Run Bermuda! Run Happy!: Running is My Therapy

"Happiness is different from pleasure. Happiness has something to do with struggling and enduring and accomplishing." - George Sheehan



After a very serious knee injury in December of 2014 which indicated on MRI that I had shredded cartilage in my left knee, an atrophied gastroc muscle as a result of paralytic polio, bone spurs, degenerative changes from multiple surgeries, a fatty lipoma underneath the knee cap, and osteoarthritic changes in the knee joint. The recommendation from a Western Medicine physician was to stop running, get physical therapy and wait until the joint deteriorated enough to require a total knee replacement. By his calculations that would have been in about two years. The knee was "too far gone" to benefit from any possible surgical intervention. He knew that I wouldn't give up running so he told me to cap my distance at a 5K or at the very most a 5 miler and begrudgingly sent me off with a script for physical therapy.

I was blessed to experience the physical therapist from hell whose clinical style was rough shod at best and whose bedside manner left a lot to be desired.

Despite the messages I was receiving from Western Medicine, my non-runner friends, Aquatics Therapy staff and the massage therapist I was working with at the time, I just knew I had to find a way to get back to running - to going the distance in my healing journey from the effects of paralytic polio and trauma and on the roads.

Why you may ask? Why was I so passionate about being a part of the sport I feel in love with at the age of 53.

There's magic in running shoes.



For years I was a prisoner in my body, trapped by the residuals of having contracted paralytic polio at age 5 followed 3 years later by unrelenting violence at the hands of family members.

Running set me free. It didn't matter that I couldn't run fast; what mattered was that I could run, be a part of races and, when once I experienced jeers and taunts as a polio survivor, I now can experience cheers!

I asked the Universe for help and what I had written about in my poems about running unencumbered and free, being free from the shackles of my past and reclaiming my life from those who tried to take my life began to come into physical manifestation thanks to Dr. Ryan J. Means, a chiropractor.

He turned me onto the work of Dr. Joe Dispenza. Rather than fearing my body wouldn't be able to heal from the knee injury or that I would reinjure myself if I dared to go the distance again, I rediscovered the power of Divine Intelligence within me. It was that same Intelligence that I used to dissolve a breast tumor shortly after being diagnosed with Post-Polio Syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease by Western Medicine standards almost 11 years ago. It was the same Divine Intelligence that we used to grow a new gastroc muscle.

It's the same Divine Intelligence that I focus on during my morning and evening meditation seeing myself as healed, healthy, whole and free from the effects of paralytic polio and trauma and it's the same Divine Intelligence that enabled me to move beyond feeling ill two weeks ago before our scheduled long run.

Today I wrapped up another week of training on the road to the Bermuda Marathon Weekend.

It's been a different kind of training week with Tom off on a business trip in Las Vegas.

On Sunday, Ruth Anne and I went to the Newbury Street Boston Sports Club. Unfortunately there was no Arc Trainer available so we did 20 minutes on the Bike, took a break and did another 30 minutes on the bike getting in our rigorous 50 minute cardiovascular workout.

We did our usual strength training on Monday and yesterday did a terrific Tuesday tempo run. With cooler temperatures we were able to pick up our pace:



Ruth Anne is scheduled to run with a friend on Wednesdays and Tom and I do our run. I switched it up since Tom wasn't here and was planning to cross train in the pool. However, Ruth Anne's friend was unable to run with her this morning due to a sore hip. Since I was up early anyway, I decided to go on an easy run with her. It was the first time I've run two days in a row in the longest time.


A light rain fell and we watched the sky shift as the weather moved out of the area. We had a wonderful time talking and embracing the start of a new day, leaving our troubles on the road and feeling incredibly accomplished that we wrapped up another successful week of training.

I can't imagine my life without running in it. Having big goals like the Bermuda Half Marathon in January 2018 followed by the Hyannis 10K in February keep me motivated and happy. Running is my life - running is my therapy

Go the distance with strength and courage!
~Mary

Be sure to visit my website by following this link.

My books are available on Amazon.

