It was the Thursday before Boston Marathon weekend 2014. My therapist at Sollievo Massage and Bodywork knew the events that were coming up for me, for the city of Boston and people watching and waiting around the world. Thursday evening was our annual pre marathon meeting at L Street Running Club. Saturday was the BAA 5K, the Boston Marathon Expo and many events honoring survivors and their families. On Sunday we took the field at Fenway Park to represent the BAA volunteers and Monday was when Boston raced again.
As we said goodbye Joseph said to me, "Journey well."
With those two words I knew that I had to write another book and that the title would be "Journey Well."
Every book begins with a blank page.
I had no idea what was going to fill the pages of Journey Well. It's been written in real time woven together with excerpts from my memoir, "Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing, Hope and Possibility", poems, blog posts from then and now and journal entries. I know the arc of my story ends with my running of the 2014 Tufts 10K. I have been revising and editing and editing some more as I go along.
What is my intention for writing Journey Well?
April 15, 2013 was a defining moment in my life and in the lives of people in Boston and around the world. It was a personal wake up call for me to return to my healing path and the sport and community that have been medicine and a lifeline for me throughout my marathon of healing the late effects of paralytic polio and experiencing 9 years of domestic violence as a child and adolescent.
My intention is to capture the essence of Boston Strong through my experience of the 2014 Boston Marathon and as I profile the people who are Boston Stronger.
In Journey Well, I take an honest look at what led me to stray from my healing path and the running community in the hopes that others who are vulnerable and hungry for healing will be discerning about who and what they choose to help them heal.
Despite the horrific events I experienced in my life, I always kept the spark of hope, healing and possibility alive in my heart and soul. I am blessed with the gifts of Aquatics Therapy at Spaulding Rehab, weekly treatments with Joseph at Sollievo that help me to heal mind, body and Spirit, my running and the unconditional love, laughter and support in the running community. My village grows. I have been so blessed with experiences that make for a great read - and a life well lived.
We can always begin again. And no matter what happens to us, we can always find a way to journey well.
And now - drumroll please -- unveiling the cover of Journey Well with deepest thanks to Kathleen Healy Fencil and J. Alain Ferry of RaceMenu and Race Director extraordinaire for the inspiration and cover and author photos.
"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 obsession with running is really an obsession with the potential for more and more life." - Dr. George Sheehan
I love running and when I am not running, I spectate or I volunteer or share in the accomplishments of my running friends on Facebook. I have devoured books about running, runners biographies, the history of the Boston Marathon and have two more in queue after I finish reading Johnny Kelley's "Young at Heart." I read on line articles about running.
My obsession with running began after I wrote the poem "Running the Race" as I sat in a leg brace, using a wheelchair for mobility at times and feeling the worst in mind, body and Spirit that I ever felt in my life.
Running did not and does not come easily to me. The first time I ever ran for 30 seconds, at the age of 54 years old, shortly after coming out of my leg brace, my heart rate soared over 170.
For a moment I believed that I had no business running when I ran the Marathon Sports 5 Miler in July of 2008 as I began training for the 2009 Boston Marathon. But Tom and my Marathon Sports family gave me the boost I needed to believe in myself as a runner.
Running is in my soul now.
My heart breaks for that little 5 year old, when I think back to when I was in a full leg brace after contracting paralytic polio and desperately trying to keep up with my brother and my friends.
Running is my form of redemption.
When I crossed the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon, it was a moment bigger than I was yet it was also my personal moment of redemption.
A few weeks ago, I was obsessed with seeing if I could achieve a PR at the Bill Rodgers 5K Run/Walk to Benefit Prostate Cancer. Talk about a moment of redemption and experiencing the fullness of my life after taking a detour off my healing path in 2011. What a blessing to be able to inspire others to move beyond a diagnosis or a condition and see what they are capable of doing when put to the test on and off the roads.
I am training for the Tufts 10K and am eager to see what this body can do on race day. After Tufts it's training for the Feaster Five on Thanksgiving Day.
The sport of running is one of the only sports I know of where you can stand shoulder to shoulder and run on the same road as the running greats. I have been blessed to receive support, encouragement and advice from Bill Rodgers, Frank Shorter, Greg Meyer, Dave McGillivray and the inspirational Hoyts just to name a few.
There is an energy in the running community that is the energy of life itself. My obsession with running was borne out of a time in my life when I faced a grim diagnosis of post polio syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular condition. It has become my therapy, my medicine and the vehicle for bringing me from the precipice of decline to the fullness of my life.
"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 live with a spinal cord injury and the effects of 9 years of violence when I was a child in addition to recent adult traumas of my nephew's suicide in 2011 and the events of 4/15/13. I don't let those experiences define me, defy me or limit me. However, I realize that I need to honor how paralytic polio and violence have affected my physicality, and therefore create a new normal for myself.
