"Hooray for PR's!" I loved what this body could do!

I ran not only for me though --

I remember when I was one of those who couldn't run.


Alain Ferry, Race Director for the Bill Rodgers 5K Run/Walk for Prostate Cancer asked me what my times had been and what I had set as my PR for Sunday's race. He paused when I said I'd been running about 49 minutes for my 5K runs. Taking off two minutes can be a lofty goal. I told him that, during my training run out on the course, I'd done 47 and change for a 15'24" pace. 47:00 minutes on race day would be the way to go.

I decided to look up my race results which I had not been paying close attention to. I had tossed the idea of going for any PR's since my return to the roads on 5/25/13. I was happy to be out running again and just finishing was enough of an initial goal.

The last race I ran before bidding a temporary farewell to running was:

Brookline Symphony Orchestra 5K September 2011
46:57 15:09 59 01-98 59 F 13 Mary McManus

And here are the results for my first race after coming back to the roads:

Brookline Symphony Orchestra 5K September 2013
47:50 15:26 3 55-64 91 F 85 Mary McManus

I had the best time (not reflected on the time clock) on Thanksgiving Day at the Feaster Five:

Feaster Five 5K November 28, 2013
49:43 16:01 Mary McManus

What a joy to celebrate my Race-iversary at the Corrib Pub Run which was my very first road race ever in June, 2008 when I ran a 51:52 16:44 minute/mile pace

Corrib Pub Run 2014 5K June 1, 2014
48:03.0 15:30/K 406 60 F 22 60-69

It was a hot and sweaty evening and I struggled to make it through the:

Father Bullock 5K 2014 June 8, 2014
0:48:06 MARY MCMANUS F 60 69 CHESTNUT HILL, MA 15:31

And then not only did I PR since my return to the roads but I beat my time by 4 seconds from the last race I ran almost 3 years ago!

Bill Rodgers 5K Run/Walk for Prostate Cancer August 10, 2014
22 46:53 15:06 F60+ 6/7

I loved the feeling of racing and having a goal beyond just finishing a race. I felt alive and present in each moment. I had to be fully present in my body or could have easily tipped the balance and gone over the edge rather than working right up to my edge. I embraced the discomfort to see what my body could do when I left nothing on the roads and trust in my body's ability to heal and recover and be better and stronger than it was before I raced to my PR.

When I turned that corner heading toward the finish line on the Boston College Campus, I turned a corner in my healing journey. I have a new feeling of confidence and strength in my body and in my Being. I have reclaimed my life as my own transcending that detour I took away from running and delving into the healing modality of KMI Structural Integration. I ran hard and loved every moment of the race. To have Phil Lipof, MC from WCVB TV validate my efforts and to be celebrated by Phil, Alain and the beautiful community of runners, walkers and volunteers was the icing on the PR cake.

As my friend Jess Lanzoni said on Facebook, "Hooray for PR's!" I am deeply grateful and I so loved to discover what this body, heart and soul could do when put to the test.

"Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing, Hope and Possibility" is now available on Amazon.



"Wait, I have one more goal," Mary McManus told her personal trainer in February of 2008 shortly after coming out of her toe up leg brace. "I want to run the Boston Marathon for Spaulding Rehab Hospital." Mary traded in her polio shoes for running shoes and embarked on the journey of a lifetime. Mary McManus was at the height of her career as a VA social worker when she was told by her team at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital’s International Rehab Center for Polio in December of 2006 that she needed to quit her job if she had any hope of preventing the progression of post polio syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease. In “Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing, Hope and Possibility” Mary takes you on her seven year healing odyssey as a survivor of paralytic polio and trauma from her diagnosis, to taking a leap of faith to leave her award winning career at the VA to heal her life and follow her passion as a poet and writer. You’ll experience her trials, tribulations and triumphs as she trains for and crosses the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon and discovers the opportunity for healing in the wake of new trauma: the suicide of her nephew in 2011, and the aftermath of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings. This is Mary's journey of coming home to her human form free from the influences of the ghastly ghostly invaders who had invaded her sacred earthly home. Her memoir includes journals and blog posts from her seven year healing odyssey. This is her journey of transformation and her message of healing, hope and possibility.

