Run - Celebrate - Sing

I hope you'll take a few minutes to watch this You Tube of Kristen Chenoweth singing "Sing". The words are changed for the joy of the season. I found this song on iTunes and fell in love with her version of the song. As we count the days down to Christmas and the end of the year, I am overflowing with feelings of love, joy and gratitude. I want to "Sing" my song to you.

Yesterday was a perfect 10 day in my life. Our dear friend and trainer who got us through grueling marathon training, Domenick D'Amico returned to Boston for a visit. Tom and I decided that we would do the run out of the Brookline Marathon Sports store for auld lang syne sake. The runners in the running group are a lot faster than I am but Tom and I always do our pace together. It doesn't matter. It's the camaraderie of the group. Confession time - every Saturday before we would run out of the store I would have a nervous stomach. After all, I didn't belong among these runners and all those feelings from days gone by would resurface. Well, a Christmas Miracle happened - those feelings were gone and all I could focus on was the joy of a reunion with Domenick and getting out for a run and feeling good. It's amazing when you feel good about yourself, what you attract into your life.

A new member to the group asked if she could run with us. Sure I said but I run at a slow pace. Tom shared my story with her and she said what an inspiration I am and she would love to run at our pace. I met another woman with whom we have a mutual connection. There was so much wonderful energy at the store before the run and I know it was in large part thanks to the run of Domenick who is an icon of the running group.

What a difference in the temperature from my run on Thursday. The day felt incredibly warm compared to the frigid temps on Thursday and the sun was shining. It was a perfect day for a winter run. Our running partner seemed comfortable to run at my pace. We talked and got to know one another and the time flew by. During our last time around the Reservoir we saw our dear friend Ashley Niven. I said that I didn't want to slow down her pace and she said she had just started - don't worry! We introduced her to our running partner and talked about the day, running, health, Chicago Marathon. It was time for us to head back down Beacon Street so Ashley finished her run and we returned to the store. I ran a 14 minute mile for 5.2 miles with an average heart rate of 152 and a peak of 195. Great run!

We went to Starbucks after the run and the group gathered regaling stories about marathons, tri's, ultra's and drank coffee (mine of course decaf) and treated ourselves to croissants acknowledging 'that's why we run'. Later that evening, Domenick had suggested that people gather at Boston Beer Works. More reunions with our dear friends Alison and Jen and meeting Domenick's friends. I decided to take this opportunity to begin the celebration of my birthday which is on Christmas. It was also a celebration of life and healing and feeling so incredibly grateful for the freedom I feel in my body and spirit. I had a glass of white wine and we ordered a Yule Log which everyone shared.

It is a joy to ring out the old and ring in the new and to feel my heart sing as a celebration of the joys and love of life! 2010 has brought another round of amazing transformation. I am blessed to be able to share the journey with all of you. There is only three weeks until the end of the year so I'd better start my gratitudes now so I can get them all in between now and then - smile please.

To Linda Mitchell - You were there four years ago when this amazing journey began. Thank you for all of the incredible resources you gave me but most importantly thank you for the gift of your love and the ability to see beyond appearances of the fuzzy caterpillar.

To Domenick D'Amico - Thank you for being a wonderful friend and an amazing trainer. You've been on my running journey with me and I will always remember and cherish the words you spoke at the first meeting of our Spaulding Rehab team meeting:"My job is to get you to the starting line healthy and to the finish line with a smile." You my dear are a man of your word. Thanks for your continued love and support of Team McManus.

To my incredible husband - my life and running partner who told me yesterday that he was amazed that he had to run to keep up with me. He usually uses the runs he does with me to power walk and recover from his long runs and the 9 minute mile pace he runs on his own. Thanks for reflecting the growth and the changes I have made and for being a partner on this incredible healing journey.

To Kate Loving Shenk and Joan Adams my beautiful soul sisters in cyberspace. Thank you for the spiritual wisdom and insight you have helped me to find during this past year of gathering on the Prayer Blog and Moon, Moo and You.