I am healing and feel more hopeful than ever on my healing journey. Today I will experience riding an adaptive bike outside for the first time in my life. A few weeks ago I scored a huge PR at the Bill Rodgers 5K Run/Walk to Benefit Prostate Cancer. I am training for the Tufts 10K. I do hills and speed work now but I am also mindful of how I expend my energy.
Rest days used to be very challenging for me. I felt a restlessness and was always worried in the back of my mind, "Would I recover? Would I be able to run another day? Would I have enough energy?"
And since implementing my mantra of "I have enough energy to do the things I want and need to do," I can relax and rest and recover on my off days.
I've also learned to let go of perfection of needing to have the house just so or making sure that the laundry was always done. We always seem to have enough clean running clothes and that's what's really important! I schedule when I am going to do what. Like a good trainer, I look at how I am responding to the plan and make adjustments as necessary to create an optimal healing environment for myself.
This is a precious time of healing for me. I've never been able to enjoy the rest and recovery days. I couldn't settle enough in my body to enjoy being at home, writing, reading, meditating and working on different projects.
I am so much more mindful of how I choose to expend my energy now and what is important to me and for me to have a wonderful quality of life.
I know that I am not going to take on a distance beyond a 10K. I want to work on speed and strength at that distance. I want to expand and see what other activities I might enjoy. There is a whole world of possibility out there.
At first it was very scary to embrace the new normal but now I am getting into a flow and a rhythm with my body and with my life. I am putting down responsibility, blame, shame, guilt, and embracing the essence of who I am. I am allowing myself to enjoy my life and I am at long last finding ways to cultivate peace in my body, and in my heart.
This new normal is pretty sweet. It's amazing what happens when you stop fighting what is and go with the flow of what is. In this new normal I realize that I do not have to do more or be more. I am and that is enough.
"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.
".....comes from deep within us - from the unconscious, the instinctive, the intuitive." ~George Sheehan, MD
Following numerous orthopedic leg surgeries, I would be in an immobilizer and crutches. As I hobbled around watching runners train for the Boston Marathon, I would joke, "Oh I'm not gonna run it this year."
Even though I had never run a day in my life; never even owned a pair of running shoes and was taunted and teased whenever I did try to run in gym class, as a survivor of paralytic polio, there was a runner inside of me just waiting to be born.
And as I sat in a leg brace, using a wheelchair at times for mobility feeling just about the worst I ever felt in my life having been diagnosed with post polio syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease, I wrote the poem
Running the Race February 2007
Early summer 1959 my kindergarten year
everyone around me filled with nervous fear
Despite the Salk vaccine hope polio would disappear
the polio virus crept right up and knocked me in the rear.
Dancing all around the gym feeling free just like a bird
I dropped to the ground just like a stone and no one said a word.
The pain it was so searing-the diagnosis even worse
"It's polio" the doctor said...he was abrupt and terse.
Called one of the 'lucky ones' I had a 'mild case'
but with the other athletes I could never keep their pace.
Miss Holly physical therapist, curly hair and a warm, broad smile
it tempered the pain of being apart - to walk I'd take awhile.
I always wore those 'special' shoes the kids they poked and teased
with no support and much abuse with childhood I wasn't pleased.
But put nose to the grindstone and learned all that I could
I couldn't kick a ball but my grades were always good.
Years went by and no more thought to polio did I give
I accepted the limp and everything else and decided my life I would live.
But symptoms of weakness and muscle pain did grow
I kept a stoic face hoping no one else would know.
Life no longer was my own I struggled through each day
suffered in silence, isolated from friends-t
rying to keep depression at bay.
And with the grace of glorious God
my world it opened wide
I discovered there was a Post Polio team and they were on my side.
Sought out paths for healing and my spirit flew free
for the first time in life, I could truly be me.
The chains are gone and possibilities abound
I'm a tree with my roots planted firmly in ground.
Using wheelchair to travel, set limits on what I could do,
Resulted in joy to realize I could live life anew.
Celebrated my body- creaks, groans and need for a brace
While in my mind I focused on winning a 10K race.
I'm now off the sidelines, no need to sit and whine
so much gratitude fills my heart and love and beauty shine.
After all these years I can join the loving human race
I exceed all expectations and now I set the pace.
And a year later, as my personal trainer asked me what my next goals were I rattled off, "I want to go outside. I want to dance. I want to feel free in my body." And as she had all of her things packed up with her hand on the door knob (she was an in home personal trainer), I said those words that came from deep within me bypassing any thought process whatsoever, "Wait...I have one more goal. I want to run the Boston Marathon for Spaulding. I know they have a charity team."
After my nephew's suicide in 2011, I forgot the truth about running and set off on this detour to try to fix my polio body from the outside in through the work of KMI Structural Integration.
I was running just fine but they convinced me otherwise. And sure I did need healing and I needed to build strength but the kind of yoga they offered and KMI Structural Integration were not healing for me.
Every situation has a purpose and led me to where I am today.
I found my way to Aquatics Therapy at Spaulding Rehab which was just what I needed to find my strength and provides a perfect complement to my running. I am nourishing my neuromuscular system and making new connections and building strength in a safe, fun and joyful space.
