Celebrating Ten Years of Running: Happiness on a Morning Run

Before February of 2008, I had never owned a pair of running shoes. I had never run a day in my life. I didn't know anything about the sport of running. Living in Boston you can't help but know about the Boston Marathon but I never really "knew" about the Boston Marathon until I ran it on April 20, 2009. I was on crutches around Marathon time after reconstructive leg surgery followed by hardware removal the following year. I joked and said, "No I won't be running the Boston Marathon...this year." Be careful what you say out to the Universe.

For the past 3 years I have trained for the Bermuda Half Marathon. I loved how I pushed my limits by running 3 consecutive half marathons. I could have stopped setting goals for myself as a runner but that's just not me.

Tom and I have increased the challenges in our pool workouts and in strength training. I'm working on speed for a 5K. I am delighted with my progress and how I am able to experience joy and happiness in my shorter distance runs again without an endurance race looming in the distance.

I'm savoring the end of summer. Yesterday's run brought sunshine, heat, humidity, sweat, the sweet smell of freshly cut grass, green trees and glistening water.

I'm reconditioning my body to shorter distances and to finding that edge to improve my time while finding the joy in the journey! I remind myself that I experience ease and grace in my movement allowing energy to flow through me propelling me forward on my health and wellness journey.

The memories of extreme fatigue, chronic pain, weakness, difficulty with swallowing, breathing and balance and being told I should prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair continue to fade in the rear view mirror.

Feeling my strength, finding my speed and experiencing happiness and joy on a morning run come into full focus now.

Here are scenes from yesterday's run capturing the brilliance of the end of summer and the ever so subtle transformation from summer to Autumn:


Here is our post-run selfie reflecting the happiness we felt during and after our 3.11 miles:


As a survivor of paralytic polio and severe childhood trauma that took its toll on me mind, body and soul, it's quite the miracle that I can celebrate ten years of running. I appreciate and savor every step. I love the feeling of sweat dripping off of me and of how delicious breakfast tastes once my stomach settles down. Cold orange juice, toast and a bowl of oatmeal tickle my taste buds as my body recovers from the rigors I put it through on my early morning runs.

Celebrating ten years of running - running happy!

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

My healing journey is going to be featured in David R. Hamilton's soon to be released book, "How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body." It's available for pre-order on Amazon.

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:


Going the Distance: The Power of Endurance (With a Foreword by Jacqueline Hansen):

Celebrating Ten Years of Running: The Power of a Good Run!

As Tom and I started out on our Saturday morning run, I felt flat inside. "Maybe I'll just walk this one and take it easy," was my thought. "No that's just not like me."

As we started out on our run, my heart rate soared and I felt, what Candace Pert calls "The Molecules of Emotion." I knew that my thoughts and emotions were creating uncomfortable sensations in my body.

"I need to talk about something," I said to Tom.

"Absolutely," he said while he encouraged me to take in the breathtaking sights and expansiveness of the ocean.



We debriefed about an extremely stressful situation in our lives. My friend, Michelle, posted a video on Facebook citing how much relief she felt after she was able to name and claim something on a recent run she had. I'm sure that inspired me to go beyond myself and release what I was holding inside. Once I was able to allow those feelings to move up and out, I was able to feel a sense of freedom in mind, body and soul. I wanted to "open it up" and see what my body could do.

It was hot but there was a cooling sea breeze.

Tom glanced over at my pace from time to time and repeatedly said, 'You're crushing it!'

It was a thrill to feel my pace drop and to receive validation for my hard work as I looked at my splits and Nike+ pacing.

One of my health and fitness goals is to work on speed since I am taking a break from endurance running for now. Throughout my ten years of running and this quest to heal from the effects of childhood paralytic polio and trauma, I have honored every commitment I set toward a goal. After my nephew's death by suicide in March of 2011, I strayed from running and pursued yoga in an effort to heal the searing pain of his death. Even though I felt that yoga teacher training was ultimately not the path for me, I made a commitment to the program and followed through. I learned a lot of soul lessons during that part of my journey.

After 4/15/13, I returned to the roads and to the sport that heals mind, body and soul.

I love the feeling of opening it up and challenging myself riding the waves of endorphins along with the waves of a "good" discomfort. Sweat, high heart rate that was a result of mind/body working together and pushing my pace, nausea and hunger felt wonderful as we wrapped up our 3.11 mile run.

