On Writing and Running

After writing "Going the Distance: The Power of Endurance," I thought I had written my last book. Writing books and running endurance events are a labor of love and similar to giving birth. After it's over you swear you're done but after awhile you forget all about the labor pains and do it all over again.

I had written two previous memoirs, "Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing Hope and Possibility" and "Going the Distance: The Power of Endurance." I hadn't yet written about my Bermuda Half Marathons 2017 and 2018. I had not yet written about my past through the lens of healing. A tincture of time was necessary for traumatic events to transform and for me to transcend my past.

"The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953" poured forth from my heart and soul, edited and woven together by the hand of the Divine.

Running is a wonderful metaphor for life. Running and writing seem to go hand in hand as the sport itself is the perfect backdrop for fiction and non-fiction story telling.

As with every book, "The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953" began with a blank page; hundreds of blank pages and I am truly and deeply in awe of how the book came together. Unlike other books, the title presented itself to me before the arc of the story and the chapters that would fill the pages of my work.

I had lots of material to work with from my blogs, my journal and my real time running adventures but no idea how it was all going to take shape and form.

During my creative process, I was reminded of Michelangelo's quote:


There were times when I "hit the wall" in writing and wondered if perhaps I should just ditch the entire project.

When CreateSpace (the self publishing platform I used for all of my other books) changed over to KDP publishing, I put out the call to the Universe for help. Should I find a publisher since the new platform with KDP seemed unwieldy at first?

Spirit prompted me to keep moving forward with the project and when I got still and asked for Divine Guidance, the answers came.

On Facebook, I saw that my dear friend, Paula Romero-Dunbar followed her dream to open her own celebration boutique in Natick Center. Before the Grand Opening, I took a trip out to Mile 10 to visit with Paula and her husband Walter and support her new venture. I "just happened" to mention that I was working on a new book.

"When will it be published?" Walter asked.

"As soon as I finish it," I said somewhat sheepishly.

"Well we want to have events in the store and support local authors like yourself..."

My mind drifted after Walter made that statement.

"Well I better get to work then..."

I got into the flow of writing that felt as wonderful as that perfect running day when you feel as though you can run forever.

I edited version after version after version with the intention of creating my best book to date.

The title of the book guided the theme of adventure and the title for the sections of my book came together:
Never Tell Me The Odds
Hey Hey Look Who's Running!
My Bucket List
From "Easy Out Alper"

There was no publishing deadline but the Universe kept nudging me along to get the book finished.

When I first looked at KDP Publishing and their Cover Creator, I had no idea how I was going to be able to create a cover as I had in CreateSpace. They changed the formatting from their original Cover Creator and I was able to create a cover with ease!

On February 9th, I ordered a proof.

After pouring over the proof and tweaking the manuscript, I hit publish on February 23rd.

I reached out to Walter and Paula about setting up a date for the Book Launch Party.

We agreed on the date April 6th and all of the details effortlessly came together. We shared the same vision for the Book Launch.



I will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of when I overcame my past to run the 2009 Boston Marathon on Mile 10 at Paper Fiesta sharing a message of healing, hope, Spirit, strength, history, resilience, endurance and possibility. I know that my book and my journey will touch the hearts of everyone who gathers and the ripples of my story will continue to reverberate into the Universe.

In writing and in running, you're never quite sure where the road might take you.

But when you partner with the Divine, you can rest assured that your destination will be exactly where you are meant to be.

To your health and wellness,
From my heart to yours
Mary

Be sure to visit my website by following this link.

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.