A Run Around Jamaica Pond - My Happy Place

 

 

Saturday mornings always beg the question, "Where should we run today?" It was a toss up between Heartbreak Hill and Jamaica Pond. Tom and Ruth Anne had 8 miles on tap as they ready for Half Marathon #2 for Victory Programs. I had my weekly 5K planned. We vacillated between the two running spots weighing the pros and cons of each. I had everything ready knowing that it would not be an out the door run where Ruth Anne and Tom could stop at the house for provisions.

The day was cool but the sun had that hint of Springtime is coming to Boston. Ruth Anne loves how I embrace this time of year when we get to experience anticipation of buds on the trees pregnant with possibilities before everything bursts into bloom. I love savoring the moments that lead up to Spring and Summer. My heart opens with joy knowing the beauty and warmth that is about to burst onto the scene.

The day started out with clouds yet the beauty of Jamaica Pond endures through any weather.

 After their warm up, Tom and Ruth Anne set out in the opposite direction from me. My solo run is a time for solitude and reflection. As Boston has begun the countdown to the Boston Marathon in less than a month, I reflected on our training runs around Jamaica Pond. We did speed work, hills and long runs as we built speed and endurance in preparation of 26.2 miles. What a thrill and delight to be out in the elements and experience the change of seasons, especially since I was given stern warnings about the risk of falls especially in winter.

My poem "Courage" was inspired by one of our training runs around Jamaica Pond:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As Tom, Ruth Anne and I passed each other we gave high fives and took a water stop. 

The clouds began to yield to sunshine and Mother Nature gave us a sneak preview of Spring's coming attractions.

While Tom and Ruth Anne finished their 8 miles, I savored the satisfaction of having completed my 5K while soaking in the sunshine as I refueled and hydrated. Geese honking and the gentle waves lapping against the shoreline were a wonderful soundtrack for my meditation.

Tom and Ruth Anne felt incredible joy that they completed their 8 miles feeling great knowing that they are one training run closer to the Providence Marathon Half Marathon for Victory Programs.

Prior to the start of my running career, I had been to Jamaica Pond only a couple of times. Tom and I rented a canoe before we had children. If you would have told me 16 years ago as I was just setting out on a quest to heal my life that Jamaica Pond would become a place near and dear to my heart for training runs, I would have said, "No way." But "Yes, way" as Jamaica Pond has become my happy place.

From my heart to yours
In health and wellness,
Mary
 

Visit my website to be inspired by my journey. May it ignite a spark within you to go farther than you ever believed you could.

My books that pack powerful messages of healing, hope and possibilities are available on Amazon 

 Thank you to Mike Reilly for featuring my story on Stories From the Finish Line Sponsored by CURAD Performance Series to inspire others.

What's Your Why?

 

During Saturday's run as snow and rain pelted our faces around the Reservoir, I wondered "What's my why?" 

Sixteen years ago, I did not have a 'why' for a regular health and wellness routine. I did have a why as a social worker at the Boston VA Outpatient Clinic. I had a why as a wife and mother. I did not have a why or how for self-care. I could have had my picture next to a definition of burnout in the dictionary as I faced the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome and told to prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair. I was blessed to find a path to heal my life from the once devastating effects of childhood paralytic polio and trauma. 

My why now is to share a powerful message of healing, hope and infinite possibilities.  My why now is to be and feel the best I can be. During the pandemic,  running outdoors was the only option we had as gyms were closed. I became conditioned to running in all kinds of weather occasionally using a treadmill if it was not safe to run outdoors. On Saturday's run, as the snow became heavier and the winds became colder, I felt a sense of power surge through me. The medical community gave me many admonitions as a polio survivor about being out in winter and being at risk for a fracture if I fell. They recommended that I use a cane with an ice gripper. Western Medicine providers meant well. They were basing their recommendation on what they observed happening with other patients who had the same condition as I had. My why is to let people know that living in fear only further compromises one's health and well-being. My why is to let people see by example that if you use it you do not lose it which had been the guidance of those living with neuromuscular conditions such as Post-Polio Syndrome or Multiple Sclerosis. Fortunately, there is a wealth of research about the power of the mind/body connection and the benefits of exercise for individuals with neuromuscular conditions.