I found my way to a mind/body therapist at Sollievo Massage and Bodywork where, in my most recent session, I discovered what I knew to be Truth all along. I am perfect just as I am.
Every time I am out on a run, I am reminded of the expansiveness of life. I connect with nature and know that this Universe is large enough to hold all the pain I have lived through. I no longer have to carry it inside of me but rather, am meant to live a life of peace and joy. I realize my inner strength that flows from the wellspring of perfection in me. Through running and through running a marathon, I discovered that I am strong enough to handle whatever life may bring. There was never anything wrong with me. There was never anything that needed to be fixed. I just went through a period of confusion induced by grief and reconnecting with the energy of my family of origin.
But now I'm back running, strength training feeling blessed and grateful. For as George Sheehan also said, 'The true runner is a very fortunate person. He has found something in him that is just perfect.'
"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.
As Tom and I started running around the Chestnut Hill Reservoir as part of my Tufts 10K training run, I told him that I needed to change our course. I couldn't stay running there. It was a reminder of when I would go there to train for the Brookline Symphony Orchestra 5K with the person I was working with in KMI. He would talk about how my compensations looked better when I race walked but when I started to run, they would become apparent. He would point them out to me and let me know that we could continue to work on them to correct them. I remember how labored and uncomfortable I felt in my body even though I tried my hardest to convince myself otherwise.
I'm so blessed that I found my way to a mind/body therapist at Sollievo Massage and Bodywork where I have the opportunity to experience deep relaxation and healing. I realized in my last treatment that there was nothing to fix and I was perfect just as I am. There was/is nothing wrong with me. Running around the Reservoir reminded me of when I didn't believe that to be true about me.
Tom was amazing. He said let's get out of here then and he began figuring out a new route for us.
As we came out onto Beacon Street, we bumped into my friend Barbara who was at last week's Bill Rodgers 5K Run/Walk for Prostate Cancer. She won in her age group and was at the finish line cheering me onto my PR. We hugged. I thanked her for all of her support on Facebook. She told me it was an honor for her to be there at the finish line. Coincidentally, Tom had run with Barbara. They met up during one of his training runs and ran part of their run together. What a joy to share in that moment of reconnection.
Further down on Beacon Street we were being "chased" by two members of our running club, L Street. Tina has known me for several years and even videotaped my talk at L Street in 2011. Monica came to my book release party. They are both beautiful women inside and out. We exchanged warm, sweaty hugs and went on our way.
It was as if the Universe was sending me a reminder about all that is good and beautiful and right and true with my life now. I can let go of then and heal the emotional and physical hurts that remain shaking loose the work of KMI Structural Integration and healing the wounds of paralytic polio and violence. I feel the most hopeful I have ever felt on my healing journey.
We ran down Beacon Street and Tom took us through some back roads of Brookline with hills - lots and lots of hills. We counted a total of 7 after we had finished our run.
When we got to the Route 9 Reservoir (and Tom lovingly asked me if I had any problem running that Reservoir. I told him none whatsoever. That's mine) there was a strong headwind. I laughed about hills and headwinds; on our way home to finish the run, there was a hill and a headwind.
Yet I felt such happiness on this training run. My time was 1:42 which was better than our run on 7/19 by two minutes. Tom said today's course was tougher than the course two weeks ago. Tufts is pretty much a flat course so I'm confident that with training on hills and pushing myself to build strength and cardiovascular endurance that I will PR on race day. Monday will be a 5K and I'll be working on speed on a flat course.
This is so much fun.
Who knew that all I needed was a change in course to find happiness even in the midst of hills and headwinds. Do you need to change course to find the happiness and Truth that's been there all along?
"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 was feeling sadness around leaving my running and the running community for almost two years. Truth be told, I did not have a relapse of post polio symptoms. The modality that was supposed to be helping me heal, KMI Structural Integration, instead was creating confusion in my body.There was a lot of emotional and physical damage done through the work that joyfully I am now able to heal. As a trauma survivor, I had a wonderful way of believing something was good for me when in fact it could not have been more wrong for me. While it's true I live with the late effects of having contracted paralytic polio and the effects of trauma, I was at the top of my running game. There was still much more that needed to heal and strengthen but needing to stop running was not because of the progression of post polio syndrome. I was vulnerable after my nephew's suicide in March of 2011 and they preyed on my vulnerability.
Tom reminded me last night about how I cried after one of the first Aquatics Therapy classes at Spaulding Rehab. "This is where I belong," I said with tears streaming down my face. "I never belonged on a yoga mat in that studio. It was just so wrong for me." The people who I followed were master manipulators and convinced me that running was bad for me. Because I wasn't allowing my body to be as it needed to be, I did not have the energy or the desire to run. I remember the moment I stumbled off of my healing path and bought into something that a private yoga teacher said to me. "Are you working with your bodyworker on this structural imbalance?" "I don't have a bodyworker right now I replied. "Well then you are going to see my teacher. He can help you fix this."