To Jordan Rich - thank you for your friendship, your love and support. Thank you for the privilege and honor of being a guest on your show and for the opportunity to be your associate producer. Thank you for writing the foreword to my book, "Set Sail for a New World" and for the opportunity to launch it on your show. Thank you for embracing my gifts and sharing your heart with me.

Before I use up all of the megabytes for my blog I will stop there for today but my year end review and gratitudes will be continued....

Be sure to check out Holiday Gift Ideas that give while you give.

God bless, be well and life like you were dyin'
With love from my heart to yours - Happy Holidays
Mary

Hill Training

I had email'ed Janine (my personal trainer for those of you new to my blog) about doing hill training today. Because of the weather, we had not done hill training in a long time but simulated intervals on the stationery bike. The weather report said it would be sunny and in the 30's and my daughter and I had checked out the roads and the hill yesterday. I laid out my running clothes last night and was looking forward to training with Janine and my daughter (also a part of Team McManus - www.firstgiving.com/teammcmanus).

Ruth Anne woke up this morning with a wicked head cold; Janine email'ed and then called me to tell me she wasn't feeling well. The temperature at 8 am read 18 degrees. My gut told me that I had to get out there and do my hill training. The marathon is 12 weeks from Monday which means that we have only 9 weeks left to train. Even as I type this, the excitement flows through me - it is the excitement that I said YES to God almost a year ago now when Janine asked me what my next health and fitness goals were. By 10 am it was 22 degrees but the forecast said it felt like 13 degrees with the wind chill. As I started to 'warm up' I felt the cold wind embrace my face. The sun was shining and I saw clumps of snow fall from the trees. At one point, there were 3 plops of snow clumps and I knew God was telling me - this is what you are supposed to be doing.

After a five minute warm up, I began running to where the hills are being very cognizant of the snow and ice patches and asking God and the angels to guide my footsteps. I arrived at the hills. Last Spring, they had once loomed so large as Janine took me there when I could barely run for 10 minutes consecutively. She told me - you're gonna have to run hills so let's start now.Today, I dug in and I did 8 hills consecutively and then ran home. At one point during this training run, I felt and thought "I hate running in the cold"; I then realized I needed to chant a new mantra and I told myself, "I love running in the cold...I love running in the cold" and it got me through.

I listened to Kristen Chenowith's As I Am CD on my iPod. I knew that since I was alone (Tom - the third member of Team McManus had biked last night to get in his mid week training) I needed to know that I was in fact, never alone, and needed to hear God's Voice speak and sing through Kristen Chenoweth's voice of an angel. It worked! When I got home, I was sore - just a week ago, my body had run in 80 degree weather and here I was doing hills in the cold. I told myself - no worries - you need to do a good stretching session, drink a lot of water and have a banana followed by a long hot shower.

As I was drying my hair, I visualized what it is going to feel like when Team McManus crosses the finish line with friends and family and strangers cheering us and embracing us and I began to cry as though I were living in that moment. I know we are going to do this. I also reflected on how, during the recovery from many orthopedic surgeries, I would 'joke' that I was not going to run the Boston Marathon this year. I would also watch people train for the Marathon and there was a place deep within me that wanted to do it. And here I am - just shy of 12 weeks from when the starting gun of the 113th Boston Marathon will be fired. We have some great races and a benefit concert coming up (www.firstgiving.com/ballinthehouse), but in addition to getting the training runs in, it is crucial that I spiritually prepare for the day. Each morning, I quiet my mind and tell myself to stop creating, planning, thinking and just be One with God. I breathe in and out feeling God's breath and my breath as One. I let God bathe me in glorious light and love and I ask God to cleanse the toxicity of feelings and beliefs which no longer serve me. I give thanks for blessings great and small and focus on how God is so evident and active in my life. I ask that I feel and join with God's power for the highest good of myself and others and to know that all is truly well and in Divine order if I just let go and let God and walk in Love and Light.

It is wonderful to share my journey on the Road to the Boston Marathon which is a wonderful metaphor for being on the Road of Life - training myself for endurance, going through the literal and metaphorical ups and downs of training, challenging myself, stretching myself, giving to others and growing in the likeness of God.