I donate 50% of royalty payments through on line sales to The One Fund to help Boston Marathon survivors and their families. Copies are also available at Brookline Marathon Sports. $5 of each book sold at Marathon Sports is donated to The One Fund.

A Post Race Celebration Surprise

On Sunday morning I told Tom during my pre race breakfast, "This isn't business. It's personal." I knew that yesterday's race was a very important part of my healing journey. I'm usually very much out there in social media land and in real life but before the race, I felt that I had a piece of soul work to do and suddenly felt this intense need for privacy. I thought that today's race was something I had to do alone even though of course Tom would be with me stride for stride.

I didn't post on Facebook before we left for the race. I turned inward.

But the horse was already out of the barn and I was stunned when Race Director Alain Ferry greeted me with an extended hug of support and wanted to know about my PR intention for the day. He looked deep into my eyes when we were talking and wanted to know why I chose 47:00 minutes for my PR. He said, "Well I hope when you get back here the clock says 47:00 minutes or better." I had no idea Alain had taken my challenge to his heart.

I decided to check in on Facebook and right before gun time, my friend Jess posted a note of support and encouragement. I turned inward again getting focused on my goal. It touched my heart to feel her love and support. I've seen how Jess gets people through their races with her heart and lending her energy when the tank seems to be empty.

When Alain rode up on his bicycle and said, "Oh there you are," Tom and I both said that we thought he was just coming out to check on the back of the packers and walkers still out on the course.

When he turned around I realized he came out looking for me to cheer me onto the finish.

As the runner's fog cleared from those final minutes of my race, I remember Alain on his bike riding along in front of us cheering me on. "Come on Mary. You can do this," and counting down the time.

In that moment I realized that even though this was a deeply personal moment for me, I am/was and have never been alone on this journey. There was a crowd gathered who were cheering me on. The energy, love and support drew me to the finish line along with my own fierceness to dig deep and reach my goal.

As we were hydrating and enjoying a post race orange with sticky hands...

"Hi Mary. I'm Phil Lipof from WCVB," he said extending his hand in greeting.

I was somewhat taken aback and apologized for not being able to shake his hand...

He smiled and said, "Oh no worries. Alain just told me your story and I am so inspired by you. I would like to share your story right before the awards ceremony if that's okay with you. I'm a reporter so I need to get the story from you."

I told him about my journey with polio and post polio and how I'd stopped running after my nephew's suicide. Alain had told him how the Boston Marathon bombings and the #onerun got me back on the roads so we picked up the story from there.

We snapped this photo:



He told me what he was going to say never telling me that this was going to happen:



He got me. He understood my challenge even though we'd talked for oh maybe 5 minutes. I felt so honored and celebrated but this is not just about me. This is about celebrating what is possible and the ability of us all to not only survive but to thrive as we meet challenges head on. It's about having the courage to start and to start over and over again and putting it all on the line to see what we are made of.

Alain told me that it was a very special moment for him as a race director to look at me and see me begin to cry as I was coming into the finish and then see this look come over my face of sheer determination as I dug deep to meet the challenge of the PR I had set for myself. My husband Tom, Phil, Alain, Bill Rodgers and the people I was blessed to meet yesterday gave me so many special and unexpected moments that will now fuel my journey.

What an incredible surprise to have a post race celebration filled with love and joy so that others could hear my message of healing, hope and possibility.



"Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing, Hope and Possibility" is now available on Amazon.



