Celebrating Ten Years of Running - Running is My Therapy!

As I look back on these ten years of running and healing from the effects of childhood paralytic polio and severe trauma, I realize how deeply grateful I am for the gift of running in my life. Aside from the adventures with starting lines and finish lines, racecations and meeting incredible people, it's the regular benefits I get to experience every time I lace up my shoes and go out on a run.

Our 31 year old daughter is on a journey with recovering her mental health and well being. It's been four years of an ultramarathon. This past week she admitted herself to the hospital - the fourth time in 5 months. It's heartbreaking to see her go through this and takes a toll on the family. Before I had running in my life, I had no outlet for stress. I was a stranger to athletics because of the residuals of paralytic polio and trauma in my body and no one to guide me toward health and well being through exercise.

Running is so much more than exercise in my life.

Last Saturday I woke up exhausted but I knew that the best thing Tom and I could do for ourselves was to go on a run. It was hot and humid. I had frozen the water bottles the night before. After breakfast we headed out the front door. It was a beautiful morning and nature restores the soul.



It was by no means my best pace - especially with the heat and humidity but it got the job done! Tom and I had a wonderful time together sweating out the stress of the previous few days. It was unplugged time together in the sunshine seeing summer in Boston in all of its glory. I felt rejuvenated and energized after the run. We had a full day doing chores, enjoying each other's company, reading and relaxing after the chores were done.

Because of that morning run, I was able to clear away the stress, get the energy flowing in my body and have a good day.

On Monday morning the alarm went off at 6:30 am. A big yawn and stretch. Set the alarm for 20 minutes of meditation, do core work, have a banana and water, and out the door we went for another 5K run.

I needed to, as Tom and I like to say, "Get my yaya's out." I pushed my pace as sweat poured. We talked about what we are grateful for in our lives - how very much there is to be grateful for in our lives while sharing our thoughts and feelings about our daughter and the mental health system.

Each foot strike brought me into the present moment realizing how important it is for me to Let go and Let God; that our daughter's recovery is ultimately up to her and I clearly experienced how important it is for us to take exquisite care of ourselves.

Once again, the morning run worked its mojo. We had a wonderful breakfast together and after I dropped Tom off at work, I got to work on my website. Tom discovered that my website had been hacked and half of my database was wiped out. After connecting with Source and sweating out the stress on our run, I was able to spend the day building a new website. It's even better than my old one!

Yes, running provides incredible physical benefits. The emotional and spiritual benefits of gaining perspective, letting go of what no longer serves me, letting go and turning things over to Source, getting centered in the present moment, enjoying a summer day in Boston, and feeling how everything passes are a tonic for mind, body and soul. The best medicine. I am so blessed and grateful to be celebrating 10 years of running - running IS my therapy!

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: That Felt Soooo Good

It's been a very stressful 3 months as our daughter continues her struggle with her mental health. This past week was extremely challenging for her and hence for us as a family. My training schedule got shifted around. I usually run with Tom on Saturday, we swim on Sunday, run early morning Monday, I swim on Tuesday and we strength train on Wednesday. Between what was happening with our daughter and Tom's work and a chiropractic appointment early on Wednesday, I decided to strength train on Tuesday, take Wednesday and Thursday off and go to the pool on Friday.

When the weather looked great for a run on Friday, I decided to get out and do a solo run.

It was chilly with a strong wind. There was something invigorating about running in the chilly wind. The baby goose was grazing with its family and the colors of Spring seemed especially vibrant as the sun shined on the leaves on the trees. It was quite a contrast to what I was feeling when I first set out on my run. My heart felt heavy and my breathing was labored but with each foot strike, I released my burdens and worries to the Divine.

The presence of the Divine surrounded me with bird calls, gentle laps of the waves of the Reservoir on the shore and the songs that came up from the mix on my playlist. I felt a sense of being alone that transformed into a sense of solitude that became a sense of One with all that is.

