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.

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A cold, the wind chill & a training plan from God

What to do? The weather forecast said that today, temperatures would climb into the 40's and there would be no wind chill but we needed to run on Saturday. Tom needs a day to recover from a long run before returning to work. The temperature yesterday was 27 degrees but 14 degrees with the wind chill. We have access to the indoor track at BU but doing 17.5 miles indoors just didn't do it for me especially since I was getting over a cold and the air is so stale at the track. On Friday night as I lay in bed getting ready to go to sleep, I was wrestling with whether or not I could even do a training run since I was feeling under the weather. And God spoke to me and said, expand and breathe deep and so I did. I knew I had to run on Saturday but what was going to be the best way to accomplish this. There was no way we could be outdoors in 14 degree wind chill weather for 17.5 miles....

Hmmmm -- so as I am having my breakfast, God sent me a training plan - why not split the training - get in 8 miles at a good pace on the indoor track and then take it outside for 9.5 miles. Tom found a route from Cleveland Circle to St Mary's Street which we could run four times. Armed with layers and layers of clothes off we went to BU. Ruth Anne's cold had gone into her chest and so she opted out from today's training run. She did do 10 miles on the bike today and was such a trooper last week as we trudged through snow and ice wielding our way through 17.5 miles on the Marathon Trail.

Eight miles seemed to fly by - especially since at times we were doing a 13:00 minute mile. I wanted to make sure we had enough left in the tank for the remainder of our training run so we slowed it down to a 15 minute mile. We changed into our outdoor running gear, got some extra fueling from the concession stand at the Fit/Rec Center and drove to Marathon Sports (strategically located near Cafe Nicholas). We were going to run to St Mary's St and out to Cleveland Circle when God redirected me to run from Marathon Sports to the finish line of the Boston Marathon. I must note that as I sat in the warm car with my winter coat on, the last thing I felt like doing was getting out of the car and putting in the rest of our miles. A part of me was beckoning to go home and rest but I knew that I could not rest if I went home - I needed to finish what we set out to do this day.

It was freezing - as I read through my blog postings, I realize that this was the coldest weather I have ever run in. We had to negotiate our way around snow and ice and kept criss crossing streets to find the clearest route and then - turning right onto Hereford Street and left onto Boylston St. There were crowds of people milling about; they became a blur as all we could focus on was hearing how the crowds are going wild as Team McManus crosses the finish line of the Boston Marathon. I get this amazing feeling in my core when I imagine this scene. Joe is shooting the documentary; Spencer plays his trumpet; Janine who met us at Heartbreak Hill will be in the middle of the group hug; all of my friends from Spaulding will be there and I even imagined that Tommy Kelley, Johnny Kelley's nephew would place the medals around our necks. There will be strangers and familiar faces and the media will be there and it is going to be a triumphant celebration of what one woman can do with faith, surrounded by love, and support, courage, determination,and healing angels.

We ran back to Marathon Sports (power walking the last part of the way because the wind chill pierced my joints and I knew that it was crucial to listen to my body) and realized that given the hills, the wind chill, & the incredible pace on the indoor track that we had run the equivalent of 17.5 miles for this training run. I did map it on mapmyrun.com and it was an 8 mile run round trip given all the detours we had to take with snow and ice and trying to stay in the sun .:) Given the weather conditions, my feeling a little under the weather with a cold and the realization that running on the indoor track, while a blessing, creates a lot of wear and tear on the muscles-we are constantly taking right turns so the same muscles are working over and over again -we had an awesome workout.

In my 11/4 post, entitled "Labor of Love" I compared this experience to being pregnant - and it is - complete with food cravings- hence parking strategically at Cafe Nicholas in Washington Sq. We were both craving pizza so ordered a large mushroom pizza and while we were waiting, I caught a whiff of french fries and immediately needed to have an order. While we were waiting for our pizza, we scarfed down french fries with salt and ketchup. After we had our pizza back home, we had our clementines which my body has also been craving. A hot shower, watching "American Idol Rewind" with Ruth Anne -(our post long training run tradition), Tom's snoring while he naps and we fix dinner and to bed very early capped off this day.

I had been praying that this was going to be the mildest winter ever - moderate temperatures and dry roads. God in Her wisdom knows what is best for me and I am so grateful that this has been a harsh winter. I would never know that I can rise to the challenge of facing my fear of the cold and doing training runs. I would never know that I can conquer the fear of cold and pain and falling on the ice. I would never know that, despite having a cold, I could still run and work out. I would never know the contrast of feeling joy on this sun drenched 43 degree day (and are there any regrets that we ran yesterday instead of today? Not a one for if we were to have run today, we would have.) I have run in pouring rain, heat and humidity, freezing cold, cold rain & sleet and when those words fell out of my mouth 'I want to run the Boston Marathon for Spaulding Rehab' I had no idea the adventure that I was about to embark upon. Had I thought out what I was about to do, I'm sure I would have run back to bed as fast as I could and pulled the covers over my head - but I chose to live from my heart and God is with me every step of the way loving, guiding, healing, helping, coaching, and yes, even sending training plans .:)

To make a donation to Team McManus, go to www.firstgiving.com/teammcmanus

Accentuate the Positive

Remember that old song, Accentuate the Positive, eliminate the negative and don't mess with mister in between - it's a mantra that I say to myself to ignite the flame of Spirit within to drive me forward on this journey. When I took a leap of faith now almost two years ago and left the VA to follow my bliss and to heal my life, I had no idea that I would be sitting here, writing a blog about my company, my book and my journey on the Road to the Boston Marathon. I have a business website, www.newworldgreetings.com; a book of inspirational poetry, "New World Greetings:Inspirational Poetry and Musings for a New World" available through my website and wherever books are sold (and I donate 20% to Spaulding Rehab's Polio Fund) and another one 'in the oven'; and a website dedicated to fund raising www.firstgiving.com/teammcmanus to raise a lot of money for Spaulding Rehab by running the Boston Marathon.

I am blessed with a loving husband who loves his work and has made a full recovery from bladder cancer; I have two beautiful children who are healthy and finding their paths in life; and I have defied the diagnosis of post polio syndrome and am now running - yes running and tomorrow we shall run 17 miles on our long training run. Yesterday, in the cold and wind, my daughter and I went to Jamaica Pond to do our hill training. It was slushy and muddy but we would not be deterred to run as fast as we could up a hill 8 times and then run around the Pond at a good pace. We talked about how this is so new and different and we are embracing every step of this journey. Training - training to claim health and fitness and training to do an endurance run. These are words so antithetical to anything I had known in my life as a polio survivor and then after being diagnosed with post polio syndrome, I initially prepared myself to not be able to walk up stairs and to probably need a wheelchair at some point in the future.

So how did this happen? That, my friends I can tell you in one word - FAITH! Faith and my connection to God fuels every step of this journey. Faith and my belief that I can finish the Boston Marathon. Faith and my belief that I am worthy of a life overflowing with blessings. Faith and my belief that I have the ability, with the help of God to face any challenge in life and to know that I will find the lessons and the blessings in the challenge. Faith that God is with me at all times. Faith that God's love and light and Truth are more powerful than any human experience I have known and will ever known. Faith to see beyond appearances and to seek goodness and express gratitude.

Today's gratitudes:
I am grateful for this warm home filled with love and laughter.
I am grateful for my health.
I am grateful for sore muscles because this tells me that I am working hard to get fit.
I am grateful for the beautiful people that have graced my life.
I am grateful for my upcoming trip to Puerto Rico.
I am grateful for the love in my heart and the feeling of Spirit deep in my soul.

May you all have a blessed day overflowing with peace, joy, love and kindness.