My Running Chronicles: There is magic in my running shoes!

The alarm went off on Tuesday morning. Tom and I set the meditation timer for 20 minutes. I could feel the heat and humidity in mind and body. I had a wonderful meditation setting my intentions for the day, feeling the love and peace in our home and reminding myself that everything is rewired; everything is healed. A part of me wanted to go back to sleep for another hour or two at least but it was time to get up and greet the day.

The heat made our plank challenging this morning and I'd also done a kick ass workout in the pool at WaveHealth yesterday. I wanted to cave literally and figuratively but instead I used my breath knowing that I am going the distance and nothing can stop me now. 2:20 plank done.

We decided to go downstairs where it was cooler to do our 50 crunches and 10 weighted clams.

Hydration, a piece of toast and a banana; don the running clothes and lace up the running shoes and out the door we go.

I suggested to Tom that we take a different route that would give us more shade. It would also give us more hills but that was the trade off.

It would have been easy to have taken an easy 3 miles and not done speed work given the heat and humidity but something was fired up inside of me and I wanted to do what we planned to do for our training run. During my meditation I practiced my mantra: I run unencumbered. I run swift. I run a 12:00 minute mile. I told Tom after we ended our meditation that I wanted to do a 14:00 minute mile today.

Tom looked at me and said, "You run unencumbered. You run swift. You run a 14:00 minute mile."

I felt the magic in my running shoes to sweep away any doubts in my ability to run and run swift.

First mile had a downhill and then a fairly long uphill. We took a water break at mile 1 with a split of 15:38.

We totally improvised our route as we went along going into the back roads near the Brookline Country Club; a beautiful scenic shaded route with rolling hills and beautiful flowers. I pushed my pace and ran a 15:11 second mile although I sprinted at the end and Tom caught a glimpse on my Nike+ of a 12:14 pace.

We stopped at mile 2 for another water stop. Sweat was pouring off of me and I noticed something quite remarkable.

When I run in the heat, my body used to overheat fairly quickly and I'd feel this heat behind my face through my forehead. The thermostat had been tampered with by the polio virus. But today, even though it was easily one of the hotter and more humid days we ran in, instead of feeling that overheating sensation, I poured sweat. My thermostat is fixed!!!



I felt strong, confident and unstoppable feeling the heal in every fiber of my being.

Our 3rd mile began with a downhill and I took every advantage of it knowing that we had a huge uphill to finish our run.

I couldn't talk while we ran; a sure sign that I was leaving nothing on the roads yesterday morning.

I dug deep. I knew that every step I took was bringing me one step closer to resounding success in the Bermuda Half Marathon in January. We took one quick water stop before surging up the hill to our finish.

My pace - 14:18 - a negative 53' split!

My plank was shaky. I was tired and it was hot and humid. Yet once I laced up my running shoes, I felt the magic. And I felt the power of the mantra, "I AM the Placebo," from the works of Dr. Joe Dispenza.

And I felt the total love and intention from my partner in life and on the roads as he ran and sweated with me side by side and stride by stride to achieve an overall pace of 15:07 today with hills, heat and humidity.



The Thoroughbred

A dark horse
dark past
finishing last
ready to quit
battered and bruised
a foal fouled
yet Spirit unbroken
a thoroughbred deep inside
despite appearances
all she needed was a chance
someone to believe in her
a horse whisperer
in the mist
amidst fog and foliage
she runs
breaking free
transformed
into the champion she was always meant to be.



I chronicle the first 7 years of my healing journey after being diagnosed with post polio syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease as a survivor of childhood paralytic polio and 9 years of childhood domestic violence in Coming Home:A Memoir of Healing, Hope and Possibility.


"Feel the Heal: An Anthology of Poems," my latest collection of inspirational poetry is now available soon on Amazon

My Running Chronicles: 15 is the New 16

When we last left this intrepid runner, I was following the advice of Billy Mills and I finally broke that 16 min/mile pace on my training run. Last Saturday, Tom and I set out to do our 4 miler. We knew we needed to incorporate hills and a lot of tough hills because two weeks from this Friday, I will be toeing the starting line of the Harvard Pilgrim Finish at the 50 and I've got my sights set on a time of 46:52 or better. So I have the course map with my time written on it on our refrigerator:



You see dear readers, I am no longer running as a survivor of paralytic polio and violence -- I am running because as I recently said in this blog, I was born to run and born to run free. It's just there was a little interruption of oh 5 decades or so that was a hurdle I needed to get over. When I told my muscular therapist who is partnering with me on this next phase of my journey that I am no longer running as a survivor of paralytic polio and violence but as the runner I was always meant to be and that I want to run fast, he commented, "Ah to be swift of foot - like the god Mercury."