"Wait, I have one more goal," Mary McManus told her personal trainer in February of 2008 shortly after coming out of her toe up leg brace. "I want to run the Boston Marathon for Spaulding Rehab Hospital." Mary traded in her polio shoes for running shoes and embarked on the journey of a lifetime. Mary McManus was at the height of her career as a VA social worker when she was told by her team at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital’s International Rehab Center for Polio in December of 2006 that she needed to quit her job if she had any hope of preventing the progression of post polio syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease. In “Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing, Hope and Possibility” Mary takes you on her seven year healing odyssey as a survivor of paralytic polio and trauma from her diagnosis, to taking a leap of faith to leave her award winning career at the VA to heal her life and follow her passion as a poet and writer. You’ll experience her trials, tribulations and triumphs as she trains for and crosses the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon and discovers the opportunity for healing in the wake of new trauma: the suicide of her nephew in 2011, and the aftermath of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings. This is Mary's journey of coming home to her human form free from the influences of the ghastly ghostly invaders who had invaded her sacred earthly home. Her memoir includes journals and blog posts from her seven year healing odyssey. This is her journey of transformation and her message of healing, hope and possibility.

I donate 50% of royalty payments through on line sales to The One Fund to help Boston Marathon survivors and their families. Copies are also available at Brookline Marathon Sports. $5 of each book sold at Marathon Sports is donated to The One Fund.

One Moment in Time - Race Report Bill Rodgers 5K Run/Walk to Benefit Prostate Cancer

I was open to whatever it was my body was going to be able to do today. My mantra for today's race was light and joy. I wanted to feel light and joy in my body. I wanted to thoroughly enjoy the day. I was amazed that I slept well and did not have the usual pre race jitters. I had a good breakfast of a bagel, oatmeal, banana and orange juice. What a luxury to be able to get up at 6:45am on a race day and drive 10 minutes to the start of the race.

I had a sense of trust that this was going to be a good day.

I had no idea how good of a day I would have.

When we arrived race director Alain Ferry of RaceMenu greeted us. He had been following my blog posts about my intention to PR for the race. He gave me the warmest hug and asked me to remind him what my goal for today's race was. He joined me in my intention to see the clock at 47:00 or better.



I reconnected with Bill Rodgers who remembered me and my story from Hyannis as well as an email I had sent him after meeting him.



Pre race announcements talked about the importance of supporting research, early detection and treatment for Prostate Cancer. Alain asked for a show of hands of those running affected by cancer. There was an astounding number of hands in the crowd that were raised. Bill Rodgers shared how he is a prostate cancer survivor and it is the #2 leading cause of cancer deaths among American men. We need to pay as much attention to prostate cancer for men as we do for breast cancer for women. In his pre race remarks Bill Rodgers said that running and walking is a simple little sport but we as Americans can use it to change the world. He shared with me before the race as he introduced us to his girlfriend Karen that she is a breast cancer survivor. She won in her age group and after the race she told me that she started running in her 40's after being diagnosed with breast cancer. While waiting for the portapotty, I met a woman whose hair had just grown back after radiation and chemo. She wants to run Boston next year. I shared my story with her. Everyone has a story.

And then it was gun time and time for me to write another chapter in my story.

We started at the front of the pack with Bill Rodgers off to our left. I went out fast running through the Boston College campus where 30 years ago I received my Masters in Social Work. The field took off and I stayed to my race plan. We'd run the downhill and I'd run for as long as I could and then move into race walking. When we got to the rolling hills of Commonwealth Avenue, I race walked. The sun was bright and the day was heating up. Fortunately there was no humidity and we could go on the sidewalk for shade. We brought frozen water bottles with us that I used for hydration and to keep myself cool.

Mile 1 - 14:33 pace. I was blown away by my time but I knew that anything can happen over the next two point one miles.

Tom kept checking in with me. How was I feeling? Did anything hurt? I didn't talk much which is very unusual for me and I was breathing hard. I had a single minded goal but I was running from the inside out.

In my training runs I had been stopping to take a "water break". I slowed my pace at times but kept moving forward. We stopped for about 30 seconds at the water stop and then time to tackle the hill with a 221' elevation.

Mile 2 - time was almost 30 minutes.

Okay I think I can. I think I can. I've got this. I can do this.

Tom said to me "What do we do with hills?"

"We eat them for breakfast," I managed to get out.

To the top of Beacon Street and a right onto College Road.

A right onto Commonwealth Avenue heading toward the finish.