As Joseph Campbell says:
Rather than focus on the detour and my sadness, I want to celebrate my running journey and finding my greatest treasure last Sunday with a PR at the Bill Rodgers 5K Run/Walk for Prostate Cancer as I remembered and reclaimed who I am!
Let's begin with my early training run that was chronicled in The Brookline Tab, "Run Don't Walk" was the title of the article. Don't you just love my running threads? It was shortly after this photo that I went to Marathon Sports and bought the proper running attire to go with my first pair of running shoes ever.
My first race ever - The Corrib Pub Run 5K on 6/1/2008. My pace was a 16:44 minute/mile. It was an accomplishment to have run for 40 continuous minutes at that point in my training.
The Marathon Sports 5 Miler July 2008 and finishing last yet feeling like a champion for not quitting despite the heat and having all the polio demons rear their head:
Tufts 10K October 2008, "Running with God" as I wrote about in an article for Cape Healing Arts Magazine. My daughter and I ran our first 10K race together and finished with a time of 1:26:14. A 13:53 minute/mile pace!
And who could ever forget the Tough Ten Mile Turkey Trot in November of 2008. The entry fee was 10 canned goods/person. The timing method was popsicle sticks. The hills were brutal but Team McManus was filled with joy. Oh yes and did I mention it was fareezing cold that day?
My first Half Marathon in Hyannis. How lucky was I to be inspired and encouraged by Bill Rodgers and Frank Shorter.
And then Boston 2009:
I did have to take a time out from running for more physical therapy and treatment of cervical spine disease after the marathon. I could no longer strength train with my personal trainer. But you can't keep a runner down for long and by summer of 2010, I was running again and training for Tufts. I had a friend who had never run a 10K. It was time to give back. We trained together and crossed the finish line of the 2010 Tufts 10K with a time of 1:36:10. We had the best time together and what a joy to help someone cross the finish line of their first 10K.
I was racing a 5K a month and by December of 2010 had my best time ever at the Jingle Bell 5K with a 13:43 minute/mile pace:
My friend and I ran the Hyannis 10K in 2011 and bested our Tufts time finishing with a 14:30 minute/mile pace for a time of 1:30:05. Tom was training for Boston and ran the Half. Here we are with Dick Hoyt.
I ran two more races in 2011 and could feel that I was losing my edge and my joy of running. By September of 2011, I called it quits....
Reunited and it felt so good at the Feaster Five Expo in November of 2013
and out on the course
I trained during that grueling winter through the Polar Vortex and found my strength in Aquatics Therapy.
What a joy to celebrate my race-iversary at the Corrib Pub 5K with Tom and my dear friends the Feeney Sisters
They cheered me onto a strong finish:
I wasn't planning to run any other races until the Tufts 10K, but the Universe had other plans for me with the Bill Rodgers 5K Run/Walk for Prostate Cancer where I was once again inspired and encouraged by four time Boston Marathon champion Bill Rodgers
and went on to run a 5K PR of 46:53 at a pace of 15:06 since my return to the roads
And a post race celebration that will live forever in my heart
But I don't rest on my laurels. With a 5K PR behind me, tomorrow I begin training for Tufts 10K 2014. The time to beat 1:36:10. I'll have my daughter to pace me and will know that my husband and Tom Licciardello will be waiting for me at the finish. I've begun to imagine the magic of the day knowing that there are going to be many more wonderful memories to add to my runner's scrapbook. And as for that stumble into the abyss, well it happens but I found my gold!
And to those who told me that I had to correct my arches, stand this way, move that way; this is the proper alignment. To those who believe that change comes from the outside in and there is something to fix. To those who told me I was out of balance that my thoracic spine did not have enough movement and on and on it went..... To those who humiliated me, mocked me and used me for their own personal gain in the name of helping me. To all of you - this is my response:
“The true runner is a very fortunate person. He has found something in him that is just perfect.” ~George Sheehan
"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.
After having the best time on my training run for the Bill Rodgers 5K Walk/Run for Prostate Cancer, I felt something deep in my soul that told me the next step on my moving forward in my healing journey was to set a goal for a PR for the race.
My husband Tom was totally on board for the goal but told me, and I thoroughly agreed, that I needed to run from the inside out. He made sure that I got lots of rest, hydration and good fueling as the days led up to race day. He stayed with me, checked in with me and made sure that I was running from the inside out especially given how the day was quickly getting hot. He told me that he was glad to hear when I needed to slow down and yet after the race he told me that I didn't really slow down all that much. There were moments during the race when I really wanted to slow down but I told myself, come on you can do this. It's show time. It's race day. Let's see what this body can do. I could feel the presence of my personal trainer, Janine who believed in me before I could believe in myself and my beloved coach Domenick D'Amico who always believed that I could and would go the distance in the Boston Marathon.
Tom told me that if I would have barfed on the course it would have been game over. But I knew just how to take myself to the edge and back down. I left nothing on the roads and nothing in the tank though.
