Countdown to Bermuda: Love Actually Is All Around

And just like that - well not exactly just like that - Team McManus has been training since May for our Bermuda Half Marathon 2018 our last double digit run is in the Bank of Bermuda!

We had another 12 and 12.5 on the training schedule but during Saturday's run and with the weather forecast of cold temperatures with the chance of snow coming our way and with the way Saturday's training run went, we knew that it was the peak of our training.

I had planned out our mileage knowing we'd have the flexibility to go indoors or begin to taper miles as we moved into December with Mother Nature's unpredictable whims.

We initially planned out Saturday's training run as driving to the Cleveland Circle Reservoir, run once around the Rezzie as we like to call it, head down Beacon Street (along the Boston Marathon route) to Coolidge Corner and back, to the "small" Reservoir on Route 9, 3 times around the small Reservoir and back to Cleveland Circle. When I came out of Saturday's morning meditation, I knew that I needed to make it a dress rehearsal for January 14th.

We packed our gear with hydration and fueling as if it were race day. Of course our attire could not be what it was going to be on race day since it was 37 degrees outside. Race day should be in the high 60's and low 70's with a mixture of sun and clouds. We were blessed with a dry day without any wind. There was a mixture of sun and clouds as we headed out for a 5 mile out and back run into Boston.

Tom and Ruth Anne wholeheartedly agreed with me on the change of route as Tom said, "I think we've gone around the Reservoirs one time too many for our long runs."

I was amazed with how easily we negotiated the hills along Beacon Street; especially the last steep hill as we headed into Kenmore Square. We needed a pit stop and decided to go into Hotel Commonwealth. Such a festive atmosphere as the holiday was decked out for the holidays. As Ruth Anne and I waited for Tom to finish his pit stop, Ruth Anne struck up a conversation with the concierge letting him know we were out on a long run and needed a pit stop. I chimed in with how lovely the hotel looked for the holidays. "We're not quite finished yet," the concierge let us know, "but it will be by the time the holidays arrive." It looked finished to me!

We went on our way and took a right on Hereford and left on Boylston reminiscing about our 2009 Boston Marathon run.

Boylston Street was busy with pedestrians so we decided to get back onto Commonwealth Avenue. Ruth Anne and I remembered our 2008 Tufts 10K run that I wrote about in this article, "Running with God."

As we reminisced about previous training runs and races, we were creating new memories on the road to Bermuda. Tom was moved to capture part of our run on video.



We couldn't have scripted it better.

As Tom pointed out, in all of our training runs through the years, we never experienced the kind of spontaneity, joy and love we experienced on Saturday's run. We paced ourselves well and used the hydration and fueling plan we are going to use on January 14th. I can't call it race day because we are not racing the Bermuda Half Marathon. We are going to savor every moment of our victory lap. But I digress...

As we headed back to Cleveland Circle, the clouds moved in and the day got chilly but our Spirits were high. After all, love actually is all around and we were wrapping up our double digit training runs.

I had to make another pit stop (cold weather does that you know) and I thought I could wait until we got to Marathon Sports. As we approached the Holiday Inn on Beacon Street I realized that I wasn't going to make it to Marathon Sports. I'd gone to Rotary Club meetings at the Hotel and remembered that the restrooms were down the stairs off of an entrance on Beacon Street. "Restrooms are for hotel guests only" the sign said as we entered. Tom ran down the stairs and did a quick surveillance. Then, singing the Mission Impossible theme song, gave us the all clear.

While I'm in the ladies room I hear Tom say to Ruth Anne, "Get over here." The two of them start laughing. As I leave the stall the diaper changing table came crashing down out of nowhere. I started laughing so hard I thought I'd have to go to the bathroom again between Tom and Ruth Anne's laughter and the crashing of the diaper changing table. Ruth Anne came in to make sure I was okay and put the changing table back up.

Ruth Anne spotted a tray out of eye shot from Tom with a juice pitcher and cups on it. She poured herself a glass of juice when Tom told her to get back over here. "It takes good," she said and offered a cup to Tom. She said she needed an energy boost and considered it serendipity that it was there. There will be oranges at the water stops in Bermuda so it was indeed serendipity that the tray just happened to be there. As we were leaving Ruth Anne asked me if I wanted a roll? We laughed so hard as we resumed our run.

