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.
Yesterday's blog was a recap of my experience of the Feaster Five. I alluded to how the events from the 2013 Boston Marathon was very much present as I went to the Expo and was palpable among the running community. I spoke about the love I experienced with the Merrimack Valley Striders who sponsor the race along with DMSE, Dave McGillivray Sports Enterprises.
"The Merrimack Valley Striders is a 501c(3) organization whose mission statement is - "An organization whose mission is to encourage and enhance running at all levels". Organized in 1979, MVS has grown to be one of the largest running clubs in New England."
Because I was not near the start and many were not given the size of the field as reflected in this photo posted by Dave McGillivray on Facebook
I did not know that the race was dedicated to the Boston Marathon Bombing survivors and that Celeste Corcoran was the official starter for the race:
The race is geared for families and the average runner according to this article I found in the Eagle Tribune, "Top Racers Know Their Place in the Feaster Five" and that certainly was my personal experience.
But it is so much more than a road race.
"Several dozen runners yesterday wore the pink T-shirts, which read “Remember Ritzer,” in reference to Colleen Ritzer, the Andover native and teacher at Danvers High, who was murdered, allegedly by one of her students."
And some notes from our beloved race director, Dave McGillivray:
Here are some notes and nuggets sent to us by Feaster Five race director Dave McGillivary:
-- Final numbers were 10,616 entries, plus the number of kids who registered today. Last year, it was 10,720, so about 100 less this year.
-- About 55 percent women and 45 percent men.
-- 8,920 official starters (not including the kids) and 8,876 finishers.
-- For the first time ever, Monday-Wednesday online registration (no paper) was available, which worked great.
-- Weather on Wednesday, setting up, was difficult. Race day was much better even though it was cold.
-- A moment of silence for Colleen Ritzer and the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings.
-- The Andover Police get very high grades, enhancing support once again, with Safety Officer Chuck Edgerly and Andover DPW leading the way.
-- Someone stole everything at one of the water stations - tables, barrels, cups, pitchers, rakes, shovels and trash bags. Crews had to go back to the DMSE warehouse to replace all that was stolen.
-- All three nonprofits - Ironstone Farms, Bellesini Academy, Merrimack Valley YMCA and the Merrimack Valley Striders - combined to raise well over $100,000.
-- A lot of the leftover food was donated to Lazarus House after the race.
It was my best race ever and as I read the press today, I discovered what I already knew that The Feaster Five is so much more than a road race and will become a Team McManus Thanksgiving tradition!
Our Thanksgiving holiday began Wednesday afternoon when we went to pick up our bib numbers and race schwag at the Feaster Five Expo.
I first met the Striders in Hyannis in February of 2009 at the pre race pasta dinner as Team McManus was preparing to run their first half marathon in preparation for the 2009 Boston Marathon. They invited me to speak at their December 2010 meeting. Here I am with Al Pappalardo and Channel 7's Steve Cooper:
and here's Tom Licciardello handling the sound system for the speakers
We stayed in touch on and off through the years but after the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, there was a feeling among many in the running community about the importance of staying connected with each other.
I've always wanted to run the Feaster Five. I had not recovered after the 2009 Boston Marathon to run the Feaster in 2010 and then wasn't feeling well enough to run after the 2011 Brookline Symphony Orchestra 5K. But this year it was my time!
It was an emotional reunion with my Strider friends
Tom L. and me
Al Pappalardo and me:
Tom's wife Lyn and me:
More MVS love:
and MVS gear including tumblers for the One Fund:
I had a reunion with Ric Beaudoin who was the first Strider that I met at Hyannis who wanted me to speak at the Striders' meeting to share my inspirational story and Dick Hoyt and Kathy Boyer who have known me since February of 2009. We are all healing; the bombings have resulted in close bonds and a resolve to allow love triumph over hatred.
I went to bed early and got up at 5:00am to leave by 6:00am to ensure that we would get good parking at the race. It was cold and windy but we got to watch the sunrise. So much heat was generated among the throngs of runners. It took us 10 minutes to get to the start!