Feel the Heal: An Anthology of Poems to Heal Your Life


Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing Hope and Possibility that chronicles the first 7 years of my healing journey:


And my latest and greatest book - Going the Distance: The Power of Endurance (With a Foreword by Jacqueline Hansen):

Going the Distance: Never Tell Me the Odds

The deck was stacked against me since I contracted polio at the age of 5 years old. Dropping to the ground with no warning in Kindergarten class on June 3, 1959 began the challenges I would have to face throughout my life. Three years later my father became alcoholic and 9 years of emotional, physical, sexual and spiritual assaults followed until his suicide when I was 17 years old. Ten years ago I was diagnosed with Post-Polio Syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease by Western Medicine Standards.

My life in many ways has been like an adventure movie. I have battled evil, fought for my life, and take on incredible challenges like running the 2009 Boston Marathon against all odds shortly after coming out of a wheelchair and a leg brace and having been told that I would spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair, or training for a threepeat of the Bermuda Half Marathon.

Every time that somebody told me I shouldn't or couldn't do something, I turned around and said, "Watch me now."

I'll be turning 64 years old on Christmas Day. As I realize that I've lived more of my life than I have yet to live, it's a wonderful time to take a look back at the incredible tapestry of my life.

The odds of becoming high school valedictorian after having contracted paralytic polio and fighting for my life every night were quite slim. The odds of being honored by Alpha Sigma Nu, the Jesuit Honor Society at Boston College after needing 4 years to complete my MSW having suffered a 6 week hospital stay and having nearly lost the use of my right arm due to a misdiagnosed staph infection were quite slim. I was told I wouldn't/shouldn't/couldn't run again after a serious knee injury in December of 2014 yet here I am now training 5 days a week for a threepeat of the 2018 Bermuda Marathon Weekend. It takes dedication, hard work, perseverance, fierce determination to beat the odds. At times, it's a messy and uncertain journey that requires trusting The Force with all of my heart and soul.



And speaking of that pesky knee injury in December of 2014 ... I was told that my MRI indicated, among many other things, an atrophied gastroc muscle. "That's been atrophied since you had the polio," a doctor declared with great certainty. In a cavalier tone and gesture he went on to say, "You'll never get that back."

Never tell me the odds especially when blessed to find my way to a most remarkable chiropractor, Dr. Ryan J. Means who in an equal cavalier manner told me to set goals not limits. We decided that together we would grow a new gastroc muscle. With faith, KT tape,


visualization and gastroc strengthening exercises, we have indeed grown a new gastroc muscle!

Obstacles are a part of life. Battling the odds so that, much like in a Star Wars or Indiana Jones, integrity, goodness and The Force prevail is all a part of life's journey. At times in my life the odds were against me but I look beyond circumstances and the odds. So please never tell me the odds because I'll tell you this...I have and will continue to triumphantly beat them at every turn!

Go the distance with strength and courage!
~Mary

Be sure to visit my website by following this link.

My books are available on Amazon.

Feel the Heal: An Anthology of Poems to Heal Your Life


Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing Hope and Possibility that chronicles the first 7 years of my healing journey:


And my latest and greatest book - Going the Distance: The Power of Endurance (With a Foreword by Jacqueline Hansen):

Run Bermuda! Run Happy! On Hope & Confidence and Buffalo Wings

By all appearances, I should not be running Half Marathons at the age of almost 64 years old after the diagnosis 10 years of Post-Polio Syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease by Western Medicine Standards. As Anthony Raynor, Race Director for Bermuda Marathon Weekend said when he was at our house recently for lunch, "You sure know how to mess up people's credibility."

As Walt Disney once said, "It's kind of fun to do the impossible."

During my meditations, I have been focusing on healing, confidence and hope knowing that I can go the distance on the road to my threepeat of the Bermuda Half Marathon 2018. Last week's training run was a tremendous confidence booster! I realize now my body had been fighting a virus all week long; to go out and get in the miles and complete my training plan without missing a beat was quite the accomplishment!

