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):
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