Everyone Has a Story-Harvard Pilgrim 10K Race Report

No,I am not suddenly delusional thinking I'm Kathie Lee Gifford. I will not break out into song either, I promise. The blessings of running a race in the back of the pack is you get to share stories and meet amazing people. At the starting line, we met a woman three months out from knee surgery. Her doctor gave her the okay to run/walk the race. As we approached the start, a woman asked if this was our first race. She said it was hers and she was concerned that people would wonder why this overweight woman was even in the race. I gave her the Twitter version of my story and a lot of love and support. That gave her the courage to share that she is a 15 year breast cancer survivor. We high five'd each other and said, "See you at the finish line."

Everyone has a story. Mine begins with a little girl 5,6 years old wearing a leg brace wanting to keep up with my brother and classmates. As my husband and I were preparing for our start he called my attention to a T Shirt, "Don't Panic." The Eagles song, "Take It Easy" was playing and the race director was announcing, no PR's (personal records) today. God was speaking to me. "Don't Panic". I was having a flashback to being left behind. What if I couldn't keep up? How will I know where to go? "Don't Panic" all is taken care of. God was reassuring me. "Take it Easy" - for heaven's sake don't push yourself in this heat. Enjoy the day! I found myself relax and release and had an aha moment. It was not up to me to push myself; it was up to others to show compassion and kindness. Of course, this is about me learning to be compassionate and loving towards myself. It is time to release the sense of competition, pushing myself, and coming from a place of unworthiness and less than. It is time to remember that I am a child of God, a chip off the old block and so with all of my 'imperfections' I am perfection.

Tom and I learned from last week's race to warm up and go out slow. Having seen and heard the messages from God, I paid heed. Last week my heart rate began at 157 and pretty much stayed there. I'm delighted my body could accomplish that especially after a running hiatus, but today it was all about finding a comfortable pace and having FUN! We walked through every water station and made sure we were hydrated. I had my trusty gel with me and at one hour, we took a 'hit' to keep our muscles fueled.

What a thrill to run on the Fourth of July. One family had patriotic music playing on their porch. One woman created a sprinkler with her hose and we ran under it. People waved flags and we celebrated freedom.

A father, mother and their daughter were taking turns pushing their son/brother in a wheelchair. He had a birth defect which resulted in multiple physical challenges. They would run and then walk and drop behind us and then go in front of us. We were running next to two sisters who were training for a 30 mile bike ride for Parkinson's Disease; their mother had died from it this past year. The family would tease that 'those four are the ones to beat'. They would delight in passing us and then when we caught up they said, 'oh no, we gotta speed up.' We passed them and were going to slow down to let them pass us again but they had slowed their pace so my husband suggested we push on.

As we got closer to Gillette Stadium (the race finished on the 50 yard line) all of a sudden, the family came out of nowhere and the daughter sprinted by saying, 'See you at the 50 yard line'. We met a woman who said, "I'm 60 years old and I'm not gonna push myself today in this heat." She told us that it was her first 10K. She sent her daughter on her way and told us that her daughter had lost 100 pounds and discovered the joy of running. She had an article written in Redbook about her; her mom told us how proud she was of her daughter who inspired her to lose over 40 pounds and take up running.

As we entered the tunnel to spring the final yards of the 10K, I drank in the joy of this moment. As we approached the 50 yard line, we flashed a huge smile and saw ourselves on the jumbotron. I stood on the field of Gillette Stadium where world champions play football; where world class entertainers perform. I said to my husband, "Wait a minute. I want to savor this moment and wave to my adoring fans." I am blessed beyond words and so grateful to be able to experience today's 10K run. July 4th - independence - freedom - choice.

Everyone has a story. The people I met today chose to now allow circumstances to limit them. Let freedom ring!

I had to make a choice when I was diagnosed with post polio syndrome. I decided to heal my life and the gift of inspirational poetry was a powerful healing force. I would love to share the gift of God's words of healing, joy, gratitude, overcoming struggles and the power of words to imagine and dream with you.