I felt exhilarated and tired and extremely satisfied with myself for getting my pace into numbers I hadn't seen in a very long time since I'd been training for the past 3 years for the Bermuda Half Marathon.

As Tom went off to get in an additional 5 miles on the road to his Bermuda Marathon Weekend 2019, I sat on the beach refueling with a banana and water. I walked into the ocean and admired my sore muscles allowing the cool ocean water to aid in my recovery. I read Billy Mills book, "Lessons of a Lakota" that I won in a contest on Facebook. In it Billy wrote, "Mary...Follow your Dream."


When I was striving for PR's back in 2014, I watched this video:


What a thrill to be able to connect with Billy and his wife Pat on Facebook and receive a magnificent gift.

When Tom returned from his 5 mile run, I marveled with him at how flat I felt when we started out on our run and how content and peaceful I felt after our run.

As we gathered up our belongings after spending time watching the waves go in and out. I reflected on the power of the sea, the vastness of the Universe and the gift of running in my life to transform and transcend a difficult situation happening in my life. That my friends is the power of a good run!

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

My healing journey is going to be featured in David R. Hamilton's soon to be released book, "How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body." It's available for pre-order on Amazon.

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:


Going the Distance: The Power of Endurance (With a Foreword by Jacqueline Hansen):

Celebrating Ten Years of Running: On Scars and Taking Risks!

We woke up to another hot and humid morning here in Boston with skies threatening for rain. Whatever the weather, (except for maybe hurricane conditions or lightning) Tom and I get on our running shoes and head out for our Saturday morning run. We loaded frozen water bottles into a running backpack and went out our front door. It was time for me to challenge myself from the flat runs around the Reservoir to kicking asphalt on a hilly route.

I pushed my pace and poured sweat. We were mindful to hydrate and I stopped when I needed to. This may sound crazy to my non-runner readers out there but I loved riding the waves of discomfort and nausea as I pushed myself to the very edge of my limits. There were a few times when I went 'too far' and had to dial back the pace but overall I kept the pressure on myself to have a great training run.

You may ask why is she doing this?

I have a race coming up on 9/22 - 5th Annual Middlemiss Big Heart 5K Run, Walk, Roll but I signed up as a walker. There is no time pressure yet I want to be able to feel strong and confident come race day. I am not challenging myself with distance for the first time in 3 years after running 3 consecutive Bermuda Half Marathons so I need to challenge myself with my pace.

In our post run selfie I noticed that the scar on my right shoulder was quite noticeable:


Scars are tatoos but with better stories. I lost the use of my right arm for 6 months due to an infection in my shoulder back in the 80's. An earth angel of a surgeon, Dr. Donald Reilly saved my shoulder and arm after a misdiagnosis by the medical team that was attending to me in the hospital. I have many many scars on the outside and on the inside and I am proud of every one of them! Today's 5K in the sweltering heat and humidity challenging myself on hills with my bestie speaks to this wonderful quote: "A scar simply means you are stronger than whatever tried to hurt you!"

With the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome came what Dr. Joe Dispenza calls a "voodoo curse." "You should prepare to spend the rest of your life in a wheelchair...If you USE it you will LOSE it." That was 11 years ago and I do hope that the team at Spaulding's International Rehab Center for Polio and Post-Polio have gotten in tune and in step with the latest research on neuroplasticity and the body's innate capacity to heal.

Throughout my healing quest I have tested my limits. I ran the 2009 Boston Marathon shortly after coming out of a leg brace. After a serious knee injury in December of 2014 I was told to stop running or cap my distance and that I would need a total knee replacement in a few years. Instead I harnessed the power of my mind/body connection and healed my left knee going on to run 3 half marathons in as many years.

Life is boring if we don't take risks.

In my first half marathon in 2009 training for Boston I lost track of my fueling and hydration plan when the sleet started to fall. I experienced dehydration and hypothermia but quickly recovered after getting sick and refueling with a Coke and rolls followed by a good meal.

In Bermuda 2017, I was not mindful about pushing my pace and being aware of the impact of the heat and race conditions on my body. I went too far!


But with the help and support of Tom and an earth angel at mile 12, I crossed the finish line. I ended up in the medical tent where I had a full and fast recovery.

