It's Not a Race - It's An Event

My facebook status at 9 pm last night was, going to bed early for a 6 am wake up call for a training run. Hope that I will wake up to the Red Sox going to the World Series! And they are. Back when they played the Yankees in a nail biter of a series, a superstition was born in our household. Whenever I went to bed before the end of the game, the Sox won but if I stayed up, they lost. So it only makes sense for me to go to sleep if it is going to be a late night game! Boston can really use a World Series right now as we stand Boston Strong a little more than 6 months after the Boston Marathon bombings.



I'm glad I went to bed early so that I felt rested and refreshed as Tom and I headed to Andover where members of the Merrimack Valley Striders running club were meeting us to help us train for the Feaster Five Road Race happening on Thanksgiving morning.



We watched the sunrise as we drove along the highway. We saw a day dawn with a beautiful blue sky. It was chilly as we gathered in front of Starbucks on Main Street in Andover exchanging hellos while groups were organized into runners, runners/walkers, walkers and 2.5 miles and 5K route. Tom and I decided to go for the 5K route since we knew we probably wouldn't have a chance to return to Andover to train on the route before Thanksgiving.

Two members of the club, Bob and Melissa led us for the first portion of our training. We were the only two walkers. Bob had heard me speak at the Club and asked me how I am doing now. I gave him an update on how well I am doing. As we came to a fork in the road, Bob and Melissa went on to do the 2.5 mile route and told us to not worry about finding our way back. It was a triangle and we couldn't get lost. Lisa who organizes the Feaster Five training run group had assured us before we began that she would sweep the route and come back in with us.

As Tom and I walked through the picturesque neighborhood streets, we felt the warm sun on our faces, the splendor of the changing leaves and the solitude of the neighborhood. We kept a fairly brisk pace for me. I had total trust that we would not get lost if we just followed the directions they gave us even though we were in a totally unfamiliar place. We hadn't exchanged cell phone numbers and I did not have my usual panic of "Am I holding them up? Will they wait for us? Am I going fast enough?" I thoroughly enjoyed the day and moving in my body.

I reflected on the words that Bob said as we were walking together, "The Feaster Five is more of an event that it is a race".

Isn't that so true about life? We are always so busy with our goals and racing from here to there or feeling our insides race believing there is not enough time, feeling pressure to get things done.

When I ran the Brookline Symphony Orchestra 5K Fun Run & Walk, I could feel myself racing and wanting to race since it was my first event after a 2 year running hiatus. I am delighted I did and thrilled my body met the challenge of a 14 minute mile for mile 2 with an overall pace of about a 15 minute/mile.

But the Feaster Five feels different for me and my life now feels different for me. As I turn the corner into my 60th birthday in just about two months, there is nothing to race toward. I want to embrace my life as a sacred event. I want to breathe deeply and slow down while at the same time relishing being able to challenge myself on the roads and in the pool at Spaulding as I, to quote Gil Hedley, enliven what I have.

I was reflecting on how fortunate I am to be able to be outside on a glorious Fall day training for the Feaster Five without any pressure, goals or expectations. I felt a sense of total delight and had faith that we were going the right way. My body embraced the change in scenery from our usual training run route and the hilly terrain. We were so excited when we saw Lisa running toward us to bring us back to Starbucks where we began our 5K training route.

We sat with Lisa, Bob and Melissa enjoying a cup of tea and I a blueberry yogurt honey muffin. We talked about the Striders, the Feaster Five, and touched upon Marathon Monday. We shared health and fitness journeys. We got insider tips for race day.

Sometimes when we get caught up in racing, we forget to put away the technology, pause to stop and share a cup of tea with new friends enjoying the change of seasons because after all life is not a race - it is an event to be cherished.

Presence from the very soon to be released "A Celebration of Life". My books of inspirational poetry are available on Amazon

Presents
gifts of awakening and awareness
come in the oddest of boxes
illness
old age
death
presence always presenting
opportunities
for transformation
the physical body
an illusion really
yet necessary
if we are to experience the fullness of life
the journey is the destination
being present
receiving all the gifts that presence presents.

