Countdown to Bermuda: Mental Toughness

My body is well trained! I can trust in my training. It's time to:



Running is 90% mental and to quote Yogi Berra the other half is physical.



All kidding aside, running is done with the mind, heart, body and soul.



When I hired a personal trainer in October of 2008 to see if I could get a little stronger and then, after reaching my initial goals of getting off of a low toilet seat and being able to pass the fitness test, I declared I would run the 2009 Boston Marathon despite never having run a day in my life. Talk about mental toughness! While we worked hard to train my body, she also trained my mind asking me questions like how are you going to get through Heartbreak Hill when everything inside of you is screaming please stop.

I answered that question on 4/20/2009 when I crossed the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon.



While I’ve had to be mentally tough since I was 5 years old to overcome the challenge of paralytic polio and then harness my mental prowess to survive 9 years of domestic violence as a child, it was hard for me to get consistent traction on my healing journey….until now.

The Force has been with me throughout my life and a good Jedi master knows that they must consistently trust and practice using The Force.

On Friday we ran our last long run training for the Bermuda Half Marathon. It was 11 miles in the cold with a headwind. I experienced back spasms during the run but, to quote Dr. Joe Dispenza, I thought greater than my circumstances. After the run I got into a hot epsom salts bath, meditated and bathed in the warmth and stunning realization that I have trained for the longest distance I have run since I trained for the 2009 Boston Marathon.

This morning we did a 1.25 shake out run in 6 degree temperatures. The alarm went off at 6:15 as it has every Tuesday for the past 6 months. 20 minute meditation to set the tone for the day and clear out anything that needed clearing to create a wonderful day. Planks, crunches and clams followed by a piece of toast, banana and water just as we have every Tuesday for the past 6 months. No fuel belt needed for a quick out and back run. We put on all the layers to brave the 6 degree temperature. Tom was quick to point out that there was a head wind as if I needed someone to point that out to me.


We were mindful of avoiding patches of ice and repeatedly commented that it’s bubble time; a phrase endurance runners use as they get close to race day after the training is completed that you want to put yourself in a bubble to make sure that you are in peak shape for race day. No illnesses, accidents or injuries with less than two weeks to go!

My goals for taper time and managing pre race jitters:
1. Stay relaxed - great advice from Coach Reno Stirrat
2. Trust the training and use The Force
3. Increase meditation and focus on visualization. Repeat runner affirmations
4. Stay relaxed.
5. See #1
6. Great advice from my dear friend Susan Stirrat “Don’t eat anything weird down there.”
7. Relax.
8. Pack for Bermuda
9. Enjoy every moment leading up to race day.
10.Celebrate what I've already accomplished exceeding all expectations and exercising mental toughness to prepare for 13.1 on 1/17!

The Force Awakens

38 years ago in a galaxy far far away - aka the Allston Cinema in Allston, Massachusetts, Tom and I went on one of our first dates to watch Star Wars.



Last night we went to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens:




I used to have difficulty sitting comfortably in a movie theater as a result of the late effects of paralytic polio and trauma and couldn't sit in the first few rows because of neurological tracking issues. The only seats left for yesterday afternoon's show was in the fourth row at the Chestnut Hill Luxe Cinema. I decided to go for it.

The seats were incredibly lush and comfortable and despite being near the front of the theater, I had no issues with tracking the action on the screen.

It's a powerful story...don't worry no spoilers here ... of the battle between good and evil; the light and the dark side.

I was reminded of how the Force is strong within me; how my connection to goodness and grace began when I contracted paralytic polio at age 5 and has seen me through a lifetime full of trials and tribulations. It's easy to forget about our connection to the Force - to Source and to realize how powerful we all are.

Last year, after meeting Ryan J. Means, DC my beloved chiropractor and now friend he helped to reawaken the Force within me with his passion for the practice of chiropractic medicine and his passionate belief of our body's ability to heal. He urged me to read Dr. Joe Dispenza's "You Are the Placebo" and it has become a guide for me to practice the ways of the Jedi as I recovered from a knee injury and set goals not limits in my passion to run distance again.

Today it was cold and windy for our last 11 miler before the Bermuda Half Marathon on 1/17/16. I thought about Dr. Joe's phrase, "Think greater than your circumstances". During these last 6 months I have trained in a way I never trained before. When I trained for the 2009 Boston Marathon I could not continue with strength training and cross training once we hit 10 miles on our long run. I've been consistent and harnessing the power of the Force to transform and transcend the wounds that those who chose the Dark Side inflicted on me.

The hay is in the barn. I have a few 3 milers to stay loose and gentle strength training and cross training to maintain, maintain, maintain and protect our investment of all those miles that are now deposited into the Bank of Bermuda.



The Force has awakened within me. I shall continue to harness its power for healing, to spread love, light, compassion, inspiration, joy and justice in the world. The Force is strong in this one ... I have triumphed over the Dark Side!