Tom drew an ice bath for me when we got home and made sure that even though my adrenaline was still pumping that I rest. He kept checking in with me to see how I was doing. After all, it had been almost 4 years since I pushed myself to a PR. I did have bronchial spasms but rather than see them as pathology, I used the analogy of blowing out the carburetor on your car with a fast drive on the highway. It felt good to clean out my lungs. And everything was and still is so sore yet nothing really hurt because I know I did right by me with the race I ran. I feel the strength of having worked my body hard.
In the days leading up to the race, I was having a conversation with the Universe, as Tom likes to say, in my blog and on Facebook.
It was "only a 5K" yet so many of my friends understood what a PR meant to me after all of my hard work and dedication to reclaiming my body and my life in this most recent part of my healing journey. I am so grateful for the Facebook posts cheering me on in cyberspace. I carried the energy and intention with me on race day.
I had never met Kathleen Healy Fencil in person. We met through our mutual inspirational friend Randy Pierce on Facebook. She was moved and inspired by my story. I am moved by hers. She started running at 66 years old and 3 years later, at the age of 69 will run her first half marathon at the end of September. When she saw volunteers were needed for the race, she signed up. She found me before the race through my daughter Ruth Anne who was also volunteering. She snapped photos and offered words of encouragement as we came down Chestnut Hill Avenue. Unbeknownst to me at the time, she was snapping photos of Tom and me coming into the finish. She continued to share in the after glow of my PR on facebook and shared my posts with her circle of friends.
The village grows.
The volunteers out on the course were amazing! Kathleen's husband, Tom, was at the timer for the 1 mile marker. My Tom had not realized that we had met before the race. When we saw the time at 14:33 we were both amazed. He told Tom what an incredible time that was for me especially since I am a survivor of polio. Tom gave us the warmest smile telling us he knew and sent us on our way.
So often as a back of the pack runner, volunteers at a water stop are getting ready to pack up by the time we arrive. Not in this race and not these volunteers. The water stop was in high gear; a welcome sight as the day was getting hot. Tom told them that I am a polio survivor. My hands shook as I drank the water; a sign that my system was being challenged - no big deal and they offered me more water and wished me good luck on the rest of my race. I dumped a cup of water over my head and we went on to tackle the hill. They were fully present to support the runners and I thanked them for being there.
I was so blessed to have the love and support of Alain, the Race Director. His cheering me on joined with my energy to dig deep and meet my goal. Yet even if I hadn't reached my goal on Sunday, he expressed deep love and respect for me for even taking on the challenge that does not change with the turnover of the clock. Those moments of when he came out on his bike to find us on the course and cheer me on the finish will forever remain in my heart.
And how amazing to be at the starting line with Bill Rodgers, four time Boston Marathon champion, a survivor of prostate cancer and one who took the road less traveled as a conscientious objector. Because it was a small field, there was no seeding. This was one of the very few races that I was able to be in the front of the pack at the start surrounded by fast runners.
For the past year, I have been so fortunate to participate in Aquatics Therapy at Spaulding Rehab. Under the guidance of wonderful therapists, I build core strength and endurance.
What a blessing to have found my way to a massage therapist at Sollievo Massage and Bodywork who uses the healing power of touch to help me heal mind, body and Spirit. I was able to set the intention for joy and lightness as I ran feeling a sense of freedom and strength that comes to the fore through the mind/body therapy sessions.
Even though it was ultimately just me and the road, and a PR was mine alone to achieve, the collective energy of the village - the helpers seen and unseen took me over the finish line with a miraculous time of 46:53.
My heart is full of gratitude to everyone who put out their energy, their support and the gift of their presence to help me reach my goal and move forward in my healing journey. It takes a loving, caring, supportive village to carry us toward our goals of being the best we can be and to be there when we fall short of our goals; to be there to join in the joyous celebrations and to tend to our wounds when we are hurt. I am so lucky and blessed to have found my way to this village. And one final thank you - to those who provided post race food and water. Thank you for being there with wonderful refreshment and for letting me use your bucket of ice on my legs and dumping it on my head to cool down after my race.
"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 was open to whatever it was my body was going to be able to do today. My mantra for today's race was light and joy. I wanted to feel light and joy in my body. I wanted to thoroughly enjoy the day. I was amazed that I slept well and did not have the usual pre race jitters. I had a good breakfast of a bagel, oatmeal, banana and orange juice. What a luxury to be able to get up at 6:45am on a race day and drive 10 minutes to the start of the race.
I had a sense of trust that this was going to be a good day.
I had no idea how good of a day I would have.
When we arrived race director Alain Ferry of RaceMenu greeted us. He had been following my blog posts about my intention to PR for the race. He gave me the warmest hug and asked me to remind him what my goal for today's race was. He joined me in my intention to see the clock at 47:00 or better.
I reconnected with Bill Rodgers who remembered me and my story from Hyannis as well as an email I had sent him after meeting him.