Waking up this morning and feeling well after a week of feeling under the weather due to stress, seeing beautiful blue skies, low humidity and sunshine was a gift. I expressed my gratitude during morning meditation. We did our core work, had our breakfast, packed up our hydration and fueling and out the front door we went. We were planning to just stay at the small reservoir and do 6 loops but halfway through, Ruth Anne and I needed to make a pit stop. We decided to finish with 3 loops, take a pit stop at home and then finish our run around the big reservoir at Cleveland Circle.

"What does my Nike+ say?" I asked Ruth Anne.

"3.00 miles."

"What? We had our water stop at 3 miles awhile ago. How is that possible?"

Tom checked his Garmin. "We're at 3.86 miles."

"Oh no," I groaned. "It didn't restart after I hit resuming workout after 3 miles."

We realized we'd have to go by his Garmin rather than my Nike+ for total distance.

Do you ever wonder about the conversations that happen during a Team McManus training run?

Sometimes we work out different issues we need to address or talk politics, music, sports or current events.

We enjoy being together and love the special time of being unplugged, out in nature, doing something so wonderful for mind, body and soul. What a thrill to have our sights set on Bermuda Marathon Weekend.

We do have one cardinal rule for conversation on our training runs. There is no talking about "what's for lunch" until we our halfway through the run.

Ruth Anne broke that rule today and all she could say well before we hit the 4 mile mark was how much she wanted wings for lunch today.

We talked about the pros and cons of having wings as part of a post long run meal.

"Did you guys ever want wings when you were training last year?" Ruth Anne asked.

"Did we ever. I don't know what it was but we would go to Pace's in the Seaport area after running Castle Island and South Boston and I had to have wings."

Well rules are made to be broken right and we started talking about foods we'd eat after our long runs last year.

After our pit stop we picked up the pace and ran down Eliot Street to the Cleveland Circle Reservoir.

What a beautiful day with geese, turtles, the sun glistening off of the Reservoir and Team McManus getting in our miles.

After a 1.6 mile loop it was time to calculate how much farther we needed to run to meet our 8 mile goal for the day.

Tom miscalculated how much extra we needed to do at the Reservoir and we hit the 8 mile mark before we were back at home.

Rather than use it as a cool down, I suggested we keep going.

As we do at the end of every training run as we approach the "finisher's chute" we imagine how we are going to feel in Bermuda.

We join hands and raise them high in triumphant jubilation.

At the end of today's run we deposited 8.2 miles in the Bank of Bermuda.



And do you know what we had with our salad and smoothies for lunch?

Buffalo and bbq wings - what else?

We feel incredibly accomplished and move forward on the road to Bermuda with hope, confidence, faith and optimism knowing that a threepeat of Bermuda (and Ruth Anne's first Bermuda Half Marathon) is well within our reach.

Go the distance with strength and courage!
~Mary

Be sure to visit my website by following this link.

My books are available on Amazon.

Feel the Heal: An Anthology of Poems to Heal Your Life


Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing Hope and Possibility that chronicles the first 7 years of my healing journey:


And my latest and greatest book - Going the Distance: The Power of Endurance (With a Foreword by Jacqueline Hansen):

Run Bermuda! Run Happy! On Strength, Persistence and Goals!

Sometimes it feels as though life is going to crush us but then we have the opportunity to turn around and crush goals!

I thought my life was over after the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease by Western Medicine Standards in December of 2006.

I got still, asked for Divine Guidance, wrote poetry, and set an incredible goal to run the 2009 Boston Marathon. I had completed outpatient therapy at Spaulding Rehab and hired a personal trainer.

After meeting my goals for the first 6 months of our work together, my personal trainer asked me about my next goals. "I want to be free in my body. I want to be able to walk outside unencumbered. I want to dance again (I was a ballerina before contracting paralytic polio at the age of 5). I want to diversify my workouts .... Janine wrote everything down and had gathered up her things. She had her hand on the door knob and I said, "Wait. I have one more goal."