The Centers for Disease Control in the US is trying to understand the scope and impact of Long COVID on individuals. It is estimated that 1 in 5 individuals are living with symptoms of Long COVID. It was recognized as a disability in July 2021. The symptoms of Long COVID

bear a striking resemblance to those of PostPolio Syndrome. 

• progressive weakness in muscles and joints
• pain in muscles and joints
• body/mind fatigue and exhaustion with minimal activity
• loss of appetite
• fever
• muscle atrophy (wasting)
• bone distortions such as scoliosis (curving of the spine)
• breathing issues
• sleep disorders, insomnia, sleep apnea
• swallowing issues
• cold temperature intolerance, occasionally intolerance to heat

My why is to let people and health care professionals know there is possibility for healing beyond a diagnosis despite all appearances to the contrary.  My why is to give hope to individuals who may be feeling anxious, helpless and hopeless in the wake of COVID-19. My why is to shine brightly sharing my passion and my purpose through my books, blog and appearances on podcasts and in print media. My why is because I am so blessed and grateful for the miracle of healing in my life that I want to ignite the spark of hope in others for what is possible.

From my heart to yours
In health and wellness,
Mary

Visit my website to be inspired by my journey. May it ignite a spark within you to go farther than you ever believed you could.

My books that pack powerful messages of healing, hope and possibilities are available on Amazon 

 

 

My Master Electrician

 

I am going through my previous books to create a new book called "Running the Race: Inspirational Poetry From the Heart of a Warrior". It's an incredibly wonderful creative endeavor as I reflect on my healing journey and will be able to inspire others juxtaposing poetry with prose. 

 

In February of 2007, after the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease, I got still and asked for Divine Guidance. I was told to prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair and to expect an accelerated decline in functioning as I aged. It was a cold, dark February evening and I was home alone grappling with the dark night of mind, body and soul.

A poem, 'Running the Race' flowed out of me. My pen became my Divining rod for healing as a spigot was turned on in my soul. Poetry poured out of me healing the past through poems about forgiveness and gratitude for all of my experiences finding the gifts and treasures inside the challenges. I created a future very different than the one being predicted for me by Western Medicine.

 

While rereading "Feel the Heal: An Anthology of Poems to Heal Your Life," I came across the poem, "Release". How amazing that before I had full awareness of what I was creating through my poetry, I was harnessing the power of the mind/body connection to heal the once devastating effects of childhood polio and trauma. I imagined God/Divine Intelligence/Source as my Master Electrician.

 

 

Over a decade later, in 2018, Dr. David Hamilton included my story in his Tenth Edition of How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body with the title, "Mary's Story: My Master Electrician."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When I first set out on my journey to heal my life, taking a leap of faith leaving behind my 20 year career as an award winning social worker at the VA Outpatient Clinic in Boston, I knew about the work of Bernie Siegel, MD.  His books and words of encouragement through the years, gave me hope that I could heal. He supported me through my 2009 Boston Marathon run and I believed I was off and running (pun intended) on my journey of transformation.

In December of 2014, I was stopped in my path by a very serious knee injury. I briefly returned to Western Medicine to see what needed to be healed. I found my way to a chiropractor who introduced me to the work of Dr. Joe Dispenza. His book, "You Are the Placebo" turbocharged my healing journey. In 2017, the Heal Documentary was released which is how I came to know the work of Dr. David and many other mind/body luminaries.

David shined the spotlight on the science behind what I was doing and had done through poetry and visualizing meditations!

