The Courage to Start ... Again and Again and Again

“The seeds planted in our youth never die. They bide their time until it is time to bloom.” ~Mary McManus



A theme in my soon to be released book, "Journey Well"



is finding the courage to take my place at the starting line over and over and over again; to find the courage to come back after life packed powerful punches.

There was a very special person from my childhood who planted the seeds that now blossom as I toe the starting line at different races and find the courage to dig deep regardless of what conditions there are in my life. From "Journey Well":

I was reflecting on where my courage to start comes from. In reading Bill Rodgers, “The Marathon Man” and Dave McGillivray's,“The Last Pick”, they talk about the people who lit that spark within them helping them to believe in themselves. When I was 9 and 10 years old, I went to Badger Day Camp in Larchmont, New York. My physiatrist, Dr. Eugene Moskowitz, who was helping me to recover from paralytic polio, suggested the camp because of its emphasis on being an all-inclusive camp, having a low camper to counselor ratio and critical to my recovery, a strong emphasis on swimming. I learned how to swim at Badger. I always felt a part of the Camp community. Counselors created an atmosphere of acceptance for all abilities. They encouraged me to do what I could do on the athletic field. They helped me to hone my archery and riflery skills where I could easily earn medals. My time at Badger was a healing balm for the violence my body endured every night. It was also a healing balm for the bullying and teasing I endured in school as a survivor of polio.

Joseph Stetz was on his way to becoming an Olympian. Instead, he gave up becoming an Olympian to pursue his career as a doctor. I can only imagine how many lives he blessed in his career as a cardiothoracic surgeon at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Brighton, Massachusetts. He was my swimming counselor and in my 2nd and what would sadly be my last year at Badger due to health issues related to polio, he asked me to swim the butterfly in the Badger Olympics. I thought he was crazy. He explained to me that there were only two other campers signed up to compete in the butterfly in my division. He said that it didn't matter what my time was. He wanted me to go out there and swim the best that I could possibly swim. He said that I was guaranteed my place on the medal stand and that I would earn my bronze medal (which as I recall was a plaque) for having the courage to swim in a race that no one else would sign on for. How could I refuse him? He was about 6'2" tall and in amazing physical shape with an incredibly handsome face and warm brown eyes. He told me that he would help me train for the event. He coached me on my form and breathing. He helped me to find the courage to jump off the starting block into the pool and coached me on what form would give me the best start. He "got" me and what I needed in order to succeed mind, body and Spirit.

Badger Olympics Day arrived. He helped to calm my nerves. We both knew that one way or another I was going to finish the race. As I write this I can still remember the tremendous effort it took for me to finish that race. But I did it! I proudly took my place on the medal stand. Joseph gave me his address on the last day of Camp and encouraged me to stay in touch with him. I wrote to him about the medical challenges I was facing and he wrote back beautiful letters of support. He was in medical school at the time. We lost contact through the years until one day in December 2004, I was reading the Boston Globe and saw his obituary. I was stunned for so many reasons not the least of which was I worked as a psychiatric social worker at St. Elizabeth's Hospital where he was on staff as a cardiothoracic surgeon. He died at the age of 62 in a single car accident a few months after he retired.

Joseph was only 21 years old when I met him but he was a soul far wiser than his years. In his Boston Globe obituary, he was described as "an old-school doctor who didn't mind giving patients a much-needed hug," said Bernadette Trenholm, Dr. Stetz's personal administrator and close friend. "Appointments were always as long as they needed to be with him. If the patients needed two hours, Dr. Stetz would give them two hours."

I often feel his presence and will feel his presence when I toe the starting line on Thanksgiving morning at the Boston Volvo Village 5K Road Race to benefit the Greater New England Chapter's National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The course goes in front of St. Elizabeth's Hospital. You can read about my passion for running this race and helping to create a world free from MS and other neuromuscular disorders by going to my donation page. While I am hoping to PR the race next Thursday, more important than my PR goal is my fundraising goal. Please give what you can so that those living with the challenge of MS and other neuromuscular disorders can find the courage to start again and again and again.



