@John Bingham
It was a cold dark day in February of 2007. It was the dark night of my mind, body and soul. In December of 2006, I was given the diagnosis of Post Polio Syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease. I was told to prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair possibly needing a feeding tube and a sleep apnea machine. "If you use it, you will lose it," was the philosophy 13 years ago of how to "treat" and and try to "stall" the symptoms of a neuromuscular condition.
As I sat in a toe up leg brace
I got still and asked for Divine Guidance...The answer as I wrote about in "Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing, Hope and Possibility":
And then I felt a stirring in my second chakra (only then I didn’t know it was my second chakra – I thought it might have been something I ate). I went over to my laptop in the corner of the living room and I wrote this poem:
Running the Race
Early summer 1959 my kindergarten year
Everyone around me filled with nervous fear
Despite the Salk vaccine hope polio would disappear
The polio virus crept right up and knocked me in the rear.
Dancing all around the gym feeling free just like a bird
I dropped to the ground just like a stone
and no one said a word.
The pain it was so searing-the diagnosis even worse
"It's polio" the doctor said...he was abrupt and terse.
Called one of the 'lucky ones' I had a 'mild case'
But with the other athletes I could never keep their pace.
Miss Holly physical therapist,
curly hair and a warm, broad smile
It tempered the pain of being apart - to walk I'd take awhile.
I always wore those 'special' shoes
the kids they poked and teased
With no support and much abuse
with childhood I wasn't pleased.
But put nose to the grindstone and learned all that I could
I couldn't kick a ball but my grades were always good.
Years went by and no more thought to polio did I give
I accepted the limp and everything else
and decided my life I would live.
But symptoms of weakness and muscle pain did grow
I kept a stoic face hoping no one else would know.
Life no longer was my own I struggled through each day
Suffered in silence, isolated from friends-
trying to keep depression at bay.
And with the grace of glorious God my world it opened wide
I discovered there was a Post Polio team
and they were on my side.
Using wheelchair to travel, set limits on what I could do,
Resulted in joy to realize I could live life anew.
Celebrated my body- creaks, groans and need for a brace
While in my mind I focused on winning a 10K race.
Sought out paths for healing and my spirit flew free
For the first time in life, I could truly be me.
The chains are gone and possibilities abound
I'm a tree with my roots planted firmly in ground.
I'm now off the sidelines, no need to sit and whine
So much gratitude fills my heart and love and beauty shine.
After all these years I can join the loving human race
I exceed all expectations and now I set the pace.
I sobbed to write those words. I had never spoken about polio or the abuse I endured. I became curious. Why am I writing about winning a 10K race?
May 25th marked the 13th anniversary of when I took a leap of faith to leave my award winning career as a VA social worker to heal my life. And heal my life I did!
I ran the 2009 Boston Marathon
and fell in love with the sport of running.
After a serious knee injury in December of 2014, I once again harnessed the power of the mind/body connection defying all appearances and prognosis that I needed a total knee replacement and ran the 2016, 2017 and 2018 Bermuda Half Marathons.
I took a break from endurance running and even from running races. I returned to the roads last May with a series of 5K runs. I wasn't running that many miles and went out for runs 2 days a week going to the pool once/week and strength training twice/week.
My goal for this year was to work my way back up to a 10K but then "the thing which shall not be named" happened and life came to a screeching halt. My chiropractor is pregnant and closed down her practice early for maternity leave. During the initial stay at home order, it was difficult to find places to run and maintain distance from other runners. Everyone was in a state of shock and anxiety.
Yet we managed to maintain a regular running schedule and I worked on speed rather than increasing distance.
I did notice on my Nike+ that the mileage for March, April and May was 10-15 miles more than for last year. In March, the gyms closed.
One by one races were cancelled. Some were rescheduled as virtual races. We cancelled our hotel reservations that coincided with race weekends although we are holding out hope for Cape Cod Marathon Weekend which would be Tom and Ruth Anne's first half since Bermuda 2018.
I was very close to hitting 40 miles for the month of May but would need to add on a little extra mileage to get there.
Tom and Ruth Anne were going to do a long run in preparation for the virtual Falmouth Road Race and Cape Cod Marathon Weekend but wanted to stay with me to celebrate the third consecutive over 40 miles month.
It was a gorgeous morning for a run with geese, swans, turkeys and a beautiful blue sky:
Instinctively everyone ran in one direction at the Reservoir.
There was so much joy and freedom!
Tom suggested we add onto the mileage by running down Beacon Street to the fountain in front of the Waterworks Museum and then do our loop around the Reservoir.
When we got home we had run 3.41 miles:
and I saw my Nike+ total for May as 40.18 miles!
While 40+ miles in one month might not seem like a lot for many runners, for me it is quite the accomplishment.
After all, I was told to prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair and a whole host of other predictions were made based on my history of having contracted paralytic polio at age 5.
I am proud to be a part of this amazing sport where, if you run, you're a runner and for me... I exceed all expectations and now I set the pace!
Be sure to visit my website at www.marymcmanus.com to learn more about my incredible journey from the diagnosis of Post Polio Syndrome to the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon and beyond.
My books are available on Amazon
To your health and wellness
From my heart to yours
Mary
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