Did you ever have one of those moments when words fell out of your mouth after rising up from the depths of your soul without going through any thought process whatsoever? Well that's what happened to me as I said, 'And I want to run the Boston Marathon next year for Spaulding Rehab. I hear they have a Race for Rehab team.'

And so it began - my journey from a survivor of paralytic polio and severe childhood trauma to becoming a runner!

I was playing around on Facebook today for #tbt and came up with this array of photos:

Christmas 2007 shortly after I hired my personal trainer:


Boston Marathon 2009:


Team McManus then and now training for Bermuda Marathon Weekend 2018:


And Bermuda Marathon Weekend 2016 and 2017:


At any point along this ten year healing odyssey, I could have given up and nobody would have blamed me!

Instead, I harness the power of my Fiery Spirit and persistence to set bigger and bigger goals!

On Saturday it will be 8 great miles on the road to my threepeat of the Bermuda Half Marathon.

After Bermuda, Team McManus will be heading once again to Camp Hyannis - Hyannis Marathon Weekend! Ruth Anne will be running the Half with her friend and Tom and I will be taking on the 10K.

Strength - persistence and goals - going the distance and garnering more stories for The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953!

Go the distance with strength and courage!
~Mary

Be sure to visit my website by following this link.

My books are available on Amazon.

Feel the Heal: An Anthology of Poems to Heal Your Life


Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing Hope and Possibility that chronicles the first 7 years of my healing journey:


And my latest and greatest book - Going the Distance: The Power of Endurance (With a Foreword by Jacqueline Hansen):

Going the Distance: "The Adventures of Runnergirl1953"

Tom and Ruth Anne have been encouraging me to write another book.


On a recent training run, the inspiration came to us that my next book needs to be a lighter look at my running career focusing on the redemptive power of running in my life. There are many back stories that need to be compiled and shared sprinkled with inspirational running quotes that have fueled my journey. In "The Adventures of Runnergirl1953," I'll briefly take you back to when I contracted paralytic polio and the champions from my youth, to the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome and becoming inspired to run the race of a lifetime - the 2009 Boston Marathon! I'll share stories from those early races and never before told stories around my Boston Marathon run.

I'll weave together running triumphs and the major setback of a serious knee injury in December of 2014 that was supposed to sideline me for the rest of my days.

And then it will be onto my running comeback of a lifetime - Bermuda Marathon Weekend followed by the Hyannis 10K, training for and completing my 2nd Bermuda Half Marathon 2017 and moving forward to Bermuda Half Marathon and Hyannis 10K 2018.

In my previous memoirs, I focused on the people and modalities that were helping me to achieve my goals. In "The Adventures of Runnergirl1953," the spotlight will be on me with the theme of the power of the Spirit and what happens when we harness ourselves to the Source of all that is!

I love writing my books in real time. Through the power of my pen, I am actually creating my future.

By taking a look back, I inspire myself with all that I've already accomplished during these past 10 years since the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease by Western Medicine Standards, and, because I will be chronicling our road to a threepeat of the Bermuda Half Marathon, I'm setting myself up for success while sharing the joys and struggles that accompany training for any endurance event. Writing is my therapy, my passion and my joy!

Facebook reminds me that this time last year I was writing "Going the Distance: The Power of Endurance."

It's time to begin once again with a blank page. Every finish line is a starting line.

I'm so very excited to go the distance as I write the next chapters of my life!

Go the distance with strength and courage!
~Mary

Be sure to visit my website by following this link.

My books are available on Amazon.

Feel the Heal: An Anthology of Poems to Heal Your Life


Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing Hope and Possibility that chronicles the first 7 years of my healing journey:


And my latest and greatest book - Going the Distance: The Power of Endurance (With a Foreword by Jacqueline Hansen):

Going the Distance: When our stressings become our blessings! A whole new world!

At the age of 85, Dr. Carl O. Helvie is still thriving as a lung cancer survivor who was told he had 6 months to live over 40 years ago. I sent him a birthday wish on Facebook. He thanked me and told me that he has a link to the interview I did with him in his latest book in a chapter on Faith.