Hope you had a wonderful Fourth!
Let freedom ring
God bless and be well
With love,
Mary
p.s. Not that it matters but we finished the race in 1:38 a 15:54 minute mile.

Where's Our Car - Final Team McManus Run

During our marathon training runs, Team McManus has had many, many funny moments -- my bra strap coming undone in the middle of a meltdown during a Charles River Run, my husband losing me while we were running around (around being the operative word) Jamaica Pond so today as Team McManus did their final training run until December (our beloved daughter leaves next Sunday for Nashville) it is only fitting that we had another adventure.

We started out today's training run (Tom and I training for the Harvard Pilgrim 10K and Ruth Anne training for the Country Music Half Marathon) planning to run around Castle Island. My husband missed the exit off of the expressway so since the next exit was Wollaston Beach, we decided to go there 'for old times' sake'. First we had to measure the mileage as we couldn't remember the distance end to end. Our goal was for 5.4 miles and somehow after the fact we realized Tom measured 5.6 miles -- we walked the last mile back to our car .... or did we?

It was a hot sunny day but there was a lovely sea breeze. The sun reflected off of the vast ocean and while we ran we talked about various happenings in the lives of Team McManus. I felt overwhelming gratitude for feeling as well as I do -- I remembered that first walk I took on Wollaston Beach in March of 2008 as we were just beginning to run. I could only walk 20 minutes! Our plan was to stop at the car on our second lap and get the ice water. As we ran we couldn't find our car. My heart rate was beginning to climb and I knew that I needed water. We stopped at one water fountain but expecting that our car was just a little way down the road, did not bother to really hydrate. We made it to the end of our run and -- no car....

We stopped at the Dunkin Donuts and they were so kind to give us a large cup of ice water. You thought we were on Survivor as we rationed this one cup of ice water among the three of us. We walked and walked and we got to one spot where my husband swore he parked the car. He was convinced someone had stolen it! Of course we only had one key with us and we have a keyless ignition. He said his wallet was in the glove compartment. I kept knowing that it was impossible for someone to have stolen our car. (I will add a spiritual side bar here. We were sharing our driveway with a family and decided that we really needed to reclaim our own space and enjoy our empty nest without worrying about being responsible for another family's car. For a moment, a flash from the past emerged -- was I being punished for setting a limit? I heard God's tender Voice of Love saying to me, 'is that how you believe the Universe works? Don't you know by now how important it is that you take care of yourself? Don't you know I love you? Can you please release your thoughts about punishment?') Meanwhile, my husband went up to a State Police Car who just happened to be patrolling the beach. He told him that he thought our car had been stolen. The trooper was so kind and said, just keep walking -- it's not stolen. This happens to people all the time. My daughter walked ahead and yelled out, 'here it is!' It was funny how all 3 of us thought the car was in a space different than where we had parked it -- but all we needed to do was have faith, patience and trust.

I've been blessed with the gift of inspirational poetry which has helped me to heal mind, body and spirit -- I'd love to share my gift with you. You can order "New World Greetings:Inspirational Poetry and Musings for a New World" and "Set Sail for a New World:Healing a Life Through the Gift of Poetry" through my website New World Greetings. Remember that 20% of book proceeds are donated to two causes near and dear to my heart!

After you order your autographed, signed copy of my books, browse the samples of original poetry I create through New World Greeting Cards and celebrate and commemorate with a one of a kind poem.

If I Never Had Polio & Post Polio...

The other day when Team McManus was on a run, my daughter turned to me and said, 'See mom, if you never had post polio, we all wouldn't be out here running and having a wonderful day together." So that got me thinking -- what if I never had polio or post polio syndrome -- what would I have missed...Well for one thing, I wouldn't know the freedom of releasing fears and overcoming limitations like one has after releasing the earthly ties of a hot air balloon.

I would not know the amazing runners that I met as a result of training for the Boston Marathon. Runners who were brought to tears and their hearts overflowed with joy to hear of my inspirational journey. I would never have run the Boston Marathon. I would not be the bearer of a message of hope and inspiration. I would not know the touch of grace at age 5. I would not have passion and burning desire to go beyond limitations and accomplish the 'impossible'. I would not know the joy of leading an extraordinary life.

