It was a crisp, clear mid-March morning with blue skies and sparkling sunshine on the snow. Tom and I knew that with temperatures going into the mid-30's and the energy of everyone training for the 2019 Boston Marathon it was a perfect day to get out on the course. We took a break from Heartbreak Hill and planned to do an out and back from our house down Beacon Street for our 5K run.
The excitement of the runners training for Boston is palpable anywhere in a radius of Cleveland Circle; a turning point on the course heading into Boston. Tom and I drank in the sunshine and experienced the anticipation of Spring in Boston. Runners were training in both directions as some ran from the finish line out to Framingham and others ran into the finish line from various points along the course.
I love how people pass us wearing our 2009 and 2011 Boston Marathon jackets and say "Good job!" as if we too were training for Boston. It's a great way to relive the thrill of the countdown to our Boston Marathon run 10 years ago.
Tom and I paused to take a selfie on Beacon Street
And continued on the "back" portion of our run.
"Oh my God look who's here?!" Tom yelled out.
"Oh my God I can't believe it!" I yelled as we hugged on Beacon Street.
"I was just thinking about you guys and wondering if you lived around here as I ran through Newton and here you are! I came down from New Hampshire to do my 19 miler today. It's been such an emotional run!"
"Is this your first time out on the course?"
"It is and it's incredible," Amey said flashing her beautiful smile. She insisted on taking a selfie with us. Amey wrote on Facebook that she usually doesn't take pictures during training runs but Saturday was so incredibly special she had to stop along the way to take photos.
"This was the BEST surprise, oh my goodness and just to be thinking of you a few miles before that- you guys were just what I needed to get through a few more tough miles. SO INCREDIBLE!"
We met Amey Skladony in Bermuda in January. We all stayed at the Grotto Bay. During our first day in Bermuda, we were walking along the Beach at the Grotto Bay and met Amey and her mother. We kept meeting up with them throughout Bermuda Marathon Weekend. Amey and her mother did the Bermuda Triangle Challenge: The Front Street Mile on Friday evening, the 10K on Saturday and the Marathon on Sunday. We spent tea time together with them one day. Amey talked about her Boston Marathon run for Camp Kita. Although Amey has run 3 other marathons, I could feel her anticipation of running THE Boston Marathon. She goes from being a volunteer in Boston for the past 10 years to toeing the starting line in Hopkinton on 4/15/19. She has a beautiful website for fundraising and to share why she chose to run for Camp Kita, a non-profit 501(c)3 summer bereavement camp open to children ages 8-17 who are survivors of a loved one’s suicide. Follow this link to her website and to support her 2019 Boston Marathon run.
The Universe sent us another sign on our way home.
"Look at how the snow is coming through the fence," Tom commented as we paused at the top of the hill heading toward Reservoir Road in our neighborhood.
Snow hearts!
Tom and I were already feeling spectacular after the 'chance' meeting with Amey when we drove into Boston to attend Jess Lanzoni's 2019 Boston Marathon fund raiser for the Krystle Campbell Scholarship Fund at U Mass Boston. The fund raiser was rescheduled due to a snowstorm from March 2nd (when we couldn't attend) to Saturday.
From "The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953":
The volunteers cheered me on letting me know that the finish line {of the Tufts 10K 2014} was in sight. "Just turn the corner and you'll see the finish line!"
I was all alone now to finish this race. Tom had taken a shortcut to meet me at the finish.
There was no doubt in my mind that I was going to finish but there was nothing left in the tank - or so I thought.
"Maarrrry!"
Jess was about 100 feet in front of the first finisher's mat. Even though I wasn't wearing my glasses, I knew it was her. She snapped a photo of me and posted it to Facebook “Mary McManus, Bringing it home strong” with a heart emoji.
Another one of my friend's commented on the photo, "Go Mary!"
Jess Lanzoni sent me good wishes on Facebook before the Bill Rodgers 5K. We “met” in cyberspace through a mutual running friend when she was running with Back on my Feet Boston. Jess volunteers her time, treasure and talent with different running groups making a difference in people’s lives through the sport of running. We became fast friends and she has been a champion of my journey. It meant the world to me to have her cheering me into the finish.
I felt a pick up in my energy even though I didn’t see the photo until after I crossed the finish line.
I was delighted to support Jess' fund raiser and quite honored when she asked me for a donation of my books to be part of a Winter Reading basket as a raffle prize. We were delighted that we could attend the fund raiser and meet Jess' tribe who came together to raise money to honor Krystle Campbell's legacy. She was one of the people who died in the explosions on April 15, 2013.
Adam Salsman, a Facebook friend I finally got to meet in person donated his talent as the event photographer.
The welcome table and thank you bags (note the Boston Strong colors):
The cake donated by Jess' sister Marci:
Raffle prizes donated by several members of Jess' tribe:
Keytar Bear donated his time and talent to provide the music:
Jess' friend's daughter helped with the drawing of the raffle prizes:
We were so surprised that we won this beautiful blanket donated by Jess' friend Jodi that our cat Jamie promptly claimed as her own:
Tom and I bid on the silent auction item which was for Celtics tickets and a center court photo op. We realized Tom's work schedule would conflict with the game so we told Jess we'd like to regift them. She spontaneously went into a live auction mode and was able to get more money donated for this incredible cause.
Whether someone took home a raffle prize or not, everyone felt like a winner supporting Jess and her 2019 Boston Marathon run:
To donate to Jess' fund raiser, follow this link.
Beautiful connections were made in person and in the days following our run and attending Jess' fund raiser. We are all connected and often times it is by less than 6 degrees of separation. It is truly awe-some and inspiring to see the hand of the Divine weaving together magical moments and a beautiful tapestry of love that rises up in the wake of tragedy.
Be sure to visit my website by following this link.
To your health and wellness
With love from my heart to yours,
Mary
My books are available on Amazon.
“The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953” takes you on Mary McManus’ healing odyssey from a wheelchair to the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon and beyond. After the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome in December 2006, Mary got still and asked for Divine Guidance tapping into the powerful connection she experienced to the Divine from an early age. She harnessed the power of her mind to heal her body, feverishly writing poetry in which she imagined herself healthy, whole and free from the shackles of her youth. Mary’s quest to heal her life led her to the sport of running. Her story is one that will leave you cheering for the underdog, discovering the meaning of different ability and experiencing the stunning view from the back of the pack of a race. You will have the privilege of bearing witness to how Mary overcame every challenge that life presented to her. The sport of running provides the backdrop for her journey of transformation from a survivor of childhood paralytic polio and severe trauma at the hands of family members to a woman who embodies faith, grace under fire, courage, determination, endurance and resilience. Running became a way of life for Mary that tested her mettle while forging friendships to last a lifetime. As you’ll discover in “The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953” nothing, not even a serious knee injury in December of 2014 could stop her on the roads or in her life.
Feel the Heal: An Anthology of Poems to Heal Your Life
Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing Hope and Possibility that chronicles the first 7 years of my healing journey:
Going the Distance: The Power of Endurance (With a Foreword by Jacqueline Hansen):
My healing journey using the power of visualization is featured in David R. Hamilton's book, "How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body-Anniversary Edition." It's available on Amazon.
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