The first 7 years of my healing odyssey are chronicled in Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing, Hope and Possibility available on Amazon. I donate 50% of royalty payments to The One Fund Boston to help survivors and their families who were affected by the tragic events of 4/15/13.



My 2nd book, "Journey Well," is coming soon. 50% of book proceeds will be donated to AccesSportAmerica to help them continue their life changing programs

Why do I run?

It's a question I ask myself many times in my soon to be released book, "Journey Well." The answers come from deep within my heart and soul. The answers come from other running greats.

"I run for me now. I run for health...I run to discover what's possible for me now and I run to push the edge of the envelope. I run to experience clarity and calm, exhilaration and wonder. I run because it is a part of who I am. I am so blessed to be able to run and to have the opportunity to express my life through my running..." (p. 166, "Journey Well")

I run to raise money and support races that raise money for causes near and dear to my heart.

On Thanksgiving, I am running the Boston Volvo Village 5K Road Race. I am running with passion and purpose. I sat next to Joel Richards of the Greater New England Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society at Fashion Plates last Friday. He told me that he has talked with researchers who agree that as they search for the cure for MS they are going to find cures and therapeutics for other neuromuscular conditions such as ALS and other autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis.

I am carrying each of the ladies who modeled at Fashion Plates with me in my heart along with all those who live with neuromuscular conditions. I have several friends who are living with MS and they will help fuel my journey from start to finish.

Whether I run a 5K or a marathon; whatever pace I run, whether or not I get that PR of a time better than 46:53, I run because:



Please donate what you can to my fundraising page and come out on Thanksgiving morning to run, to cheer, to celebrate what is perfect in each and every one of us regardless of the conditions that life presents to us.

Running Happy! Training for the Boston Volvo Village 5K to Benefit the MS Society

Brooks' slogan is "Run Happy."

Running does not come easily to me as one who lives with the late effects of paralytic polio and healing the residuals of violence in my body. While I may not be able to run easily or fast, I can run happy.

It was 30 degrees yesterday but the sun was shining on a beautiful November fall day. I had to watch out for patches of icy leaves on the ground. There was a strong headwind. I was fully equipped with my cold weather gear from Brookline Marathon Sports but when we first set out, my face froze and my fingers were numb. I moved up my neck gator and used the thumb hole from my shirt to help warm me up. As my core temperature rose, it spread warmth to my face, hands and legs. My smile and happy attitude brought a psychological warmth to my Being that translated into physical warmth. I felt capable in my body.

I was running side by side with my life and running partner, Tom. I felt a lightness and ease in my body and a sense of joy in movement. As soon as I saw another runner in the opposite direction, I picked up my pace and waved as we ran by each other. I knew this was my last intense training run before the Boston Volvo Village 5K on Thanksgiving. I was energized from attending Fashion Plates on Friday.

I am hoping for a PR time of anything better than 46:53 which was my time at the Bill Rodgers 5K. It will depend on weather conditions and what my body can give me on the day. I can work to create mind/body conditions that stack the deck in my favor on race day. Running as Team McManus, the dynamic duo, fills my heart with joy and gratitude. Running for a cause lights a fire within me despite my own challenges. The thought of Alain Ferry being at the finish line brings a smile to my face and a kick to my run.

I wanted to allow myself plenty of time to recover from my last intense training run before race day. I'll be doing twice/week Aquatics Therapy this week and will get in the pool Tuesday before the race. I'll have one more massage treatment this Thursday at Sollievo Massage and Bodywork before race day. I'll be pacing household chores and making sure I get plenty of rest in the days leading up to the race. We've run the course several times in snow, in wind and in sun. Next Saturday we will walk the course to shake out my legs and to help me visualize the race I want to run.