There were moments of struggle, of ease, of freedom and feeling the need to turn everything over to the Divine. I felt powerless to be able to do anything to help my daughter - that it's her journey and yet I felt empowered to be able to get out and run and be with the Divine sharing my deepest most thoughts, fears and hope.

It was, for the most part, a hard run but those are the runs where we are blessed to meet ourselves on the road.



I don't know what I did before the gift of running came into my life 10 years ago. Eleven years ago the effects of childhood paralytic polio and severe childhood trauma reared its head in the guise of the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease. The medical community said if you use it you will lose it. My Spirit said, through the power of my pen, my divining rod for healing in the form of inspirational poetry - get moving and run the race set before you with endurance. Running is my medicine, my therapy and a vital part of my life whatever the distance and whatever the pace. I am so grateful that I can get out on a run and leave my troubles on the road.

While I kicked off my kicks, hydrated and had a banana, I sat back and took a deep breath saying to myself, "That felt soooo good."


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 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):

Sometimes All You Need is a Good Run

Mother Nature has been having her way with us here in New England. Two major storms on March 2 and March 7 and a major Nor'easter was forecast for yesterday. Unfortunately the forecast was spot on and we got hit hard with blizzard conditions in Boston. Knowing that Spring might be delayed a bit this year, I knew that I had to get out on a run on Monday. I'm feeling better and better in the wake of having run 3 Bermuda Half Marathons in as many years. It's going to be awhile before I'm back to my race pace but I'm so blessed and grateful that I can get out there and go on a run.

But with the roads covered with snow and ice around the Reservoirs, where is a runner to go? I knew I needed a route that was different from my going down the back way to the Reservoir, down Beacon Street and back home.

Why not explore the neighborhood?

Early on in my training for the 2009 Boston Marathon, when I was just getting used to running, my trainer took me to the end of Eliot Street, take a left and then loop around the circle at the dead end of Clinton Road and back again.

I didn't know what the distance was but I had my trusty Nike+. The pavement was dry and the sun was shining.

I'd been experiencing a lot of family stress lately and knew that a treadmill run or another bike ride at the gym would not have given me the same benefits as an outdoor run.

I was so grateful for dry pavement and having the road all to myself. I let the magic of my running shoes work for me.



My Nike+ mileage said 1 mile when I hit the turnaround. I was doing the math and figuring out how I was going to hit a 5K. "Oh I know," I thought out loud. "Once I get back to the house, I'll go .65 miles down and .65 miles back."

Only the strangest thing happened when I got to my house. The mileage was at 1.6 miles.

"That's strange," I heard myself say out loud.

I started to do the math again ... 3.11-1.6=1.5 divided by 2 = .75 + 1.6 = 2.35 - my turnaround point. I knew that I had to be mindful of keeping my distance in check for now as I continue to recover from 3 consecutive Bermuda Half Marathons ... BUT I made it all the way to the end of Clinton Road again.

In between thoroughly enjoying being out on my run, experiencing the anticipation of Spring and feeling my stress melt away I was pondering the mystery of the miles. "How is that possible?" I wondered.

When I got back home my total run was 3.2 miles. Close enough to a 5K! My pace was my best pace yet since crossing the finish line of the Bermuda Half Marathon. I had no back or hip pain and felt that delicious sensation of running from the inside out at more than a walking pace.



I felt hope in my heart that I'll be able to return to the racing circuit; that despite having pushed myself way beyond my limits with 3 Bermuda Half Marathons, my body is healing. It's always a great feeling to know that what you believe to be true comes to be in physical manifestation. My mind was clear and I felt deeply connected to Source.

I came inside, took a hot shower, stretched and used my massage stick feeling that wonderful sense of contentment that only comes after an outdoor run. Sometimes life's problems seem to loom large and sometimes healing seems to take forever. But in truth sometimes all you need is a good run.

{Postscript:

I was still curious about the mileage. When Tom got home I told him about it. He had to go out to fill up our car and the snow blower with gas so he kindly offered to measure it for me.

The distance was .8 miles so somehow Nike+ made the correction on my return trip for 1.6 miles and my round trip of 3.2 miles.}

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):