My 2009 Boston Marathon Run: Domenick D'Amico

As I begin to plan my book launching party for "Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing, Hope and Possibility" later this Spring



with Marathon Sports Brookline store manager, Ellen Gabriel, we decided it would be wonderful to plan it to coincide with the visit of my beloved coach and trainer, Domenick D'Amico. He made a promise at our first meeting of Spaulding Rehab's Race for Rehab team that he would get us to the starting line healthy and to the finish line with a smile.

He was true to his word.

Domenick planned out our long training runs complete with pit stops and water stops. He called the Wellesley Marathon Sports store to let them know we would be stopping there on our long run and to provide us with anything we needed. He was my champion letting me know that I would be able to finish the Boston Marathon.

Here he is sending us off on our last training run from the Marathon Sports Brookline store before Marathon Monday:



The Race for Rehab Team in Hopkinton:



and here I am at the finish line - smiling through tears of unbridled joy:



There is one story that I did not include in my memoir that I did share in my blog post, Getting a Head Start. We were at a fund raiser for Alison Eno-Ballbach who was the manager of Marathon Sports Brookline in 2009 and a champion of Team McManus. I call her my mother hen on the road to the Boston Marathon. I shared with Domenick that I was feeling really anxious about being able to finish before the finish line closed. He asked me, "Aren't you getting an early start?" I told him that we had thought about it but then thought that I did not meet the requirements of being a mobility impaired runner. He told me I did. The next day he called his contact at the BAA and told me that all I needed was a letter from my post polio doc to submit to the BAA to get an early start with the mobility impaired runners.

What relief I felt knowing that I would not have to wait for 2 1/2 hours in Hopkinton and that I would be able to enjoy my marathon day knowing I would make it to the finish line before it closed.

And on Marathon Monday he waited for us on Heartbreak Hill. As I said in my Acknowledgements:

Domenick D’Amico, beloved coach and trainer with the Race for Rehab Team, you promised to get us to the starting line healthy and to the finish line with a smile. You kept your promise. Thank you for mapping out our training runs every week and for standing on Heartbreak Hill waiting for us. The hug you gave me as you said, “Go get your medal” is forever imprinted on my heart.

Domenick was also a part of my Poetry in Motion celebration at Marathon Sports Brookline.

I feel so blessed and incredibly grateful that I will be able to celebrate the release of my memoir with Domenick by my side. Even though he lives in Colorado, his Spirit lives on in Boston. I often overhear conversations in Marathon Sports of people reminiscing about the Run Club when Domenick was in Boston. He was back in Boston for the 2010 Boston Marathon. We met on Heartbreak Hill that year. He told me that he struck up a conversation with a woman who told him she could never run a marathon. He told her my story beaming as he recalled how he got us to the starting line healthy and to the finish line with a smile.

He has been my beloved coach and trainer throughout these 5 years supporting me as I was on and off the roads letting me know that wherever I was was exactly where I needed to be.

In honor of National Poetry Month, I will be featuring poems I wrote on my road to the Boston Marathon which are included in A Celebration of Life.

Marathon Metamorphosis - May 7, 2008
Pounding pavement, feeling strength the journey now begun
training for the race of my life a 26.2 mile run.
Feeling God in every step in every beat of my heart
I undertake this challenge as a new chapter of my life I start.
I ran around in circles carrying baggage by the ton,
destination was survival hardened shell let in no one.
Fear and worry doubts prevailed, adrenaline in my veins
a headless horseman running wild no one to take the reins.
Stopping in my tracks I froze no longer could I move -
clawing, fighting had to cease there was nothing more to prove.
God's grace touched like a magic wand, a softness and a glow
emerging from a troubled past my blood began to flow.
Loving teachers lit the way their love a healing balm -
focusing on who I am now brings a sense of calm.
Stretching every muscle feeling God in every cell
wholeness now a blessing out of prison - no more hell.
The race is still a year away each day my dream I see
mind, body, spirit tuning turning toward the Voice of Thee.
Flexing what had once been stiff to brace against the pain
old habits die and I'm reborn to write a new refrain.

"Welcome Back" - 11 Months Later - Don't Stop Believing

I love a cappella and am getting stoked for 4/4/14 Greg Gordon's Boston Marathon Fund Raiser: Singing Boston Strong: An Evening of A Cappella to Benefit Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. As I sat down to write my blog on this, the 11 month anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombings, I put on All A Cappella on WERS and the song "Don't Stop Believing" came on air.

How perfect as we prepare for the one year anniversary of 4/15/13 and get ready for the Boston Marathon 2014.

I was feeling really anxious about returning to the Mandarin on Marathon Monday. I knew that I had to go back and visit before Marathon Monday. What better time to visit than on the 11 month anniversary. We were at the Mandarin, across the street from The Forum where the second bomb exploded. Here I am outside the Mandarin before we went up to join Spaulding in the 2nd floor suite on Marathon Monday.