I would not know Frankie Picasso and the wonderful guests she has on the Unstoppable Frankie Show on Blog Talk Radio. I would not have met Trapper Sherwood via Twitter because, if I were not diagnosed with post polio syndrome and still worked at the VA as a social worker, I never would have found out about Twitter. My daughter would not know a remarkable man who has helped to open the path for her to follow her bliss on Music Row in Nashville. I would not know Kate Loving Shenk and Joan Adams and all the phenomenal people I have met through Kate's prayer blog and spiritual teachers on their show Moon, Moo and You. I would not know that I could not only survive a life changing diagnosis but that I would go on to thrive and be an inspiration for other women facing similar challenges. I would not have met Karen Linamen, Bruce C. Brown, Caroline Dowd Higgins or Peggy Pepper Wilkinson who have included my inspirational story in books they have written. I would not know the beautiful people at Marathon Sports. I would not know about Rotary International and the beautiful people I have met through speaking at various Rotary Clubs.

I would not have heard Itzhak Perlman play at Lincoln Center and bring the crowd to tears and cheers. I would not discover my inner beauty and learn the life lesson that what I wear on my feet or how I walk or run or what hair style I wear do not matter -- what is in my Spirit is where true beauty lies. I would not know courage, determination, fear and the entire gamut of the human tapestry of life's emotions. I would not know God's Unconditional Love for me on such a profound level.

To turn this around -- I am so grateful for polio and post polio syndrome -- for the gift of poetry, for the magic and miracles which abound in my life everyday, for the opportunity to help children and adults crippled by polio in remote parts of the world, for the beautiful people I have met on line and in person, and for all that is yet to unfold in my life.

The Gift of Polio (From New World Greetings:Inspirational Poetry & Musings for a New World)
Thank You, God, for the gift of polio
which brought me so close to You
While paralyzed I saw Your face no matter what I'd do.
Many wonderful people, You sent them to me at age 5
Perseverance and triumph life's lessons learned
but my Spirit could not yet thrive.

At age 53 the gift was sent to me a second time,
Having time to sit and feel, to heal I started to rhyme.
The second time more worse than the first
yet Your love and wisdom I found
From pain and weakness and fatigue a remarkable Spirit rebound.

Reliving all the trauma of special shoes and such
I discovered so many incredible healers who brought a loving touch.
I had no clue I had such strength and the ability to grow
No matter what the outcome, deep gratitude I show.

And from that place so dark and deep, my body could not move
I took the reins and gained control, this time with nothing to prove.
This gift so precious, I live a new life, gratitude flows from me
My heart and soul are filled with Grace
and each day's a gift from Thee.

To help me help others crippled by polio, and to support the research at The Salk Institute you can purchase copies of my books of inspirational poetry.

20% of book proceeds are donated to The Salk Institute for Biological Studies and Hope Charitable Trust.

Are you tired of spending endless hours trying to find the perfect greeting card for a special occasion only to come up just short of what you want to say. At New World Greeting Cards we begin with the missing ingredient - we begin with YOU! Remember - it's more than a card it's a gift from the heart.

Thank you all so much for reading.
God bless, be well and live each moment to the full
With my love and gratitude,
Mary

Appreciation

Appreciation - understanding the meaning or quality or magnitude of something
Gratitude - a feeling of thankfulness and appreciation

It's been a lazy, hazy summer's day here in Brookline. It is only May 2nd but the temperatures and humidity are on the rise. We also have a boil water order. There was a water main break which affected the water supply to hundreds of thousands of households. Times of crises either bring out the best or the worst in people. There were fist fights which broke out in stores which were not prepared with a supply of bottled water to meet the demand. There was talk on the news about this lasting for weeks - although my news station of choice. Channel 7 WHDH Boston talked about the best case scenario that this would be over by Tuesday. There was talk of record heat. I decided to use this hot, hazy day to take stock of the blessings in my life for which I feel so much appreciation. As I put in my laundry, flushed my toilet and ran the dishwasher, I felt so appreciative that the engineers were able to keep water pressure up. I felt so much appreciation for my husband who lugged in two cases of bottled water last night from the grocery store and for the fresh fruits and vegetable which now grace the inside of our refrigerator.

