Dear Running - Thank You!

 

We were so excited to welcome Ruth Anne home from St. Elizabeth's on Friday. She was so excited to come home and get back to running, smoothies, class at Boston College, a part time job on Campus, her gift giveaway and birthday celebration on August 28th, getting a few new tops at Heartbreak Hill Running Company and ordering a few new vinyls. On Thursday morning, she called us at 6:30 am wondering if she could come home on Thursday. We said that would be fine as long as the team agreed. She called to let me know that I had to talk with the resident. She was bummed and I asked her what would help her get through the last day at the hospital. We had a good visit and brought her her favorite foods from Whole Foods-Beet juice, fresh fruit and oatmeal. We hugged good night and she said I'll see you tomorrow as she handed us her belongings to take home. She shared a goals exercise she did and talked about the difference in her this hospitalization from 4 years ago. She was also eager to restart her ibuoprofen and we talked about how PANS/PANDAS or in adults, encephalopathy is very real. She knew that one of the doctors who told her there was no such thing as brain inflammation otherwise your brain would come out of your skull was wrong! She had great insight about what happens to her when her brain is on fire.

She called at 7:30 to say good night, thanked us for bringing the food and how she 'ate it all'.  I teased her and said, "The whole box of oatmeal?" and we laughed. She said how wonderful it was to taste fresh fruit and her body really needed the Beet juice. We said our I love you's. I told her to have sweet dreams and she said the same to you, and she said see you tomorrow.

When she didn't call first thing in the morning I was a little concerned but dismissed it as a flash back to when she was first hospitalized. Tom and I called at 11:00 and we were told by the nurse there wasn't going to be a discharge. The social worker (who we met during our visit) told us that Ruth Anne didn't feel safe with the discharge plan and the hallucinations started again. 

I was absolutely gutted and channeled that energy into putting together a packet of information about her medical history and that she needs an anti-inflammatory medication, possibly a change in the antibiotic and to come off of the anti-psychotic medication that is known to exacerbate PANS symptoms. The social worker was wonderful and set up a team meeting for Monday with the attending. 

When I woke up on Saturday morning, I experienced a lot of muscle spasms. At first I wondered how I was going to get through my 4.5 miles this morning and remembered when I went through a training run with spasms early on in my training. But then I remembered that the power that made the body heals the body AND I can lovingly communicate with my body. I did a cleansing meditation that is available for free on Dr. David Hamilton's website.

I stretched and I visualized. Tom helped me to use KT Tape to give my left leg gastroc muscle and right knees extra support. After breakfast we stretched did a dynamic warm up. I set my Garmin for our 4.5 miler on the road to Bermuda and off we went to the Reservoir on a beautiful sunny day.

We always take time to savor nature's beauty. Every time we run around the Reservoir, there is always different lighting or ripples of the water to appreciate with new eyes.

Unlike last week when we overshot the mileage, Tom carefully tracked the miles to ensure we would go exactly 4.5 miles. I felt strong and steady.  As we came around a bend in the Reservoir, we saw a runner wearing an L Street singlet. We yelled out in unison, "L Street. L Street." It was our dear friend Tom Tomasian from our running club. He said "I only know one person in Brookline so I knew it had to be you." We stopped and chatted about his family and beautiful daughter who is now 7 and a half months old. She was born on Christmas.  They are going to visit his wife's family in Columbia so the baby can meet her grandmother for the first time. He asked about how Ruth Anne is doing and we talked about frustration with the "God complex" of doctors. He said he had her in his thoughts. We both agreed that she needs medicine of fresh air, a good run and sunshine. 

Tom and I talked, vented, sent prayers and love to Ruth Anne and expressed gratitude for the gift of running in our lives. We had a solid 4.5 miles on the road to the Bermuda Triangle Challenge 10K with negative splits and a pace that puts me in the finisher's chute well under 2 and a half hours. At the end of our run together, we visualized the epic finish for Team McManus.

Tom had another 3.5 miles to run on the road to the Bay State Half Marathon. That will be the third half marathon in Ruth Anne's Trilogy of Half Marathons for Victory Programs. On August 5 of last year, she was inspired to run 3 half marathons and raise $10,000 for Victory Programs. In May she finished a fundraising campaign of $8000 by running the Providence Half Marathon with Tom.

After I stretched and changed, I met Tom at the Route 9 Reservoir to cheer him on to a strong finish! He poured sweat as he kept a steady 13 minute mile pace. I let the calm waters and the warm sunshine settle my soul as I felt the cleansing power of the sweat from my 4.5 miles.