Pre race announcements talked about the importance of supporting research, early detection and treatment for Prostate Cancer. Alain asked for a show of hands of those running affected by cancer. There was an astounding number of hands in the crowd that were raised. Bill Rodgers shared how he is a prostate cancer survivor and it is the #2 leading cause of cancer deaths among American men. We need to pay as much attention to prostate cancer for men as we do for breast cancer for women. In his pre race remarks Bill Rodgers said that running and walking is a simple little sport but we as Americans can use it to change the world. He shared with me before the race as he introduced us to his girlfriend Karen that she is a breast cancer survivor. She won in her age group and after the race she told me that she started running in her 40's after being diagnosed with breast cancer. While waiting for the portapotty, I met a woman whose hair had just grown back after radiation and chemo. She wants to run Boston next year. I shared my story with her. Everyone has a story.
And then it was gun time and time for me to write another chapter in my story.
We started at the front of the pack with Bill Rodgers off to our left. I went out fast running through the Boston College campus where 30 years ago I received my Masters in Social Work. The field took off and I stayed to my race plan. We'd run the downhill and I'd run for as long as I could and then move into race walking. When we got to the rolling hills of Commonwealth Avenue, I race walked. The sun was bright and the day was heating up. Fortunately there was no humidity and we could go on the sidewalk for shade. We brought frozen water bottles with us that I used for hydration and to keep myself cool.
Mile 1 - 14:33 pace. I was blown away by my time but I knew that anything can happen over the next two point one miles.
Tom kept checking in with me. How was I feeling? Did anything hurt? I didn't talk much which is very unusual for me and I was breathing hard. I had a single minded goal but I was running from the inside out.
In my training runs I had been stopping to take a "water break". I slowed my pace at times but kept moving forward. We stopped for about 30 seconds at the water stop and then time to tackle the hill with a 221' elevation.
Mile 2 - time was almost 30 minutes.
Okay I think I can. I think I can. I've got this. I can do this.
Tom said to me "What do we do with hills?"
"We eat them for breakfast," I managed to get out.
To the top of Beacon Street and a right onto College Road.
A right onto Commonwealth Avenue heading toward the finish.
Alain comes out on his bike, "Oh there you are. "Come on you're almost there."
I was hot and the tank was getting empty.
As we headed toward the finish he told me I had less than a minute for my PR.
People gathered and were cheering me on.
Alain was just on the other side of the finish line.
I sprinted to the finish and the finish clock read 46:57 but chip time was 46:53!
I knew in my heart and soul that I crossed more than a finish line today. As I told Alain, I reclaimed my life today. The essence of who I am and what I am all about took center stage.
It's been one hell of a journey back since my nephew's suicide in March of 2011. Thanks to Alain and the #onerun on 5/25/13, I knew I had to come back to running. And then I realized it was more than coming back to running. It was setting a goal and challenging myself again. It was opening up to see what my body could do and leaving nothing on the roads. It was about testing my mettle and letting go of fear.
At the last race I ran before taking a 2 year running hiatus, my time was 46:57. The first race I ever ran, the Corrib Pub Run 5K in 2008 was 51:52. This year I ran a 48:03 at this year's Corrib Pub Run. In other races I was finishing between 48-49 minutes.
Last week, when Tom and I ran the course I ran it in 47:48. I figured why not go for 47:00 on race day? I set the intention in my heart, with my massage therapist, with my husband and then with Alain. I posted on facebook and received a message from Jess Lanzoni right before gun time, "goooooooo Mary go!! that PR is YOURS!". I blared One Moment in Time during breakfast this morning.
Someone posted this video from Billy Mills yesterday:
Alain shared with me that he didn't expect to find us as far up on Comm. Ave as close to the finish line as he did. He was concerned about the heat and he was coming to provide some support. But when he saw how close we were to the finish, he wanted that PR for me as much as I did. I felt as though I were being pulled into the vortex of the finish line by his loving energy and all those cheering me on.
"I saw you start to cry and then I could see a look come across your face and you dug deep during that sprint."
During that final sprint, Tom was letting me set the pace and could tell I was in the zone. Tom wept with me when we crossed the finish line. We both knew that I left a lot of pain, fear and doubt out on the course and in its wake there is a surge of confidence, strength, courage and healing.
Gratitude fills my heart for facebook friends who I met for the first time at today's race who cheered me on and took photos. And to Alain who was there to celebrate and tend to me post race. He ran and got me an ice water and made sure I got in the shade. To Tom who has been there for me on every step and every stride of this incredible journey. Today was one moment in time - many moments in time that will remain imprinted on my heart forever.
Tomorrow's blog will talk about my post race surprise!
"Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing, Hope and Possibility" is now available on Amazon.
