Book Launch Party: "Running Across America"

What happens when a teacher, a 65 year old runner/philanthropist who has done epic stuff and a "Kindness" Foundation come together with a community of like hearted people? You have an event that kicks off what is sure to create ripples of change and kindness for generations to come.

On August 26th, almost 41 years to the day when Dave McGillivray finished his run across America at Fenway Park to benefit the Jimmy Fund, over 250 people gathered at the State Street Pavillion at Fenway Park to celebrate the release of his latest book, "Running Across America."

Last year, writer and teacher Nancy Wendland Feehrer, and Dave launched the book, "Dream Big".

They are planning a series of children's books based on Dave's epic adventures to teach children the importance of setting goals not limits, perseverance and despite the challenges you face, there are always ways to dream big and reach your goals.

Dave didn't want children to just read the book and say, "Oh that's nice" and put it down. He created a call to action, "The Dream Big Marathon" to read 26 books, run 26 miles and practice 26 acts of kindness.

Dave was inspired by The Joseph Middlemiss Big Heart Foundation and Nancy, Dave and The Foundation have developed a partnership to bring "Dream Big" and now "Running Across America" to schools across America.

Dave's wife Katie was the Room Parent for Foundation co-founder Kate Middlemiss' kindergarten class. Katie shared with Dave how much Scott was suffering after the loss of their son Joseph and Dave gave him a bib for the Boston Marathon knowing the therapeutic power of running. And they were off and running supporting the Mission and Goals of the Foundation with powerful friendships forged especially between heart warriors Jack and Dave.

On our walk from our parking space to the event, we took photos of iconic Fenway Park:


When we arrived, we took in the scene of The State Street Pavilion:


Diana Colby's husband Chris Colby came all the way from Texas to represent Bluebonnet Elementary School at the event.


We instantly spotted each other across the room from our Facebook photos! Becca Pizzi came over and it was like old home week for Becca and Chris. This is one of the million things I LOVE about the running community.

After greetings, hugs and photos with Nancy and her family


I was stopped in my tracks to see my books and the 65th birthday poem I wrote to Dave on a table along with several other authors' books:


"Um Nancy...this is your book launch. What did you do?"

"Well," she said with so much love in her voice, "I saw the names on our guest list and knew that they had written books so I decided to put out a display of the authors in attendance. Those are my copies of the books."

We hugged and went on our way to see the stunning view of the field and the Fenway Park 10K, Half Marathon and Marathon in progress. Several attendees in the crowd were proudly wearing their bling from the races they had just run.



One of my friends said, "Hey I found you. You're in the program. Do you sign this?" He was referring to the Scavenger Hunt for Authors:


There were hors d'oeuvres being passed around and a make your own Fenway Hot Dog and Fenway Sausage buffet along with a dessert table.

"How do you know Team Big Heart?" I asked someone standing next to the Authors' Table wearing a Team Big Heart shirt.

"Scott was kind enough to give this to me. I run the Boston Marathon with Dave every year in the evening."

We remembered the thrill of Dave running Boston just 6 months after open heart surgery and raising over $200,000 for The Foundation. I shared with Brent Richardson how Tom and I cheered Dave on at Cleveland Circle.

"Well then you saw me," he said.

He introduced us to his wife and son. We discovered that we had a lot in common. Brent had an epic comeback after having suffered Guillain Barre Syndrome. It's a rare disorder in which your body's immune system attacks your nerves. Weakness and tingling in your extremities are usually the first symptoms. These sensations can quickly spread, eventually paralyzing your whole body. He writes poetry for every occasion and his wife creates greeting cards. I am so glad he was wearing his Team Big Heart shirt and that we were able to connect.

We met Kelly Allen McLay at Cleveland Circle on Marathon Monday. She was part of Dave's entourage during this year's evening Boston Marathon run. We became Facebook friends and met again at Becca Pizzi's 5K. Kelly ran 7 Marathons in 7 Days on 7 Continents and has an inspirational story of her own finding her way to running after being diagnosed with early menopause at the age of 21. She was recently featured in Womens Health Magazine and she told us that they used the photo Tom had taken of her running with her daughter:


We laughed about Tom receiving royalties for the photo. Kelly's inspirational story is included in Tales from the Trails: Runners’ Stories that Inspire and Transform. The book will be launched on September 20th.

More inspiration came into the room as Kate and Scott, founders of The Joseph Middlemiss Big Heart Foundation, Jack and Grace arrived. We were able to get this photo before Jack and Gracie took off:


{Scott was wearing a LaCoste Strong t-shirt to support his Principal and dear friend, Kevin LaCoste who suffered a traumatic spinal cord injury this summer. You can make a donation to his GoFundMe page if you are so inspired.}

After schmoozing and eating, it was time for Dave, Nancy and Scott to express their gratitude for the amazing turnout of friends to support the launch and to talk about "Running Across America", "Dream Big" and the Dream Big Marathon.



