Thankful Thursday - I am so grateful for what this body can do!

When I first hired a personal trainer in October of 2007 after being discharged from outpatient rehabilitation treatment for the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome, I wondered out loud with Janine if there was anything more we could do. She told me that I was too young to not be able to get off of a toilet seat without assistance or to be able to independently get off of the couch. She said that my body's limitations were the limitations she'd expect to see in a 75 year old - not a 53 year old! She answered my question with a Henry Ford quote, 'Whether you think you can or you think you can't you're right."

I couldn't pass the initial fitness assessment but Janine was determined to work with me. At our first training session she said, "Let's see what this body can do!"

I am SO grateful for what this body has done and continues to do.

I'm writing "The Adventures of Runnergirl1953" taking a look back at my 10 years of running and sharing my story of resilience, courage, strength, trials and tribulations and triumphs. There are treasured moments and memories from numerous races throughout the years that I am excited to share with you in my latest book.

My 3rd Bermuda Half Marathon in as many years took quite a toll on me. I am recovering well and, throughout moments of every day I give thanks to my body for what I can do. The pain in my back and muscle spasms have resolved. I celebrate being able to put something in the trash barrel, making the bed or even sitting comfortably in a chair and I am grateful for what this body can do.

The pain in my hip and groin area is resolving.

During yesterday's chiropractic treatment with Dr. Lizzie Sobel Dr. Lizzie pointed out how the pain in our bodies makes the loudest noise. We agreed that we need to turn up the volume on all that our bodies can do through the practice of gratitude!

Rather than keeping my attention focused on the pain in my hip and groin area, I give thanks and celebrate how the pain is lessening and doing a body scan for ALL the areas of my body where there is no pain and for all that functions so well as I go about my day.

My body gave me 5 fabulous workouts this week. My body enables me to get up in the morning, put my feet on the floor, stretch, go down the stairs, empty the dishwasher (without back pain!) and so much more.

One of the first poems I wrote was called The Gift of Polio:

The Gift of Polio
Thank you God for the gift of polio that brought me so close to you
while paralyzed I saw your face no matter what I’d do
Many wonderful healers you sent them to me at age 5
perseverance and triumph life’s lessons learned
but my Spirit could not yet thrive.

At age 53 the gift was sent to me a second time
having time to sit and feel to heal I started to rhyme.
The second time felt worse than the first
yet your love and wisdom I found
out of pain and weakness and fatigue a remarkable spirit rebound.

Reliving all the trauma of special shoes and such
I discovered remarkable healers who brought a loving touch.
I had no clue I had such strength and the ability to grow
no matter what the outcome deep gratitude I show.

This gift so precious I live a new life gratitude flows from me
my heart and soul are filled with grace each day’s a gift from thee.

Contracting polio, enduring 9 years of violence as a child, and then receiving the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome were blessings and gifts in my life. I would not have become the woman I am today without these gifts and I certainly would not have the appreciation and gratitude for what this body can do! In all likelihood I would take movement and freedom from pain for granted and perhaps focus even more on the aches and pains that are inevitably a part of life.

Instead I am so grateful for my healing over these past 11 years and am so deeply grateful for all that this body CAN do!

To your health and wellness
From my heart to yours,
Mary

Proud to be a part of Friends of Blue Diamond Athletic Displays, Inc. Be sure to visit us at Booth 758 during Boston Marathon Weekend.

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):

I adopt the pace of nature - Patience

Even though the calendar says March 25th, it does not feel like Spring here in New England. There is still snow on the ground, the air is cold and the trees are barren still worn from the recent spate of storms we've had since January. There is a hint of Spring in the air with more hours of daylight and the birds singing early in the morning. Many are asking when is Spring ever going to get here but when we adopt the pace of nature, we are patient. The warmth of Spring and the burst of colors is that much sweeter when we have gone through the recent rough patch of winter. We can experience the joyous anticipation of Spring in the smallest hints of green shoots poking their head through the ground or feeling the warmth of Springtime sun even though the air is still cold. We know the sweet reward that awaits us when we are patient.

I am on the mailing list for a lot of races and see a lot of my favorite races in my Facebook news feed. Last year I ran The Michael K. Aselton 5K on Cape Cod Memorial Day Weekend for the first time. The Corrib Pub 5K was the first race I ever ran 10 years ago. Finish at the 50 on July 3rd holds many special memories for me.

I must wait to sign up for any races until I completely heal from the issues that plagued me during and after running my 3rd consecutive Bermuda Half Marathon.

I would not trade running in the 2018 Bermuda Half Marathon to be able to run races right now. It was a triumphant race for me and demonstrated to me that the body achieves what the mind believes. I dug deep getting myself to the starting line and enjoyed every moment and every mile of the 13.1 course along Bermuda's scenic race course.

Now I need to be patient. I know that every day in every way I heal. I'm swimming, doing the bike and doing strength training. Weather and body permitting I get out and do a very slow and easy 5K. I see my chiropractor weekly and meditate 3 times a day visualizing complete healing. It's a miracle that I am a runner given the diagnosis I received 11 years ago; Post-Polio Syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease.