As we drove home, we continued to express our gratitude for the gift of running in our lives saying how we don't know how we would navigate this challenge with Ruth Anne's ultramarathon of healing without the gift of running in our lives.

Dear running, thank you for all you have given us through the years and especially during the past several weeks.

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

Believing is Seeing

 

Joseph Campbell once said, "Follow your bliss and the Universe will open doors when once there were only walls." On May 25, 2007,  I followed my new found bliss as a poet and writer after the life changing diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease. I believed in a future very different than the one the doctors predicted for me and 'saw' a future through the power of my pen that I called my divining rod for healing. I believed that I was not destined to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair but had no idea how that would manifest in my life. 

I took a leap of faith leaving behind a steady paycheck and an award winning social work career at the VA to heal my life. I believed in a life that went beyond the appearances of being physically weak and spiritually burned out. The first book I wrote is called,  "Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing, Hope and Possibilities." I went on to write a Trilogy of Transformation and to experience a life transformed through the sport of running. 

My running journey intertwined with my daughter's journey of healing with an autoimmune condition called PANS/PANDAS. It is beautifully captured in this article written in the Boston College News. After raising $8000 by running the Providence Half Marathon for Victory Programs, she decided she wanted to run a Trilogy of Half Marathons and raise $10,000 for Victory Programs that serves Boston's most vulnerable individuals and helps with housing, food security, care for mental health and substance use challenges and helps previously disenfranchised individuals to become a part of a community of caring.

On August 5, 2022, her tote board was at zero dollars. Today it is at:

Ruth Anne originally planned to run Newburyport, Hyannis and Providence. Hyannis Race Weekend fell on the weekend of Tom and my 45th anniversary. New Bedford set a last minute course time limit of 3 hours. Ruth Anne extended the fundraiser until October and registered for the Bay State Half Marathon.

In May, a month went by without any donations. Ruth Anne and I decided that we needed to do something to garner donations... but what??? She had done gift giveaways and Dine and Donate nights with her first fundraising campaign. She did two gift giveaways for the Trilogy of Half Marathons campaign. I had no idea how another gift giveaway was going to come together but believed as Ruth Anne did that the Universe would support her vision.

I set up a new Wheel of Names wheel which is what we use to select the winners. We didn't have a donor on it! It was a completely blank wheel. We also didn't have any gifts to giveaway but imagined a Boston Seaport Getaway. Ruth Anne and I started reaching out to potential gift giveaway sponsors. We had an after long run lunch at Joe Pace & Sons in the Seaport. Ruth Anne asked our friend Joe who we knew from the days when I worked at the VA if he'd support her fundraiser. He gave her four $25 gift cards. As we announced there was going to be a gift giveaway, even though we didn't yet have gifts on board except for the Joe Pace's gift cards and two $50 gift cards to Tavern on the Green in Lowell, donations started coming in thanks to Ruth Anne's weekly and sometimes twice weekly videos.

The wheel now has 530 entries from chances that were $10 each or 3/$25. As the date got closer to the giveaway, we increased chances to 2/$10 or 6/$25. Here is the list of gifts Ruth Anne and I were able to secure with our vision and passion.

4 $25 gift cards to J Pace & Son Inc
2 $50 gift cards to Tavern In The Square Lowell
1 $50 gift card to Heartbreak Hill Running Company
1 $20 gift card to Eight Cousins Books
A Year's subscription to Dan Harris Ten Percent Happier App
2 $25 gift cards to Livite Brookline
A $100 gift card to Golden Temple
And the grand prize: A one night's stay at the The Westin Boston Seaport District Hotel with breakfast for two at Sauceity AND a $200 gift card to Ocean Prime Boston

Ruth Anne's body experienced a flair of PANS several weeks ago. There were some very dark moments during the flair but I kept believing, despite all appearances to the contrary, that she would be treated with antibiotics and meds to help with sleep and anxiety and the other symptoms of PANS and would be calling to say she is ready to come home. I called upon the prayer warriors in our incredible village to send healing energy and to pray for her health and well-being. She is being discharged today. 

It is truly miraculous what can happen when we hold to love, passion and purpose deep in our hearts and imagine the possibilities. Believing is seeing!

 

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!
 

 

 

 

Five Months From Today

Bermuda Triangle Challenge posted the above photo on social media along with the caption, "Back to school , Halloween , (U.S.) Thanksgiving , the festive winter holidays , and New Years …all leading up to the main event: the 2024 Chubb Bermuda Triangle Challenge.

If you’re not already on the participant list, there’s still time to register and secure your spot at the starting line."