The practice of gratitude is one that I have incorporated into my every day life. I reflect on what I am grateful for every morning before I get out of bed (beginning with the wonderful bed from which I get to begin to create my new day). But for me, appreciation is a deep feeling - an understanding about the meaning and magnitude of something in my life. I will confess right here and now that I did not appreciate my town of Brookline. While my children were in school and I was a working mom, I felt as though I did not belong in this town. Of course, it was not the town I felt I did not belong to -- it was a deep seated feeling within myself that I did not belong anywhere. I just found external reasons for validating these feelings about myself. The myths I harbored about feeling unworthy, unfit manifested themselves in my inability to appreciate the incredible blessings in my life. But when the Universe hit me with a 2 x 4 in December of 2006, I awakened to the blessings in my life and when I began to feel gratitude and look for the blessings wrapped inside the crisis, moving out of the victim role, my life began to heal and I began to blossom.

The other day I was waiting to meet someone to talk about our mutual businesses, our life's journeys and to connect over a cup of coffee. While I was waiting I looked across the street at the train stop - St Mary's Street and I became so appreciative for the town I live in. These past few weeks I have had the opportunity to attend events in downtown Boston and I felt a renewed sense of appreciation for this beautiful city. I attended a retirement party for a former colleague at the VA. I saw many of my former co workers and I felt a deep sense of appreciation for the opportunity to have known them and worked with them. I even knocked on one of the physician's doors to tell him how much I appreciated the opportunity to have worked with him. He was so surprised and not one to show a lot of emotion, but I could see how I had touched his heart by this simple gesture.

As my regular readers know, I was recently featured on a Channel 7 News Sports Story. I provided the executive sports producer with my documentary, "Keeping the Pace" and a CD of photos which a photojournalism student took during our last training run and on Marathon Monday. The sports producer had not returned the CD/DVD to me via mail but since I was going to be right around the corner from Channel 7 for the retirement party, I asked him if I could stop by to pick them up. I expressed my heartfelt appreciation to him, to Rhett Lewis, the reporter and to the on air staff. As we talked,I asked him, just out of curiosity, what footage was copyrighted which would not allow me to upload the news story or which would not allow it to be on the Channel 7 website. It would have been easy to focus on the fact that I was not allowed to upload the story or I could (and did) focus on the deep sense of appreciation I felt that they had chosen to feature my Boston Marathon run. He told me it was the documentary footage -- I laughed and I told him that I owned the copyright for the documentary footage. We both laughed and I hugged him expressing appreciation that I could now share the story on line to inspire others with what is possible in this life.

Have you expressed your appreciation today for the blessings in your life? Have you felt that deep stirring in your soul -- that feeling that no matter how external appearances may seem, nothing can shake your center of Love? Have you told the people in your life how much you appreciate them?

Okay - shameless self promotion segway (and this was not intentional-honest to God) -- one of the wonderful ways you can express your appreciation to someone special in your life is with an original poem from New World Greeting Cards.

Be sure to check out the Grateful Chics for extraordinary items to express your gratitude. "Gratitude Beads help you remember the GOOD in your life & to stay grateful for our:
CREATOR (1 large bead)
PEOPLE (3 medium beads)
& LITTLE THINGS or EVENTS (6 small beads).
Use them as prayer beads or meditation beads; hanging on a keyring, in a window or rear view mirror; clipped on a belt, purse. Remember 10 GOOD things in your life every single day!"

I am grateful to Joy and Tracy for the love and light they bring through their creativity and spiritual wisdom as Grateful Chics.