After I ran the Boston Marathon I was a physical wreck but oh so very happy with my accomplishment. I saw my cervical spine doctor for another trigger injection, and he referred me to a wonderful physical therapist. She told me that I had to take time off from running to build strength and allow my body to heal after the rigors of training for a marathon having had a zero base of running. I was patient and adhered to the PT regimen she recommended. By June of 2010 I was back on the roads feeling wonderful.



I look forward to when I'll be crossing another finish line with hands held high as Team McManus with my bestie Tom by my side.

But for now - I adopt the pace of nature. Her secret is patience.


To your health and wellness
From my heart to yours,
Mary

Proud to be a part of Friends of Blue Diamond Athletic Displays, Inc. Be sure to visit us at Booth 758 during Boston Marathon Weekend.

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):

Reflections On My Ten Year Runiversary

While writing "The Adventures of Runnergirl1953", I realized that it's my 10th anniversary of running; a wonderful time to pause (especially since I am recovering from my 3rd consecutive Bermuda Half Marathon) and reflect on all that the sport of running has brought into my life.

I was a stranger to athletics. I contracted paralytic polio at the age of 5 followed by enduring years of violence at the hands of family members. In order to survive the trauma, I had to dissociate from my body. While I needed to sacrifice my mind/body connection in order to survive, I paid a steep price and was diagnosed 11 years ago with Post-Polio Syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease. Hearing that I should prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair was a wake up call to make serious changes in my life.

I had never run a day in my life nor did I ever think that I would become a runner until, I got still and asked for Divine Guidance in February of 2006. The poem, "Running the Race," flowed out of me.

I was confused at first about why I was writing a poem about Running the Race especially this stanza:
Using wheelchair to travel, set limits on what I could do,
resulted in joy to realize I could live life anew.
Celebrated my body- creaks, groans and need for a brace
While in my mind I focused on winning a 10K race.

Poetry flowed out of me at warped speed and I imagined myself feeling whole, healed, free, dancing in the rain and running unencumbered.

Yet I still sat in a leg brace, using a cane, and at times, a wheelchair for mobility.

After being discharged from Spaulding Rehab's Outpatient care and hiring a personal trainer, I set the goal to run the 2009 Boston Marathon. Crazy huh?

I started with absolutely no running base and nothing to draw from in my muscle memory so I watched Forrest Gump:


Such powerful imagery for me to see the leg braces breaking away. I had been in a full metal leg brace on my left leg for 3 years after contracting polio.

When I told my trainer that I had one more goal at my 6 month fitness evaluation, having improved in every area of the assessment - a miracle in and of itself - she could have told me I was crazy to have such a lofty dream.

Instead she sent me to Marathon Sports Brookline to trade in my polio shoes with a toe up leg brace for my first ever pair off running shoes.

I went from 30 seconds of running in March of 2008 to being able to cross the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon!



Along the way we've met running greats:


and run Bermuda - 3 times


We've collected a lot of bling:


and made incredible friendships through the years...


One of our treasured friendships is with Ken and Nell Posmer, the creators of Blue Diamond Athletic Displays, Inc.


We will be helping them out at this year's Boston Marathon Expo - Booth 758!

I've collected cherished memories, and developed treasured friendships, pushed myself harder and overcome many obstacles and injuries going the distance in ways I never imagined I could as a survivor of paralytic polio and trauma.

It's been a glorious ten years of blood, sweat and tears


joyous triumphs of starting lines and finish lines.



I am so blessed and grateful for what the sport of running has given to me and what I have given to the sport of running.

I can't wait to see what the next 10 years will bring!

To your health and wellness
From my heart to yours,
Mary

Proud to be a part of Friends of Blue Diamond Athletic Displays, Inc. Be sure to visit us at Booth 758 during Boston Marathon Weekend.

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):

The Book Launch of "Dream Big"

I am so blessed and grateful to be part of a village that believes in doing good and making this world a better place--who create light out of the darkness of tragedy and who live their lives with Truth, integrity and Love. I'm still feeling the glow of last night's book launch for "Dream Big" a true story of courage and determination written by Dave McGillivray and Nancy Feehrer.

Tom and I walked into Tresca's Restaurant in the North End and were greeted by Scott Middlemiss, founder of The Joseph Middlemiss Big Heart Foundation, Inc. We've been Facebook friends connected through the Gilbreths who we "just happened" to be standing next to at the starting line of the Bermuda Half Marathon. They were wearing their Big Heart Foundation t-shirts. I knew about the Middlemiss family through my friendship with Dave McGillivray. Tom offered to take their photos:


Scott remembered the connection as well as our Facebook connection. We agreed it was great to meet in person. Scott commented with humility and warmth, that there were all sorts of famous people gathered - such as Ray Bourque who was standing just over his shoulder. Tom commented, "I thought that was him but he was wearing a Tresca shirt so I was a little confused." They pulled out all the stops to make this a memorable occasion for all in attendance.