There are so many studies confirming how the brain cannot tell the difference between real and imaginary. As I imagined being out of my leg brace, running and feeling free in my body; as I felt the Master Electrician healing the effects of trauma and polio, my body responded with new neuromuscular connections, growing a new gastroc muscle and being able to go beyond previous physical limitations caused by polio and trauma! I was blessed to initially partner with a physical therapist at Spaulding Rehab who believed in the body's tremendous capacity to heal and then a personal trainer who believed in infinite possibilities despite all appearances to the contrary. Here's a link to David's blog from March, 2018 explaining the science behind why visualization works.

When I told my personal trainer that I wanted to run the 2009 Boston Marathon in February of 2008, she told me that I was going to need a pair of running shoes!

 

Whenever my body is experiencing aches and pains, twinges or muscle spasms, I return to meditations visualizing My Master Electrician doing needed repairs from wear and tear through the years all the while expressing gratitude for the miracle of healing I've been blessed to experience. I use guided meditations from Bernie, Dr. David or whatever Spirit prompts me to focus on during a silent meditation.

I am deeply inspired by looking back at my journey through poetry and prose, knowing that it is going to bless the lives of so many who are looking for a spark to ignite the torch of healing on their path.

From my heart to yours
In health and wellness,
Mary

 Visit my website to be inspired by my journey. May it ignite a spark within you to go farther than you ever believed you could.

My books that pack powerful messages of healing, hope and possibilities are available on Amazon 

Center Stage

 

 

When I wrote the poem, "Center Stage" I was in the early stages of my healing journey after the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome in Spring of 2007. I was getting ready to take a leap of faith and leave behind my award winning career as a VA social worker to heal my life.

Center Stage   

 

She waited in the wings

waiting for wings to soar

moment by moment

step by step

Spirit moves in

no longer the understudy for someone else’s life.

 

Waiting to dance

sing her heart out

celebrating

survival…

 

Music maestro

spotlight

It’s Showtime!

 

I imagined myself healthy, healed, whole and running free despite having been told I should prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair, wearing a leg brace and being in a deconditioned physical state. I saw beyond all outward appearances through the gift of poetry. My pen became my divining rod for healing. When I dreamed about taking center stage, it was a metaphor for emerging from the devastating effects of childhood paralytic polio and trauma.

 

I took center stage on many occasions to share my miraculous journey of transformation but this moment, in February of 2020 at the Hyannis Marathon Weekend Pre-Race Pasta Dinner, was one of my favorites. I shared the podium with Boston Marathon Champion Bill Rodgers!

 

 

 

As I sat in a leg brace, using a wheelchair at times for mobility, a cane and having been told to prepare for a rapid decline as I aged possibly needing a feeding tube and spending the rest of my life in a wheelchair, I had no idea that on April 20th, 2009 I would cross the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon.  

 

 

On a cold dark day in February of 2007, I got still and asked for Divine Guidance. The poem, “Running the Race” flowed out of me:

Running the Race   

Early summer 1959 my kindergarten year
everyone around me filled with nervous fear.
Despite the Salk vaccine hope polio would disappear
the polio virus crept right up and knocked me in the rear.

Dancing all around the gym feeling free just like a bird
I dropped to the ground just like a stone and no one said a word.
The pain it was so searing-the diagnosis even worse
"It's polio" the doctor said...he was abrupt and terse.

Called one of the 'lucky ones' I had a 'mild case'
but with the other athletes I could never keep their pace.
Miss Holly physical therapist, curly hair and a warm, broad smile
it tempered the pain of being apart - to walk I'd take awhile.

I always wore those 'special' shoes the kids they poked and teased
with no support and much abuse with childhood I wasn’t pleased.
But put nose to the grindstone and learned all that I could
I couldn't kick a ball but my grades were always good.

Years went by and no more thought to polio did I give
I accepted the limp, everything else and decided my life I would live.
But symptoms of weakness and muscle pain did grow
I kept a stoic face hoping no one else would know.