The course involves a really steep uphill at the beginning of the race for a good half mile:
It wasn't a PR according to my time.
4985 258/393 F5059 59:46 49:43 16:01 Mary McManus 59 F 3663 Chestnut Hill MA
But it certainly was a PR according to how I felt in my body and during the race. It was 2 minutes slower than the Brookline Symphony Orchestra 5K Fun Run & Walk but it also had a huge almost mile hill at the start of the race and another small hill at the end of the race as compared to the Brookline Symphony Orchestra's 5K Fun Run & Walk fast, two loop course around the Reservoir.
According to my Nikeplus, I did negative splits:
17:28 mile 1 (which included a slow walk in getting to the start)
32:27 mile 2 (14.99 minute/mile pace)
46:23 mile 3 (13.96 minute/mile pace)
It was the first race that I ran that I felt I was in the middle of the pack. That's because I was in the middle of the pack; 4985/6135 finishers for the 5K. I wasn't too shabby in my age group either and this is the last race before I enter a new age group!
I've been used to being a back of the pack runner and watching a sea of runners fade into the distance in front of me. But the Feaster's field is different and it was an amazing experience for me to be passing runners and walkers.
As we headed for the finish, Ric Beaudoin stands atop a ladder calling out names of the runners spurring them onto the finish. We called out his name and he said, "And here comes Tom and Mary McManus all the way from Newton, Massachusetts."
Our daughter Ruth Anne met us at the finish line and she commented on how I was absolutely glowing looking so different than I had after any other race.
I ran in 30 degree weather; mercifully there was not a lot of wind during the race and there was the beautiful course through the Andover neighborhood. I was present in my body and delighted in each moment of the race. I was racing out there today.
The Feaster Five: my best race ever and my best Thanksgiving ever!
Thanksgiving from Seasons of the Soul available on Amazon
Make every day a feast of giving thanks
serving up heaping helpings of happiness
health and joy
be with the ones you love
------especially yourself
and feel your heart overflow
because there is so much gratitude stuffed inside.
Feast your eyes on beauty and wonder
feed your heart on kindness and compassion
forgive and remember love lasts
laughter heals.
Taste the sweetness that life has to offer
breathe deeply
as the scents of the season
delight the senses.
It takes incredible courage to start a race knowing that you will probably finish last. I don't know many people who would step out and step up to the challenge running by themselves to claim a 6.1 mile course not knowing if the water stops or the finish line would be there when you arrived. But I do know one such person - Melissa Gleaton who blogs about her journey in Learning to Walk Again.
I was blessed to meet Melissa when Tom and I went to train for the Feaster Five last November. She was so supportive of my return to the roads and reassured us that we couldn't get lost during our training run. We enjoyed sharing journeys over a cup of tea after the training run. We saw each other again at the Feaster Five starting line. She told us that she would plug into her iPod and tune into her own running rhythm. She preferred to run her own race.
We stay in touch via Facebook and messages.
I saw that she was going to run her first 10K today.
I told my husband and daughter about the race and my daughter said she'd love to run it.
The weather forecast was dreary given that the first hurricane of the season, Hurricane Arthur was making his way up the East Coast. They rescheduled the Fourth of July Boston Pops concert to July 3rd because of the forecast.
Tom and I woke up at 10:45 pm with the house shaking and rattling with thunder, lightning and wind gusts but awoke to clear and calm skies this morning at 5:30 am.
We always arrive early to a race because we don't know what traffic and parking will be like. Our daughter picked up her bib and shirt and took this selfie before the race:
The race announcer was incredibly energetic, setting a festive tone for the day celebrating the sport of running and the spirit of July 4th. Tom went to the car to get our jackets as the skies were beginning to turn grey. When he returned he said, "You're not going to believe who is doing the announcing," and showed me this picture of Steve Cooper from Channel 7 News who we met when I spoke at a Merrimack Valley Striders Meeting a few years ago:
Steve said, "And you never know who you might see here. You might just see the Race Director for the Boston Marathon. Dave McGillivray is here."