I feel a new found strength and freedom as a runner deep in my soul. In last Thursday's treatment at Sollievo with Joseph, I told him that I wanted to work on shifting the energy of confinement. During the treatment many body and emotional sensations came to the surface. Perhaps the most powerful experience was when my left leg got hot from the inside out and the outside in. My left side was more profoundly affected by the polio virus. I sobbed and Joseph supported me as my mind/body processed the memory of having hot woolen blankets on my legs as part of the physical therapy treatments. Emotionally and spiritually, I processed the moral dilemma of how one manages the rage of violation and being battered. The wisdom of Nelson Mandela



joined with my own awareness to help release me from the prison of my past. My work is not in destroying those who tried to destroy me but rather in destroying the hold they had on me. At one point I felt, "So much happened to me it boggles my mind." Spirit responded, "Don't try to figure it out. Be here now. Let the Universe take care of it. Let go of anything that is not love."

Tom and I incorporated many hills and speed work into yesterday's run. I ran from the inside out. At one point, I knew I had more in the tank and left it there for race day. It was exhilarating to feel that I could have pushed but was able to pace myself and hold back. This intimate connection with my body is a blessing.

As we were coming up our final hill there was a runner getting ready to go out on his run. Tom helped me give it all I had and we smiled and waved as we passed him wishing him a good run.

As we came toward the end of our run, Tom had me kick it into high gear. I was running hard. My legs were feeling the effects of running in the cold. I was wheezing; the cold takes a toll on my respiratory system. None of that mattered. I was running happy!

What is even more important to me than a PR is exceeding my fundraising goal to help create a world free of MS. You can read about my passion for running for MS and make a donation to support my run on my personal fund raising page.


The first 7 years of my healing odyssey are chronicled in Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing, Hope and Possibility available on Amazon. I donate 50% of royalty payments to The One Fund Boston to help survivors and their families who were affected by the tragic events of 4/15/13.



My 2nd book, "Journey Well," is coming soon. 50% of book proceeds will be donated to AccesSportAmerica to help them continue their life changing programs:

Dear Veterans

Dear Veterans,

Thank you for letting me into your lives, your hearts and your souls. For almost 20 years I was privileged and blessed to serve you. You taught me so much about life, brotherhood, honor, living with vision loss, MS and so many other challenges both physical and emotional. It was often easier for you to show me your physical wounds. I had to gain your confidence as little by little you would trust me with what you considered to be your darkest secrets. Together we bore witness to what kept you up at night, caused you to startle during the day; we brought light, love and compassion to the burdens you carried of guilt and shame. Those burdens weighed more heavily on you than any rucksack you carried and kept you from knowing peace, joy and happiness.

What a privilege to work with the former Prisoners of War. The stories of 20 of the men who attended the Ex-POW support groups at the Boston VA Healthcare system is beautifully captured in Journey Out of Darkness: The Real Story of American Heroes in Hitler's POW Camps--An Oral History.


You can read their stories on line at the National Heritage Museum's website.

The self-proclaimed leader of the group and a fierce advocate for veterans in general and POW's in particular was Frank Molinari:



He would be in the Director's office every other week making sure that veterans were receiving the benefits and medical care that they were entitled to. He knew that I was also a fierce advocate for veterans and arranged for me to receive a Certificate of Award thanking me for my service:



I was always overwhelmed by the gratitude and appreciation you showed me for doing my job, making sure that because you did your job in such a selfless and courageous manor, you received the care and benefits you were entitled to.

Your family members allowed me to help them take care of you; so many of you suffered dementia in your later years. It broke my heart to see you slowly slip away and yet how you lived, all that you had done and shared live on forever in the hearts of those privileged to know you.

Thankfully there are oral history projects for veterans. One of my legally blind, Vietnam veterans is featured in the Natick Oral History Project along with veterans from every era from World War II to today. They include Peacetime Service and those who served on the Home Front. Each veteran holds a special place in our history whether or not they directly bore the brunt of battle. There is also the Veterans History Project through the Library of Congress. Please share your stories so that your service will be remembered and passed down from generation to generation.