"Wait, I have one more goal," Mary McManus told her personal trainer in February of 2008 shortly after coming out of her toe up leg brace. "I want to run the Boston Marathon for Spaulding Rehab Hospital." Mary traded in her polio shoes for running shoes and embarked on the journey of a lifetime. Mary McManus was at the height of her career as a VA social worker when she was told by her team at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital’s International Rehab Center for Polio in December of 2006 that she needed to quit her job if she had any hope of preventing the progression of post polio syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease. In “Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing, Hope and Possibility” Mary takes you on her seven year healing odyssey as a survivor of paralytic polio and trauma from her diagnosis, to taking a leap of faith to leave her award winning career at the VA to heal her life and follow her passion as a poet and writer. You’ll experience her trials, tribulations and triumphs as she trains for and crosses the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon and discovers the opportunity for healing in the wake of new trauma: the suicide of her nephew in 2011, and the aftermath of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings. This is Mary's journey of coming home to her human form free from the influences of the ghastly ghostly invaders who had invaded her sacred earthly home. Her memoir includes journals and blog posts from her seven year healing odyssey. This is her journey of transformation and her message of healing, hope and possibility.
I donate 50% of royalty payments through on line sales to The One Fund to help Boston Marathon survivors and their families. Copies are also available at Brookline Marathon Sports. $5 of each book sold at Marathon Sports is donated to The One Fund.
During my pre treatment check in at Sollievo Massage and Bodywork, my therapist asked me how I was doing. I replied with everything's okay because it has to be okay right? He said, "Oh I don't know. Sometimes it's okay to complain." I told him that I have my fair share of a pity party. "Sometimes PPS sucks," I told him. "When did you come to that conclusion?" he asked. "Yesterday." I went on to share how my Spirit feels so frustrated. There's so much more I want to do but I am limited by my physical form that gets fatigued. I need so much time to rest and recover.I was quick to point out that I am so grateful for everything I AM able to do and the abundance and blessings in my life and that's the duality of life's experiences. And yet, it was crucial that I said out loud that PPS sucks and that my Spirit felt frustrated.
I set my intention for the treatment - continued healing, peace, equanimity and, as I brought my hands together in prayer to my third eye, patience.
As he approached the table and had barely begun the work through the blanket, I felt this heat fill my trunk and I had this insight, "Oh my God. It doesn't have to always be this way."
Since increasing my mileage to a 10K distance once a week, I needed to ask for more help with chores. Even though my husband did the chores with an open heart telling me he wanted me to have enough energy to do the things that I enjoy doing, I was sad, frustrated and felt trapped inside my body. Sure I could run and was doing great at building endurance and speed but I couldn't figure out how to get a handle on managing the chores.
Through the treatment, I realized that there are energy breaches in my body from polio, violence and surgeries. I felt a shift in last Thursday's treatment. Hope surged through me and I could experience where energy had been blocked and there were moments when the energy began to flow.
At Walden Pond on Friday, I had a eureka moment during my meditation. I am an endurance runner. I realized that I had been up since 7 am on Thursday and after my treatment, we went to the Marathon Sports 5 Miler. We didn't get home until after 9 and I didn't get to sleep until 10 yet I felt energized realizing that I had energy available to sustain me throughout the long day.
I know how to train to go the distance. Why don't I apply this to the marathon of my life? And a new mantra for healing came to me:
"I have all the energy I need to do the things I need and want to do."
I add this to my healing mantra from Emile Coue, "Everyday in every way I'm getting better and better."
It was a light bulb moment for me. I'd been focusing on the lack of energy and frustration which of course drains energy even more. As my therapist explained: "Yes there are areas where energy freely flows in your body and areas where it does not flow freely; your body draws from the places where energy freely flows and diverts it to where there are blocks thereby creating fatigue in both areas." I said "But it will change" and we both almost said at the same time - But it is changing! I realized that I'm not stuck or victimized by what is. During my meditation, I let go of what was weighing me down emotionally and physically.
I made a list of chores and with Tom's help, we figured out a schedule for getting the chores done to allow for rest and recovery yet allow for me to slowly build endurance in sharing in the chores.
We use the language of training to reframe how I need to manage. I take water stop breaks. We use a relay for putting away groceries and I sit on a chair as Tom passes the groceries to me.
I feel empowered. I have a new focus for my meditation with this new awareness of what is happening in my body. When I first began this journey over 7 years ago now, I would imagine God as my master electrician knowing that my body needed to be rewired. I now have the guidance of a wonderful mind/body therapist who uses massage and the practice of Zero Balancing to help me unleash my healing power to create change in my mind/body. Yet even if nothing more were to change I am okay with everything as it is right now.
It's all about changes in attitude, reframing by using the metaphor of running, and harnessing the power of my new mantra for healing.
"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 told Tom that I would like a different 6.2 mile route as I train for the Tufts 10K. During my morning meditation, I had to clear out the memories from last week's training run that I wrote about in "Finding My Second Wind".
I know the race is not until October, but I have a lot of lost training ground to cover from when I took a two year running hiatus. Tom asked me what kind of a course I wanted. I told him that I wanted to run the route from our house to twice around Jamaica Pond and home. I had no idea what he had mapped out for us.