On the way back to Cleveland Circle we navigated the hills with surprising ease. I stopped only once after a steep hill at mile 8.

We returned to the car to calculate the home stretch of our 12 mile run.

Once around the Rezzie and a short down and back from the car and we'd be done!



We hugged and high fived realizing that 1. Love actually is all around and 2. The official countdown to Bermuda Marathon Weekend is on!

38 days and counting!

To going the distance with strength and courage
From my heart to yours,
Mary

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):

A New Decade Begins - Team McManus' Hyannis Adventures Part II - Race Report

We woke up at 5:30am on Sunday morning. I reminded myself, Tom and Ruth Anne that there is no such thing as only a 5K. While the distance may be only 3.11 miles, the Great Hyannis Road Race Michael Aselton 5K marked the ushering in of a new decade of healing for me and the reunion of Team McManus. We had not run a race together since we ran the Boston Marathon in 2009.

We did core work on Saturday along with a lot of walking but spent the afternoon resting up. It was an extra rest day added on to my usual Thursday and Friday rest days.

After core work on Sunday morning, I was inspired to use our in room coffee maker to boil water for our oatmeal. Since gun time was at 7:30 and Starbucks in the hotel lobby didn't open until 6:30, I wanted to make sure that we had enough time to eat at a leisurely pace and get to the starting line without stress.

It was a gorgeous day for a race and as one finisher we passed on Main Street after the race said, "What better way to start the day than by getting up and running a 5K race?"

We totally agree!

Parking was easy and we had plenty of time to stretch our legs and take a pre-race photo:


After a beautiful rendition of the Star Spangled Banner and welcoming remarks from a Barnstable Police Officer, we were off.

Ruth Anne was my pacer as she had been at our first 10K together - the Tufts 10K in 2008. After not running together in 9 years it was amazing to feel the muscle memory fire up as we ran together, Running with God. Seeing her pacing me, running with ease and joy fired up my mirror neurons to make for an incredible race. Tom checked his Garmin and I was running sub 16 minute miles which I hadn't done in over a year!

Thanks to race director Paul Collyer of BA Event Promotions, the course had spectacular views:



Ruth Anne kept checking in with me about the pace as she had during the Tufts 10K in 2008. She asked me what my goal for the race was. I decided that if I broke 50 minutes which I had been trying to do for the past year on the treadmill and on tempo runs without success, I'd be thrilled.

I ran from the inside out being mindful of when I needed to ease up on the throttle of my pace feeling my heart rate soar. We walked at each mile taking a water break and decided to stop at the water stop.

A sign of a great race with perfect weather conditions is when you wish the race were longer than a 5K!

Tom happened to catch a glimpse of the finisher's clock as we turned a corner to come into the finish. "Hey it's 49:14," Tom said and we kicked it through the finish line. 49:49! SUCCESS! I broke that 50 minute mark that had been bugging me for the past year.

As always, however, it's not just about the time on the clock but about the time we share together on the roads and what we learn about ourselves as runners.



Sunday's race was the first time that I didn't have that trigger fire up from lugging my leg brace after I contracted paralytic polio. We were last in the back of the pack. It was a my race, my pace moment for me enjoying running with Ruth Anne and Tom by my side. I didn't feel the pressure to speed up and push myself to catch up. I was running at a great pace for me during that first downhill. We caught up with a woman of short stature who was coming off of an injury. We both felt proud and honored to be running with each other. We passed her and then came upon a mother with a little girl wearing a t-shirt, "We run this town." As we ran along we chatted about the running club in Connecticut that has children ages 3-12 in it. We talked about the joy of running and how wonderful it is to get kids interested in running at a young age.

We passed them and went onto a very strong finish for our race being cheered on by spectators, volunteers and runners who had already finished the 5K.



What a wonderful way to begin a new decade of healing!

In tomorrow's blog - how we enjoyed our post-race celebration....