The Magic of Fenway Park

My good friend Rick Leskowitz, MD is the producer of The Joy of Sox Movie. Some of the questions posed in the movie are, "Is Fenway Park a sacred space?" "Can the power of intentional prayer affect the outcome of a ball game?" I encourage you to visit his website and learn more not only about The Joy of Sox but the field of energy medicine.If you are so moved, make a donation to support the release of this wonderful documentary. Last night, my husband and I experienced the Joy of the Boston Red Sox. I'd been to games before at Fenway, but last night I opened my heart to experience the magical experience of going to a ball game at Fenway Park.

During the day I felt the presence of my grandfather. He died many years ago along with so many members of my family. As I thought about preparing for tomorrow's Harvard Pilgrim 10K run and fueling with my husband, I remembered how I would get up early in the morning to have special time with Gramps. He would fix scrambled eggs and we'd have fresh baked rolls from a bakery in the Bronx. He'd also cook sausages and be sure to drain them on paper towel before serving them to us. It was just the two of us. My grandmother and brother were still asleep. I do not recall the words that were said; I only know that time with my grandfather was a wonderful respite from the traumatic events of my childhood. He was a source of love and peace in my life. He had such a gentle spirit. What does this have to do with the Red Sox game last night? Why is she digressing like this? Well, I'm not because during the 'commercial breaks' for the television coverage of Red Sox games, there is entertainment on the Jumbotron. Red Sox legends -- Frank Malzone was featured. Are you sitting down while you read this? Well you probably are since you're reading it on your computer screen. Frank Malzone is from the Bronx. He lived across the street from my grandparents' house on Soundview Avenue. My grandfather had gotten us an autographed Red Sox baseball by Frank Malzone. Unfortunately it was lost in the house fire after my grandparents had moved but had not yet physically moved all of their belongings. Part of the tribute included the statement, Frank is from the Bronx, NY. For those of you who do not follow baseball, there is a rivalry between the boys from the Bronx (The New York Yankees) and the boys from Beantown (our beloved Boston Red Sox). They paid tribute to Frank Malzone and at the end of the tribute they showed Frank Malzone at last night's game. He gave a tip of his cap to the fans; I could feel my grandfather giving me a nod letting me know that neither death nor fire can destroy love.

Spirit is so alive at Fenway Park. How else could you have a group of over 37,000 fans create a wave several times around the stadium? How else would everyone start chanting and clapping in perfect rhythm, "Let's go Red Sox"? Everyone stands and sings Sweet Caroline using the same inflection and oh oh oh's. The crowd spontaneously chants "You" when Kevin Youklis comes to the plate. They stand and cheer when Big Papi comes up to bat. As Jonathan Papelbon came in from the bullpen to close out the game, the crowd spontaneously stands on their feet. The power is palpable. There is magic in the air. Of course the fact that they won made the experience so much sweeter. But even if they would have lost, nothing could change the magic of a summer's night at Fenway Park when everyone moves and feels as one, connected to the Divine.

Do you want to feel connected to the Divine? Well then you must order my books of inspirational poetry. Remember that I donate 20% of book proceeds to Hope Charitable Trust because I believe in paying it forward.

My husband also believes in paying it forward. He is running the Falmouth Road Race for those who can't - literally. Visit the Ms. Wheelchair Massachuestts Foundation website to learn about the cause he is supporting with his run. You can make a donation through paypal and just write in the instructions that it is for Tom McManus' Falmouth Road Race Run. You can join us on 7/31 for "Not Your Average Yard Sale) noon to 5 pm at our home 30 Eliot Street Chestnut Hill, MA. All proceeds benefit Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts Foundation. We have a $100 gift certificate to Jordan's Furniture, an autographed Teddy Bruschi photograph, DVD's of Friends, CD's, books and lots, lots more!

Celebrate your gift of freedom today and every day.
God bless and be well.
With love,
Mary