Milling around before the race began, I was stopped by this elderly couple. The man was wearing a race bib and a hat that told me he must be a veteran. "Excuse me. Where's Tom Licciardello?" he asked and "who is announcing the race? Tom used to announce this race and he did such a great job." Fortunately I'd done my homework and was able to give him a brief race history and then told him that Steve Cooper was doing the announcing, 'You know the guy from channel 7 news.' He went over to see him and turned to his wife who is also named Mary - they are Joseph and Mary you know like from Bethlehem he told me and said, "Oh Mary - we know him. That's Grace's nephew." I asked him if he was a veteran. "World War II - Navy." He smiled. I thanked him for his service and our gift of freedom. I told him I worked at the VA for many years. He told me he was going to run the 5K and hoped for a placement in his age group proudly telling me he was 81 years old. I checked the results on Cool Running. Joseph Diprima - 81 - 37:44 - first in his age group indeed!
We gathered with our friends from the Merrimack Valley Striders:
Our friend Paul Hudson was sporting the MVS shirt that was designed with the Boston Strong ribbon logo after 4/15/13. It says:
We run to grieve.
We run to cope.
We run to heal.
We run for Boston.
It was time for the Kids Race. Steve Cooper said that these kids trained through the grueling New England winter with their parents to get ready for today. They had their sights set on July 4th all year long. There were over 150 kids participating in the kids race today:
I found Melissa to wish her well on her run and snapped this pic of her:
The runners were off. I found an Andover Policeman on a bike and asked him if they keep the finish line open until the last runner has crossed. I let him know that this was Melissa's first 10K and she might finish last. He asked me what her number was and what she was wearing. He went out on the course and checked with the event organizers, and looked for me when he returned. He assured me that they wouldn't leave anyone out on the course and the finish line would stay open until the last runner was in. I remember how important it was to feel support when we ran the Father Bullock Road Race and that the last runner is not abandoned on the road.
Steve Cooper announced as many names and numbers as he could making sure that everyone felt like a winner. As our daughter came down the chute, my husband called out to Steve to tell him her name. He announced her name and told her to wave to the crowd. What a moment of joy. We were so caught up in enjoying the moment that we didn't take a photo of her. She ran about a 10 minute mile and had a wonderful race telling us the sense of camaraderie and the runner's code of conduct at its best that was out on the course today.
I saw Dave McGillivray cross the finish line and said hi to him after the race. He shook my hand, smiled broadly and asked me how everything was.
Runners crossed. Steve Cooper made his way to the awards ceremony. The crowds dispersed.
I spoke to the timing officials and let them know that there was still one more runner out there. He told me that they needed to start breaking down and packing up the mats but would keep the clock running. A woman walked over to the finish line and I asked if she had someone she was waiting for. She said, "Yes, it's me Lin," and I realized she was there to cheer on Melissa as well. We met on Facebook. She also wanted to make sure that Melissa had a finish line to cross.
At 1:39 gun time, he turned off the finisher's clock. I asked him what he was doing that there was still one more runner on her way in. It was her first 10K. He apologized. He thought that everyone had crossed. He reset the clock and told us that he would also enter her results manually to ensure that her results appeared on Cool Running.
We were all feeling a little anxious as the finish line was being broken down. Other members of the Striders came over to the finish line. One Strider, Adrienne, said she would go out on the course to run her in. But we all had total faith that Melissa would finish in under two hours; the time when the course officially closed. She trained well and she trained hard. She was determined! The rain held off. There were a few sprinkles, some sun but mostly cloud cover for the race.
Lin spotted her in the distance with Adrienne. She was power walking when Adrienne found her. She gave her that boost to let her know she was almost finished and then stepped aside as Melissa finished strong with a run to the finish.