We wound through the narrow back streets of Brookline to Jamaica Pond. It was a little testy navigating with cars but we did it. What a wonderful feeling to have the vista of Jamaica Pond spread before us.
Something happens to me when I run around Jamaica Pond. Perhaps it is feeling the energy of Bill Rodgers. Jamaica Pond is where he trained for Boston. I didn't know that when we trained for the 2009 Boston Marathon. Our trainer would take us to Jamaica Pond for speed work and hills. We would do our long runs around Jamaica Pond because it was one of the few places with a clear path during winter. We have many fond memories of our Jamaica Pond training runs like the day that Tom lost me on our training run.
From my memoir, "Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing, Hope and Possibility":
And who could EVER forget us losing each other around - emphasize the word a-round Jamaica Pond. Tom had stopped at the car to fill up the water bottles and get some snacks. He had his iPod on really loud. I was in the zone and ran by him. I saw him looking for me in the opposite direction and yelled to him that I was over here. I felt so great and the weather was wonderful that I did not want to interrupt my rhythm. Finally, my daughter who had been going at her own pace came running up to me - where were you she asked? (well duh, we're going around in a circle) Dad is worried sick about you. He thought that since you had to go to the bathroom (and the bathrooms were not open yet) that you went off the trail and went to pee in the woods). We finally all caught up with one another and laughed so hard.
There is a beauty and majesty to Jamaica Pond. My soul settles when I am there and my body feels free.
Since we were out for a 6.2 mile run, I knew I had to pace myself. During our second time around, I told Tom that I was going to run up the hill just as we had done with my trainer. I felt a sense of exhilaration that I could rise to the challenge of running up the hill again.
The route home had a trail and steep hills. At first I told Tom that I never wanted to run this route again. It was so challenging.
And then there was a shift inside of me.
I thoroughly embraced the challenge. I experienced the expression, "I eat hills for breakfast." I loved feeling the different textures under my feet and I loved feeling nimble in my body as I navigated the uncertain terrain.
The terrain was uncertain yet I felt a confidence in my body.
A runner's high took on a whole new meaning for me. I paid close attention to my footing and to how I was feeling in my body.
Once back in the familiarity of our neighborhood where we would complete the 6.2 miles, I started running at a steady pace. I was amazed at how much I had left in the tank.
As I reflect on yesterday's training run, I realize that what fueled me was the feeling of rising to the challenge on a very difficult course.
Pushing myself and embracing the challenge holds me in good stead for whatever challenges may come my way in this journey we call life.
I just finished reading Kathrine Switzer's "Marathon Woman", best known as the woman who created quite a stir at the 1967 Boston Marathon wearing bib number 261. Jock Semple, the race director jumped off of the press truck when he realized there was a woman running in 'his race' and tried to physically push her off the course. He ripped off her bib number on her back. Her boyfriend at the time pushed Jock out of the way and she went on to finish the race in 4 hours and 20 minutes.
The moment she crossed the finish line, she knew her life had been changed forever. The experience ignited the fire in her soul. She was only 19 years old and still in college yet she was aware on some level of what she was being called to do.
Today we don't think much about being able to compete in all female races or that there is a women's marathon event in the Olympics. This year marks the 30th year of the inaugural women's marathon event in the Olympics won by New England's very own Joan Benoit Samuelson. It was the tireless efforts of Kathrine Switzer that gives women this opportunity. But for Kathrine, her mission goes beyond women having the right to compete in races. For Kathrine, her mission and passion is all about bringing the transformational power of running to women worldwide. She calls running "The Secret Weapon." She didn't want to keep the secret weapon she discovered while running a mile around her back yard a secret. Here she is describing the life changing moment when her military father responds to her telling him she wanted to be a cheerleader:
Kathrine highlights the culture of what it was like to grow up female in the 1960's. While the women in my family took the cultural stereotypes to the extreme, I realized that their values and myths of what it meant to be female was being reinforced by the sociocultural norms of the time.
Kathrine used her marketing and PR strategies to both work within the framework of the cultural norms to make inroads in the female and societal psyche about women's abilities and to blaze trails through her uncanny ability to build collaborative relationships in the midst of conflict.
Kathrine believes that women have incredible potential if they have the opportunity and belief. Through organizing races on a global scale, she changed women's lives. There is power in crossing a finish line and getting a medal around your neck. You do something you never thought you'd be able to do. For me as a survivor of paralytic polio, and childhood domestic violence and having been diagnosed with post polio syndrome, every training run and every race is a victory for me. Every step empowers me and takes me into the present moment leaving behind all that went before.
Kathrine blazed the trail for all of us to experience the transformational power of running.
My breath catches for a moment when I realize that were it not for Kathrine's courage, passion, ability for community organization and activism on a global scale (often sacrificing her health and her personal life for the cause), that the Boston Marathon would not have been a part of my journey. Nor would I be training for the Tufts 10K in October.
To K.V. Switzer, Marathon Woman and so much more, I owe a debt of gratitude.
"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.