Gift bags lined the table at the entrance with a signed copy of "Dream Big", the medal that children will receive when they complete their "Big Dream" Marathon, instructions for the evening, a brochure for the Foundation, 2 promotional cards to Tresca's and cookies from Mike's Pastry:



The cookies from Mike's were consumed prior to the writing of this blog.

The spread of Italian food "appetizers" filled tables on the first and second floors of Tresca's. There were small water bottles, a cash bar for beer and wine and a full cash bar. A student jazz band from Westford Academy played in the background.

After we got our food, Tom suggested we go upstairs to sit down but we couldn't find a table. There was a table in the corner in the back that looked like we could squeeze in.

"Hey I remember you from Bermuda. We rode the shuttle together from the Airport."

It clicked in that here were Dan and Kim Ashworth of Ashworth Awards. We rode to the Fairmont Southampton Princess with them when we arrived for Bermuda Marathon Weekend. They create the medals and awards for major events all over the world. We had a delightful time chatting with them while we savored the wonderful array of meatballs, spinach pies, cheese and crackers, chicken marsala skewers, and Mediterranean antipasto. We chatted about Bermuda, Race Director Anthony Raynor and Kim's upcoming Boston Marathon run followed by Ironman Texas. We got acquainted with John Breen, an account executive for Ashworth Awards who designed the medal for the Dream Big Marathon.

Walking over to chat with Dave, I met Rachel Glazer. She ran the inaugural Fenway Park Marathon and we felt as though we knew each other because of our friendship on Facebook. We exchanged Dave McGillivray stories filled with love. She said that she would love to meet the people from the Ashworth Awards since she is an event planner. I brought her over to meet Dan and Kim.

When Dave opened his comments to the crowd assembled for this very special occasion he said it felt like it was a wedding. As we milled around the rooms people would ask how are you connected here? All I could think of was are you on the bride or the groom's side after Dave made that comment. People either knew Dave and were part of the running/Boston Marathon/DMSE community (Dave McGillvray Sports Enterprises), were connected to the Middlemiss Family or were friends and family of Nancy Feehrer.

We gathered around the book signing table to hear remarks from Ray, Scott, Nancy and of course Dave.



Scott shared the origins of his Foundation. His son Joseph was born with cardiomyopathy, an enlarged heart. He died suddenly on September 23, 2013. Out of their grief, he and his wife Kate created the Foundation to keep Joe's memory and legacy alive. Here is their YouTube video explaining the mission and vision of the Foundation:



Their younger son Jack was also born with cardiomyopathy but underwent a heart transplant and is doing well. As Dave mentioned in his remarks, they have a very special relationship. The Foundation is going to be purchasing copies of "Dream Big" for schools. A portion of the proceeds of the sale of the books goes to the Foundation and DMSE Children's Fitness Foundation.

Nancy, a teacher, shared the incredible story of how she was inspired to write the manuscript for the book after Dave came and spoke to children at her school. She has seen, first hand, how kids lives are changed hearing Dave's message.



Everyone wiped away tears as Dave presented Scott with his medals from the World Marathon Challenge for Jack:


"Dream Big" is available on Amazon

Have you ever had a dream? How did you make that dream come true?

Dave McGillivray is a world-renowned athlete, entrepreneur, captivating motivational speaker, and philanthropist. He’s also the director of the Boston Marathon, the world’s oldest and maybe most famous annual race! But he wasn’t always so accomplished. In Dream Big: A True Story of Courage and Determination, his nonfiction picture book for readers ages 6 to 10, Dave shares his unique, true story about reaching deep and showing extreme determination in the face of doubt, disappointment, and loss.

In Dream Big: A True Story of Courage and Determination, Dave is a small kid who wants more than anything to be a professional athlete. But there’s one problem. You have to be tall to play basketball. You have to be big to play football. And Dave? He’s little, but his dreams are BIG. He turns to running, because you don’t have to be big to be a marathon runner! But you do need to train. And Dave doesn’t do much training before he crosses his first starting line of the Boston Marathon. Which is probably why he doesn’t quite cross the finish line on his first attempt at the famous race. But his Grandpa believes in him, and that’s enough to make Dave train hard for the next Boston Marathon. But will his Grandpa be there to see him succeed?

Kids and grownups alike will be inspired by Dave’s story of passion, determination, and grit. Nomad Press’s first foray into the genre of nonfiction picture books, Dream Big delivers on all the promise you’d expect from a vibrant, real-life character paired with an award-winning fine artist. Together, Dave McGillivray and Ron Himler create a story that is heartwarming, inspiring, and beautifully presented.

And for you older kids, you can purchase "The Last Pick." Read my open letter/book review to Dave by following this link.

Please donate to The Joseph Middlemiss Big Heart Foundation by following this link.

As John Breen said at the end of his Facebook post about the evening, "All you need is love and to Dream Big!"

To your health and wellness
From my heart to yours,
Mary

Proud to be a part of Friends of Blue Diamond Athletic Displays, Inc. Be sure to visit us at Booth 758 during Boston Marathon Weekend.

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):