Members of the Event Staff came over to the finish line and I told them that this is what the sport is all about. I told them that we needed to cheer Melissa on to the finish. I remembered the scene in Dave McGillivray's book, "The Last Pick," when he had received instructions to divert a runner in the Olympics so that they could set up the stadium for the closing ceremonies. Dave ignored the instructions and made sure that the runner had the same experience as the winner because ultimately the time did not matter. It was the effort put forth by the runner.
We screamed as Melissa came down the finish chute. Everyone clapped, whistled and I screamed. The timing official moved one of the trucks so Lin could get the photo of her finishing the race.
Melissa is the embodiment of perseverance and courage. She was out there running her race at her pace and went the distance today. She also took off 1:30 from her training run two weeks ago.
No one can run our race for us. We all have to dig deep, find the courage and the perseverance to run the race set before us with endurance as Melissa did today.
Yet there is great comfort in knowing that when we are out there, we are never alone. We run together.
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.
Whether in running or in life, I find there are two greatest challenges. One is sticking to the training plan and the other is coming back after a setback. We go along on our path building speed and endurance on the roads and in our lives and then something happens. A layoff, a loss, an illness or for me managing the late effects of paralytic polio and trauma, that causes us to pause, to regroup, to reevaluate and to figure out how to move forward again.
In 2011, after my 26 year old nephew's suicide, I was not sure how I was going to move forward. I took a detour from my healing path. I stopped running and I withdrew from the running community. I found myself among people who would draw me back into the dance of family dynamics and who fueled my struggles as a polio and trauma survivor. Every situation serves a purpose and I am so grateful for the soul lessons I learned while I was on my detour.
After 4/15/13, I had an awakening and realized what was important in my life. The #onerun on 5/25/13 brought me back into the present and in realizing how important running and the running community is in my life.
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's been a slow, long road back but patience, pacing and persistence pave the way.
I started out with a walk/run at a half mile. Little by little I built back up to a 5K distance.
Training for and running The Feaster Five was a wonderful opportunity for me to come back into the running fold and rediscover the joy of running.
I reconnected with my friends from the Merrimack Valley Striders and made new friends when we went to Andover for a pre Feaster Five training run.
I'm so excited that tonight we are going to a Striders meeting where the theme is connecting with friends old and new.
I used my 5K distance to begin to build speed and then began to build distance. I held steady at 5 miles until after I ran a series of 5K races. Two weeks ago, I crossed the threshold to 6.1 miles. I can go the distance for the Tufts 10K.
I challenge myself on my 5K distance runs with tempo runs and fartleks but I am also patient with myself. I am running from the inside out paying attention to how I feel in my body. I know that no two runs are the same and there are so many factors that can contribute to how much I am able to do on any given day as is true for every runner.
I've learned that I can and do recover; chronic fatigue is no longer an issue for me but I do need to give myself time to rest and recover. I create an optimal healing environment for myself. I plan out my activities. On a day that I feel well and energized, I am so tempted to do more than what is scheduled. And then, more often than not, I end up not feeling well for a few days.
In addition to two runs a week, I go to Aquatics Therapy classes at Spaulding Rehab twice a week. One class is for upper and lower body strength training. I am up to 5 pound ankle weights. The other class is to build aquatics strength and work on core and cardio conditioning. Once a week I go for massage therapy at Sollievo Massage and Bodywork where my therapist and I work together to continue to heal mind, body and Spirit.
I'm definitely planning on going the distance. I am working on finding my distance and my pace. I know my distance for now is a 10K. I am grateful for every step I take on this journey on the roads and in my life. I know how blessed I am! And every day, I practice patience, pacing and persistence so I can go the distance and journey well.
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.
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.
In training for the Feaster Five on Thanksgiving morning, I have been incorporating hill training since the beginning of the race is a .5 mile steep hill. There is also a smaller hill at the end of the race.
