As I prepare for An Extraordinary Book Launch Party I am putting together thoughts and memorabilia to share with my guests.
Before February of 2009, I had never received a medal for running and finishing a race. In February of 2008, I traded in my toe up leg brace and a pair of black shoes:
for my first pair of running shoes:
Although I ran several races before the Hyannis Half Marathon in 2009, none of them had medals after I crossed the finish line.
My first half marathon tested my mettle and helped to prepare me on the road to the 2009 Boston Marathon.
From "The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953":
It became overcast at gun time but the temperature was moderate as we crossed the starting line. We were in the 14 minute/mile pace corral just in front of the walkers. We took off at a fast pace - a 13 minute/mile pace. I told myself to release all feelings of lack and limitation and go with the flow. This was a training run so I needed to push my pace while I also monitored my heart rate. By mile 10, I abandoned my fueling and hydration plan. Sleet pelted my face and my only goal was to cross that finish line.
The post-race reception included bagels, peanut butter, bananas, hot soup from the 99 Restaurant, orange slices and water. I was shivering when I came into the ballroom. Among the thousands of runners streaming into the ballroom, Frank Shorter spotted me.
He put both of his hands on my forearms, looked at me straight in the eye and said, “I have no doubt you are going to finish Boston!”
I told him I wasn’t feeling so well.
“Get hot soup and hydrate,” he said while he congratulated me on finishing the race in tough conditions and signed my bib.
We went to the Roadhouse Cafe for dinner and everyone said, "Good job" as they saw my medal around my neck. It was a strange yet incredibly awesome feeling to be identified as a runner.
The road to the Boston Marathon took guts, grit, determination, courage and strength for shortly after I'd been told to prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair in December of 2006, I declared I would run the 2009 Boston Marathon.
I wore my medal for the next week. There is a thrill in Boston seeing everyone walking around in their jackets, wearing their medals and walking with the unmistakable marathon waddle.
In December of 2014, I blew out my left knee. On MRI, my knee looked as though I would need a total knee replacement in a few years. I was told to stop running or cap my distance. But the Universe and I had other plans. All that I set in motion early on in my healing odyssey from the effects of paralytic polio and trauma manifested after that injury.
I was led to a chiropractor who reminded me about the power of the mind/body connection to heal and directed me to read Dr. Joe Dispenza's, "You Are The Placebo."
From "The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953":
Armed with affirmations, Kinesio tape, meditations, faith, strength, courage and determination, writing poetry to fuel my journey and a new strength training exercise regimen, I got back on the roads. I trained for my comeback race: the 2015 Finish at the 50 on July 3. Tom was my pacer. We trained through heat, humidity, and in the evening to simulate race day conditions. He was my greatest supporter and cheerleader and helped me run my race at my pace coming back strong and steady after the knee injury that “they” said would sideline me....
Anthony Raynor and Clarence Smith had me at hello at the Bermuda Marathon Weekend Booth at the Finish at the 50 Expo. Tom started chatting with Clarence "Stoker" Smith. I hung back but cocked an ear to the conversation. I gingerly eyed the pink Bermuda wrist bands, the bling from Bermuda Marathon Weekend races and the samples of pink sand. I glanced at Tom and felt we each had a tug at our souls. The tug got stronger with each moment we talked with Clarence and Anthony. We reminisced about when we went to Bermuda. I felt goosebumps and a warm feeling come over me, while a part of me was wondering why was I even having this conversation about running in Bermuda. Several months ago I was told to cap my distance and prepare for a total knee replacement.
“If you can get up to the Half Marathon distance, you’ll be better off than running the 10K with all of its steep hills,” Anthony said in his delicious Bermudian accent.
“The last time I was in Bermuda I was in a leg brace using a cane and a wheelchair.”
Clarence's wife said, "Look at you now girl."
There was no stopping me now. We exchanged information. Clarence told us he'd pick us up at the airport. I chatted with Anthony about the weather in January.
After a great Finish at the 50 race on July 3, 2015, I began training for the 2016 Bermuda Half Marathon.
With a solid base and renewed confidence, I ran the 2016 Hyannis 10K in February.
I didn't want to be a one hit wonder in Bermuda and signed on to run the 2017 Bermuda Half Marathon. It was a race that challenged me yet in that challenge I experienced mystical and magical moments. I was almost a DNF and ended up in the medical tent. They ran out of medals before we crossed the finish line but mailed them to us later in the year. When I received the medal in the mail, I relived those moments of the race where I ran with endurance the race set before me.
I planned to take a hiatus from running another half marathon in Bermuda but as fate would have it, Race Director Anthony Raynor extended an invitational entry to Tom and me to return to Bermuda for 2018. I couldn't say no. I was almost a DNS for the race having suffered a severe muscle strain on my right hip during training but I harnessed the power of my mind using meditation and visualization and went on to have a great race experience capped off with magnificent bling.
From "The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953":
"And what team is this?" the flight attendant asked as he walked through the cabin for a pre-flight check on the return flight to Boston.
Tom and I said in unison, "Team McManus!"
"What sport is this?" he asked.
"We ran the Bermuda Half Marathon," we replied.
"That's very impressive," he commented.
As the second flight attendant prepared the cabin for take off she looked at our medals. "I don't know what you won but congratulations!"
As they brought beverage service through the cabin, we were offered complimentary beer and wine. We told them we didn't drink so they gave us extra snacks and a full can of our non-alcoholic beverage of choice. It’s only an hour and a half flight between Boston and Bermuda but we had plenty of time to savor our victory.
As I look at my medals, they reflect treasured memories of races run and personal victories won. They remind me of the adversities I overcame. My quest to heal my life led me to the sport of running that tested my mettle while fueling my 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. Out of the rubble of my past, I dug deep to discover the treasure of who I was always meant to be. My Spirit shines with brilliant resilience and my medals are a wonderful reminder of finish lines crossed with a sense of triumph and joy!
{All medals featured in this blog except for the Hyannis Marathon weekend medals were created by Ashworth Awards}
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.
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