I pushed my limits at the Bill Rodgers 5K Run/Walk to Benefit Prostate Cancer and had this amazing post-race celebration:


I would have missed out on so much of life had I let my past define me. I was beaten, battered, and bruised, abused and neglected after contracting paralytic polio at the age of 5. I had over 25 surgeries. All of my challenges have woven together a beautiful tapestry of my life; the treasure of who I have become. Out of the rubble of my past, I dug deep to discover the treasure of who I was always meant to be.

“Out of our deepest wounds we find our greatest strength, our most beautiful treasures and the knowledge that love is far greater, and more powerful than any experience we endure.” ~Mary McManus

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

My healing journey is going to be featured in David R. Hamilton's soon to be released book, "How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body." It's available for pre-order on Amazon.

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:


Going the Distance: The Power of Endurance (With a Foreword by Jacqueline Hansen):

Celebrating Ten Years of Running: It's Not How Many Times You Fall....

Facebook reminded me that yesterday was the anniversary of an epic fall I had three years ago while training for the Bermuda Half Marathon 2016.

It's a moment I capture in the soon to be released "The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953":

I Ran a Quarter of a Marathon Today
August 15, 2015

There’s a wonderful photo of a dog with its shadow. Its pointed ears and outline of its body looks like Batman. The caption reads, “Holy crap! I’m Batman.” It’s all about perception and what we believe to be true about ourselves and our capabilities. I sure needed to harness my superhero powers to get my run on today. It was a hot and humid 86 degrees at 8:30 in the morning. I suggested to Tom that we park at the beach and that we bring our bathing suits to enjoy nature’s very own ice bath after our run in the cooling waters of the Atlantic. We packed provisions and off we went after doing our planks, crunches and clams with weights.

When we turned onto East Broadway in South Boston, emotions overwhelmed me as they had last week.

"Geez what is it about turning on East Broadway that you go into a meltdown?" Tom said with love and tenderness.

Last week I had the realization that when I turn 62 in December, I will no longer be on social security disability but receive straight social security.

"It was so hard to accept being disabled, having to leave my job at the VA and all the rest of it.” I sobbed and then laughed all at the same time. It was like a sun shower.

As uncontrollable tears and laughter once again bubbled up inside of me I asked, “Do you mind the fact that you could get in a 6.5 mile run in an hour but instead you have to be out so much longer when you run with me?”

"Are you serious? It's not about the time or the distance. It's about us being together."

More sobs and laughter ... “Okay I’ve got to pull myself together. We've got a run to do.”

We started out with a nice easy pace honoring the heat and humidity. We enjoyed the water views and being out running together. I reminded myself that I am free now. I am not responsible for what happened to me and I certainly did not deserve what happened to me. In the wake of those wonderful feelings, thoughts and fears bubbled to the surface. I felt my left leg tighten and swell. I flashed back to when I was injured last December; the admonitions and warnings from my former massage therapist, the physical therapists and the doctor played in my mind. I was going out on my longest run since the Tufts 10K last October. I AM going to run the Bermuda Half Marathon in January!

Despite all of my mental training through meditation, I could not shake those thoughts and feelings. Like a bolt out of the blue, all the voices of the naysayers took over. Rather than letting them be and letting them drift away, or reaching out to Tom for help, I engaged in battle. " None of you were right. I AM going the distance this time.”

The next thing I knew I was flying through the air. It was like a slow motion kind of experience.

And landed on the ground ....

I instinctively knew I was fine. Tom tried to pick me up and I said, "I'm fine. Just let me get up."

I could feel how strong I was. I was able to use my upper body strength to ease the fall. Yes I was bleeding but it was only superficial scratches and scrapes.

Passers by were aghast. "Oh my God. Are you okay? Do we need to call 911?”

I looked pretty bad to someone who was not a runner.

"Yes I'm fine."

There were a few lifeguards inside the pool at Harbor Point.

"Is that where you tripped?" and they pointed to an uneven surface on the sidewalk. “We’ve seen many people fall there and reported it to the manager here.”

They presented me with ice packs from their first aid kit.

I cleaned off using Tom's t shirt, drank water and said I wanted and needed to finish the 1.5 miles for our run.

I felt something shift within me. I felt my guardian angel had eased my fall along with my strength. It was an absolute miracle that I did not break anything and only had a minor chip to my front tooth. I had "road rash" and scrapes but that was it! I knew the Universe was giving me a gift.