On our ride to the Mandarin, along Beacon Street, we saw a group of runners, one of whom was sporting a Spaulding Rehab running shirt. We opened the windows and screamed to cheer them along. Tom honked the horn.

Today we parked near the finish line and took a photo:



We look forward to going back in a month to see the freshly painted finish line waiting to embrace all the runners who will cross it on 4/21/14.

When we walked into the Mandarin,



the woman standing behind the reception counter said, "Welcome Back."

I welled up with tears. I could feel a jittery feeling throughout my body.

We walked up the stairs where we had "walked" 5 years ago after 7 hours and 47 minutes out on the Boston Marathon course to be regaled by members of the Race for Rehab team, friends and family.

From my memoir, "Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing, Hope and Possibility":
But nothing, nothing compared to that moment when we walked up the stairs or should I say hobbled up the stairs in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel to be greeted by a round of applause and so much love from friends and family and the Spaulding Rehab Community.

David Storto, the President of Spaulding Rehab, said that I was a shining example of what Spaulding Rehab was all about. He asked me to give a speech. Damn, I had just run 26.2 miles and was out there for over 7 hours. This man wants me to give a speech? Part of me was absolutely delighted! It was an Oscar worthy moment in which I expressed my gratitude to Spaulding, to my therapists, to my friends gathered for their emotional and financial support. Our final fund raising total was $10,535! And because I ran the race in under 8 hours as a mobility impaired runner, I had actually qualified for the Boston Marathon. There was a problem with recording our times which I did not pursue since I was not planning on running the Boston Marathon again any time soon.

And those were the stairs where we walked to the Spaulding Rehab reception suite where time froze and lives were forever changed on 4/15/13.

The doors to the suite were locked but we were there; on the second floor where 11 months ago we and hundreds of others experienced terror. Tom and I tried to figure out where we stood while we waited for Greg to find his wife and son and keep his daughter and friend's son calm. I told him how everything looked so incredibly different to me. I remembered the scene so different from how it is today and we both had very different recollections of our evacuation but did both remember the door we exited to go outside. We looked outside to where people were hysterical and dazed and where we had to decide which way to go and what to do. Today, the scene was peaceful. The blue sky and sun was set against muddy patches on the ground. The trees seemed poised and ready for Spring to return to Boston.

We stood for a few moments breathing deeply and giving thanks for the staff at the Mandarin who calmly led us to safety.

We went downstairs to have lunch at the M Bar overlooking Boylston Street. We had amazing service and food and mentioned to our waiter that we had been at the Mandarin 11 months earlier. He had been riding his bike to work and was several blocks away when the explosions happened. He shared with us that he hadn't witnessed anything but when he got to work, they closed early. We thanked him for the outstanding service and food so grateful for life's simple and elegant pleasures.

As we were walking back to our car, a runner passed us who was obviously training for Boston. She was turning around just shy of the finish line and had stopped to catch her breath. "You training for Boston?" I asked her. "With a huge smile she said, "Uh huh. Just did 18 miles but gotta finish up this run. Doing a 20 miler today." I gave her a high five, told her she looked great and she went on her way.

So on this 11 month anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombings I say
Don't stop believing
Don't stop believing in the goodness that is in the world.
Don't stop believing that we can heal and move forward after terrible tragedy.
Don't stop believing that we do run together and that while the bombs may have shattered glass and caused horrific damage, they only strengthened the tapestry of our individual Spirits and as our community as a whole.
Don't stop believing that all it takes is one spark of light to dispel darkness.

And in 36 days, 13 hours and some odd minutes according to the Marathon Sports countdown clock, we will say welcome back to the 118th running of the Boston Marathon, the oldest and most revered marathon in the country, perhaps the world.

44 Days Until Boston

From my soon to be released memoir, "Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing, Hope and Possibility":

We woke up early on April 15, 2013. You would have thought we were running the Boston Marathon again. Tom and I had a ‘perfect’ morning together enjoying the coverage on WBZ TV and leisurely making our way to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel for a reunion with some of our Race for Rehab team members. Although I grew up in New York, I called Boston home since 1971 when I began my freshman year at Boston University. Following numerous orthopedic surgeries when I hobbled around on crutches, I would often joke, “No I’m not going to run the marathon this year, maybe next year.” Be careful what you say out loud to the Universe.

Through the years, Tom and I would stand on Hearbreak Hill cheering runners and we knew about the Boston Marathon legends. Did I ever in my wildest imaginings believe that one day I would cross the finish line of the Boston Marathon and at the age of 55 years old? I think not but on April 20, 2009, I did just that as a mobility impaired runner.