What a wonderful image. Coincidentally Mercury and Mercury's Greek counterpart Hermes are both patrons of poets!

Paralytic polio initially took me out of the athletic realm and I didn't have a chance to get back in the game because I was fighting for my survival every night and on weekends with my wildly dysfunctional family.

But now I am fired up and fierce with determination to allow the runner within to fully take form and emerge from the gunk of my past.

Why you may ask ... why is she so obsessed with running and being her personal best? What is she trying to prove and at close to 62 years old - really?

Yes really -- and in truth I have nothing to prove yet I have everything to prove to myself.



During Saturday's training run with Tom and God bless him for running with me rather than doing a brisk walking pace because it is helping my journey of transformation (and more about mirror neurons in another post), we talked about how we were no longer going to live in fear. It's important to be mindful and run from the inside out as I like to call it, but we can no longer behave as though my body is going to get injured or break down again.

Those days are over!!!

I am healing and "every day in every way I am getting better and better" (as Dr. Emile Coue so eloquently stated it).

I have new mantras:
Trust don't test and see if in fact that left knee has full range of motion or that the right IT band discomfort is gone. Just trust and act as if it has already manifested in reality.
Feel the joy in the challenge rather than experiencing a sense of struggle and overcoming. It's a whole new ball game now and as race director Dave McGillvray loves to say, "My game. My rules." Coincidentally he is the race director for the Finish at the 50. He wrote in my book, "The Last Pick," "Set goals not limits."
Focus on the healing not on the wound.
Feel the heal.
Focus on the wave not on the particle.
Love is stronger than fear.
I am an ambitious god.

Tom and I had an amazing run together. I once again ran a sub 16 minute/mile pace and my pace at the 5K mark puts me well within striking distance of my PR for race day.

As I climbed into a post training run ice bath, I had a moment of pause as living in my polio/trauma/injured body briefly surfaced. How can I get in and out of the tub? "Oh yeah," I reminded myself, "I am strong and can do squats and besides we do have a railing in the tub but I am flexible and I move with ease and grace." (more mantras)

The ice bath felt amazing.

And after the ice bath I had this epiphany bathe every cell in my body. I am no longer a victim to my body. From the time I was 5 years old I lived in fear of my body and then I lived in fear of what others would do to my body but NO MORE! Those days are over. I can have my mind and body work together and my mind heals my body. I can love myself well and allow love to be so much stronger than fear.

Today I did cross training in the pool at WaveHealth where I use that time and space for moving meditation and healing as well as gaining strength washing away all the old beliefs.

Two weeks from Friday I'll be testing myself for the first time since last October when I PR'ed the Tufts 10K.

I'll be channeling my inner Wilma Rudolph, Forrest Gump, Seabiscuit, Billy Mills and embody Mercury and Hermes with winged feet to have a phenomenal race day.

15 is the new 16 and I'm going to keep moving forward with my training embodying and embracing the runner I was always meant to be.

Feel the Heal

The Potter’s wheel with loving hands a figure forms brave and true
breaking mold cast by others, Triumphant Spirit shining through.
In likeness of Divine’s image, all excess baggage gently melts away
unbridled freedom, joy fired up whole without fringe or fray.
Rhythmic turnings ever so slowly, tender kindness she feels the heal
Potter pauses work now finished, she leaps from Potter’s wheel.
Color and shape beyond compare magnificent in radiant sun
going the distance helps others to heal fueling her 26.2 mile run.
Transcending transforming no pain can last,
grit and gratitude fill heart and soul
leave doubts and fears in dust of memories past
sights set clearly on finish line goal.
In the distance the Potter’s cheering
that Voice so clear rises above the din
she feels in every fiber of her Being this race is hers to win.
Pacing, persistent and patient in each moment she feels the heal
reminded of her humble true beginnings
blessed by grace on Potter’s wheel.





I chronicle the first 7 years of my healing journey after being diagnosed with post polio syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease as a survivor of childhood paralytic polio and 9 years of childhood domestic violence in Coming Home:A Memoir of Healing, Hope and Possibility.


In Journey Well, the journey continues in the wake of my nephew's suicide on 3/4/11 and the events of 4/15/13. Through my journey of healing and transformation, we learn that no matter what life circumstances happen to us, we can always find a way to journey well.


50% of book proceeds from all of my books, available on Amazon are donated to the Arredondo Family Foundation whose mission is to provide a helping hand to those experiencing a tragedy and to provide education on matters relating to military, veterans, military families, and the issue of suicide.

I am working on my new book, Feel the Heal: An Anthology of Poems which brings togeth