Alain comes out on his bike, "Oh there you are. "Come on you're almost there."

I was hot and the tank was getting empty.

As we headed toward the finish he told me I had less than a minute for my PR.

People gathered and were cheering me on.

Alain was just on the other side of the finish line.

I sprinted to the finish and the finish clock read 46:57 but chip time was 46:53!



I knew in my heart and soul that I crossed more than a finish line today. As I told Alain, I reclaimed my life today. The essence of who I am and what I am all about took center stage.

It's been one hell of a journey back since my nephew's suicide in March of 2011. Thanks to Alain and the #onerun on 5/25/13, I knew I had to come back to running. And then I realized it was more than coming back to running. It was setting a goal and challenging myself again. It was opening up to see what my body could do and leaving nothing on the roads. It was about testing my mettle and letting go of fear.

At the last race I ran before taking a 2 year running hiatus, my time was 46:57. The first race I ever ran, the Corrib Pub Run 5K in 2008 was 51:52. This year I ran a 48:03 at this year's Corrib Pub Run. In other races I was finishing between 48-49 minutes.

Last week, when Tom and I ran the course I ran it in 47:48. I figured why not go for 47:00 on race day? I set the intention in my heart, with my massage therapist, with my husband and then with Alain. I posted on facebook and received a message from Jess Lanzoni right before gun time, "goooooooo Mary go!! that PR is YOURS!". I blared One Moment in Time during breakfast this morning.

Someone posted this video from Billy Mills yesterday:



Alain shared with me that he didn't expect to find us as far up on Comm. Ave as close to the finish line as he did. He was concerned about the heat and he was coming to provide some support. But when he saw how close we were to the finish, he wanted that PR for me as much as I did. I felt as though I were being pulled into the vortex of the finish line by his loving energy and all those cheering me on.

"I saw you start to cry and then I could see a look come across your face and you dug deep during that sprint."

During that final sprint, Tom was letting me set the pace and could tell I was in the zone. Tom wept with me when we crossed the finish line. We both knew that I left a lot of pain, fear and doubt out on the course and in its wake there is a surge of confidence, strength, courage and healing.

Gratitude fills my heart for facebook friends who I met for the first time at today's race who cheered me on and took photos. And to Alain who was there to celebrate and tend to me post race. He ran and got me an ice water and made sure I got in the shade. To Tom who has been there for me on every step and every stride of this incredible journey. Today was one moment in time - many moments in time that will remain imprinted on my heart forever.

Tomorrow's blog will talk about my post race surprise!

"Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing, Hope and Possibility" is now available on Amazon.



"Wait, I have one more goal," Mary McManus told her personal trainer in February of 2008 shortly after coming out of her toe up leg brace. "I want to run the Boston Marathon for Spaulding Rehab Hospital." Mary traded in her polio shoes for running shoes and embarked on the journey of a lifetime. Mary McManus was at the height of her career as a VA social worker when she was told by her team at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital’s International Rehab Center for Polio in December of 2006 that she needed to quit her job if she had any hope of preventing the progression of post polio syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease. In “Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing, Hope and Possibility” Mary takes you on her seven year healing odyssey as a survivor of paralytic polio and trauma from her diagnosis, to taking a leap of faith to leave her award winning career at the VA to heal her life and follow her passion as a poet and writer. You’ll experience her trials, tribulations and triumphs as she trains for and crosses the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon and discovers the opportunity for healing in the wake of new trauma: the suicide of her nephew in 2011, and the aftermath of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings. This is Mary's journey of coming home to her human form free from the influences of the ghastly ghostly invaders who had invaded her sacred earthly home. Her memoir includes journals and blog posts from her seven year healing odyssey. This is her journey of transformation and her message of healing, hope and possibility.

I donate 50% of royalty payments through on line sales to The One Fund to help Boston Marathon survivors and their families. Copies are also available at Brookline Marathon Sports. $5 of each book sold at Marathon Sports is donated to The One Fund.

Present-Give Yourself the Gift of Peace

It's still a week and a half away and my chatter and nervousness begins about running the Bill Rodgers 5K Run and 14th Annual Walk for Prostate Cancer. I notice it and then I lovingly tell myself to come back to the present. I love Bill Rodgers who I have had the pleasure of meeting several times at the Hyannis Marathon Race Expo.



I know it's an all ages, all abilities race. I know the Race Director, J. Alain Ferry of RaceMenu from when we worked Bib Pick Up at the Runner's World Heartbreak Hill Half Marathon Festival Weekend. He is the one who invited me to the race.

I have absolutely nothing to worry about as long as I stay in the present moment.

We can all get caught up in the past and worry about the future. We tend to have this mental habit of remembering and sticking with thoughts and perceptions of a negative experience. For me and running a race, there are quiet echoes of when I was in a long leg brace after contracting paralytic polio trying to keep up with my peers and feeling so different and isolated from my friends.

But now I run with the pack; even if I am in the back of the pack. It is an inaugural race so I don't know how fast the field will be and it doesn't matter. I imagine myself dead last watching the pack of runners take off in front of me and I can be totally okay with that. I can allow myself to become excited about the race. The course is practically in my backyard and one that Tom and I have run more times than I can remember. There is nothing like the thrill of crossing a starting line, leaving nothing on the roads and then crossing the finish line.

I love Amby Burfoot's quote about winning:


Coincidentally, Amby and Bill were roommates and it was Amby who helped to train Bill in endurance running.

And another one of my favorite quotes from John "The Penguin" Bingham: "What distinguishes those of us at the starting line from those of us on the couch is that we learn through running to take what the days gives us, what our body will allow us, and what our will can tolerate."

So rather than allow those nervous thoughts to dominate, I breathe and come back to the present. I tap into my own feelings of empowerment knowing that no matter what the finisher's clock may say, I will make the race my personal best. I will celebrate and enjoy what is. I am reprogramming my thoughts even as I write this.

I repeat my new healing mantra, "I have all the energy I need to do whatever it is I need and want to do." I repeat my old healing mantra from Emile Coue of "Every day in every way I'm getting better and better."

I come back to the present and give myself the gift of peace.

Presence

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.



"Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing, Hope and Possibility" is now available on Amazon.



"Wait, I have one more goal," Mary McManus told her personal trainer in February of 2008 shortly after coming out of her toe up leg brace. "I want to run the Boston Marathon for Spaulding Rehab Hospital." Mary traded in her polio shoes for running shoes and embarked on the journey of a lifetime. Mary McManus was at the height of her career as a VA social worker when she was told by her team at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital’s International Rehab Center for Polio in December of 2006 that she needed to quit her job if she had any hope of preventing the progression of post polio syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease. In “Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing, Hope and Possibility” Mary takes you on her seven year healing odyssey as a survivor of paralytic polio and trauma from her diagnosis, to taking a leap of faith to leave her award winning career at the VA to heal her life and follow her passion as a poet and writer. You’ll experience her trials, tribulations and triumphs as she trains for and crosses the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon and discovers the opportunity for healing in the wake of new trauma: the suicide of her nephew in 2011, and the aftermath of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings. This is Mary's journey of coming home to her human form free from the influences of the ghastly ghostly invaders who had invaded her sacred earthly home. Her memoir includes journals and blog posts from her seven year healing odyssey. This is her journey of transformation and her message of healing, hope and possibility.

I donate 50% of royalty payments through on line sales to The One Fund to help Boston Marathon survivors and their families. Copies are also available at Brookline Marathon Sports. $5 of each book sold at Marathon Sports is donated to The One Fund.

It's amazing who you meet when you say yes....

Our run club guru, Spencer Aston, sent out an email saying that The Heartbreak Hill Half Marathon was in need of volunteers and Marathon Sports Run Club Brookline was going to volunteer at the water stops.

I knew that on the day of the half marathon I was running the Father Bullock Charity Road Race so decided to sign up to do Bib Pick Up at the Expo.

As a sidebar, it's a thrill to see what goes on behind the scenes to put together a race. I've done packet stuffing for the Boston Marathon, a water stop for the Run to Remember and at the BAA 10K will be helping with wave starts and distributing finisher medals. I'll be doing t shirt and number pick up for L Street's Jim Kane Sugar Bowl run.

I arrived early to the Conte Forum and while walking around just happened to see my good friend Elizabeth Coumeau who is now the digital editor for Runner's World. When I signed up to volunteer, I had no idea that Runner's World was the organizer of the weekend's festivities nor did I know about the scope of the weekend's activities until I started receiving emails as a volunteer. I was saying yes to represent Run Club in what I believed to be a small race that was in need of volunteers.

Elizabeth took this selfie of our reunion:



We caught up for a few minutes and then in Elizabeth style she took off to work. I found the staff person coordinating volunteers for Bib pick up. There was bib pick up for the 5K, the 10K, the Five and Dime (those running both the 5 and 10K), the half and the Hat Trick (people running the 5, 10 and half marathon).

I chose to do Bib pick up for the Half Marathon.

The first person I met at our table was Alain. We asked each other how we came to volunteer for the event. We chit chatted and two more volunteers joined us. Maggie, the wife of Chris Kraft who is an editor for Runner's World and Suzanne Perreault, managing editor of Runner's World.



At a little after 3 pm on Friday afternoon, the Conte Forum was swelling with runners. We commented to each other how it felt as though it were a holiday in Boston. The energy was electric.

We were busy handing out bibs checking names if the bib had a name on it and double checking runners' numbers.

One runner in particular gave me his number. "Amby?" I said reading the name on his bib. And then I gasped. "As in Amby Burfoot?" I said with school girl giddiness. He smiled ever so warmly and said, "Well yes, I guess that would be me."

I told him how much I enjoyed reading the stories about how he helped to encourage Bill Rodgers natural running ability in Marathon Man and the articles he wrote post 4/15/13 and as we anticipated the running of this year's marathon. He smiled and I said, "Could I get your autograph or could I get a photo? Oh my husband is going to be so jealous because he really wanted to meet you."

His wife graciously took the photo (using Bill Rodgers signature thumbs up)



I told him that now we would have to come to his book signing at the Expo on Saturday afternoon.

As the shift wore on, Alain told me the back story for RaceMenu and RACE, Run Against Cancer Events. His voice was so familiar to me and I couldn't figure out why until he told me that he was the race director for the #onerun. I said, "Oh you're J Alain Ferry right?"

We talked about the #onerun and how important an event it was in our healing after 4/15/13.

From my memoir, "Coming Home:A Memoir of Healing, Hope and Possibility":

“Oh look they are doing a #onerun tomorrow,” Tom said.

“I am terrified to be a part of that,” I answered.

“Then we have to register,” Tom said.

Tonight I realize there is another layer to all of this healing: the Boston Marathon bombings. It still causes the hair on the back of my neck to write those words. Tomorrow morning, Tom and I are going to walk the last mile of the Boston Marathon and to walk the part of Boylston Street that I’ve been afraid to return to....

5/25/13

The moving pre-race ceremony began including 30 seconds of silence for those who lost their lives in the bombings. There was music and inspirational speeches and not a dry eye in the crowd as the church choir from where 8-year-old Martin Richard who was killed in the blast, made his first communion, sang the National Anthem. Tom and I had our arms around each other. Everyone was in a spiritual embrace.

And then we were off crossing the one mile to go marker in Kenmore Square where four years ago, Tom, our daughter
Ruth Anne and I ran toward the finish line. I ran the 2009 Boston Marathon for those who couldn't and for those who were told they shouldn't run or would never be able to run again. Back then I was delivering a message of healing, hope and possibility. Today I was one with the survivors knowing they have a long road ahead for them but knowing that they, like me, would be able to go the distance.

We got to Hereford Street and I took a deep breath, as I knew we were going back to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and passing The Forum where the second bomb exploded. As we passed in front of the Mandarin, we stopped for a brief moment to give our thanks to the staff who ensured our safety. The two doormen who had been there on Marathon Monday while we watched the race before going upstairs to join the Spaulding Rehab party were there. How healing and wonderful to see them, express our gratitude and be back on a part of Boylston Street I was afraid to visit.

I told Tom I was ready to sprint to the finish line. I said a prayer as we ran by The Forum. I sobbed as the crowds were cheering and we were surrounded by runners with their bib numbers from Marathon Monday and thousands of people who had been touched by the tragic events of April 15. At the finish line we shared stories with one another. We hugged. We cried. We healed...

Despite the cold and the rain, the love and energy of the community kept us warm. The event organizers did an amazing job at honoring the victims of the bombing and the survivors – “You are out there to run for those who can’t.”

That’s why I ran the marathon in ’09 – and here I was running the last mile with a deep connection to the survivors of the bombing knowing in every fiber of my being what it’s like to work to regain mobility and to recover from trauma where you face death. There were so many emotions as we listened to the pre-race ceremony speakers and then as we reclaimed Boylston Street as our own.


It was because of the #onerun that I realized I needed to get back to running and the running community and here I was standing shoulder to shoulder with the race director who organized the event that got me back on my path.

I hadn't planned on running any races between the Father Bullock Charity Race and the Tufts 10K but how can I resist the Bill Rodgers Inaugural 5K at my alma mater Boston College to benefit prostate cancer which Alain is organizing.

When Elizabeth worked at the Boston Globe, she was tweeting about the Boston.com Spectacle Island Run. I wasn't going to run it after she left the Globe but she is planning to come up for the race and well truth be told, Alain is awesome at pitching races. I've added that to my race calendar as Elizabeth had told me that it was a race for all ages and all abilities.

Tom came to join me at the Expo. He could feel how infectious the energy was for the weekend. He signed up for the Five and Dime to get in his long run for the weekend. He took first in his age group for the Five and Dime and placed 3rd in his age group in the 5K.



and on his way home from the race, Tom bumped into our dear friend David Brown who was heading over to pick up his bib:



On Saturday afternoon Team McManus returned to the Conte Forum for the book signing. Amby warmly embraced us and signed, "The Runner's World Big Book of Marathon and Half Marathon Training" which I will be pouring over as I plan for a half in 2015:
To Team McManus: Congratualtions on all your running together Amby Burfoot

and Jen Van Allen who was a co author of the book signed:
Running makes every day better. Enjoy the journey!

It sure does! We are enjoying the journey ... and it's amazing who you meet and what happens when you say yes.




My memoir, "Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing, Hope and Possibility" is now available on Amazon.

"Wait, I have one more goal," Mary McManus told her personal trainer in February of 2008 shortly after coming out of her toe up leg brace. "I want to run the Boston Marathon for Spaulding Rehab Hospital." Mary traded in her polio shoes for running shoes and embarked on the journey of a lifetime. Mary McManus was at the height of her career as a VA social worker when she was told by her team at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital’s International Rehab Center for Polio in December of 2006 that she needed to quit her job if she had any hope of preventing the progression of post polio syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease. In “Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing, Hope and Possibility” Mary takes you on her seven year healing odyssey as a survivor of paralytic polio and trauma from her diagnosis, to taking a leap of faith to leave her award winning career at the VA to heal her life and follow her passion as a poet and writer. You’ll experience her trials, tribulations and triumphs as she trains for and crosses the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon and discovers the opportunity for healing in the wake of new trauma: the suicide of her nephew in 2011, and the aftermath of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings. This is Mary's journey of coming home to her human form free from the influences of the ghastly ghostly invaders who had invaded her sacred earthly home. Her memoir includes journals and blog posts from her seven year healing odyssey. This is her journey of transformation and her message of healing, hope and possibility.

I donate 50% of royalty payments through on line sales to The One Fund to help Boston Marathon survivors and their families. Copies are also available at Brookline Marathon Sports. $5 of each book sold at Marathon Sports is donated to The One Fund.