To going the distance with strength and courage!
~Mary

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):

Going the Distance: Sole Sisters

As I am writing, "Going the Distance: The Power of Endurance," I am reuniting with treasured memories of my sole sisters who have been with me throughout this amazing journey.

I first met Deborah through her husband Tim through an on line dating running site. We often joked about how we met. Tim, Tom and I were training for the 2009 Boston Marathon. I met Tim in person at the Hyannis Marathon Weekend in 2009.

Deborah and I became on line and in person friends. I was so blessed to provide her with support and encouragement as she set goals not limits. We had so much fun running the Tufts 10K in 2010:

And then we ran the Hyannis 10K together setting a PR on what we ran at Tufts despite slushy and snowy conditions. You can read all about it in my Race Report.

We've been FB friends through the years and as I posted about remembering our runs together, she is now considering the possibility of running the Hyannis 10K again!

My sole sister Jess Lanzoni has been such a cheerleader and supporter of my journey through the years. She joined with my intention to set a PR at the Bill Rodgers 5K for Prostate Cancer on Facebook the morning before the race and was there in person at the finish line to get me to my PR at the Tufts 10K in October of 2014.

Race Directors Geoffrey Smith and Charlie Breagy are keeping the tradition alive of the Hazelwood 5K, the oldest women's road race. Ever since the October snow fall several years ago that cancelled the Super Hero 5K (or at least our running in it), my sole sisters Laura and Kerry and I have been looking for a race to run together. I think these 3 sole sisters have found it. We have championed each other on and off the roads.

Although we have never met in person, one of my cherished on line sole sisters is Nicole. She was training for her first marathon in Houston and I was training for my comeback Half Marathon in Bermuda. Shortly before our races we realized that they were on the SAME DAY! It was such a joy to share those final training moments and taper madness together. We'll be doing it all over again this year as we return to our respective races.

The list goes on and on!

Sole sisters is just one of the many reasons I could not possibly give up my running career after a serious knee injury in December of 2014. As I look back on the journey through writing "Going the Distance" I see clearly how running is such a vital part of my life. How blessed am I loving and living this amazing journey sharing it all with my beautiful sole sisters.

To your health and wellness!
Mary

Countdown to Tufts - Tomorrow!

I set my sights on the Tufts 10K as my running goal for my running comeback that began on May 25,2013 with the #onerun. Initially I was planning to run only 5K's. I wasn't sure if I could work my way back to a 10K distance after not running for two years. I wasn't planning on racing 5 races since June but the opportunity to find my strength and my abilities presented themselves to me. I grabbed the opportunities like the brass ring on a carousel. I've been blessed by the love and support showered upon me every step of my way back to the starting line of the Tufts 10K.

I would love to PR it. Any time better than 1:36:09 will be a PR since my last Tufts of 2010. I plan to run a smart race and not go out too fast but keep a steady pace a notch above my comfort zone. When I get to the turn around at the halfway mark, I'll be able to kick it. I'm going to run from the inside out as I have run every race since June. I want to run for a long time so I'm not going to risk an injury or not feeling well enough to enjoy the day for the sake of time. I know I will be tempted to look at the split clocks but I'm going to use my internal split clock to set the pace.

The weather looks gorgeous for tomorrow. I want to enjoy the cheers from the crowd and the beauty of the course as the sun will sparkle off of the Charles River. Being fully in my body and running free is a precious gift and I want to relish every foot strike.

Tomorrow is for me. To know that I can come back after feeling defeated and deflated mind, body and Spirit, set a goal and achieve it! To trust in my body and my abilities to go the distance. To know that living with a spinal cord injury can be frustrating and a pain in the butt sometimes but to realize how truly blessed I am for all that I am able to do. To no longer be competing with anyone but myself and appreciate and be inspired by those who can run faster and farther than me. To make peace with my past and forgive those who betrayed my trust and to gather up all the love and support from so many that will fuel my journey tomorrow. To let the images and beliefs from days gone by be left in the dust while I climb to higher and higher ground in my rehabilitation journey.

Tomorrow is for something far greater than me. I will be running for all those children who have experienced polio-like symptoms to bring my message of healing, hope and possibility and how you can journey well with a spinal cord injury. While I will be running alone, I will feel both my smallness and greatness in the Universe. I run for those who can't, who were told they shouldn't and for those who believe they can't to let them know you can transform impossible to I'm possible.