Yesterday morning I told Tom that I wanted to train on Heartbreak Hill. When we Googled the distance from Walnut Street to Lake Street, spanning most of Heartbreak Hill, Google said it would be 2.3 miles each way. Cool!
We often associate triggers with a negative connotation of flashbacks and unpleasant experiences. Only yesterday, being on Heartbreak Hill for the first time since 2009, triggered a flood of wonderful memories:
I noticed the details of the way the stones are inlaid on the carriage road on Commonwealth Avenue. I remembered finding a Helen Keller Quarter from my blog 4/5/2009
As we were heading out along Beacon Street here in Brookline, Mass., I saw a penny. Those of you who have read my blog know that we have had a lot of signs with finding money while we trained. There were a herd of runners behind us and I knew that if I stopped to pick this penny up, I could get trampled and then where would I be after a year of training and being on the threshold of running the Marathon. So I felt God's Presence and ran on. While on Heartbreak Hill, my daughter stopped in her tracks. Buried in the crack in the sidewalk on Heartbreak Hill, my daughter spotted a quarter - not just any quarter but a quarter dedicated to Helen Keller. Her quotes and life story have always been a major source of inspiration to me and Bernie Siegel, MD (who through the years has been a guiding healing light for me) has quoted her so many times in his talks, books and on his forum. During the last two miles of our training run, we found two more pennies - 27 cents! Not 26 but 27 so God is letting us know that we have what we need to go the distance....
Our first run on Heartbreak Hill which was mapped out by our beloved coach for Spaulding Rehab, Domenick D'Amico. And then on Marathon Monday being greeted by a teary eyed Domenick who gave each of us a hug and told us to go get our medal.
We remembered coming home from Puerto Rico in January of '09 and our daughter sitting next to Johnny Kelley's nephew and his wife. She was bemoaning the fact that she had to get up early and do an 18 miler in the cold and snow after having 5 days in the warmth of Puerto Rico. His nephew's wife told us that Johnny would be watching over us every time we trained on Heartbreak Hill and especially on Marathon Monday. He was with us every step of the way. After we met them, my theme became the title of Johnny's autobiography, "Young at Heart"
But something was incredibly different on this Heartbreak Hill run. I felt so different in my body. I had a wonderful stride and I could experience my subtle body energy.
As the voice of Nike+ began marking the miles, I knew that we were going farther than the 4.6 miles on Google maps. But I had no choice but to finish out the run because we parked our car at Walnut Street and had to do an out and back loop. {Tom thinks that perhaps my Nike+ took into account the elevation while calculating the distance--who knows?). While I felt tired toward the end of the run, I also felt that I still had a lot in the tank which really surprised me. I am going to taper for the Feaster Five and maintain at the 5K distance which we opted for thinking that there is no way I would be able to run 5 miles again but after the race, I am going to begin to slowly and steadily build mileage and see how my body responds.
Here are the results from my workout according to Nike+
5.33 miles
Average pace 14"34"/mile
Total time 1:17:49
Splits:
Mile 1 13"
Mile 2 27:13
Mile 3 41:47
Mile 4 57:07
Mile 5 1:12:58
Mile 5:33 1:17:49
Nike reminded me that "Today, records fell." Okay it was only my 2nd Nike+ run but indeed records did fall.
I ran the farthest and fastest that I have run in the past 7 months since I began to run again after a 2 year running hiatus. My 5K time was 43:36. My time at the Brookline Symphony Orchestra 5K Fun Run & Walk was 47:50 - a 15:26/mile pace. I wasn't trying to go faster. I was not pushing myself in my body. I was in tune with my body moving from the inside out. There was a sense of unbridled joy being back on Heartbreak Hill, feeling the sun on our faces and a sense of coming home inside of my human form free from the ravages of trauma and paralytic polio.
Tom snapped this photo of me at the Johnny Kelley statue:
Today I am sore and it's a rest and recovery day but overall I feel strong and present in my body after taking a run up Heartbreak Hill and a trip down memory lane. But just like my 2009 run was so much bigger than me -- my healing journey is a message to all who were affected by the events on Marathon Monday -- that we do heal, we do become stronger and love and community is far more powerful than violence.