 

It's exhilarating to think that 5 months from today, Team McManus will be having another adventure in Paradise doing the Bermuda Triangle Challenge 10K Walk. Ever since Tom and Ruth Anne did the 10K together in 2020, Ruth Anne has wanted me to join them. Earlier this year, she said how sad she felt that we weren't training for an event together. When she discovered there were direct flights to Bermuda in January and that the race weekend hotel rates were extremely reasonable, she convinced me that Team McManus needed another race-cation after a 4 year hiatus due to COVID and no direct flights last year.

I've missed Ruth Anne on our training runs while she is being treated for a flair of PANS at St. Elizabeth's Medical Center. Tom and I dedicate our miles to her and uphold her in our prayers. At the end of every training run, we visualize how it's going to feel to cross the finish line as Team McManus.

Four and a half miles was on the training plan. Tom and I debated, as we always do early Saturday morning, about where we were going to run. We figured that twice around the Reservoir at Chestnut Hill running to and from home would be 4.5 miles.

It was another glorious summer day although it would have behooved us to have gotten an earlier start. The day heated up quickly! We always take time to savor nature's splendor that included a magnificent bird showing off its wing span. Even though Ruth Anne wasn't physically with us, we kept up the tradition of taking a selfie on the run that she started when we trained for Bermuda Race Weekends.

As we were coming around the second loop, we realized that we hadn't accurately calculated the miles. I shifted into my mental training mode letting my body know that whatever the distance turned out to be, we would be just fine. As we came up the hill to the 'finish' line my legs were tired but I knew I could have gone an extra 1.6 miles to do the 10K. If you do the math, you'll know that we did 4.66 miles. I am extremely pleased with my 20:00 and change pace that is going to bring me into the finisher's chute way before the finish line closes in two and a half hours.

 

I still have several months to train to build fitness, endurance, strength and work on speed using fartleks and tempo runs after my body adapts to the longer distance. I recall that just a few years ago, I did three half marathons in three consecutive years. I am also a Boston Marathon finisher.

 

As I write this, it is late afternoon in Boston. Five months from today Team McManus will have crossed the finish line of the Bermuda Triangle Challenge 10K savoring all the amenities at the Grotto Bay Beach Resort deciding on where to have our celebratory brunch proudly wearing our bling. My hunch is that we will go to La Bouchee where we celebrated Tom and Ruth Anne's race in 2020.

It will be a magnificent celebration of healing of my comeback race after a setback with Post-Polio Syndrome secondary to the second COVID vaccine and of Ruth Anne's healing after a PANS-flair. I am so excited for Team McManus' triumphant return to Bermuda. Five months from today will be here before we know it!

 

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!

 

 

 

Four and a Half Miles and a 2008 Penny

 

Before I set out on my four and a half miler, the longest distance I have run since I trained for the 2018 Bermuda Half Marathon, I set the intention of a great run using the above meme. Our hearts were a bit heavy that Ruth Anne is still in the hospital but we know that it is vital we keep training ready to return to a full complement of Team McManus very soon.

When we trained for the 2009 Boston Marathon, one of our favorite go to places was Jamaica Pond. There's have lots of shade along with rolling elevation which I need to train on for the Bermuda Hills in January.

The still water of the Pond made for a perfect canvas to reflect the stunning beauty of the clouds and trees. Tom and I remarked how we didn't recall a summer that had this much lush green and so much growth of vegetation around the Pond. 

We kept a close eye on our pace. Saturday's run was a distance run and the first 4.5 miler on the road to the Bermuda 10K. There were times when we had to dial back the pace to allow the fitness to take root while I take on this new goal. I focused on lightness and ease preparing mind and body to go the distance again. Tom and I reminisced about our Boston Marathon training which ignited the muscle memory of when I did speed work with my personal trainer at Jamaica Pond. Back in the day I could run an 11 minute mile with the prodding from my personal trainer. Three times around was a drop in the bucket compared to when we'd run upwards of 13 laps for our long runs. It was a great place to train when the roads were covered in slush and ice. 2008/2009 was a brutally cold and snowy New England Winter.

Tom went on to do another lap after we finished our miles as he continues to train for the Bay State Half Marathon happening in two months! I meditated allowing my mind to become as still and clear as the water. I focused on optimism and hope for Ruth Anne's  healing despite temporary appearances to the contrary. I imagined a loving phone call with her. I had to trust and have faith that she was receiving proper care for both her physical and neuropsych symptoms. I released the trauma of my dad's death by suicide in 1971 sifting and sorting thoughts that arose from the past versus the reality of my present life with Ruth Anne. While it is heartbreaking to see her experience a flair, my survival is not on the line as it was when I was a 17 year old. She did call Sunday night and Monday gave me permission to speak with the resident. 

