told that I should prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair expecting an accelerated decline in functioning as I aged, I asked for Divine Guidance. I discovered the power and magic of writing poetry that ultimately led me to the sport of running. I discovered the magic in believing in myself to exceed all expectations after the Post-Polio Syndrome diagnosis. In February of 2008, I set the goal of running the 2009 Boston Marathon despite never having run a day in my life and still being in a toe-up leg brace. Being a part of the running community and the sport of running has been a magical part of my life! 

I've been blessed to experience so many magical moments since becoming a part of the running community.  One of my favorite memories popped up as a Facebook memory when I was at the Bill Rodgers 5K with Phil Lipof in August of 2014. On 1/24/2021, Phil Lipof posted this on social media:

"I met an amazingly inspirational woman in August of 2014 at the Zero Prostate cancer walk/run in Newton Mass. I emceed the event with marathon icon Bill Rodgers. I don’t want to tell you the whole story here because she has just written a book about it - but Mary McManus’s journey from a wheelchair to the finish line at the Boston marathon is a story everyone should hear. How childhood polio, suicide and determination collide at the intersection of inspiration and awesome! Here is a picture of us from that day and the cover of her book (in which she talks about our meeting that day). Getting her signed copy made me smile and remember how spectacular year she is. The book is called 'The adventures of runnergirl 1953.'"

On Monday, while Tom dug us out from the two feet of snow compliments of Winter storm Fern, I did a 45 minute strength training workout. I worked out with intention focusing on preparation for race day on 3/1. We've had an amazing training cycle with having to substitute only two strength training days for running days. Fingers crossed we are able to get out this week for our regularly scheduled runs now that snowmageddon has moved out. We are so incredibly grateful we have electricity, heat and hot water and a battery operated snow blower.

Tuesday was a different kind of training day. The roads were icy and the snow banks too high to make it safe for us to go on a run. As Tom continued to dig us out, my job was to work on removing snow from the car; a wonderful upper body workout that included side stepping around the car and keeping my balance. 

I do miss our early morning before breakfast runs but was so grateful we were able to get in a runchie on Thursday. It was bitter cold when we started with a wind chill. My face hurt, but my gratitude at being able to get out and get in the miles kept me warm. I was grateful to the people in our Town who plowed out at night and salted the roads. We couldn't get to our usual running route at the Reservoir and going down Beacon Street, so we spontaneously took a left on the road before the bridge that leads to the Reservoir. We got to incorporate lots of hills and were treated to warm sunshine!

Tom and I reflected on what I'd been told when I was diagnosed with Post-Polio Syndrome in December of 2006. It was presumed that because I had contracted paralytic polio as a child that I had osteoporosis, and, if I fell on the ice presuming my balance wasn't good, I would end up with a hip fracture. I should only go out with a cane and an ice gripper going from my home to the car.

As I felt invigorated and exhilarated by the sunshine, cold air and being steady on my feet confidently navigating snow, slush and ice with ease, I only knew that getting out in Winter is vital for health and well-being. When we weren't able to get out for a run for a week, I noticed a downshift in my physical and mental well-being that was quickly reversed during and after Thursday's run.

One of my favorite poems is "Courage" that was inspired by our training runs around Jamaica Pond on the road to the 2009 Boston Marathon.

With Thursday's miles, we gratefully and joyfully wrapped up another week of training on the Road to Hyannis.  It wasn't your typical training week given the weather but we did the best we could given Mother Nature's blast of Winter. We are so delighted we uploaded the front end of our training cycle with long runs confident we have a solid base for race day.

I'm so excited that 4 weeks from today, we head to my favorite race weekend in my happy place on Cape Cod. Come see me at the Expo where I'll be inspiring runners with my incredible journey and have my books for sale. The Marathon and 10K are almost sold out. The Half Marathon is a great race to prep for the Boston Marathon. Registration fees go up 2/1. Register today by following this link. Be sure to make your reservations at the Host Hotel, The Cape Cod Irish Village at the Emerald Resort and Conference Center. They are almost sold out 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.

 

Celebrating the Journey! - Fabulous 5.5 Miles!

 

Last Thursday, I was blessed to share morning miles with Ruth Anne. Dense fog filled the air. I love how the Universe offers wonderful metaphors during our runs. While Ruth Anne was in the hospital, there was a dense fog enveloping Team McManus. While we always held onto hope and faith, we did not know the outcome. 

 

We had to trust that the sun and light would break through the fog; that some how and some way, despite all appearances to the contrary, Ruth Anne would find her way back to herself and to our home.

The forecast called for a dense fog advisory for most of the day, but during our morning miles, the sun miraculously broke through the fog:

We celebrated Ruth Anne's journey of healing and how far she's come. She has amazing goals ahead of finishing her Masters Certificate and o ththen degree at Boston College, running the LA Marathon and getting back to work part time. It's so vital that we celebrate every step we take toward our goals and not wait until we cross a finish line. Ruth Anne started Occupational Therapy last Tuesday. She is so excited to be partnering again with her therapist who supp on for next Sunday's Half Marathon while Tom and I get in our miles. I was a bit anxious about the distance although I reminded myself that it was only a half mile farther than September's 5 mile runs...that is unless Tom McManus is calculating the miles - smile please!

As the weather turns cooler, we prefer to sleep in on Saturdays but with rain in the forecast for late morning, we were up and out the door early. I had a bit of pre-run jitters realizing that there are 3 months left until race day. I know each training run takes me one step closer to the starting line. I know the body achieves what the mind believes and that new sensations signal strength and building fitness! Yet this is my first in person event since the pandemic. I am going the 10K distance for the first time since 2018. This is also the first time that I am not partnering with a massage therapist or chiropractor but relying on exquisite self-care and the mind/body connection. 

We started out at an easy pace. "Tom this is for distance, not pace right?" "That's right. The pace will come as you've seen with your previous training runs." But my nerves started to get the best of me thinking about the 2 and a half hour cutoff time. It's really quite silly since my pace has been way under what's needed to make the cutoff. We've been training on hills and I can feel how my fitness is building. Last Saturday I had a PR for a 5K with Ruth Anne.

 

Tom suggested I let go of my focus on the  pace, run from the inside out and enjoy the beautiful start to Autumn. There was a lovely formation of geese and swans in the Reservoir with golden leaves gracing the perimeter of the trail that goes around the Reservoir. 

After two laps around the Reservoir, Tom 'calculated' what we needed to do to get in the extra .5 miles. When we realized he didn't get the math quite right, I used the extra distance for a cool down. We had done close to 6 miles. For those of you who might not be runners, a 10K is 6.2 miles. At the end of the day, I had close to 15,000 steps for the day! I remember when I thought 6,500 steps was a big accomplishment for me.

We celebrated my farthest run since 2018 with a hearty lunch and a long hot shower. The rain held off until later in the afternoon. I took a nap with a heating pad and visualized recovery from the run with the mantra, "My body recovers with ease." I made sure to thank every part of my body for giving me a fabulous 5.5 (+) miler on Saturday. 

Look out Bermuda Triangle Challenge Weekend - I'm comin' for you! {This is the countdown clock as of 10/9 at 10:45am.} That's a lot of mystical and magical number 3's and my moniker as runnergirl1953. What a wonderful sign and affirmation as I move ever closer to the starting line celebrating the journey!

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 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. 

Be sure to also subscribe to their YouTube channel