Ever since I was 5 years old, I harbored a heart trembling fear about not being able to trust in my body. One day I was a healthy 5 year old and the next minute I dropped paralyzed to the ground. Three years later I experienced horrific acts of violence against my mind and body which needless to say did not do much for developing a loving relationship with my body. I dissociated and developed my intellectual prowess. Something loosened up within me when I hit the pavement today. My left leg felt open and free. The very thing I feared the most happened and not only did I survive it but I went on to finish my run. I have superpowers within me. We all do. It’s by totally trusting in the love of the Divine that we harness these superpowers. Even though I fell, I felt invincible. I needed to show and tell my body that we were fine after a hard hit on the pavement. I felt my strength and resilience! I was told that I had severe osteoporosis of my hip and spine. I was warned that if I fell I was at risk for a fracture. I took only one dose of the medication that was supposed to prevent fractures and strengthen bones. I had an adverse reaction to it. My body knew it would not serve me. Recent research has shown that the drugs to treat osteoporosis are not efficacious. I landed flat on my hip without a fracture. We completed our 6.5 miles and waded into the ocean for a cleansing ice bath. The cold salt water brought instant healing to my body. Tom and I dove in and went for a swim. We hydrated and refueled with our snacks, went in for another swim and stopped on the way home for a delicious post run lunch at the Kukoo Cafe in Brookline Village.

I took another ice bath with Epsom salts and a hot shower. We bought band aids to protect the scrapes. I used Vaseline to promote the healing of the scrapes on my nose and upper lip. I used the affirmation that I use every week after our runs, "I trust in my body's capacity to recover from runs and workouts." I experienced a deep connection to the Divine and the angels that have been there to help me create the miracle of healing in my life.

I ran 6.5 miles today! A quarter of a marathon and half the distance for the 2016 Bermuda Half Marathon. I believe with my whole Being, deep in my heart and soul that I am going the distance. It's time to take off the boxing gloves. It’s time to stop shadow boxing with the demons from my past. I can settle down and settle into the person I have become...whole, healthy, transformed, a runner girl. I claimed the superhero within me.

With today’s fall I can honestly say, “Holy Crap! I’m Batman!”

Throughout these 10 years of running and life, I have had to pick myself up many many times. I've slogged through difficult runs and breezed through runs that I felt as though I could run forever. I've had to navigate my way through my own health concerns and the mental health issues that has plagued my daughter for the past 4 years.

Yet through it all, I keep moving forward and know that no matter how many times I may fall or face what seems to be an insurmountable challenge, I am resilient and can always harness my superhero powers to make it through.

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

My healing journey is going to be featured in David R. Hamilton's soon to be released book, "How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body." It's available for pre-order on Amazon.

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:


Going the Distance: The Power of Endurance (With a Foreword by Jacqueline Hansen):

Celebrating Ten Years of Running: To Every Run a Purpose - My Sanctuary and Retreat

I've been working on pace in my 5K runs and am delighted with my choice to not run a fourth straight Bermuda Half Marathon. Tom will be representing Team McManus in January in Bermuda. We run our 5K's together and then he goes off and adds his miles. It was humid and threatening to rain for most of Saturday's 5K. The skies did open up for the last 3/4 of a mile of our run.

I was not feeling the need to push my pace on last Saturday's run. I knew that I needed that run to have a different purpose. It was a special and sacred time for Tom and me to be together shortly after our daughter was discharged from her 4th psychiatric hospitalization in 5 months. It was a time to open our hearts to the Divine for guidance and healing. At first I felt frustrated by my pace but then realized that it was exactly the pace I needed on Saturday.

If I had gone any faster, we might not have bumped into one of our dear friends who we have known for over 20 years. Our children grew up together. She had seen my latest post about our daughter's hospitalization. She stopped to ask how she and we were doing. She is, what we call, a "native." She had quite the journey with her son who is a veteran. She brought us love, compassion and hope. It was medicine for our souls. We finished up the run in the pouring rain; a cleansing, healing rain especially since we did not bring our ponchos or a jacket.

Tom went on to run another 5 miles in the pouring rain on his road to Bermuda Half Marathon 2019.