After my nephew's suicide in March of 2011 and Tom's 2011 Boston Marathon run, I distanced myself from the running community. I did not feel well enough to run again and I thought my running days were over. We watched the 2012 Marathon from Cleveland Circle in the searing heat waiting for friends but I had lost my emotional connection to the race and to the part of myself that ran Boston. It was a metaphor for what was happening inside of me as the years of unrelenting trauma and residuals from paralytic polio were taking a toll.

But last year I was ready to rejoin my Race for Rehab teammates at the Mandarin Oriental last year.

The fabric of the running community has never been stronger. I am blessed to be a part of the Spaulding Rehab "family" and to call myself a Race for Rehab alumni.

Last night I attended the Feeney Sisters Run Boston Fundraiser at Doyle's in Jamaica Plain. I 'met' Margo and Julie through the Race for Rehab team on Facebook and when I saw their fund raising page, I just knew Tom and I were meant to be at their fund raiser. They really do put the fun in fun(d) raiser. They had a Heartbreak Hill pinata and this beautiful cake:



They asked me if I would say a few words about what Spaulding has meant to me. As I shared how 7 years ago I was in a wheelchair, and went on to run Boston for Spaulding in 2009, I could see one woman's jaw literally drop open. She also held onto her partner standing next to her as I shared the "twitter version" of my journey. I shared how I did not have another marathon in me and I am so grateful to the Feeney Sisters for running Boston this year. I said that we would be there to welcome them back to the Mandarin after they cross the finish line. I also gave them a tip of the hat for training through this grueling cold New England winter.

Ever since I came to Boston in 1971, the Boston Marathon has, in one way or another, been a huge part of my life but has never been more a part of my life than this past year. In reading Bill Rodgers book, "Marathon Man"



I have an even deeper appreciation and understanding of the history of the Boston Marathon.

There is a sense of anticipation, nervousness, excitement, fierce determination and a community filled with love as we countdown the days to Boston. The sun is getting warmer, The days have more daylight. The birds are singing louder and stronger. The runs are getting longer for those training and I delight in being support crew. A little over a month until the anniversary of 4/15/13 but only 44 days to go until we take back this City and show how we ARE Boston Strong!

One Month From Today - Singing Boston Strong at Boston University

On 4/4/14 we will be rocking Boston University for Greg Gordon's Boston Marathon Fund Raiser: An Evening of A Cappella to Benefit Spaulding Rehab.

My friendship with Greg dates back to when we ran together on the 2009 Race for Rehab Team:

I ran his inaugural Brookline Symphony Orchestra 5K Fun Run and Walk in 2011 and we were reunited with our fellow team mate, TK:

Greg and I were together in the Mandarin on 4/15th as we were waiting for TK and other Race for Rehab members to come down Boylston Street.

Everyone was shaken to the core by the events of 4/15/13 when lives were forever changed. Many of the bombing survivors were treated at Spaulding Rehab Hospital.

As Boston and the world count down the days until the start of the 2014 Boston Marathon, we are counting down the days until Singing Boston Strong: An Evening of A Cappella to Benefit Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital.

Friday, April 4, 2014

Boston University's Jacob Sleeper Auditorium

871 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA

7:00-9:00 pm

Hosted by Boston University's Premier all female a cappella group, Terpsichore

Featuring performances by:

Terpsichore

BU Dear Abbeys

In Achord

Tufts Jackson Jills

Bostonality, a post collegiate a cappella group

Minimum suggested donation is $10. Read Greg's inspiring and moving story as to why he is running Boston 2014, and make your donation to Greg Gordon's fund raising page. In the comments write "a cappella". We will have your tickets ready at the "will call" table.

From Greg's fund raising page:

"I’m running the 2014 Boston Marathon as a member of the Spaulding Rehab team!

The 2014 Marathon will surely be an emotional and history-making event in Boston. Spaulding's brand new facility in the Charlestown opened just two weeks after the bombings. The majority of those injured spent time at Spaulding as they recovered from their injuries. Spaulding’s mantra, “Find Your Strength”, has never been more appropriate, as Spaulding was there to help the survivors find their strength, and will be there for every patient who needs them in the future.

On a personal note, running this race this year for Spaulding is particularly important. I was at the Marathon last year and witnessed what took place. I know first-hand the importance of Spaulding’s work, as my younger sister suffered a traumatic brain injury six years ago. I know the value of a comprehensive rehab program and how it can affect a patient’s outcome.

I’m proud to represent Spaulding and look forward to running down Boylston Street on Patriot’s Day (hopefully in front of my friend Terry Kelly).

I would like to ask you to please support my run and make a donation to Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. My goal is to raise $7,500 for Spaulding by April 21st.

Thank you very much for your support.

Greg"

Find Your Distance

As I was reunited with my Spaulding Rehab Race for Rehab alumni



and talking with Boston Marathon legends, Billy Rodgers



and Dick Beardsley, everyone had the same message for me, "Find your distance!"