While I am not running Boston 2014, I am cheering on my friends in person and in social media supporting them with donations if they are running for a charity and feel so blessed to be a part of this amazing community. We are Boston Strong!
Ode to Marathon Training - March 22, 2009 from A Celebration of Life available on Amazon
Blisters, black toes, aches and pains, a change in my routine
Long training runs, the hills, the sprints-running clothes fresh and clean.
Carbo load and plan each meal power gels and gatorade
no matter what the weather no time to be afraid.
Humid - hot or freezing cold snow against the face
wind or sun or raining those running shoes I must lace.
What mile is this how long we been out check heart rate drink H20
meltdowns joys and triumphs only a few more weeks to go.
Heartbreak Hill won't break my heart this year has been the best
found myself and made new friends I feel incredibly blessed.
The daffodils I bought at Trader Joe's on Saturday have opened in the glorious warm sunshine through our kitchen window
and one of my plants is sprouting flowers:
The Red Sox had their Opening Day on Friday
okay maybe not the best start to the season but a definite sign that Spring has arrived in Boston.
Yesterday I ran the Marathon Sports Cambridge 5 Miler/3 Mile City Walk, my first race since the Feaster Five. Here we are with a pre race selfie of Team McManus:
and a pre race portrait taken by my life and running partner Tom:
Before the race, I saw Colin Peddie, owner of Marathon Sports. We go way back to when I ran the 2009 Boston Marathon and became a part of the Marathon Sports family. I was overcome with emotion and was wiping away tears. I wasn't sure if I should go up to him. We waved at each other and then he motioned for me to come over. We exchanged a hug. I said, "It's good to see you." He looked at me with my bib and said, "It's good to see YOU." We didn't need to say anything else. As I walked away I cried tears of gratitude that we are here now and tears of sadness for last year's Boston Marathon bombings. The first bomb exploded at the Marathon Sports store on Boylston Street where I waited in 2011 for my husband to cross the finish line when he ran for Childrens Hospital.
We saw a runner wearing a Boston Strong shirt with survivor written across it.
With the sound of the air horn we were off. I ran hard but acknowledged my edge. A friend of ours posted on facebook that she was running the race and would see me there. Right, I thought among hundreds of runners. Just like when I ran the 2009 Boston Marathon and friends found me in the crowd, she found me. And then as the 5 mile runners caught up with the 3 miler race walkers, she came by us again. Our daughter Ruth Anne who ran the 5 miler shouted to us from behind and high five'd us as she passed us and finished her race.
I felt wonderful in my body and enjoyed seeing the sun sparkling on Fresh Pond. I sprinted to the finish line feeling strong and balanced and whole in my body. While it wasn't reflected on the clock, today's race was definitely a PR for me.
There was a sense of winter's chill yielding to Spring paralleling the year of healing we have all experienced since the tragic events of last year's Boston Marathon bombing. After the race, the runner sporting the Survivor shirt just happened to be walking by our car. We gingerly approached him asking if he wanted to talk about where he was and how he was doing. He told us he was four feet from the first blast. He was injured but his girlfriend had a huge chunk of her leg blown off. He carried her to his car behind his restaurant on Newbury Street and took her to the emergency room. They were able to save her leg but she can't run yet. He is running this year's marathon along with a group of survivors. He is the operations manager at Stephanie's on Newbury Street which lost over $200,000 in revenue in the aftermath of the explosions. We told him we were at the Mandarin and would be out on the corner of Dean Road and Beacon Street this year cheering on the runners. He said he would look for us.
We will be going to Stephanies this week for dinner.
And two weeks from today Boston runs again. It's funny how everyone in our neighborhood and surrounding areas did lawn clean up this weekend. There are no signs of the dead leaves of Fall or remnants from the brutal New England Winter we have survived. There are physical and emotional wounds that continue to heal but there are signs of renewal all around.