I knew that I needed to pass the baton onto younger social workers who could tend to the wounds of the new generation of veterans. I know there are many good people to care for you in the VA and in the community. There are many organizations to help you heal now; many people doing incredible work on behalf of our nation's veterans and their families to ensure that you have a good quality of life and can find your way to your healing path.

When I told the POW's that I was leaving the VA, Frank asked to meet me with me one-on-one. He asked me if he needed to go to the Director to take care of anything that might have led to my decision to leave that was a result of the system. I smiled. I cried and I told him that I needed to go and tend to my physical and emotional wounds from polio and violence. On the last day of the Ex-POW group, they presented me with several gifts from their hearts to send me off into retirement. They gave me a gardening set, some things for cooking and an American Flag signed by all the members of the group.

The greatest gift they, and all of you, have given me and each of us is the gift of freedom.

Dear veterans - thank you from the bottom of my heart. May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you be safe. May you live with ease. And to all of our active duty military on this Veteran's Day, thank you for keeping us safe and free.

With my love and gratitude,
Mary

Three Weeks from Today

Three weeks from today I run for those who can't because I believe someday they will.

There is a climate of the collective consciousness for healing that is happening from stem cell transplantation to help a paralyzed man walk again, to exoskeletons to epidural stimulation. There are new clinical trials happening in cancer treatment. Scientists everywhere are setting their intentions on finding ways to help people heal. At MGH's Martinos Center, they are conducting studies on the positive outcomes of using complementary therapies.

There is always hope.

Please support me as I run the Boston Volvo Village 5K Run to benefit the Greater New England Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

I have been blessed with remarkable healing from the late effects of paralytic polio. I experience new neuromuscular connections and am able to build strength. I am blessed with a wonderful quality of life despite living with a spinal cord injury. I have access to phenomenal resources at Spaulding Rehab with their Aquatics Therapy program and Adaptive Sports program and weekly mind/body treatments at Sollievo Massage and Bodywork. Emotional support and healing modalities are crucial in the care and treatment of those living with a neuromuscular condition such as MS.

When we unlock the door to one condition, we can unravel the mysteries to other conditions.

I am training hard for this race and am hoping for a time of 46:45 or better, body and conditions willing. The goal that is more important to me though is meeting and exceeding my fund raising goal of $1000.




Please donate what you can and share with your friends and family. Together we can create a world of possibility and healing for those living with MS.

You can donate via my personal fund raising page.

Take a Chance

This afternoon I'm attending an informational meeting for Spaulding Rehab's Adaptive Sports Alpine Skiing program. Winter was my least favorite season. Until the winter of 2008/2009, I would hunker down, contracted, shivering and depressed waiting for winter to pass. I had difficulty regulating my thermostat as a result of the spinal cord injury from paralytic polio. I was terrified of ice because of the risk of a fall. When you drop to the ground paralyzed at age 5, it's hard to feel confidence, strength, joy and a desire to play outside during the winter months.

Training for the Boston Marathon changed all of that.

Courage January 5, 2009

The fear of ice and snow and slush embedded in my soul
a training run in winter - the path to Being whole.
A winter scene - Jamaica Pond - a feast for eyes' delight
to witness nature's splendor and behold this glorious sight.

A leaf - a tiny dancer - skating free without a sound
God's breath directs her movements as She guides her twirling 'round.
Families of ducks decide to walk or take a dip
a comedy of errors into icy water slip.

Branches now bejeweled though bare bend with loving Grace
sparkling diamonds' anchor water's surface hold in place.
God's hand a glove of glistening snow hugs rocks along the wall
their heads peek out reminding me I'm answering God's call.

A scene I'd never witness if I let my fear take hold
courage triumphed, steppin' out with footsteps sure and bold.
Knowing that the pain subsides and Spirit can prevail
the Marathon is beckoning - through those miles I shall sail.

I don't know if Alpine Skiing will be something for me. I've had a fear of heights but I don't want that to stop me from being able to experience a breathtaking view of nature in winter.

