Celebrating Ten Years of Running: It's a Sign!

As I am editing, "The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953," I am in awe of how signs and synchronicity appeared throughout my journey.

When I decided to take a leap of faith from my award winning career as a VA social worker to a poet and writer, I got "random" emails letting me know about the Newburyport Literary Festival. I found myself standing next to New York Times Bestselling authors who were delighted to give me tips on writing and publishing my first book of poetry, "New World Greetings: Inspirational poetry and Musings for a New World." Waiting to get a (non-alcoholic) drink at the bar, the person who interviewed NY Times Bestselling author Peter Guralnick at one of the seminars stood in front of me. I was compelled to share my story with him. "Oh you're channeling from the Divine," he said nonchalantly and offered to buy me a drink.

We found money while we trained for the 2009 Boston Marathon:
But every once in awhile, a little nagging voice asks, “How are we ever going to raise $9,000? How am I ever going to run 26.2 miles?”

And then, God answers in strange and delightful ways.

I had errands to run at Cleveland Circle; a turning point on the Boston Marathon course. After going through the hills in Newton and passing through Boston College, runners turn onto Chestnut Hill Avenue. Once runners get to Cleveland Circle, it is a straight shot to Kenmore Square with just a few small hills along the way. It's only 4 miles to the finish line from Cleveland Circle. Those little inner critics were chatting away. I dismissed them. My passport was no longer valid to travel to the land of negativity. I walked along Beacon Street to Boloco to get take out lunch.

“Excuse me. Do you have any spare change?”

I handed him a dollar bill.

After coming out of Boloco I noticed that the man who asked for the dollar had gone. I looked down 'for some reason' and on the ledge of the Citibank there was change spread out. I picked it up. I knew it was for me.

It was hot from being out in the sunshine. When I got home I counted it. There were 5 quarters, 14 pennies, 3 nickels and 2 dimes. Five quarters is $1.25; 26.2 by adding the 1 and the 5 and scrambling the numbers a bit. We were scheduled to run 14 miles, 15 miles and then eventually 20 miles for our long runs. God was letting me know we have everything we need to go the distance in miles and for our fundraising!

We found a Helen Keller quarter stuck in the mud in a crack between the asphalt on Heartbreak Hill during another training run.

I found a nickel and a penny on our last long run while training for Boston. It was six cents inviting me to trust my 6th sense and that I would be able to meet (and actually exceeded) my fundraising goal and go the distance on 4/20/2009.

Speaking of signs ….

Bernie Siegel, MD, one of the pioneers in mind/body medicine, and a dear friend since the 1980’s, sent me an email telling me to look for the penny. It would be from him and God telling me everything was all right. I found a penny in Wellesley. I told Janine this story as we were walking from the finish line back to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. At just that moment she looked down and there was another penny. I added it to the 27 cents and the six cents that I carried with me in the back pocket of my capris.

Perhaps one of my favorite stories happened at the 2016 Hyannis Marathon Weekend Race Expo. One of my friends texted me from the Race Expo saying she was so excited that my table was across from hers at the Expo. The 2015 race weekend had been cancelled and I had not thought about having a table at the 2016 Expo since I was going to run the 10K. Not one to miss an opportunity to share my inspirational journey with others, I threw some things together for my table and at the last minute grabbed my Bermuda Half Marathon medal:

“It’s a sign!” a group of runners exclaimed as they walked by my table at the Hyannis Race Expo.

They picked up my medal from the Bermuda Half Marathon.

“We were just talking about how we have to run Bermuda. We are putting it on our bucket list.”

The Mystic Runners from Wakefield, Massachusetts were deeply moved by my inspirational journey. In that moment of synchronicity, we became fast friends.

In January when we returned for our 3rd consecutive Bermuda Half Marathon, this happened:
No alarms were set for Friday morning and it felt wonderful to sleep in and awaken to a Bermudaful day.

We opened the door to our balcony to see palm trees and hear Bermuda bird songs. We went to Windows on the Sound restaurant for breakfast where floor to ceiling windows overlook the ocean. I wanted to stick to my pre-race fueling plan breakfast of oatmeal, banana, juice and toast. We brought our own packets of oatmeal and the breakfast buffet supplied the rest. However, I could not resist the melt in your mouth poppy seed muffins. After all, I was on vacation and you only live once! We read the Royal Gazette while savoring our breakfast. I placed my spoon down on the table and paused from looking at the newspaper. I reminisced with Tom about our dear friend Herb. With a jolt, I was drawn to look outside. I noticed the contrast of the sun and the mist coming off of the ocean. It was as though time stood still. My gaze was drawn to look up. There was a rainbow! I cried tears of joy and gratitude.

“Are you okay?” the woman at the next table asked us.

“It’s a sign from a friend of ours who introduced us to Bermuda,” I said without concern for what this total stranger might think of my declaration.

“Oh I totally believe in signs,” she said.

