Celebrating Ten Years of Running: The Power of a Good Run!

As Tom and I started out on our Saturday morning run, I felt flat inside. "Maybe I'll just walk this one and take it easy," was my thought. "No that's just not like me."

As we started out on our run, my heart rate soared and I felt, what Candace Pert calls "The Molecules of Emotion." I knew that my thoughts and emotions were creating uncomfortable sensations in my body.

"I need to talk about something," I said to Tom.

"Absolutely," he said while he encouraged me to take in the breathtaking sights and expansiveness of the ocean.



We debriefed about an extremely stressful situation in our lives. My friend, Michelle, posted a video on Facebook citing how much relief she felt after she was able to name and claim something on a recent run she had. I'm sure that inspired me to go beyond myself and release what I was holding inside. Once I was able to allow those feelings to move up and out, I was able to feel a sense of freedom in mind, body and soul. I wanted to "open it up" and see what my body could do.

It was hot but there was a cooling sea breeze.

Tom glanced over at my pace from time to time and repeatedly said, 'You're crushing it!'

It was a thrill to feel my pace drop and to receive validation for my hard work as I looked at my splits and Nike+ pacing.

One of my health and fitness goals is to work on speed since I am taking a break from endurance running for now. Throughout my ten years of running and this quest to heal from the effects of childhood paralytic polio and trauma, I have honored every commitment I set toward a goal. After my nephew's death by suicide in March of 2011, I strayed from running and pursued yoga in an effort to heal the searing pain of his death. Even though I felt that yoga teacher training was ultimately not the path for me, I made a commitment to the program and followed through. I learned a lot of soul lessons during that part of my journey.

After 4/15/13, I returned to the roads and to the sport that heals mind, body and soul.

I love the feeling of opening it up and challenging myself riding the waves of endorphins along with the waves of a "good" discomfort. Sweat, high heart rate that was a result of mind/body working together and pushing my pace, nausea and hunger felt wonderful as we wrapped up our 3.11 mile run.

I felt exhilarated and tired and extremely satisfied with myself for getting my pace into numbers I hadn't seen in a very long time since I'd been training for the past 3 years for the Bermuda Half Marathon.

As Tom went off to get in an additional 5 miles on the road to his Bermuda Marathon Weekend 2019, I sat on the beach refueling with a banana and water. I walked into the ocean and admired my sore muscles allowing the cool ocean water to aid in my recovery. I read Billy Mills book, "Lessons of a Lakota" that I won in a contest on Facebook. In it Billy wrote, "Mary...Follow your Dream."


When I was striving for PR's back in 2014, I watched this video:


What a thrill to be able to connect with Billy and his wife Pat on Facebook and receive a magnificent gift.

When Tom returned from his 5 mile run, I marveled with him at how flat I felt when we started out on our run and how content and peaceful I felt after our run.

As we gathered up our belongings after spending time watching the waves go in and out. I reflected on the power of the sea, the vastness of the Universe and the gift of running in my life to transform and transcend a difficult situation happening in my life. That my friends is the power of a good run!

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):

Going the Distance: Exceeding Limitations - Thoughts on Transformation

"You really crushed your workout today didn't you?" a woman asked me in the locker at Boston Sports Club on Tuesday.

I was a little stunned. "How did you know? I just posted it on Facebook. Did you see it?"

"No I was watching you and saw that you had been at your workout for awhile and you seemed really into it."

"Hi - I'm Carolyn and I'm the Membership Services representative here." After we chatted about my journey and her own healing journey with MS, she commented how happy she was to have me as a member at the gym.

Well a really strange thing happened to me at the gym. I got on the Arc Trainer where I was planning to maintain at .86-.88 for 20 minutes. Before I started training for Bermuda again, during my off season I wanted to hit .90 which I did in May. Something lit up inside of me where I told myself to set goals not limits and remind myself of the person I am today - transformed and healed from the effects of paralytic polio and trauma. Before I knew what happened and a whole lot of sweat later, I hit .91 in 20 minutes. Amazing!

I got out of my thoughts and got out of the way during yesterday's workout. It was strange. I was planning on being mindful and not "overdoing it" during my work out after Saturday's 11 miler in the freezing cold.

I became aware of my automatic thoughts as a survivor of paralytic polio who had been diagnosed with Post-Polio Syndrome 11 years ago and a survivor of severe childhood trauma.

Lately I've been aware of movement and thoughts that come from habits from the past and am working to change them.

I have created new mantras such as I can get up out of bed in the morning with ease. I can get up out of a chair with ease. I experience freedom and ease in mind, body and soul.

I can sense the awareness of memories from polio and violence and because I bring them into awareness, I now have the opportunity to change them.

I bring a lot of love and compassion to my memorized self and am truly grateful that I survived the horror of my past. More than surviving the horror of my past, I have created a very sweet new present and a beautiful future for myself.

As Dr. Joe Dispenza likes to say, and I HIGHLY recommend his work, it's important to have measurements to determine progress and the outcome of change but it's also important to bear in mind that it's not so important to look at the what we have created but that we have the power to create change and transform!

Ten years ago this past May, I left my award winning social work career at the VA to heal my life from the effects of paralytic polio and trauma after being diagnosed with Post-Polio Syndrome. I was given a rather grim prognosis and was told I should prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair.

I continue to become aware of how the messages and experiences from my childhood hardwired my brain and my Being and as I do, I do something different to create an opportunity to rewire as I did when I exceeded my limitations at the gym on Tuesday and continue to journey forward as a woman transformed.



Please remember change is just one thought and action away!

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

Be sure to listen to my interview with Keith Cartwright, "From Polio Survivor to Boston Marathon Finisher" by following this link.

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):