No Excuses!

"It's been so hot!"
"I'm so tired!"
"I didn't sleep well last night!"
"It's been so stressful with Ruth Anne doing so poorly and there's nothing we can do except continue to pray."
"Maybe I can just skip one day."
"My body feels so heavy...I just want to sleep."

Since running 3 Consecutive Bermuda Half Marathons, I have focused on being consistent in exercising 5 days a week and taking Thursdays and Fridays as recovery days. I see my chiropractor on Thursdays.

We have switched up our days for when we do what to accommodate Tom's work schedule.

Tuesday was going to be our day to run BUT there were torrential downpours with rain forecast throughout the day. The forecast was much better and brighter for Wednesday.

Should we take an unscheduled rest day?

Tom was on call for work and was up for a half hour at 1:30am.

During our meditation, as I listened to the soundtrack of the pouring rain, I debated about what to do and then, in the quiet, it came to me.

After the alarm went off for our morning meditation, I said to Tom "Why don't we go to the pool today and go on our run tomorrow?"

"Brilliant!" he said. "I was about to suggest we not do a workout today but this will work out and it's okay if I am a few minutes late for work."

We got a parking space right in front of the BU FitRec Center and arrived right at 7 am when the Recreation Pool opens.

As soon as we walked into the pool, we both let out a sigh of relief.

We swam, strength trained in the water and stretched letting go of the tension that built up in our minds and bodies.

We savored our breakfast and by the time we pulled up to the door at Tom's office, each of us felt ready to greet the day. He was only a few minutes late and we were thrilled that we made the choice to get our workout in moving to nourish ourselves and manage the stress in our lives.

On Wednesday the alarm went off at 5:45 since Tom's usual Monday morning meeting was rescheduled to Wednesday! We looked at each other after our meditation and said, "Let's go!"

One of our Team Big Heart members, Kevin LaCoste, suffered a spinal cord injury over the weekend. Everyone on our Team was dedicating their workouts and runs to Kevin and his beautiful family.

There are two news stories about Kevin and his family:
Beloved Westford Principal Hurt in Freak Accident

Westford principal recovering after fall left him paralyzed

We dedicated our run to Kevin!

We were treated to a beautiful morning in Boston complete with angels and baby geese now grown:




Tom is training for the Falmouth Road Race and is raising money for The Joseph Middlemiss Big Heart Foundation. (You can donate by following this link.) I am working on improving my pace getting ready for The 6th Annual Joseph Middlemiss Superhero 5K in September.

Tom warms up with me en route to the Reservoir and then he runs at his pace as we go around in opposite directions. During my run I thought about Kevin and surrounded him and his family with healing energy. I reflected on my own journey and how every step and every mile is a gift. I reflected on how grace manifested in my life and how I was blessed to be able to harness the power of the mind/body connection and visualization to heal.

When I was 5 years old I contracted paralytic polio and was paralyzed from the neck down. I had an out of body experience and met my guardian angel. I had a choice as to whether or not to return to my body and I chose life. I was blessed to meet many earth angels along the way. It was a long and painful journey to learn how to walk again but I regained mobility.

Twelve years ago, my body experienced the late effects of paralytic polio and severe childhood trauma. I was told I should prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair possibly needing a feeding tube and a sleep apnea machine at night. I got still and asked for Divine Guidance and was blessed to feel the light and Love of the Divine through my pen which became my Divining rod for healing as I imagined myself, through poetry as running, happy and free, healthy and whole in my body. I ran the 2009 Boston Marathon!

I once again needed to heal my body harnessing the power of the mind/body connection, chiropractic care and intensive rehab after a serious knee injury in December of 2014. I went on to run 3 Bermuda Half Marathons after being told I shouldn't run anymore or at least cap my distance and prepare for a total knee replacement in a few years.

I cherish and am grateful for every step and every mile and all that I am able to do.

While I use meditation, chiropractic, visualization, journaling and my power of belief to heal, one of the lynch pins in my healing journey has been consistency.

When I trained for the 2009 Boston Marathon, I never missed a training run.

I had to make an adjustment in my training plan for my third Bermuda Half Marathon because of a muscle strain and having pushed myself farther than I had since the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome.

Tom and I came close to skipping a workout but I am delighted to say that since being on this healing quest for the past 12 years, there have been no excuses!

To your health and wellness
From my heart to yours
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 "Feel the Heal" and "The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953" are available in Natick Center Cultural District at Paula Romero Dunbar's Celebration Boutique Paper Fiesta coincidentally located on Mile 10 of the Boston Marathon Route. Proceeds from the sale of books for July are being donated to The Joseph Middlemiss Big Heart Foundation to support Tom's Falmouth Road Race. You can also donate directly by following this link.