Patience and Celebration!

I knew that I was pushing my body going for a streak of 3 Bermuda Half Marathons in as many years. After my 2017 Bermuda Half I felt it was time to take a break but as fate would have it, we received an invitational entry from the Race Director. You don't say no to a free entry and you NEVER say no to a Bermudian's hospitality!

I felt great after the 2016 Bermuda Half Marathon:


Tom and I went on to run the 2016 Hyannis 10K together:


After pushing through the last 3 miles, with the help of an earth angel at mile 12, Tom and I crossed the finish line of the 2017 Bermuda Half Marathon:


Here we are after I had a brief stint in the medical tent:


We made sure that we did not make the same mistakes in 2018 as we had in 2017 and even though it took us 5 hours to cross the finish line, we did so happy and for me, standing upright!


I smile and celebrate this miraculous accomplishment of a streak of 3 consecutive Bermuda Half Marathons ... Eleven years ago I was told to prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair after the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease by Western Medicine Standards. Three years ago I was told to stop running or cap my distance after my left knee blew out and told to prepare for a total knee replacement in a few years. Ironically, my left knee is fine and other issues presented themselves in the later phase of our training for Bermuda 2018.

I also celebrate when I am fully recovered from the rigors of training for said 3 Bermuda Half Marathons.

I went into the race with a muscle strain and hip/back/groin issues. But hey I ran the 2009 Boston Marathon with a groin pull and a variety of other issues but nothing was going to stop me after all the training and all the mental preparation for going the distance of 26.2 miles. A Half Marathon was only half as far.

I am SO happy and delighted that I pushed myself to go the distance.

But now it's time for me to heal ... and that process takes patience once again.

I know and believe in my body's incredible capacity to heal but I must create the optimal environment for it to recover and continue to heal from the effects of paralytic polio and trauma. I celebrate having healed so much in this 11 year healing odyssey and celebrate how I healed a breast tumor, a suspicious lesion on my nose that is now merely a scar:


and my left knee

I've started meditating 3 times a day to facilitate my body's natural ability to heal. I use Bernie Siegel's guided meditations and Dr. Joe Dispenza's Blessing of the Energy Centers. I've scheduled weekly chiropractic sessions for the month of March and can always extend it into April if I find that I need more than every other week treatments.

I'm stretching a lot during the day and using my massage stick.

Fortunately I've had a lot of physical therapy through the years so I'm using the pool at Boston Sports Club twice a week for my aquatics therapy as well as continuing to build strength and work out for my health and wellness. I'm using the stationary bike at the gym to get in my miles/cardio workout and our Team McManus home gym for strength training. I do a very gentle run/walk once a week for a 5K distance but if the weather is too cold or challenging, I'll do the bike instead. I've been scoping out the classes at Boston Sports Club and my mind is very excited to participate in them but first my body has some healing to do.

As I move forward in my healing journey, it's a time for patience and celebration! I'm so blessed and grateful I continue to go the distance and very excited for what's next! I celebrate all that has been and all that is yet to be!

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):