Life no longer was my own I struggled through each day
suffered in silence, alone and afraid tried to keep depression at bay.
And with the grace of glorious God my world it opened wide
I discovered there was a Post Polio team and they were on my side.                                            

Sought out paths for healing and my spirit flew free
for the first time in life, I could truly be me.
The chains are gone and possibilities abound
I'm a tree with my roots planted firmly in ground.

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.

I'm now off the sidelines, no need to sit and whine
so much gratitude fills my heart and love and beauty shine.
After all these years I can join the loving human race
I exceed all expectations and now I set the pace.

Although I had never run a day in my life, in my mind’s eye I was running a race.
Poems poured out of me as though a spigot had been turned on in mind, body and soul. 

I imagined myself dancing in the rain without my leg brace and running free.

After intensive outpatient rehab at Spaulding Hospital and partnering with a personal trainer, I declared in February 2008, that I wanted to run the 2009 Boston Marathon to raise money for Spaulding Rehab. And so I did!

Believing is seeing. Dream big and see where the Universe leads. I had no idea that while I was imagining shining the spotlight on myself, center stage, that I would, one day, be center stage as a motivational speaker sharing my powerful message of healing, hope and infinite possibilities. As Albert Einstein said “Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.”

 

 

 

 

From my heart to yours
In health and wellness,
Mary

 Visit my website at https://marymcmanus.com to be inspired by my journey. May it ignite a spark within you to go farther than you ever believed you could.

My books that pack powerful messages of healing, hope and possibilities are available on Amazon  https://www.amazon.com/~/e/B0047OFIQ6

 

The Hills Are Alive!

 

Last Saturday,  February 18th, marked 58 days until the Boston Marathon 2023. After not experiencing Boston for two years during the pandemic, in the days leading up to the Boston Marathon, there is a deeper sense of gratitude and exhilaration. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Boston Marathon Bombings. We were so blessed to have been able to evacuate from the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Boston where we were celebrating our 2009 Boston Marathon run with the Race for Rehab Team. There is a heightened awareness of this anniversary throughout social media and in the energy on the Newton Hills.

It was only in the 20's Saturday morning when we got up to get our Saturday run on. We've been spoiled by this winter's mild temperatures. Rather than risking a brisk wind around the Reservoir, we decided to go to the Newton Hills. Even though we got a late start, there were many runners out on the Hills training for Boston and their energy ignites something deep within me. Although my endurance running days are behind me, I am able to fire up the feelings of when I ran Boston in 2009 and went on to run three Bermuda Half Marathons in 2016, 2017 and 2018. Since Ruth Anne's next Half Marathon isn't until May, Half Marathon #2 in her Trilogy of Half Marathons for Victory Programs, she wanted to run with me for the first 3 miles of her 6 mile run. 

She helped me to push my pace as we felt invigorated and exhilarated being out on the Hills. We passed the Dreamfar Team in training and saw Charity Teams' water stops.

Right before the Johnny Kelley Statue, we saw these photos:

We recalled the time we were coming back from Puerto Rico in January of 2009. We needed a break from training in the brutal New England cold. What were the chances that Ruth Anne would strike up a conversation with the two people sitting next to her on our return flight home, bemoaning how there was another storm on the way and we had 18 miles on the training plan for Boston. It was Johnny's nephew Tom Kelley and his wife Dottie. We became instant friends and exchanged information. A few weeks later we received this letter along with an Adidas poster that Johnny signed that now graces our living room.

We have so many joyous memories of our running adventures and have been blessed to meet so many amazing people through the sport of running. 

We spotted Dominic Herard who we met at a race several years ago in Rhode Island. We continued the friendship in social media and in real life. During the pandemic we kept talking about how we eagerly anticipated hugs on Heartbreak Hill again. A few weeks ago I met up with him on the Hills and today he embraced Team McManus. Of course we had to take a selfie:

He finished his run and we finished 3 miles back at our car. Tom and Ruth Anne went on to do their 3 miles at their pace. I hydrated, refueled and stretched basking in the glow of a great run. I felt a deep sense of joy and freedom embracing the cold air grateful for the glorious sunshine.