I had no idea that the interview was still available! I listened again to the interview before mine with Dr. Harold G. Koenig. Dr. Koenig is a psychiatrist who heads up research on spirituality and healing at Duke University.

I listened to my interview again. What a blessing to experience Carl's gentle Spirit and compassion while bringing forth my story to inspire others. We talked about faith, gratitude, and my journey with the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease by Western Medicine standards. We talked about how poetry helped me to transform my life, healing my life through the power of my pen, my Divining rod for healing as inspirational poetry poured out of me once I got still and asked for Divine Guidance shortly after receiving the diagnosis.

In both interviews, Carl addressed how people get to choose what path they want to take in the wake of a diagnosis and the role that spirituality plays in that choice.

I was initially devastated by the diagnosis and the recommendation that I leave my award winning career as a VA social worker. But then, in February of 2007, a whole new world opened before me as I tapped the creative part of my soul, reconnected with God in my life and ignited the flame of possibility that I could and would live a vibrant and full life regardless of appearances.

Gratitude and appreciation, taking absolutely nothing for granted and embracing what was happening to me were the keys to opening the door to my whole new world.

I was grateful for the gift of polio in my life and then the gift of Post-Polio Syndrome that led me to the path of healing and wellness and to discovering the sport of running in my life!

Talk about a blessing! I've met the most amazing people, developed incredible friendships, run with champions and incorporated travel with the joy of races.

As I continue to challenge myself, and share my healing story, I inspire others and let people know, as Carl has, that a diagnosis does not define or dictate our health outcomes. We get to choose our path!

A Well Chosen Path from "Feel the Heal: An Anthology of Poems to Heal Your Life":

PPS, MS, cancer stroke and more
many diagnoses exist in the doctor’s store
does diagnosis shape and a cripple does it make
or do I use the pain to choose the path I want to take?

No matter what the outcome there’s no way I can fail
for when I take the hand of God through adversity I sail.
The body is imperfect but my soul is shining free
there’s never any limit to the true essence of me.
I get in tune and get in step knowing every limb is healed
running wildly with the wind embracing flowers in the field.

I love myself beyond all words a message says to live
and from my open grateful heart to others do I give.

Life challenges us! Often times we would prefer to not have the challenges but when we embrace them, allow them to transform and awaken us, the door to a whole new world opens before us.

Go the distance with strength and courage!
~Mary

Be sure to visit my website by following this link.

My books are available on Amazon.

Feel the Heal: An Anthology of Poems to Heal Your Life


Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing Hope and Possibility that chronicles the first 7 years of my healing journey:


And my latest and greatest book - Going the Distance: The Power of Endurance (With a Foreword by Jacqueline Hansen):

Run Bermuda! Run Happy! You know you can go the distance when...

You wake up in the morning on the day of your long run and the room is spinning. You're sweating. Your stomach feels queasy and you have a headache. It'd been an incredibly stressful week but let me add that I am learning it is not the stress but how I respond to it. Sometimes stress builds and it's hard to get footing!

My entire schedule was thrown off. There were things that were triggers for me from the summer of 1971 going forward after my father's suicide, and as I lay in bed I remembered similar sensations from when we were training for the Boston Marathon.

We were scheduled for a 16 miler. It was shortly after my brother spent Christmas at our house. It was not a warm and fuzzy family visit and when I woke up on the day of our long run I remember feeling nauseous and dizzy and wondering how I was going to be able to get the training run in. I even wrote a poem about it as I did during so many junctures on our road to the Boston Marathon to help inspire me and get me fired up.

Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Sixteen Miles
Polio, post polio, cancer scare and more
Mind, body, spirit memories that inside cells did store.
Personal trainer, energy healer, a faith deep in my soul
Teachers You have sent to me to help me now be whole.

Brother here for Christmas and a change in our routine
The past alive in conversation - need to keep my soul pristine.
Focusing on goodness and see only love and light
Dispelling past and future keep the moment now in sight.

