#NikePlusBostrong - The Magic of the Night

The energy at Wednesday night's Marathon Sports Brookline Run Group was electric. An email had been sent out to the group about the following contest:

I have an exciting contest to announce. For the next 4 weeks, Marathon Sports and Boston in general will be toeing the line against the New York running company in a contest. The city with the most miles wins. We are already off to an early lead and we need to beat the snot out of them as the weather turns cold!!!

Here's the breakdown of how it will work...

- Anyone who runs with a Nike+ sportband, sportwatch, or the Nike+ app can log their miles and share their mileage on twitter via the Nike+ app or website. We have to use twitter for this so we have one place we can reference to log total mileage at the end of the contest. Anyone who wants to support Marathon Sports/Boston/MA simply needs to add the hashtag "#nikeplusBOStrong".

- If you are on a team and happen to be running without the team watch, use Nike+ and make your miles count for the overall if they can't count for team mileage.

- ANYONE can support our #nikepluBOStrong mileage. We will need the participation of the Run Clubs, friends, family, teams, etc. Domenick D'Amico out in CO can log miles to support our totals. Kristen and Ian up in NH. Patrick's teammates. ALL can participate. Please encourage everyone you know to create a Nike+ account if they don't already have one, use their sportband or sportwatch if they have one, or download the free Nike+ app, and share their mileage via twitter using #nikeplusBOStrong.

- There will be flash contests for supporters who log miles for us. We will also have a raffle for some cool prizes for anyone who logs miles for us at the end of the contest.

- The winning city will win a trip on a chartered bus to the losing city, where they will gloat in front of the losers and enjoy drinks and dinner.

We need to win. NY/NJ is already trash talking. We are veterans - we CREATED this contest. We also have our amazing Run Clubs that can support our collective efforts.

I asked our run club guru Spencer how to set up NikePlus on my Droid or if I needed to buy a sportband or sportwatch.

Brookline Marathon Sports manager Ellen Gabriel introduced me to Corey who is the Nike+ rep. He set up my phone and told me how to use the app. (He could certainly have sold me Nike+ gear but instead downloaded the free app for me.)

There was something magical about running in the night although I did go to Marathon Sports today and Ellen helped me to select a headlamp. Fortunately we had a flashlight app on our phones that we used to light the way navigating the dark path up to the Reservoir and to make sure we had solid footing on the path.



I savored each sensation watching the light in the distance shimmer on the water's surface. It was my first night time run. I was blessed to have Tom by my side and we were also joined by another member of the Run Club who was doing a recovery run from the Marine Corps Marathon.

When we got back to the store after our run, I was amazed to discover that I had run 4.01 miles in 15:34 and my fastest mile was 12:39. I tweeted to #nikeplusBostrong.

I know how lucky we were on Marathon Monday yet Tom and I along with an entire community - an entire world are still healing from the Boston Marathon bombings. I am so fortunate that I can get out and experience the magic of the night running 4 miles fueled by the energy of the Marathon Sports Brookline-Run Club. And I feel so fortunate that we, as a community, are Boston Strong!

Happy To Be Alive from Seasons of the Soul. My books of inspirational poetry are available on Amazon.

Face to face with death at knife point
cold darkened eyes stare into mine
unflinching I stare back
afraid to move a muscle
already dead.
Life force safely tucked away
unknowing the outcome of this untimely encounter with death
at the hands of a madman
reasoning destroyed by gin and vermouth.
Angels intervene
he finds peace in death
I am left to put the pieces of my life back together again.
As numbness gives way to pain
pain gives way to gratitude
appreciation for this wondrous wonder filled life
where nothing makes sense and everything makes sense
purpose out of pain
grace in ungodly moments
surrounded by love
happy so happy to be alive
to tell the tale of one who almost died.

Are You Star Struck - With Yourself?

Yes - you read that right - with all the talk of the Oscars and the stars coming out, I was wondering, are we each in touch with our own star power? I will admit that growing up (and that includes up until just recently) I was awe struck and star struck when I saw a 'famous person'. There was a sense of I'm not among them. Our culture perpetuates this myth - the notion - I am not good enough to be interacting with them. (I noted how I had grown in the past year to feel comfortable sitting with Olympic Gold Medalist Frank Shorter and Boston Marathon champion Bill Rodgers at the Hyannis Race Expo). Growing up as a polio survivor, I held the mistaken belief that I was not good enough; I was deformed, different, an outcast. No one wanted me on their team. So I burned myself out trying to prove myself.

Now I celebrate myself! Last year we held a benefit concert for Team McManus. The incredible a cappela group Ball In The House performed. Before they sang "Shining Star", Aaron Loveland, the lead singer said they were dedicating the song to me. I never had anyone sing a song to me before and he tweaked the lyrics to celebrate me. I give myself the Oscar for living the best life I know how to live. I am open to opportunity and possibility and believe in myself as a child of God. In the morning, I look in the mirror and look straight into my eyes and say, "you are a child of God and you are beautiful." I ask God how and who I may serve this day. Some days I know I get it right; some days I fall short; some days I indulge in gossip and judgment; most days I reach for light and love and work to keep my thinking in alignment with God.

I am so blessed and grateful for the opportunities that are opening before me. Every day is a day overflowing with possibility and promise which allows me to live my highest purpose - to inspire others with my journey, to share the spiritual wisdom I am learning along my journey and to do my part to join with others as part of the collective consciousness. When I hear that my words have touched another's heart or that my journey has given someone hope, I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to share my talents and gifts to bless others. And I am blessed by the presence of so many who give from their hearts and reach out in joy and love, to celebrate life and to be in the marvellous flow of giving and receiving.

What song are you going to dedicate to yourself? In what categories do you deserve to win the Oscar? Be star struck with who you are - a radiant child of God.

You can read all about the exciting News and Events I would love to share with you. Join us on Blog Talk Radio shows for inspiration and enlightenment, read about my journey with polio and post polio syndrome and listen to past interviews.

Spring is a time of renewal and rebirth. Enjoy the inspiration of "New World Greetings: Inspirational Poetry and Musings for a New World." and refresh your mind and your spirit. Experience the joyful spirit of giving; I donate 20% of my book proceeds to Spaulding Rehab's International Rehab Center for Polio.

Why choose a card that comes close to what you want to say - why not send a card that says exactly what you want to say. At New World Greeting Cards we add in the missing ingredient - YOU! So reach in and reach out to someone you love with an original poem from New World Greeting Cards.

You can follow me on twitter @gracefullady and be sure to check out the amazing people I follow - among them @kateloving @inspirationwire @pr4god @loveandwater @trappersherwood @moonvine @reallynotarunnr @mr2020 @kruser1025 @inezbracy @slimmy38 @earthfire @amanda4gavi @rotary @endpolionow @poliotoday -- just to name a few!

Happy Spring everyone
Thanks for reading,
Mary