A Fist Bump from a Stranger on Heartbreak Hill

As we saw groups of runners and felt the pounding of their thundering feet while we drove to where we would start our Saturday morning run on Heartbreak Hill, I commented to Tom and Ruth Anne with a sense of awe in my voice what a miracle it is that we are part of this amazing community of runners.

In December of 2006, I was told to prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair with the diagnosis of Post Polio Syndrome considered to be a progressive neuromuscular disease. I vowed to not take the diagnosis sitting down and found my way to the sport of running harnessing the power of the mind/body connection.

Ruth Anne endured 14 psychiatric hospitalizations before we were able to make the diagnosis of PANDAS and help her get on her healing path. She had taken two years off from running and we weren't sure if she would ever find her way back to life and the roads.

Tom and Ruth Anne have run the Bill Rodgers Jingle Bell 5K in December, the Bermuda 10K in January and are now poised and ready to run the Hyannis Marathon Weekend 10K on February 23rd.

They had 6 miles and a race day simulation run on tap and I had 4 miles scheduled as I work my way back to the 10K distance.

We knew it was going to be a challenging running day with strong headwinds and colder temperatures than we'd seen in awhile but there was never a moment of doubt that we would take our run on a treadmill.

There were fewer runners out on the Hills and those that were running were focused on navigating the tough conditions rather than extending the usual high fives and flashing warm smiles. It hurt one's teeth to smile while running in the cold with a powerful headwind.

Tom and Ruth Anne took off and I was left to my own thoughts and solitude. I was buffeted by the winds and briefly wondered why I was doing this. I don't have any races on the schedule until Spring or Summer. And yet something sprang up from deep within my soul that, after the past 3 years of unrelenting stress with Ruth Anne's condition, it was time for me to reclaim myself as a runner.

I pushed my pace while listening to my body.

Mile 1 brought me to the Johnny Kelley statue:


I texted Tom and Ruth Anne to check in.

At mile 2, they texted me to let me know they were at mile 2.65 at the renowned Fire Station on the corner of Washington Street and Comm. Ave.:


And then sent me a text when they were at their halfway point at mile 3:


I took a moment to capture the beauty of the sunlight on Heartbreak Hill on a blustery winter's day:


Heading back to the car, the wind had calmed down and any wind that did kick up was a tail wind.

Back at the Johnny Kelley statue I knew I had only 1 mile to go and after the steep hill, I would enjoy relative calm and ease to finish up my run. I thought about the warm car and banana that would be my immediate reward for conquering this run and wondered what Team McManus would enjoy for lunch.

The light turned red at the corner of Comm. Ave. and Center Street across from the Heartbreak Hill Running Company that hosts Heartbreakers for Saturday morning training runs, many of whom are training for Boston.

I felt someone near my right shoulder and when I turned around, he offered me his fist for a fist bump.

"Nice work," he said.

"You too," I replied

"You training for Boston?" I asked

"Yep," answered this stranger wearing a Penn. State Sweatshirt.

"Did you qualify?"

"Nope."

"Who are you running for?"

"BIDMC."

"Oh my friend is running for them for the Cancer Care Center."

"That's who I'm running for. What's her name?"

I told him and he said he would have to look her up on their Team Page.

I briefly shared with him my story and we both agreed that there is no place quite as special as Heartbreak Hill during the few months preceding the Boston Marathon.

The light changed and we went on our way.

A run that started out with challenging conditions and runners keeping to themselves was transformed in that moment. I went on my way with an unending smile for the last .2 of a mile of my run.

When I checked my Nike+, I had the fastest times for those 4 miles than I had since a 5K in November.

Tom and Ruth Anne had a wonderful dress rehearsal run for Hyannis and feel race ready. We reunited and shared our tales of the day:


Facebook was filled with posts about yesterday's running conditions and we joined together as a community from the warmth and comfort of our homes.

It was a tough training run made sweeter by the fist bump from a stranger on Heartbreak Hill and one which propels me forward once again on my health and wellness journey.

From my heart to yours
In health and wellness
Mary

To experience an epic race weekend and hear me share my journey from a wheelchair to the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon and beyond come to the Hyannis Marathon Weekend February 21-23 2020.

Be sure to visit my website at www.marymcmanus.com

Be inspired by my interview with Kendra Petrone on the award winning Exceptional Women Show by following this link

To experience an epic race weekend and hear me share my journey from a wheelchair to the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon and beyond come to the Hyannis Marathon Weekend February 21-23 2020.