I read, and texted with Tom and Ruth Anne munching on pretzels. I delighted at the sound of runners' feet and their conversations as they passed the car. I reflected on how deeply grateful and blessed I am for the miracle of healing in my life.  I felt freedom and joy coursing through my cells knowing how every step is a gift, every mile is a blessing wondering what would my life have been like had I succumbed to the diagnosis and prognosis of Post-Polio Syndrome. What if I wouldn't have answered the call to run the 2009 Boston Marathon? I would have missed out on so much of life and meeting people who have become like family.  

I would have to say that since the pandemic, there is a unique energy surrounding training runs and races. There is a special sense of unity and familiarity among runners. We share in each other's triumphs and support each other through the tough miles that life inevitably brings.

The Newton Hills are alive once more as we countdown to the Boston Marathon. Being a part of the running community fuels my sense of vibrancy and being fully alive able to tackle the uphill climbs in life while feeling the joy of whisking through the downhills with ease.

From my heart to yours
In health and wellness,
Mary

 Visit my website to be inspired by my journey. May it ignite a spark within you to go farther than you ever believed you could.

My books that pack powerful messages of healing, hope and possibilities are available on Amazon 

 

Monday Miles Musings

  

During Monday's miles,  I was mesmerized by the Reservoir's flow of water with part of the Rezzie being frozen. 

What a joy to be celebrating 16 years of healing after the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease by Western Medicine standards. How amazing that 16 years ago in February of 2007, I got still and asked for Divine Guidance knowing I was at a crossroads in my life. How miraculous that I opened the portal to healing with my pen that became my divining rod for healing harnessing the power of the mind/body connection through writing poetry.

On Monday's run, I reflected on the fact that when my mother was the same age as I am (turning 70 in December) she was in an Assisted Living Facility. Yet here I am vibrant and feeling fantastic. The diagnosis of a progressive neuromuscular disease was one of the greatest gifts I received. I became 'old' at the age of 53 and was told to expect an accelerated decline in functioning as I aged.

 

I was fascinated by the flow of water. It was a beautiful metaphor for when part of me was frozen and trapped inside of my body from the residual effects of childhood paralytic polio and abuse at the hands of family members. Once I got still and connected to Source, the life force within me was able to flow again! The past was no match for the power of the Divine. Tethered to that power through poetry, meditation and taking action to support transformation, I went on to run the 2009 Boston Marathon having many adventures as a runnergirl.

Four years ago today I published "The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953."

Two of my favorite moments from "Adventures" were Bermuda Marathon Weekend and Hyannis Marathon Weekend in 2016. 

 

 

 In December of 2014, my left knee sustained a serious knee injury. I was told, as a survivor of paralytic polio, that I should never have started running and I needed to stop or cap my distance at a 5K. I was also told to prepare for a total knee replacement in a few years. I ran the Bermuda Half Marathon in January of 2016 and the Hyannis 10K in February. I went on to run the Bermuda Half Marathon in 2017 and 2018. 

 

 

 

 The body has a tremendous capacity to heal and transform when we harness the power of Divine Intelligence that resides within every cell in our Being.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I feel more vibrant and healthy today than I did when I was 53 years old. One of my favorite books is "Counter Clockwise" by Ellen Langer. In it she talks about what happens when we open our minds to what’s possible, instead of presuming impossibility, and how that can lead to better health—at any age. She presents research to demonstrate how our mind set and body set around aging affects the aging process.

During my Monday miles musings, I reflected on my miracle of healing. I have forged a path out of my past healing the once devastating effects of childhood paralytic polio and  trauma running into my later years with joy, passion and purpose.

From my heart to yours
In health and wellness,
Mary

Be sure to visit my website to be inspired by my journey of transformation.