While sitting by the still waters, I allowed myself to immerse in the feeling of the runner's high after 4.5 miles. I used the time to visualize our triumphant return to Bermuda. 

After our Saturday runs, the question always remains where to have lunch. To celebrate my longest run in several years and to kick off Tom's vacation, we opted to go to Stoked Pizza. Their veggie pizza without sauce is to die for.  As we walked to our car after lunch, there on the sidewalk was a penny. 

A 2008 penny! 2008 was a great year for Team McManus. In February I declared I was going to run the 2009 Boston Marathon for Spaulding Rehab. Ruth Anne was working on her Associate's Degree at Bunker Hill Community College feeling happy, healthy and thriving. We became Team McManus running and fundraising for Spaulding Rehab. Ruth Anne and I ran the Tufts 10K together. I was appearing on different podcasts and radio shows sharing my journey while writing poetry harnessing the power of the mind/body connection to fuel my journey.

It was a sign; a year to use as an anchor as Ruth Anne navigates her healing journey and as I train for the 2024 Bermuda Triangle Challenge 10K.  It was an awesome run and Morgan Freeman would have had a great time doing the narration.

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!

Running on Optimism

 

Ever since I set out on a quest to heal my life from the once ravaging effects of childhood paralytic polio and trauma, I have focused on optimism; knowing that harnessing my faith, my determination, an attitude of optimism and harnessing the power of the mind/body connection, I would be able to heal and transform my life.

Tom and I went on an early morning run on Thursday. Ruth Anne who has lived with an autoimmune condition called PANS, had a flair of her condition last week. When this happens, her brain becomes inflamed, her judgment impaired and she needs antibiotics and anti-inflammatory meds. Unfortunately, she presents with psychiatric symptoms as well. It's not a very well known condition and we have had to educate all providers about it. We are so grateful to an organization called ASPIRE that I found in 2019 after her last hospitalization and what we had hoped would have been her last hospitalization. After re-watching one of the most comprehensive videos about PANS by Dr. Craig Shimaski, we realized that PANS can have a relapsing remitting nature to it. 

It would be so easy to collapse under the strain of it all. Ruth Anne and I were featured in an article in the BC News about how we use running and be of service to the community in our healing journey. Running has been our therapy so I knew that I needed to get out the door and get on a run. Ruth Anne persuaded me in May to take on the challenge of the Bermuda Triangle Challenge 10K. She said she was heartbroken that we hadn't trained for any races together since the 2018 Bermuda Half Marathon. My prayer is that my ongoing journey of transformation gives her hope and inspiration during this challenging time.

It was a beautiful cool morning with low humidity and glorious sunshine:

I hadn't posted anything on Facebook other than Ruth Anne was feeling under the weather with the hope that she would quickly clear with proper treatment. We hadn't heard from her or the social worker saying that she gave consent for us to have communication with her team. When we first set out on the run, I experienced a lot of fearful thoughts filled with what if's. Seeing the radiant sunshine and the beautiful water of the Reservoir, I thought about holding a space for a miracle of healing and remembered the above quote about optimism.

I also reflected on Ralph Waldo Emerson's quote:

One time Bill Rodgers said to me, "Life is tough yeah! That's why we run!"

Saturday is 4.5 miles -- the longest distance I have run since Team McManus trained for the 2018 Bermuda Half Marathon. You better believe that I will be running on optimism!

 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!

The Power of the Body to Heal

 

The other day I was reflecting on the body's incredible power to heal.  I love the above quote from Dr. Joe Dispenza.

I had reconstructive leg surgery oh over 20 years ago now and they used a long metal plate and screws to put the leg back together again. A year later I told my wonderful orthopedic surgeon that I did not want the metal in me any longer and needed to have it removed. He had told me that after a year we could consider that option...So I have the hardware removed and am partial weight bearing on crutches for 6 weeks while the bone filled in where the holes were for the screws. I didn't have to think about it. I totally trusted my body's ability to heal and grow new bone. My surgeon knew it would happen. I believed it would happen and so it did. Our bodies know exactly what to do to heal when we step aside and trust and believe in the process. 

Sometimes we need to partner with Western Medicine to give the body a boost in the process. I had a staph infection in my shoulder joint. To help the body heal I needed IV antibiotics and surgical intervention to clear out the shoulder joint. Ultimately, with physical therapy, I was able to regain full functioning of my arm.

