Sunday, February 16, 2020

"See ya next week!"



My Weather App said it was 9 degrees outside with an expected high in the 20's. The sun was shining.

Tom and Ruth Anne will be running next Sunday's Hyannis Marathon Weekend 10K and we debated back and forth about whether or not to postpone our run to Sunday when the temperatures promised to be more temperate.

We were ready to take out our strength training gear for a home gym workout when Ruth Anne said, "Wait! I think we should get out there today."

Her Occupational Therapist, Erin Foley, is running the Boston Marathon for Spaulding Rehab. We are members of the Race for Rehab Alumni Class of 2009 and follow them on Facebook and via email. Erin's parting words to us after Ruth Anne's treatment on Friday was, "I hope I see you guys out there tomorrow." We had seen her two weeks ago on the Hills along with swarms of members of the 2020 Race for Rehab Team.

We love the energy on Heartbreak Hill on Saturdays during the peak of Boston Marathon training and feel buoyed after we get out and do our miles.

We opened our front door and were blasted by the frosty air but decided to layer up and get in our four miles.

There were fewer runners out yesterday presumably because of the frigid temperatures.

"Hey hey," Dominic shouted out as he was about to pass on our left side.

We weren't sure if he wanted to stop but he pulled up next to us and we exchanged warm hugs. We talked about Hyannis, how he was 11 miles into his 18 mile training run and took this selfie:


After another hug we said, "See ya next week!"

Shortly after we passed Dominic, we saw Michelle approaching us on our right.

She waved and said, "See ya next week!"

Here's what she had to say about yesterday's run on Heartbreak Hill:
Who is that masked runner? I think the hardest part of today was getting out of my toasty car 😂🥶. By 1.5 miles I really didn’t notice the cold. Gloves and gaiter were off and I felt comfortable. Of course I had four top layers, two bottom layers, ear warmers and hat to help!

Marathon Training with the Heartbreakers put on another great day, with Coach Dan giving great tips on how to approach the hills, at this point in our training. It really helped me mentally power through them, even if my body is still trying to figure out how to do that 🤣

There were definitely less people out there today, but still a decent showing. Nice to see Troy Brogan at the start, and Mary McManus and Tom McManus weren’t deterred by the cold either.

10 miles for week 10 of 20! Halfway to Boston! 😬 And Hyannis Half Marathon, is next weekend 🎉

https://www.crowdrise.com/…/bidmc-boston2…/michellecorrado1…

Boston Marathon #marathontraining #marathon Fit In New England E-motion Massage & Healing #justhaveacannoli




Michelle is running Boston to raise money for the BIDMC Cancer Care Center.

We stopped to appreciate the beauty on Heartbreak Hill that is present in every season and even noticed a hint of Spring despite the frigid temperatures:


A little further down the Hills before we reached our turnaround at 2 miles, we saw Erin!

We greeted her with warm broad smiles and cheers!

We talked about our excitement for Hyannis Weekend and how this year's Camp Hyannis is going to be an epic adventure for Team McManus as we celebrate Ruth Anne's recovery and healing and I get to share my inspirational journey with the campers runners in Hyannis.

We spotted Erin again in the distance and waved and cheered.

"One more mile to go," Erin breathlessly shouted.

"Woo hoo!" we all yelled, clapped and cheered.

Just before we got to Newton Center, Ruth Anne said, "Wait..look....here's a penny."

The date was 1977 .... Tom and I met on March 2, 1977!


We made a quick pit stop at Heartbreak Hill Running Company before the last half mile to our car. We had admired one woman's running hat out on the course and she was in the store along with about 30 Heartbreakers recovering from their long run. We chatted for a few minutes about her unique hat that she told us was made by Skida. She asked us how our run went; we explained we weren't training for Boston this year but just love the energy out on the Hills.

"Well I AM training for Boston and I live on the North Shore. My husband thinks I am crazy to drive in town but I just love the people I meet here and I hate to run alone."

We finished our run:


and refueled with soup, salads and sandwiches from the New England Soup Factory.

If we would have waited until today to do our run, we wouldn't have had those wonderful connections and experienced the added excitement for Camp Hyannis 2020.

Running has given us many things in our lives but the best thing is the people it has brought into our lives. I am still in awe and so blessed to be a part of this incredible community overflowing with love, kindness and generosity.

See you next week in Hyannis! Follow this link to register!

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

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






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