I often say I don't know what will happen tomorrow but I'm hoping for ....

I do know what will happen tomorrow. I will celebrate my healing with a victory lap around the Charles River and through Boston's Back Bay. I'll be with wonderful friends who are my running family and be blessed to have the gift of my husband's presence, unconditional love and support. Friends near and far will be rooting for me. Talk about a gift. I will feel the power of Spirit within, without and all around me and the grace that I have been able to thrive in the midst of remarkable challenges. Tomorrow I will journey well.



The first 7 years of my healing odyssey are chronicled in Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing, Hope and Possibility available on Amazon. I donate 50% of royalty payments to The One Fund Boston to help survivors and their families who were affected by the tragic events of 4/15/13.



I'm working on my 2nd book, "Journey Well," due out later this year:

It feels great to be back!

I remember posting on Facebook as I began training for the Tufts Health Plan 10K for Women, "I think I can do this." My friends were wonderful cheering me on in cyberspace letting me know I could do this. I was hesitant. I was tentative. Could I come back to a 10K distance? Would I be able to be a part of races on a regular basis? The Universe nudged me along and swept me up to be exactly where I am meant to be. I couldn't very well say no to J Alain Ferry who I met while volunteering at the Heartbreak Hill Half Marathon Festival. After all, he put on the #onerun which helped me to realize that one way or another I had to get back to running and the running community. Alain was the Race Director for the Bill Rodgers 5K Run/Walk for Prostate Cancer. When I crossed that finish line with a PR, it was a new starting line in my running come back. He is the race director for next Sunday's 5K race.

This week has been a wonderful training week for me. Last Saturday I ran the Ogunquit Beach Lobster Dash. On Wednesday I incorporated hills into my 10K training run for Tufts and today I did speed work on hills. I did a 5K at a 15:30 minute/mile pace with negative splits all the way.

I pushed myself - hard. I allowed myself to experience moments when I went to my absolute edge. As I write this, I'm a little wheezy as I continue to build strength in my cardiovascular system. I am keenly aware of how paralytic polio affected me mind and body. Through running, I am able to heal.

I remember how I felt from June 2010 until March 2011. I was racing and crushing PR after PR. I was part of the running community that embraced me and loved cheering me on even though or maybe because I was a back of the pack runner giving it my all out there. It's amazing to have those feelings of confidence in my body and my Being, being cheered on and cheering on my amazing and often times crazy friends in the running community. They do everything from Spartan races to ultras and everything in between. I'm blessed to know older women who began their running careers later in life as I did and love cheering on their firsts. We run for physical and mental health. We run to be the best we can be. We run to see just what we can do on any given day. I run to challenge myself and to nourish my neuromuscular system that was affected by polio and violence.

It was a cool taste of fall kind of morning here in New England but the sun quickly warmed the air. The sun glistened on the Cleveland Circle Reservoir and the sky was a clear blue. As I ran up the hill in the back of Boston College, fans were arriving for the BC football game. There were many runners out. I felt vibrant and a part of the vibrant community that celebrates football and fall in New England.

I was training hard getting ready for next Sunday's Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Island Run. I'm not going for another PR since I'll be lacing up for Tufts two weeks after Sunday's race but we'll see what the day brings. I will use it for speed and getting ready to give my personal best performance at Tufts. I've got my eye on the 1:36 net time which will be a PR from my 2010 Tufts time.

After Tufts, Tom and I train for the Feaster Five with our friends from the Merrimack Valley Striders Club. We'll be heading up to Andover on Sunday mornings to train on the course. That will be my last race until Spring. Tom told me that we need to line up some really good Spring and Summer races that have bling to add to my collection.

For now, though, I feel good in my body and relishing that it feels great to be back!



The first 7 years of my healing odyssey are chronicled in Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing, Hope and Possibility available on Amazon. I donate 50% of royalty payments to The One Fund Boston to help survivors and their families who were affected by the tragic events of 4/15/13.



I'm working on my 2nd book, "Journey Well," due out later this year: