I Run for Lobster and Bling-Life has a way of planning for us!

Life has a funny way of planning for us. Yesterday, even though it was hot and humid, I knew I needed to get in my training run. I had done a sweet seven miles last week. Tom and I decided to do 5 miles as I count down the weeks until the Tufts 10K for Women. It's always good to change up the route and we went to an old standby; part of the Boston Marathon course down and back on Beacon Street from our home.

We tried to stay in the shade as much as possible. Fortunately we have two water belts and I had frozen the water bottles. We drank and dumped water on our heads. There were hills and headwinds and yet, through it all, I was talking about how amazing it felt to be back on the Boston Marathon course.

"Don't even think about it," Tom cautioned me.

It is so easy to remember the thrill of crossing the finish line and receiving your bling and not remembering the pain of training.

I decided to enjoy the moment relishing my Boston Marathon run in 2009 and feeling ecstatic that I am out running again after time away from running and my beloved running community.

As Tom and I were leaving the Merrimack Valley Striders meeting on June 25th, Lyn Licciardiello asked us if we were going to do the Ogunquit Beach Lobster Dash. She told us about the race and how it's a great time for the Striders to run together and have a great post race party.



When we got home, I registered Tom for the race.

I began to see the Facebook stream for the event. Something stirred inside of me. I was planning to be support crew for Tom and do my Tufts 10K training run on Sunday but why not use this race as a training run and preparation for Tufts? After doing the hills in heat and humidity, I was feeling very confident.

My only concern was whether or not it was a fast field.

I checked last year's results on Cool Running. The back of the pack runners were definitely at my pace.

When I asked the question was it a race for all paces on Facebook, I received the most incredible outpouring of support along with one Strider who decided if she couldn't run it she would walk it and enjoy the day.

I also asked the deal breaker question - was there bling?

I know it may sound silly to some but it's been a very long time since I ran a race where I received a medal. I think the last one was the Hyannis 10K in 2011. For me it's a symbol of running the race set before me with endurance. It's a tangible to remind me of my grit, my strength, my courage and my determination.

The answer was yes! And, one member said, there is also a lobster roll after a 5 mile race along the beach along with a great post race party.

I registered and will channel my inner Chariots of Fire as we run along beautiful Ogunquit Beach. The Lobster Dash was not on my race calendar as I counted down the weeks until Tufts nor was the Bill Rodgers 5K Run for Prostate Cancer or the Spectacle Island Run that just happened to be set before me after I volunteered at the Heartbreak Hill Half Marathon and Festival Weekend. But somehow life has a way of planning for us. Next Saturday, I will be running for lobster and bling with my wonderful running family.



"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.

The View From the Stadium - Spectating the 39th Annual Marathon Sports 5 Miler

The forecast was for rain. It's either been extremely hot and humid or downpours for the annual Marathon Sports 5 Miler. Instead, it was a picture perfect 75 degrees with little humidity.

One of the many reasons we love this race is because:

100% of the profits this year and in years past go to our friends over at the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, in their noble quest to fight blood cancers.

It was my first 5 mile race ever with memories that I will always cherish. You can read about it in #tbt Marathon Sports 5 Miler - Keep Moving Forward.

It's a fast field so I now opt to have Tom run this race solo while I experience the thrill of being a spectator.

The pre race energy is electric as over 850 runners gathered for the event.

There were vendors:




I had this photo op with my Marathon Sports Family, Ellen Gabriel who hosted my Book Release Party at the Brookline Store and Alison Eno-Ballbach who was our mother hen during our 2009 Boston Marathon Training:



Tom took his place at the start and I went to the Stadium. I took this shadow selfie on the way:



You can see what a gorgeous evening it was:



And then they were off to the strains of Chariots of Fire:


The winner of the men's race came in at a sub 5:00 minute/mile pace:



And the first female came in under a 6 minute/mile pace:



Tom said he'd be doing about a 10 minute/mile pace so I settled down on the bleachers. I looked across the stadium at about 40 minutes or so and I see him in his BAA 10K shirt, sunglasses and white hat. I was stunned and wondered if maybe it wasn't him. But after being together for 37 years and spectating many, many races during these past several years, I knew there was no mistake. He was flying and crossed the finish line with a PR 8:29 minute/mile pace. As he crossed the finish line I said, "What the f*** did you do out there?" I could see he had left nothing on the roads and was about to leave nothing in his stomach. He found a bucket of ice, took a handful of it and poured it over his head. He rehydrated. Here he is crossing the finish line and channeling his inner Rocky -- not bad for 62 years old huh?



We walked around to give Tom a chance to cool down and recover. TriJake Fitness was offering photos. Tom insisted that I get in the photo since I am part of support crew:



We were surprised to find Amanda Ravens who ran for Spaulding's Race for Rehab Team this year. Tom and Amanda bonded during the Hyannis Half Marathon. Here is their post race pic:



Colin Peddie, owner of Marathon Sports gave me a huge hug and thanked us for coming out. He said he wanted to thank each and every person for coming out. He opened his arms to the sky saying how blessed we were with the weather tonight and the entire evening. So much healing has happened since 4/15/13 when his store and the city of Boston were shaken to the core.

As I was talking with Holly Kosel of TriJake, this person comes running up to Tom and says, "You were right man. You were so right about running!" I finished my conversation with Holly and we exchanged business cards. Everyone has a story!

Tom told me that the person who hugged him was an auditor when he worked at Dossia. He told this person that he needed to get out there and run and the Marathon Sports 5 Miler was one of his first races.

As the sun set over Weston and we said goodbye to friends - old and new - I felt deeply blessed and grateful to be a part of the Marathon Sports Family for these past 6 years. What a joy to watch Tom crush the race and celebrate with him. It's a beautiful view from the Stadium and what a joy to spectate the 39th annual Marathon Sports 5 Miler.

Here's to all who ran and finished - especially 83 year old Phyllis Mays who finished last with a 17:43 minute/mile pace.





"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.