As with everything I've experienced during these past 8 years on this wild and wonderful healing odyssey, I don't know what's possible.

I'll never know -- until I take a chance.





The first 7 years of my healing odyssey are chronicled in Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing, Hope and Possibility available on Amazon. I donate 50% of royalty payments to The One Fund Boston to help survivors and their families who were affected by the tragic events of 4/15/13.



My 2nd book, "Journey Well," is coming soon. 50% of book proceeds will be donated to AccesSportAmerica to help them continue their life changing programs:

All Good Things

As we were saying goodbye after a strength building Joint Integrity Aquatics Therapy class at Spaulding, one of the older ladies said to me, "God bless Mary. All good things."

Yes - all good things.

Tom and I have faced remarkable hardships before we met and have weathered many storms during our 37 years of being together. We've also known good things in our lives. Tom likes to talk about the kindness of a thousand strangers who he met along his journey to go from leaving home in Spain at the age of 17 and finding his way back to the United States to build a life for himself. I've had incredible earth angels who have blessed my journey.

In my soon to be released book, "Journey Well", I talk about one angel, Joseph Stetz, who gave me the courage to start...

“The seeds planted in our youth never die. They bide their time until it is time to bloom.” ~Mary McManus

The Courage to Start June 10, 2014

It took a lot of courage for me choose to run the 5K rather than opt for the 2 mile walk at the Father Bullock Charity Run Walk Shuffle. It was an evening race. I was unfamiliar with the course and it was a relatively fast field although the last two runners to cross the finish line in 2013 and 2012 were at a pace well within my reach. They,however, were not part of the field on Sunday evening as I brought up the rear in style with a motorcycle police escort.

I was reflecting on where my courage to start comes from. In reading Bill Rodgers, “The Marathon Man” and Dave McGillivray's “The Last Pick”, they talk about the people who lit that spark within them helping them to believe in themselves. When I was 9 and 10 years old, I went to Badger Day Camp in Larchmont, New York. My physiatrist, Dr. Eugene Moskowitz, who was helping me to recover from paralytic polio, suggested the camp because of its emphasis on being an all-inclusive camp, having a low camper to counselor ratio and critical to my recovery, a strong emphasis on swimming. I learned how to swim at Badger. I always felt a part of the Camp community. Counselors created an atmosphere of acceptance for all abilities. They encouraged me to do what I could do on the athletic field. They helped me to hone my archery and riflery skills where I could easily earn medals. My time at Badger was a healing balm for the violence my body endured every night. It was also a healing balm for the bullying and teasing I endured in school as a survivor of polio.

Joseph Stetz was on his way to becoming an Olympian. Instead, he gave up becoming an Olympian to pursue his career as a doctor. I can only imagine how many lives he blessed in his career as a cardiothoracic surgeon at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Brighton, Massachusetts. He was my swimming counselor and in my 2nd and what would sadly be my last year at Badger due to health issues related to polio, he asked me to swim the butterfly in the Badger Olympics. I thought he was crazy. He explained to me that there were only two other campers signed up to compete in the butterfly in my division. He said that it didn't matter what my time was. He wanted me to go out there and swim the best that I could possibly swim. He said that I was guaranteed my place on the medal stand and that I would earn my bronze medal (which as I recall was a plaque) for having the courage to swim in a race that no one else would would sign on for. How could I refuse him? He was about 6'2" tall and in amazing physical shape with an incredibly handsome face and warm brown eyes. He told me that he would help me train for the event. He coached me on my form and breathing. He helped me to find the courage to jump off the starting block into the pool and coached me on what form would give me the best start. He "got" me and what I needed in order to succeed mind, body and Spirit.

