The alarm went off at 6:00am on Monday morning. It was dark and 41 degrees; our first early morning run of the Autumn season. The temptation was to roll over and wait for Spring to return. But that's not how we runners roll. I set the alarm for a 20 minute meditation to set our intentions for the day. There was a little more light as we dressed and headed downstairs for core work, hydration and a banana before our run. It was the first run for running tights and layers of a base layer and a pullover, headband and gloves. At first, he cold fresh air caught my breath but as my body acclimated to the chill in the air, Tom and I found our rhythm.
We had not run around the small Reservoir on Route 9 in awhile. It's great to change up our routes especially since we are focusing on a 5K distance. Tom is recovering from a knee injury and is going to run the 10K in Bermuda this year. Once his knee is 100% he'll add on another 5K to the runs but for now we are enjoying more time on the roads together without the grueling training for an endurance event.
Tom forgot his phone and he is our official photographer on the runs. We were going to enjoy the run in real time and not take pictures but I couldn't resist capturing the magnificent scene of Autumn Splendor:
It is a splendid gift to see the sun rise on the new day putting the spotlight on the magnificent colors that arrive with Autumn in New England.
Twelve years ago in October I had my first appointment at the Spaulding Rehab International Center for Polio and Post Polio. For ten years prior I experienced symptoms that sapped my energy and my enjoyment of life. By the time I got to Spaulding I could barely walk. Breathing and swallowing were a challenge for me. The limp from polio returned. My world contracted around me and I didn't know what was happening to me. Once I received the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome I was initially terrified but then got still and asked for Divine Guidance after being told I needed to quit my full time award winning career as a VA social worker and should prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair. The answer to my prayers came in the form of poetry! You can learn more by visiting my website. I imagined myself healthy, whole, free, running a race, dancing in the rain. Harnessing the power of my imagination and writing poetry were the keys to unlocking the shackles from my past!
I came out of my leg brace and ditched all of the adaptive equipment and went on to run the 2009 Boston Marathon with the help of a personal trainer. She had the courage and faith to train me for the Boston Marathon even though I'd never run a day in my life.
I experienced the change of seasons and new places in a way I'd never experienced life before. Although my mettle was tested through the challenges I faced as a runner, I met myself on the roads. Friendships were forged to last a lifetime. The diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome was a gift. It was a wake up call to make serious changes in my life and to appreciate every step I take and being able to run free as I experienced Autumn Splendor on last Monday's early morning run.
To your health and wellness
From my heart to yours
Mary
My healing journey using the power of visualization is featured in David R. Hamilton's book, "How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body-Anniversary Edition." It's available 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):
***Coming Soon - The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953***
The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953 takes you on Mary McManus’ healing odyssey from a wheelchair to the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon and beyond. After the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome in December 2006, Mary got still and asked for Divine Guidance. She harnessed the power of her mind to heal her body, feverishly writing poetry in which she imagined herself healthy, whole and free from the shackles of her youth. Mary’s quest to heal her life led her to the sport of running that tested her mettle while fueling her journey of transformation from a survivor of childhood paralytic polio and severe trauma at the hands of family members to a woman who embodies faith, grace under fire, courage, determination, endurance and resilience. Running became a way of life for Mary. As you’ll discover in “The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953” nothing, not even a serious knee injury in December of 2014 could stop her on the roads or in her life. Mary’s story is one that will leave you cheering for the underdog and discovering the meaning of different ability as Mary overcame every challenge that life presented to her.
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