I can also give numerous examples of when I relied on the power of my mind through visualization to heal my body. While I was inpatient for the shoulder infection, I met an earth angel of a nurse who introduced me to the work of Dr, Bernie Siegel. After the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome, I harnessed the power of my mind and self-love to heal my neuromuscular system from the once devastating effects of childhood paralytic polio and trauma. 

Shortly after the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome, I had an abnormal mammogram. I intently focused visualization on seeing only healthy breast tissue. When I returned for the follow up mammogram, the tumor was gone.

After a serious knee injury in December of 2014, I partnered with a chiropractor to grow a new gastroc  muscle in the left leg that was most affected by polio, grow new cartilage, dissolve bone spurs and reverse degenerative arthritis. We used chiropractic care and a new strength training regimen to get me back on the roads. I went on to run 3 Bermuda Half Marathons. My chiropractor turned me onto Dr. Joe's book, "You Are the Placebo."

After a setback in 2021/2022 which happened after the 2nd COVID vaccine, I got back to work trusting in my body's incredible power to heal. I reminded myself that when we give our bodies messages of healing, they will respond to create our reality. Deena Kastor references this process in her book, "Let Your Mind Run." Candace Pert's book, "Everything You Need to Know to Feel Go(o)d" highlights her scientific discoveries about the body's tremendous capacity to heal when we harness the power of the mind. 

My story was featured in Dr. David Hamilton's book, "The Tenth Anniversary Edition of How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body" along with other incredible stories of healing and transformation.

As I train for the 2024 Bermuda Triangle Challenge 10K, I consistently remind myself of the body's tremendous capacity to heal and go beyond perceived limitations from a diagnosis.

It's a thrilling journey and I am so blessed and grateful to be sharing this powerful message of healing, hope and possibilities with all of you!

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!

From Vision to Reality

 

Ever since I began my journey to health and wellness after the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome in December of 2006, I held to a vision of what I wanted life to look like for me. During the time I was preparing to leave behind my award winning VA social work career, I had a pad of yellow legal paper and would spend 30 minutes a day visualizing a day in my life after the VA. I smile to think back on what I had written such as being on Oprah and a NY Times Bestselling Author. One consistent theme was visualizing myself  healthy and free in my body. 

The very first poem I wrote, "Running the Race," foreshadowed my 2009 Boston Marathon run. I had a vision I would be a motivational speaker and author sharing my powerful message of healing, hope and possibilities that has become a reality. Visit my News and Events Page to learn more.

I harnessed the power of visualization and the power of the mind/body connection throughout these past 16 years to make my visions and dreams a reality.

When my daughter Ruth Anne implored me to do the Bermuda Triangle Challenge 10K walk as Team McManus with Tom,  I had my doubts. I hesitated to register as I was still emerging from the side effects of the 2nd COVID vaccine. She told me she would help me train and we recalled all of the successful events I participated in through the years.

I was turning 70 on Christmas. I had not trained for an endurance event since we trained for the 2018 Bernuda Half Marathon. There are always ways to find excuses and say why something might not be a good idea but once I signed on, I knew how vital it was train my mind as well as my body! 

Yesterday was my 5th 4 mile training run. As I check off the weeks on my training plan, I feel more and more confident that I am going to have an incredible race day.

We got up early on Saturday morning. The weather forecast called for high humidity and high temps and severe thunderstorms later in the day. It was warm and humid when we set out for our 4 miles. Tom said, "Shall we go up the hill again to add to the miles from around the Reservoir?" 

"Absolutely I said!"

I felt strong and confident taking the hill with relative ease despite the heat and humidity. We were grateful for the cloud cover around the Reservoir.

We took a few moments to savor the beauty of the sky reflecting on the still waters of the Reservoir creating a beautiful masterpiece and enjoying the ducks and heron on the water:

Practicing on the downhills is just as important as practicing on the up hills. We needed to add miles to the once around the Rezzie and I was thoroughly pleased with how I easily navigated the downhill. I felt strong to the finish and was thrilled when Garmin told me that I had a new personal record of fastest 5K. It was also my fastest 4 miler by 5 minutes. I am so grateful my daughter insisted that I switch from Nike+ to Garmin for its accuracy and more complete information.

This morning was another early morning run to beat the heat of mid-day. It was dry and cool when we headed out. I felt inspired to pick up the pace and Garmin told me I had another new personal record of my fastest mile!

I am thoroughly enjoying the training mind, body and soul. Having a goal sends wonderful healing messages to my body that yes I can go the distance again and each training run reinforces the transformation from vision to reality.

4.5 miles is on tap for Saturday. I am ready!

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 to enhance your podcast listening experience!