One of the ways I express appreciation for the blessings in my life is to give to others. When you purchase copies of my books of inspirational poetry 20% of book proceeds are donated to The Salk Institute for Biological Studies and Hope Charitable Trust

I am so appreciative to you my readers -- thank you for reading
With love,
Mary

The Power of Imagination - Training for the Harvard Pilgrim 10K

This morning during my morning meditation imagination and freedom kept floating in and out of my heart. There is so much freedom and joy in imagination - in anticipation and we can harness that power to either imagine the worst or imagine the best. My husband often teases me that for somebody who believes in positivity, I can really imagine the worst but it's a habit that I am changing. As my friend and fellow author Karen Linamen says, "only nuns change their habits over night." But I digress....

There are many wonderful quotes about imagination-here are a few of my favs:

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.” - Albert Einstein

"Apathy can be overcome by enthusiasm, and enthusiasm can only be aroused by two things: first, an ideal, with takes the imagination by storm, and second, a definite intelligible plan for carrying that ideal into practice." Albert Toynbee

"Imagination disposes of everything; it creates beauty, justice, and happiness, which are everything in this world."-Blaise Pascal

"Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere."-Carl Sagan

"Nothing happens unless first we dream."-Carl Sandburg

As I'm training for the Harvard Pilgrim 10K, I imagine myself running out onto the field of Gillette Stadium. Now some of you may be thinking - what's the big deal about a 10K...didn't she run the Boston Marathon in 2009. Well running any distance is still a big deal for me. Last August, I hit a wall and did not know whether or not I would run again. I was experiencing a lot of pain from cervical spine disease along with fatigue and weakness. Pain and post polio will leave you feeling exhausted and weak. But thanks to my master magician, Dr El Abd (God's hands and heart on earth) and the team at the Newton Wellesley Hospital Spine Center, I was prescribed a whole new health and fitness regimen. I used the winter months to improve cardiovascular conditioning and we revamped my entire upper and lower body strength training regimen to accommodate the cervical spine disease. I had a few trial runs last fall and then this Spring - just like the leaves return to the trees, I am able to run again. I have relinquished my desire to do long distance running - ha for many a 10K race is long distance running so it's all about perspective. I am so grateful that I can feel free and run.

I can let my imagination return to the days when I was taunted and teased and called easy out - when running to first base took tremendous effort if I even kicked the ball in kick ball or I can smile, straighten my pose and imagine myself as I run onto the field at Gillette Stadium. While no moment can ever compare to crossing the finish line of the 113th Boston Marathon, running onto the field at Gillette will be up there in wonderful moments.

Last weekend, my husband and I trained for the run at Castle Island. I've been doing intervals on the recumbent bike and either one 45 minute run or 45 minute bike ride during the week. I do strength training 3 times a week. I decided to try a little trick on Saturday -- although time does not matter at the Harvard Pilgrim 10K (the race director told me he would love to have me at the race and I can start with the 15-20 minute walkers), I wanted to imagine myself running a 15 minute mile. This was our first 4.8 mile run since I'm back to running. My husband set the pace and I kept up with him. During the run I did not look at my watch but did keep an eye on my heart rate which told me we were going at a really good clip. When we were finished, sure enough, we did just a little bit over a 15 minute mile! This was two minutes/mile off of our time a month ago. I knew that I'd been training and knew I was ready to see if I could increase our pace -- but I set the pace IN MY MIND!

So my dear readers - let your imaginations run wild, set your heart free, live from you heart and let your heart prompt your mind and Spirit to soar -- you never know where it might take you --

If you would like to let your imagination Set Sail for a New World and enter a New World purchase my books of Inspirational Poetry. 20% of book proceeds are donated to causes near and dear to my heart - Hope Charitable Trust and The Salk Institute for Biological Studies.

Spring and summer bring not only a blossoming of trees and flowers but so many wonderful celebrations - Mothers Day, Fathers Day, graduations, weddings, anniversaries -- why not let New World Greeting Cards express your sentiments to commemorate and celebrate these special occasions?

God bless, be well and dream big!
Thanks for reading.
With love,
Mary