The alarm went off at 6:00am this morning. Another muggy day in Boston. We meditated for 20 minutes, did our core work, had our banana and water and went out for our run. We thought that we'd have to run along Beacon Street because the Reservoir might have been too muddy. When we looked across Beacon Street to the Chestnut Hill Reservoir, we saw it was dry!

After our warm up with mile 1, I picked up my pace. There was a man walking in front of us. I did fartleks to pass him throughout the run. We would pass him and get a good lead on him but then we'd take a water stop and he'd pass us again. Then we'd do fartleks and pass him.

A gaggle of geese were squawking; half of the geese took off in formation. It was truly an awe-some sight. The fog was a perfect backdrop for our run this morning keeping the air relatively cool and reminding us of how mysterious life can be at times. We need to let go and trust. We wore jackets given the forecast for more downpours but peeled them off as the sweat poured off of us. The rains never came.

I picked up the pace for the last mile and knew I wanted to break that 18:00 minute/mile pace.

What a thrill to see the average pace drop to 17:56 as we heard Ms. Nike+ say, "Congratulations. You reached your goal of 3.11 miles."

My pace from Saturday's run improved by 17 seconds/mile.

While each run had its own purpose and vibe, one thing is constant throughout my runs; connection to the Divine. Whether it's through a "chance" meeting, seeing nature in all its awesomeness or experiencing the miracle of the Divinity within me pushing a pace when I was told to prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair, running is my sanctuary and a retreat. What a gift and a blessing that I get to share the journey on and off the roads with my bestie of over 40 years!



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

My healing journey is going to be featured in David R. Hamilton's soon to be released book, "How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body." It's available for pre-order on Amazon.

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:


Going the Distance: The Power of Endurance (With a Foreword by Jacqueline Hansen):

Celebrating Ten Years of Running: The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953

A sneak peek preview of "The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953" coming soon!

Mary McManus was known as “Easy Out Alper” in gym class. She could never play sports as a child because she contracted paralytic polio at the age of 5 but managed to run the 2009 Boston Marathon at the age of 55. She was diagnosed with Post-Polio Syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease in December of 2006. In February of 2007, Mary got still and asked for Divine Guidance. The answer came in the form of a poem, “Running the Race” followed by many poems that, through the power of visualization, inspired her to heal mind, body and soul. Mary’s quest to heal her life led her to the sport of running that tested her mettle while forging friendships to last a lifetime. Against the backdrop of running adventures you’ll follow Mary’s transformation from a survivor of childhood paralytic polio and severe trauma at the hands of family members to a woman who embodies faith, grace under fire, courage, determination, endurance and resilience. Running became a way of life for Mary. As you’ll discover in “The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953” nothing, not even a serious knee injury in December of 2014 could stop her.

About the Author:

Mary McManus was once known as “Easy Out Alper in gym class. She contracted paralytic polio at the age of 5 but managed to run the 2009 Boston Marathon at the age of 55. When Mary was diagnosed with Post-Polio Syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease in December 2006, she decided she was not going to take the diagnosis sitting down. In May 2007, Mary took a leap of faith leaving behind her award winning career as a Social Worker at the VA to heal her life. She got still and asked for Divine Guidance. The answer came in the form of a poem, “Running the Race” followed by many poems that, through the power of visualization, inspired her to heal mind, body and soul. Mary’s quest to heal her life led her to the sport of running that tested her mettle while fueling her journey of transformation from a survivor of childhood paralytic polio and severe trauma at the hands of family members to a woman who embodies faith, grace under fire, courage, determination, endurance and resilience.

"Running the Race" foreshadowed her Boston Marathon run despite all appearances to the contrary. As Mary sat in a leg brace, using a cane and a wheelchair for mobility, and having been told to prepare to spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair, Mary imagined herself winning a 10K race. Out of the rubble of her past, Mary dug deep to discover the treasure of who she was always meant to be. Her Spirit shines with brilliant resilience as she conquered every challenge going the distance on the roads and in her life.

Mary holds a BS in Communications from Boston University, an MSW from Boston College and many fond memories of her veterans and their families who blessed her life when she worked at the VA. She lives in Chestnut Hill Massachusetts with her husband, Tom, and their lovely cat Jamie.

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

My healing journey is going to be featured in David R. Hamilton's soon to be released book, "How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body." It's available for pre-order on Amazon.

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:


Going the Distance: The Power of Endurance (With a Foreword by Jacqueline Hansen):