Badger Olympics Day arrived. He helped to calm my nerves. We both knew that one way or another I was going to finish the race. As
I write this I can still remember the tremendous effort it took for me to finish that race. But I did it! I proudly took my place on the medal stand. Joseph gave me his address on the last day of Camp and encouraged me to stay in touch with him. I wrote to him about the medical challenges I was facing and he wrote back beautiful letters of support. He was in medical school at the time. We lost contact through the years until one day in December 2004, I was reading the Boston Globe and saw his obituary. I was stunned for so many reasons not the least of which was I worked as a psychiatric social worker at St. Elizabeth's Hospital where he was on staff as a cardiothoracic surgeon. He died at the age of 62 in a single car accident a few months after he retired.

There is a Joseph Stetz Memorial Scholarship that awards $1,000 to “one male and one female graduating senior who will be attending college in the fall. Selection criteria include swimming accomplishments, academic achievement, community service, and an essay on how swimming has had a positive impact on your scholastic and personal growth, all as further outlined in the application.”

His legacy lives on in so many ways!

I know I found the courage to start running and take on the challenge of the Boston Marathon because of the seeds he planted in my youth. I have been blessed to finish every training run and every race I ever started. I'm sure he's been watching over me. Never underestimate the impact you have on another person. It's been 50 years since Joseph invited me to swim the butterfly in the Badger Olympics, yet to this day, because of him, I have the courage to start over and over and over again! What sweet rewards we receive when we have the courage to start!

On Thanksgiving Day, I will be running by St. Elizabeth's Hospital as part of the Boston Volvo Village 5K Road Race. I am aiming for a PR and I will feel Joseph's energy and his belief and confidence in my athletic abilities as I run. I am raising money and awareness for the Greater New England Chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society running for those who can't so someday they will. Please help me reach my goal by donating to my personal fundraising page.




The first 7 years of my healing odyssey are chronicled in Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing, Hope and Possibility available on Amazon. I donate 50% of royalty payments to The One Fund Boston to help survivors and their families who were affected by the tragic events of 4/15/13.



My 2nd book, "Journey Well," is coming soon. 50% of book proceeds will be donated to AccesSportAmerica to help them continue their life changing programs:

Never lose sight of your goals!

When 2014 started out, I had no running goals. I was happy I was back on the roads but was not feeling well enough to think about goals. Coincidentally, the Nike+ on my Android was wonky and would add miles and reduce speed. It was an ironic reflection of where I was at the time in my healing journey. I was still working with a KMI structural integration practitioner believing that change came from the outside in. I did not have an accurate way to gauge where I was or to honestly monitor my progress.

As I edit my next book, "Journey Well," I see the transformation that took shape this year of reclaiming myself as a runner. When I ditched my Android for an iPhone and changed practitioners for mind/body therapy, I was finally able to move forward in my healing journey and in setting running goals.



Sometimes we are able to nail our goals. What an exhilarating week this has been for my friends who conquered the trails, caught the Unicorn and ran PR's. One of my friend's was going for a 5K under 50. There were gusting winds and rain. While she didn't reach her goal of an under 50 minute 5K, she did attain a PR under very challenging conditions. The running community cheered her on and congratulated her for an amazing performance. Her goal will be attained on another day. I tracked my friend John Young in the NYC Marathon. There were several times when the anticipated finish time went beyond his hoped for BQ time of a sub-6-hour marathon. He did get his BQ as we gathered as a community on Facebook to cheer him along. He had to drop out of the 2014 Boston Marathon because the flu gripped him at mile 10. He had trained all winter to finish the race from April 15, 2013. While he could not finish the race on Marathon Monday as he had hoped, he did go out and finished the race 19 days later .

"Oh there you are," Alain Ferry said as he rode out on his bike during the Bill Rodgers 5K to Benefit Prostate Cancer to provide support to me on my run. He was anticipating that, given the heat, I was not going to attain my goal of a PR that day. When I was close to reaching my goal, his love and support combined with having Tom by my side and the cheering of the crowds was a vortex of energy that pulled me toward the finish line. I was able to PR the race.