Sixteen miles – a training run – not feeling at my best
Wanted to just stay in bed and get a little rest.
Temperatures were mild but strong headwind in our face
I felt Your Loving Presence and surrounded by Your grace.

Dizziness came over me the first time 'round the track
Hydration and dig deep within to bring the present back.
Release the doubts, the fears inside-time for wounds to heal
Fulfill my highest purpose – my power now I feel.

Listen to my iPod the shuffle songs my friend
Hear You speaking to me – to Your Voice I now attend.
The power of the wind is strong, but I am stronger yet
My mind and Spirit drive me, my determination set.

As Team McManus journeyed on,we felt You as our guide
Guarding every foot step,running by our side.
And when this run was over, we saw the Truth so clear
We can run the Boston Marathon, the finish line is near!

Well that day I completed the training run and felt an incredible sense of accomplishment.

Drawing on my strength from that day and taking time to meditate before anybody else in the house got up using the tools that Dr. Joe Dispenza shares, I knew that I needed to think greater than my circumstances. I remembered Dr. Candace Pert's book, The Molecules of Emotion. I knew that everything stirring within me emotionally was contributing to my feeling queasy and unwell.

I called a Team meeting and explained to Ruth Anne and Tom what was going on with me. Ruth Anne lovingly and compassionately asked me if we should switch up the long run with our cross training day tomorrow. I knew that was not an option. Together we asked for God's strength to get us all through the training run but especially me. I shared some tears and some fears and then we got to work.

Core work and a good breakfast helped to revive me along with hydration and reminding myself that:



I thought about my friend Thor who is running the Fenway park Marathon with Chronic Lyme disease and I thought about all of my overcoming physical sensations in my body and healing the effects of paralytic polio and trauma. We set intentions for the run and planned out our route. We decided that we are going to train by going out the front door and creating routes around our neighborhood and beyond that do not require getting in the car before our run.

You know you can go the distance when you log onto Facebook and see a photo of Geoffrey Smith, Boston Marathon champion who is the record holder for the Bermuda Marathon Weekend 10K with Race director Anthony Raynor and Clarence Smith who joined us for lunch a few weeks ago at the Falmouth Road Race Expo:



I wrote this post: #runbermuda #runhappy A wonderful motivation for today's 7.5 miler! Thanks Geoffrey Smith and Race Director Anthony Raynor! Have a great weekend in Falmouth! See you in January at Bermuda Marathon Weekend!

A member of our runner family, Jacqui Kennedy replied, "Sending loads of positive thoughts, good vibes and prayers out for you today! Happy 7.5! 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️"

For a little extra motivation, I went to my Youtube channel and chose to post this video on Facebook:



I knew that would generate energy and well wishes.

Once on our run, I began to feel better. There was nobody around the small reservoir on Route 9 and it was so peaceful to just run. We decided we would do 6 loops around and then finish up on the street in front of our home.

"Wait - it's a sign," Ruth Anne called out.

She's been finding money reminding Team McManus that God is guiding our journey as She had in 2008-2009 on the road to the Boston Marathon.

There in the dirt Ruth Anne noticed a figure that matched the route of the Bermuda Half Marathon:



During our first 3 miles, clouds prevailed but then the sun broke through and there was 86% humidity.

I kept thinking about my post run ice bath while also paying exquisite attention to hydration and fueling.

After the run we were feeling oh so accomplished having deposited 7.5 miles in the Bank of Bermuda:


This morning, this photo was in my memory news feed about why hard days are the best shared by my dear friend and an elite runner, Reno Stirrat:



You know you can go the distance when you believe, when you know you have a village cheering you on and a great Team to train with every week. You know you can go the distance when you think greater than your circumstances and keep your eye on the prize - a threepeat of the Bermuda Half Marathon.

Go the distance with strength and courage!
~Mary

Be sure to visit my website by following this link.

My books are available on Amazon.

Feel the Heal: An Anthology of Poems to Heal Your Life


Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing Hope and Possibility that chronicles the first 7 years of my healing journey:


And my latest and greatest book - Going the Distance: The Power of Endurance (With a Foreword by Jacqueline Hansen):