I love how the Universe surprises reminding us that there is something greater than what the eye can see within us and all around us:



I began my healing odyssey from the effects of paralytic polio and trauma twelve years ago next month. I began running in 2008. What a glorious ride it's been with the Universe supporting me with signs and synchronicity every mile along the way.

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.

Reflections on Boston Marathon Weekend 2018 - I LOVE THIS SPORT! Part I

...and I'd add watch a marathon in the worst conditions in 30 years on Boston Marathon Monday 2018.

There were a few Marathon weekend firsts for Team McManus. It was the first time we spent 3 days working at the Expo with Blue Diamond Athletic Displays. What a glorious time we had meeting and inspiring runners and helping them with their selection of a medal display. It was also the first time we watched the coverage of the marathon on TV rather than be spectators along Beacon Street. The weather conditions were harsh and we knew that we could send our energy to the runners from the safety and warmth of our own home.

I was so blessed that Ken and Nell invited us to lend a hand as members of their Sales Team (although their products sell themselves) and to share my inspirational journey on the road to the 2009 Boston Marathon and beyond. Photo credit: Nell Posmer


Tom dropped me off at the Seaport Hotel Cafe where signs directed the runners and the excitement in the air was electric:


I arrived before the Expo opened on Friday. I was about to text Nell when a lovely woman at the Information Booth asked if she could help me. She gave me my badge and a map. Proudly wearing my Exhibitor Badge I found my way to Booth #758 while vendors quickly put the finishing touches on their Booth displays. It was my first behind the scenes look at the Boston Marathon Expo before it opened to the public. What a thrill and how wonderful to see Nell again as she put the finishing touches on their display:


Booth #758 was the hub of activity for runner reunions, hanging out with elite runners and the forging of new friendships.

A longtime Blue Diamond Athletic Displays customer, Pam, posted this on Facebook, ""The tradition continues.....I always visit Ken & Nell! Come visit Blue Diamond Athletic Displays at the Expo!"


Running and especially the Boston Marathon brings runners together from around the world. Calvin is from Hong Kong and we inspired each other with our running journeys! He was inspired to purchase a copy of my book, 'Going the Distance: The Power of Endurance.' He told me that he would write a review in Chinese and English to share my journey with others. He started running 3 years ago and is a remarkable marathoner with grit and determination.


Running greats Amby Burfoot, Deena Kastor, Jacqueline Hansen (who wrote the Foreword for Going the Distance), Sarah Mae Berman and Jack Fultz stopped by Booth #758. Deena and Amby signed a medal display that Meb, Ryan and Sarah Hall, Frank Shorter, Dick Beardsley and Kara Goucher had signed before them. We pulled in Caitlin Doherty, President of L Street Running Club to be in the photo with Amby:


This year I was blessed to connect with The Joseph Middlemiss Foundation. Everyone I met through the Foundation embodies Joseph Middlemiss' legacy of kindness, love and joy for life. They had a team of 15 runners running Boston this year and every one of them made it to the finish line running with all their heart.

I met Laurie Miamis at the Book Launch of "Dream Big". She came by and purchased a medal display:


Another member of Team Big Heart, Jennifer Sprague stopped by and treated herself to a Boston Strong medal display:


We found each other on Facebook and as I always like to say, nothing makes friends faster than being a part of the running community!

Several other members of Team Big Heart stopped by who I had known from Facebook and had donated to their fund raising pages.

Amidst familiar faces, we met and greeted runners who were intrigued and fascinated with the medal displays that Ken and Nell create. One runner in particular said to Tom on Saturday as he held a medal display to draw attention to our booth, "Now I'd really be impressed if you told me you make those." "We do," Tom said and introduced him to Ken and Nell. He is going to order his display on line since Blue Diamond Athletic Displays ships around the world to 50 states and 6 of the 7 continents!

Throughout the weekend friends came by to visit!

Tony Rich who is a coach and longtime Blue Diamond customer stopped by to say hello and asked us how our running was going! Here he is in the Boston Marathon program ad for Blue Diamond:


"Thank you for being a fan," Maureen Jones from Rochester Minnesota came by with her brother Matt who was going for the podium in his age group. We met after the 2014 Boston Marathon and you can read the incredible start to our friendship by following this link


Trish Trout wasn't running Boston this year but ran the 5K. We became friends after the Bermuda Half Marathon in 2016. She embraced my journey and wrote a review of Going the Distance on Amazon. It's such a warm and wonderful feeling to welcome friends back to Boston with open arms and open heart:


Jane Marshall, former Mrs. Massachusetts and I met when we were both interviewed on Magic 106.7's Exceptional Women show. We hadn't seen each other in years but stayed in touch on Facebook. I am humbled by how she told me I inspired to take on the Boston Marathon and run for Wideko Childrens Services who help children struggling with mental health issues. When she saw that I was going to be at the Expo, she made a concerted effort to see me. What a joyful and emotional reunion we shared:


Annette Emerson and I met during One Boston Day in 2015. What a thrill to see her again along with her guide, Kristina Rynes Petitjean. Annette and Kristina found each other shortly after the tragic events of 4/15/13 and helped each other through those confusing and dark hours. Out of darkness emerges light, love and friendships to last a lifetime.



