Going the Distance: We Shine with Nine - Miles in the Bank of Bermuda

With each training run for the Bermuda Half Marathon, I feel that I am conquering the world!

I was feeling sad about not going to Cape Cod for the weekend of the Marathon this year so Team McManus created our own staycation this weekend. We had glorious weather for our training run. I was having a hard time getting myself together. Things with our daughter's psychiatric condition had been rapidly deteriorating and Tom said, "Come on...Let's head over to Southie." There are no excuses for me to not train.

I am so glad he did! We started at M Street, ran to Castle Island and looped around the Castle. We ran around Pleasure Bay and out to beyond U Mass Boston and the JFK Library. I remembered how different this year's run felt from last year when I was still finding the endurance runner within me. Here is Team McManus with a shine after our divine 9 miles:



It feels incredible to be training again for the Bermuda Half Marathon. What makes the journey even sweeter is that Nicole, one of my dear runner friends in cyberspace is training for the Houston Marathon again that takes place on the same day as Bermuda. Houston was her first Marathon and we are on the same training cycle again supporting each other while we relish training for these races the 2nd time around.

After our training run we had lunch, went into the pool at our Health Club to stretch and recover from the run and I took a hot shower with an ice cold water flush.

Yesterday Tom and I went for retail therapy. I must admit that I like the way I look and feel in clothes now. Shopping used to be such drudgery for me - especially for dress shoes and clothes other than running gear. It was a dreary rainy day so it was perfect weather to head to the mall. I tried on one suit and ordinarily I would settle but not yesterday. I found a fabulous Calvin Klein suit on sale with a gorgeous sleeveless top to wear underneath it. Shoe shopping was at first a little frustrating and then I said, "I find the shoes that I need with ease." I found these adorable Lucky Brand flats that reminded me of the Capezio ballet shoes I wore before I contracted paralytic polio.

We had to go out Route 9 West in order to turn around to come back into Boston. We passed by Spaulding Rehab's International Rehab Center for Polio and Post Polio where, 10 years ago, I was told to prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair, possibly needing a feeding tube, definitely needing a sleep apnea machine and facing a grim prognosis.

Instead I was heading home after having 9 miles in the Bank of Bermuda on Saturday, having strength trained Sunday morning and coming home with a new outfit and new shoes to shine the way I was always meant to shine!

To your health and wellness!
Mary