I toyed with the idea of becoming an endurance runner again.

About a week ago, the New England weather prevented me from going outside for a run so I went on my stationary bike on a Friday. I did 6.2 miles with intervals really kicking my bike workout up a notch. A storm with near blizzard conditions was predicted for Sunday so rather than take a rest day and run the risk of needing to do another bike workout, Tom and I headed out to Heartbreak Hill for 4.25 miles.

Last week, I co hosted Singing Boston Strong: Karis' Karaoke for a Kause and then we went into the Hyannis Marathon weekend.

As well as I feel and as well as I am doing, every once in awhile I am reminded and humbled that I do live with a spinal cord injury which is a result of contracting paralytic polio as a child. Five years ago I soldiered on through the brutal New England winter because I was a woman on a mission - to run the Boston Marathon.

In the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings, I realized that I could and I must run again but that I must respect where my body is at today. Everyone I met with whom I shared my journey celebrated my Boston Marathon run and where I am today. We all agreed that there is no such thing as "just" a 5K or a 10K.

Yesterday, although it was freezing - 29 degrees and not sure what the wind chill was, I went out for a 3 miler and did a sub 15 minute/mile pace. I felt wonderful and happy and so contented with the distance.

It's amazing - when champions Bill Rodgers and Dick Beardsley and the alumni from Spaulding Rehab's Race for Rehab team all say, "Find your distance," suddenly my distance becomes one to be celebrated.

And so does yours - whether it's a mile or 26.2 miles.

Find and celebrate your distance!

Boston 2014 Runner Spotlight: Karis Antokal

"The answer to the big questions in running is the same as the answer to the big questions in life: do the best with what you've got."
-Unknown


"I'm not a runner -- well not yet anyway," Karis said to me during yesterday's Aquatics Therapy Class at Spaulding Rehab.

"Oh yes you are," I said somewhat out of breath as Karis put us through our paces with Michael Jackson's tunes keeping us pumped up during the Find Your Aquatics Strength workout.

I reminded Karis of this quote:



Karis applied to the 2014 Spaulding Rehab Race for Rehab Team inspired by the strength and courage of the survivors of the Boston Marathon bombings who received their care at Spaulding. Karis is a massage therapist at Spaulding.

Here is a photo of her from the Patriot Ledger which captures her compassionate care with a teen who was paralyzed and vowed to walk again:



She tells me all the time what an inspiration I am to her. Well she inspires me every week, twice a week to challenge myself and find my strength in new ways. In yesterday evening's class she had us "play hop scotch" in the pool and pivot doing squats. She coaxes us along as our heart rates rise and we are moving in every direction to nourish our neuromuscular and myofascial systems. She is tender and compassionate while also pushing everyone to their edge. She watches everyone in the pool to ensure that we are safe in the way we are doing the exercises. She knows my neurological challenges yet works with me to go beyond the challenges.

And she is challenging herself in new ways....

Karis had never run before. She started with a couch to 5K program and will work with the Race for Rehab team to train to go the distance on April 21, 2014. I know it won't be easy especially as she trains through the grueling New England winter. But I also know that with Karis' fiery Spirit, her background in dance and her joy of movement; her dedication to her patients at Spaulding along with her sense of humor (a must for every runner), she will go the distance.

And she is going to need your help in going the distance with fund raising. She started her fund raising page today and let's inspire her to log those miles as we donate those dollars... Here is the link to her fund raising page on Crowd Rise.

A week from Wednesday, I turn 60 years old. Spaulding is where I took the first steps on my healing journey seven years ago this month. Spaulding is where I am building strength and creating change moving beyond paralytic polio and trauma. The best gift you can give to me is to donate to Karis' fund raising page so that Spaulding can continue to do the phenomenal work they do in helping all who come through their doors to find their strength.

As I left class to go home, I stopped by the office to thank Karis for another great class. I smiled and said, repeat after me, "I am a runner." She smiled that beautiful smile of hers and said, "I am a runner."

Courage - January 5, 2009 from A Celebration of Life now available on Amazon
The fear of ice and snow and slush embedded in my soul
a training run in winter - the path to Being whole.
A winter scene - Jamaica Pond - a feast for eyes' delight
to witness nature's splendor and behold this glorious sight.
A leaf - a tiny dancer - skating free without a sound
God's breath directs her movements, as She guides her twirling 'round.
Families of ducks decide to walk or take a dip
a comedy of errors into icy water slip.
The branches now bejeweled with ice bend with loving Grace
sparkling diamonds' anchor water's surface hold in place.
God's hand a glove of glistening snow hugs rocks along the wall
their heads peek out reminding me I'm answering God's call.
A scene I'd never witness if I let my fear take hold
courage triumphed, steppin' out with footsteps sure and bold.
Knowing that the pain subsides and Spirit can prevail
the Marathon is beckoning - through those miles I shall sail.