On Saturday evening after two incredibly energizing yet exhausting days at the Expo, Ken, Nell, and Neil took Tom and me out for dinner. We tried to get a table at a restaurant in the Seaport area where this year's Expo was being held (I must admit we did miss the traditional location of the Hynes Convention Center) but everything was noisy and there were long waits. We opted to head out to Brookline and enjoyed a leisurely dinner at one of our favorite places, Golden Temple. They thoroughly enjoyed it and even had leftovers to take back to their hotel.

Tom and I had a leisurely Sunday morning although we were both anxious to get back to the Expo to support Blue Diamond on their last day at the Expo. It was the Anniversary of 4/15/13. Tom and I wore our Boston Strong colors:


We kicked off Sunday morning at the Expo by visiting the Dream Big booth that was staffed with Nancy Wendland Feehrer, who co-authored Dream Big and the Team Captain for Team Big Heart running in the Boston Marathon, Andrea Ketcham Walsh:


along with "Flat Dave" - Dave McGillivray who stands still longer than the real life Dave McGillivray:


They didn't know the back story to my journey and there were hugs and goosebumps all around!

At 2:49pm the Expo hall was hushed for a moment of silence to remember those who lost their lives and were injured on 4/15/13. Tom Grilk read a powerful and poignant message about remembering the events of the day while honoring the remarkable resilience and strength of our City and its people. Tears flowed and the crowd broke into applause.

Running is the only sport I know of where elite runners and champions in the sport love to share the love of the support with runners of all race distances and all paces. The friendships that are forged with runners who run all paces and all distances are lifetime friendships. It's an international sport with a universal language. There's a runner's code of honor (more on that in Part II) and honoring and respecting everyone's effort out on the roads. We lift each other up when we are down because of challenges on the roads or in our lives; support each other through injuries and celebrate triumphant running comebacks. Running raises money for incredible causes such as the Joseph Middlemiss Big Heart Foundation, Wideko Childrens Services, The Martin Richard Foundation just to name a few.

I LOVE THIS SPORT and felt so blessed and grateful to be a part of the Boston Marathon 2018 Expo with dear friends and running family.

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 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):

Reflections On My Ten Year Runiversary

While writing "The Adventures of Runnergirl1953", I realized that it's my 10th anniversary of running; a wonderful time to pause (especially since I am recovering from my 3rd consecutive Bermuda Half Marathon) and reflect on all that the sport of running has brought into my life.

I was a stranger to athletics. I contracted paralytic polio at the age of 5 followed by enduring years of violence at the hands of family members. In order to survive the trauma, I had to dissociate from my body. While I needed to sacrifice my mind/body connection in order to survive, I paid a steep price and was diagnosed 11 years ago with Post-Polio Syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease. Hearing that I should prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair was a wake up call to make serious changes in my life.

I had never run a day in my life nor did I ever think that I would become a runner until, I got still and asked for Divine Guidance in February of 2006. The poem, "Running the Race," flowed out of me.

I was confused at first about why I was writing a poem about Running the Race especially this stanza:
Using wheelchair to travel, set limits on what I could do,
resulted in joy to realize I could live life anew.
Celebrated my body- creaks, groans and need for a brace
While in my mind I focused on winning a 10K race.

Poetry flowed out of me at warped speed and I imagined myself feeling whole, healed, free, dancing in the rain and running unencumbered.

Yet I still sat in a leg brace, using a cane, and at times, a wheelchair for mobility.

After being discharged from Spaulding Rehab's Outpatient care and hiring a personal trainer, I set the goal to run the 2009 Boston Marathon. Crazy huh?

I started with absolutely no running base and nothing to draw from in my muscle memory so I watched Forrest Gump:


Such powerful imagery for me to see the leg braces breaking away. I had been in a full metal leg brace on my left leg for 3 years after contracting polio.

When I told my trainer that I had one more goal at my 6 month fitness evaluation, having improved in every area of the assessment - a miracle in and of itself - she could have told me I was crazy to have such a lofty dream.

Instead she sent me to Marathon Sports Brookline to trade in my polio shoes with a toe up leg brace for my first ever pair off running shoes.

I went from 30 seconds of running in March of 2008 to being able to cross the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon!



Along the way we've met running greats:


and run Bermuda - 3 times


We've collected a lot of bling:


and made incredible friendships through the years...


One of our treasured friendships is with Ken and Nell Posmer, the creators of Blue Diamond Athletic Displays, Inc.


We will be helping them out at this year's Boston Marathon Expo - Booth 758!

I've collected cherished memories, and developed treasured friendships, pushed myself harder and overcome many obstacles and injuries going the distance in ways I never imagined I could as a survivor of paralytic polio and trauma.

It's been a glorious ten years of blood, sweat and tears


joyous triumphs of starting lines and finish lines.



I am so blessed and grateful for what the sport of running has given to me and what I have given to the sport of running.

I can't wait to see what the next 10 years will bring!

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):