Last week, the video of Dave McGillivray's TEDx Talk was released. The subject of his talk is Defining Moments! I highly recommend that you take the time to watch his inspiring talk!
This photo from when I ran the Marathon Sports 5 Miler in July of 2008 popped up in my newsfeed:
The Marathon Sports 5 Miler was a defining moment early on in my running career.
I declared that I was going to run the 2009 Boston Marathon in February of 2008. I had just come out of my leg brace after having been told to prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair. I was diagnosed with Post-Polio Syndrome deemed a progressive neuromuscular disease by Western Medicine. I had never run a day in my life but I watched Forrest Gump and running movies as I chiseled out the runner within me. My first race, the Corrib Pub 5K was a friendly race and I felt triumphant after crossing the finish line.
From "Going the Distance: The Power of Endurance":
Our first 5 mile race was the Marathon Sports 5 miler. It was a hot, steamy evening in July. We got lost on the way to the race. Tempers were running as hot as the thermometer because I was so anxious about running my first five mile race. My energy tended to wane by the evening as I was continuing to deal with the late effects of polio. We finally arrived and walked around trying to enjoy the pre-race festivities. As everyone took their place at the start, I could see that this was a serious, competitive running crowd; quite a contrast to my first race ever, the Corrib Pub Run 5K in June.
Runners went out fast and Tom and I were in the back of the pack with a few other people. Even they took off. I experienced my first (of many) marathon training meltdowns. I cried as I shared with Tom all the memories of having kids take off and leave me behind that were bubbling to the surface. I was sweating and tired and hot. I couldn’t tell where my tears ended and sweat began. I told Tom I had no business training for the Boston Marathon. He was amazing and he told me that I couldn’t quit. We would make it through this race and we would make it through every training run. He believed in me when I did not believe in myself. I did know, however, that if I didn’t finish that race, I would never make it to the starting line of the Boston Marathon. Alison, Brookline Marathon Sports store manager who was named our mother hen during Boston Marathon training, gave me water and a high five out on the course. She was worried about me in the heat and wanted to make sure I was okay.
Despite finishing dead last, members of the Marathon Sports family who knew the story of Team McManus, had air horns and a truck on the field honking and blowing and cheering us on to the finish. I knew training for Boston was not going to be easy, but I knew I had what it was going to take to make it happen.
It was a defining moment out on that course when I did not quit.
Had I been a DNF (did not finish) for that race, I would have quit before the miracle happened.
I experienced the miracle of crossing the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon:
I experienced the miracle of a PR at the Bill Rodgers 5K for Prostate Cancer after having left the sport of running after my nephew's death by suicide in 2011 but returning to the sport after 4/15/13:
After my left knee blew out in December of 2014, I had a defining moment to not allow the doctors or physical therapists to dictate what was going to happen to my body. "They" said that I would need a total knee replacement in a few years. They also said I never should have started running in the first place and I needed to cap my distance if I planned to continue running.
Had I quit the sport that is my therapy, my joy, my medicine and a part of who I am, I would never have experienced the miracle of running the Bermuda Half Marathons 2016, 2017 and 2018!
It was a defining moment before the Bermuda Half Marathon 2018 that I got myself together and to the starting line.
From "The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953":
I woke up as I heard the song, "A Whole New World," which is what I have my alarm set to playing softly in the background.
"It's 5:00 am Tom. It's time to get up."
"No it's not - it's only 12:20," Tom told me.
I thought it was odd that my alarm was so quiet. Tom said he heard something too.
“Well it’s five o’clock somewhere,” I quipped referencing Jimmy Buffett’s classic song.
I was able to release a lot in a meditation. I felt incredible relief in my back as I fell back to sleep.
Until I woke up at 3:00 am....
“To change is to think greater than how we feel. To change is to act greater than the feelings of the memorized self.” ~Dr. Joe Dispenza
Race Day January 14, 2018
I woke up at 3:00 am on Sunday--race day--with my heart racing, feeling as though I was going to throw up with sweat pouring down my two arms. I don't recall whether or not I was having a dream. It was in direct contrast to how I felt when I fell back to sleep at 12:20 after the false alarm went off.
"Okay," I thought to myself. "Let's get a handle on this. Let's pull your mind out of your body and connect with the Divine. There is no time to analyze this. You have got to get to the starting line."
I reminded myself that my mind is a powerful tool and I could partner with the Divine to clear out these sensations. I went to the bathroom, came back to bed and went into a deep meditation. Mercifully I fell back to sleep. The alarm went off at 5:00 am - the real 5:00 am. We meditated for 10 minutes to set our intentions for the day. We did our core warm up and I totally trusted that room service would arrive on time. We had a 6:30 am shuttle to the starting line.
"Good morning. Good morning...Are we ready to run?"
The knock on the door came promptly at 5:30 and Narayan came in carrying a tray with everything we requested for our traditional pre-race breakfast. Tom had his piping hot coffee. We had whole wheat toast, chilled orange juice and hot water and bowls for oatmeal. We added in the bananas, nuts and granola we purchased at Miles Market.
While he organized our breakfast serving it in grand style, he said, “I am so excited for you all. I was once at base camp at Mt. Everest as support crew for a group climbing Everest. I love seeing people do epic things! Is there anything else you need?”
“No we are all set. And thank you so much!” I said.
“Of course. Have a great race day!”
We never know when or how the miracle is going to happen.
During these past 12 years of healing the effects from paralytic polio and trauma, miracles have always manifested in my life as a result of the choices I made during defining moments. I've worked hard to co-create these miracles and am so grateful that I did not quit before experiencing the jubilation that comes with coming out on the other side of a challenge.
From my heart to yours
In Health and Wellness,
Mary
Be sure to visit my website at www.marymcmanus.com
Hear my interview with Kendra Petrone on Magic 106.7's Exceptional Women Show by following this link
My books are available on Amazon and at Paper Fiesta in Natick on Mile 10 of the Boston Marathon route.
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