And two weeks from today runners toe the line for the 118th Boston Marathon. Boston begins again! Let us feel the change from Winter to Spring and allow the healing and excitement to build!
The race began before the race as Tom and I unexpectedly hit heavy traffic on the way to parking for the BAA Half Marathon. We stayed remarkably calm helped by runners in the car next to us in the rotary as we exchanged comments of "Don't worry, we'll make it." We had to follow the signs that the BAA had put up even though it wasn't the route we were planning on taking to the parking lot. We had to surrender and trust.
I had called the BAA before the race to ask if I could board the shuttle bus from U Mass to the starting line. He had told me that it's not something that they advertise but he did not think that anyone would kick me off the bus if I were with Tom. I told him I'd wear my 2009 Boston Marathon shirt and jacket. He thought that was a good idea.
As we were walking to the shuttle bus, we struck up a conversation with a woman. Tom and the woman had the usual pre race chatter about is this your first...have you run this race before... As we were getting ready to board I mentioned to her what the person at the BAA had said to me and she said, "You look like a runner and you probably are...you're just not running this race right?"
Here is a photo Tom snapped of me on the way to the shuttle bus -- with the caption #runnerswife
I smiled as I got on the bus and said to Tom - hmmm she said I look like a runner. Those words sunk in and had a powerful effect on me.
I have been doing strength training twice a week through the Aquatics Therapy program at Spaulding Rehab. I ran my first 5K, the Brookline Symphony Orchestra 5K Fun Run & Walk after a two year running hiatus a few weeks ago and am training for the Feaster Five.
I have resurrected the hero and the champion within me; the woman who IS a runner despite a history of paralytic polio and 9 years of unrelenting violence which took a toll on my body and my mind. The woman who is a back of the pack runner; who power walks but can do a 15 minute/mile pace and the woman who offers no apologies for distance or speed anymore! I enjoy being outdoors and I enjoy moving in my body now. I delight in being a part of the wonderful running community.
I used to move from a place of the image of the little girl who dragged around a leg brace desperately trying to keep up with my brother and his friends walking down Oregon Avenue in Westchester New York to a vibrant, healthy woman who has overcome so much. I have the courage to get out there three times a week and train with heart and soul. I carry myself like a runner.
Part of my joy as a runner is being a spectator supporting and cheering on my husband in his endurance races.
Today he ran the final leg of the BAA Distance Medley. He ran the 5K on April 14th, one day before the Boston Marathon Bombings. He ran the 10K with our daughter Ruth Anne on June 23rd and today he crushed the Half with a 9:54 pace.
Here he is before the race on a gorgeous Autumn day here in New England
And here are more photos from the start of race day--
As I waited in the stands of White Stadium
the announcer said that we could text runner to 345678 and put in our runner's bib number to track them. Tom told me at the start that he was planning to do a 12 minute/mile pace. He said that he felt under trained. I reminded him that he has been running consistently for the past 6 months and he had been doing long runs intermittently over the past 6 months. Last week he did 13 miles! I told him he had this.
What a thrill to get the text at 5 miles that he was doing a 10:32 minute/mile pace and then at 10 miles a 10:00 minute/mile pace. I watched him cross the finish line and screamed "You crushed it."
Tom doesn't run with his phone and we agreed to a meeting spot in case logistics got a little hectic after the race. I told him that I'd come around and meet him. There were literally thousands of people and I thought I would find him coming out of the finish line and food area but I knew I had somehow missed him. I went to our meeting place and he wasn't there. I decided to back around and there he was heading back to the Stadium exit. I screamed, "I found you." The woman standing next to him smiled and laughed out loud.
Today was a day of trusting and patience; celebration and joy. Today was a day of remembering that we are Boston Strong. Today was a day to remember that out of our deepest wounds we find our greatest strength, our most beautiful treasures and the knowledge that love is far greater and more powerful than any experience we endure.
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