My books that pack powerful messages of healing, hope and possibilities are available on Amazon

 

 

 

 

Muddy Shoes and Smiles for Miles

 

February is typically the month when we have lots of mud in Boston. This January, we've had very little snow and lots of rain that made for muddy runs around the Reservoir. Our running shoes have been caked with mud and wet through to our socks. We clean them off and put them against the baseboard radiators to dry out. I smile and feel such joy that a) I have running shoes and b) I can play in the dirt.

When I was growing up, I never had the childlike pleasure of going out and splashing in puddles or playing in the mud. I was learning how to navigate life after having had contracted the polio virus when I was five and a half years old. I was a stranger to athletics and running? Forget about it. 

After the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome, now 16 years ago, I set out on a quest to heal my life. I was led to the sport of running after writing poems about running free and splashing in puddles without my toe up leg brace:

I called my pen my divining rod for healing that was harnessing the power of the mind/body connection as I visualized feeling free, healthy, whole and healed in the wake of the once devastating effects of paralytic polio and trauma.

From "Feel the Heal: An Anthology of Poems to Heal Your Life":

One night I had a dream that I came out of my leg brace and was splashing around in the rain much like Gene Kelly did in Singin’ in the Rain. When I woke up, I penned this poem:

 

Come Out and Play

 

Arms flung open wide dancing in the rain

pure abiding joy to feel alive again

healing tears fall and blend in God’s puddle

no time to sit in a corner and huddle

all the old rules driven by fears

washed away now by God’s loving tears

the imprint dad left no longer remains

rain washes away all of the stains

baptized with love, Truth lights my way

the sun shines through on this rainy day

splashing and laughing my heart opens wide

embracing and flowing I’m one with the tide

God takes my hand release the old way

bathe in my glory come out and play!

 

We've been so blessed with mild temperatures and little snow fall this winter. I feel the joy of running again in my soul and on my soles after going through the pandemic, and after a reaction to the vaccine that took a toll on my body. All that matters is here and now.

Yesterday, Team McManus headed to Heartbreak Hill for our training runs. Ruth Anne and Tom are training for Half Marathons #2 and #3 to raise money and awareness for Victory Programs. They are working with Coach Brian Simons of Creaky Bones Running.Coaching.Performance. They each have their individualized plans but we all warm up together. There were smiles on everyone's faces despite the grueling challenge of the hills. The Hills are once again alive with the anticipation of the 2023 Boston Marathon. It's amazing how, since the pandemic, there is a deeper appreciation for the events that we missed and for feeling the joy of being together without masks or the need to socially distance.

 

As Tom and Ruth Anne went on their way, I continued at my pace. What a joy to have solid ground beneath my feet for a late January run. 

I thought I recognized one of my runner friends as he went by me. When he turned around, I knew it was him! We'd chatted on Facebook about hoping to see each other again on Heartbreak Hill once the pandemic ended. Three years later - here I am with Dominic Herard.

Dominic came to Hyannis Marathon Weekend in 2020 to race and to hear me speak at the pre-race pasta dinner. What a joy to hug and to hear the latest happenings with running goals in Dominic's life. He has been crushing his goals including recently running his first marathon. He is going to run the New Bedford Half and Providence full this year so we know we will be seeing more of each other sharing in the joy of running friendships.

 

I saw a lot of Spaulding Race for Rehab runners out on the course. I felt nostalgic about my 2009 Boston Marathon run and cheered them on with a "Hey Race for Rehab." There were more miles filled with smiles!

 

One of the runners from the Team and I struck up a conversation. It seemed as though we knew each other as we chatted with such ease and familiarity. That's what happens with runners. Coincidentally, I had liked her posts in the Race for Rehab Facebook Group.

 

As we move into 2023, I am excited to have more muddy shoes and many smiles for miles. My heart overflows with gratitude. What a miracle that I am able to celebrate 16 years of healing and be surrounded by an amazing village of runners that continues to grow and grow!

From my heart to yours,
In health and wellness,
Mary

Be sure to visit my website at https://marymcmanus.com to learn about my journey to health and wellness in the wake of paralytic polio and trauma

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