As I ran toward the finish line of the Tufts 10K, I heard Jess Lanzoni call out my name and then had two members of L Street screaming and cheering me on to the finish. I had nothing left in the tank and wanted to just finish. Their energy stirred the fumes or should I say the flames within me to go after my PR at full throttle.

One of the beautiful things about the running community is that we are always there for each other whether or not the goal is attained on any particular day. There are so many variables that go into whether or not we can attain our goal on any given day. We are loved, beloved and supported no matter the time on the clock. What is most important though is that as runners and in our lives, we never give up and we never lose sight of our goals.


I have my sights set on another 5K PR when I run the Boston Volvo Village 5K Road Race on Thanksgiving to benefit the Greater New England Chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society. Please help me reach my fund raising goal by making a donation to my personal page.

In February of 2008, I set the goal to run the 2009 Boston Marathon. My journey is chronicled in Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing, Hope and Possibility available on Amazon. I donate 50% of proceeds to The One Fund to help survivors and their families affected by the events of April 15, 2013.

Running with Passion and Purpose

The rain changed over to snow. Wind gusts were gusting and Tom and I were deciding whether or not to 1. Go out on a run at all. 2. Just drive the course for the Boston Volvo Village 5K Road Race and run closer to home. 3. Drive the route and then run it.

We decided to at least drive the course of the race that I am running on Thanksgiving morning to benefit the Greater New England MS Society.
As the snow became more steady and was mixed with rain, as the winds picked up, something picked up inside of me and I told Tom that I had to get out there and get my run on today.

I thought about the veterans with MS that I worked with at the VA. Several of my friends live with the challenge of MS. My dear friend John Young is racing the New York City Marathon today. He is chasing the Unicorn hoping for a Boston Qualifier. I promised him that we would run together and I would be sending him energy while I was out on my run this morning. I thought of my friends running New York especially Amy Yok-Ming Wong race walking with Joyce Chu who lives with Parkinson's Disease. Joyce fell during her training and had surgery but she vowed that she would be out there for her final NYC Marathon running for Team Fox for research for Parkinson's Disease.

Living with a neuromuscular condition can really bite sometimes. I know how fortunate I am to be able to go out there and run. Was I going to let a little (okay well maybe a lot) of wind and snow and rain stop me from doing my run? Absolutely not! Fortunately Tom is as crazy as me and agreed to do the run with me.

I felt invigorated being out there in the driving snow. Fortunately, I had gone to Marathon Sports Brookline for warm weather gear. I especially love my Saucony gloves that convert to mittens. They're called glittens:



Last year we bought matching Janji hats because we believe in running for another and they keep us warm and dry:



I layered with my Sugoi pullover and running tights.

The snow pelted us in the face and our jackets were soaked before the one mile mark but there was no turning back. We braved the winds and the snow stopping for a moment in the bus stop shelters to catch our breath and hydrate. We tried to navigate puddles but since it had been raining since yesterday and leaves had stopped up drains there was no way around the puddles; sometimes splashing through an obstacle is the best way to go.

As I ran through puddles, as my hands were cold and at times the snow stung my eyes, I felt strong and determined to do this training run today. I was able to do it. My body was able to hold its temperature; pretty amazing given that with a spinal cord injury, it's been a challenge to regulate my thermostat. I loved the course which is relatively flat thank goodness.

I'm hoping that today's training run will inspire you to donate to my run to benefit those living with MS and to fund much needed research to find a cure for MS. I know that when we find the key to one neuromuscular condition, we open the door to discovery of treating other conditions.

Here is the link to my personal page. Any amount is greatly appreciated.

It's amazing what can happen when you run with passion and purpose!

ps John Young got his BQ today!


The first 7 years of my healing odyssey are chronicled in Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing, Hope and Possibility available on Amazon. I donate 50% of royalty payments to The One Fund Boston to help survivors and their families who were affected by the tragic events of 4/15/13.



My 2nd book, "Journey Well," is coming soon. 50% of book proceeds will be donated to AccesSportAmerica to help them continue their life changing programs: