My Favorite Running Route - Well Worth the Wait!

Perhaps what I yearned for most during these past 6 months of the pandemic was running by the ocean in South Boston. We did one run along Wollaston Beach but it was low tide. We had to bob and weave to social distance and avoid bicycles and skateboards. While I was grateful to see the expansiveness of the ocean, it wasn't the same as hearing and seeing the waves crash against the rocks and running right along the ocean.

We haven't been to Cape Cod this summer where we often enjoy running and racing along the beach in Falmouth.

With the unofficial end of summer on Labor Day Weekend, we deemed it safe to return to Carson Beach and run out to the JFK Library and U Mass Boston.

The weather although a bit chilly and windy at first was perfect.

The sea air invigorated me and I had one of my best 5K times in a very long time.

I breathed deeply and savored the sights, scents and sounds of a late summer's day in Boston.

While I always appreciate my running as a gift and never take a mile for granted, Saturday's run filled my heart with overwhelming gratitude and brought me to tears.

It was 6 long months of waiting to return to our favorite running route ... It was well worth the wait!



Saturday's run inspired me to write this poem from the soon to be released: Hope: A Collection of Essays and Poems From the Pandemic of 2020:
My Soul Settles By The Sea

Running in tandem with waves
my soul settles by the sea
seagulls soaring
seeing Divine's creations
sun sparkles
sprinkling white caps dotting deep blue
steady breath
scent of briny air
sounds of water lapping shore
surrounded by beauty.

Stress dissolves
each footstep bids farewell to troubles
joy bubbles from the depths
Divine Love
heart overflows
refreshment for mind and body.

Once shackled
unbridled from unfathomable past
wounds healed
wind whispers
“Run my child
set yourself free”
my soul settles by the sea.

To learn more about my inspiring journey from the diagnosis of Post Polio Syndrome to the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon and beyond be sure to visit my website at www.marymcmanus.com

My books are available on Amazon

From my heart to yours
To your health and wellness
Mary