The crowd listened with rapt attention including Boston Marathon Champion Jack Fultz:


Unbeknownst to me, Brian Baker, who has run 41 consecutive Falmouth Road Races and who we recently met in Falmouth and his wife Carolyn, were standing next to us but we never connected at the event. Brian shared these photos on Facebook:


When we arrived home, we read "Running Across America"


I may have cried and felt goosebumps all over especially as Dave and Nancy wrote about Dave's grueling challenges and lessons learned at different locales and -- spoiler alert -- when he rounds the bases at Fenway.

"Running Across America" is available on Amazon:
A full-color, inspiring picture book about Boston Marathon Race Director Dave McGillivray’s 3,452-mile run across America in 80 days!

As a teenager, Dave McGillivray heard a news story about a person biking across the United States. “What a great idea!” he thought. “But instead of a bike, I’ll use my sneakers!”

This is the funny, touching, true story of McGillivray’s 80-day, 3,452-mile run from Medford, Oregon, to his hometown of Medford, Massachusetts. In Running Across America: A True Story of Dreams, Determination, and Heading for Home, McGillivray tells the tale of how he braved the Sierra and Rocky Mountains, millions of grasshoppers in Nebraska, days of pouring rain in Ohio, the occasional rattlesnake, and intensely sore knees. On top of it all, homesickness and doubt are constant companions as he tries to achieve his dream of running from coast-to-coast.

And that’s not his only dream―the cross-country run is part of his goal to help kids in need. By making the run a fundraiser for the Jimmy Fund, McGillivray joins his favorite baseball team, the Red Sox, in making lives better for children battling cancer. Through 13 states, blistering heat, and being “pulled over” by a State Trooper, McGillivray relies on good friends, family, a sense of humor, and sheer determination to fulfill a dream―and to help kids who can’t run.

• A true story with lots of humor and heart, this picture book is a follow-up to Dave McGillivray’s book about the first time he ran the Boston Marathon, Dream Big: A True Story of Courage and Determination.

• Running Across America serves as the basis for McGillivray’s Dream Big "Marathon," a challenge explained at the end of the book for kids to run 26 miles, read 26 books, and do 26 acts of kindness in 26 weeks, sponsored by the Joseph Middlemiss Big Heart Foundation.

I can't wait for their next book which will be about Dave's epic achievement of running 7 Marathons on 7 Continents in 7 Days!

Dave is going to be speaking at Whiraway Sports Center in Methuen on September 11th. Follow this link to register.

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.

On Writing and Running

After writing "Going the Distance: The Power of Endurance," I thought I had written my last book. Writing books and running endurance events are a labor of love and similar to giving birth. After it's over you swear you're done but after awhile you forget all about the labor pains and do it all over again.

I had written two previous memoirs, "Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing Hope and Possibility" and "Going the Distance: The Power of Endurance." I hadn't yet written about my Bermuda Half Marathons 2017 and 2018. I had not yet written about my past through the lens of healing. A tincture of time was necessary for traumatic events to transform and for me to transcend my past.

"The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953" poured forth from my heart and soul, edited and woven together by the hand of the Divine.

Running is a wonderful metaphor for life. Running and writing seem to go hand in hand as the sport itself is the perfect backdrop for fiction and non-fiction story telling.

As with every book, "The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953" began with a blank page; hundreds of blank pages and I am truly and deeply in awe of how the book came together. Unlike other books, the title presented itself to me before the arc of the story and the chapters that would fill the pages of my work.

I had lots of material to work with from my blogs, my journal and my real time running adventures but no idea how it was all going to take shape and form.

During my creative process, I was reminded of Michelangelo's quote:


There were times when I "hit the wall" in writing and wondered if perhaps I should just ditch the entire project.

When CreateSpace (the self publishing platform I used for all of my other books) changed over to KDP publishing, I put out the call to the Universe for help. Should I find a publisher since the new platform with KDP seemed unwieldy at first?

Spirit prompted me to keep moving forward with the project and when I got still and asked for Divine Guidance, the answers came.

On Facebook, I saw that my dear friend, Paula Romero-Dunbar followed her dream to open her own celebration boutique in Natick Center. Before the Grand Opening, I took a trip out to Mile 10 to visit with Paula and her husband Walter and support her new venture. I "just happened" to mention that I was working on a new book.

"When will it be published?" Walter asked.

"As soon as I finish it," I said somewhat sheepishly.

"Well we want to have events in the store and support local authors like yourself..."

My mind drifted after Walter made that statement.

"Well I better get to work then..."

I got into the flow of writing that felt as wonderful as that perfect running day when you feel as though you can run forever.

I edited version after version after version with the intention of creating my best book to date.

The title of the book guided the theme of adventure and the title for the sections of my book came together:
Never Tell Me The Odds
Hey Hey Look Who's Running!
My Bucket List
From "Easy Out Alper"

There was no publishing deadline but the Universe kept nudging me along to get the book finished.

When I first looked at KDP Publishing and their Cover Creator, I had no idea how I was going to be able to create a cover as I had in CreateSpace. They changed the formatting from their original Cover Creator and I was able to create a cover with ease!

On February 9th, I ordered a proof.

After pouring over the proof and tweaking the manuscript, I hit publish on February 23rd.

I reached out to Walter and Paula about setting up a date for the Book Launch Party.

We agreed on the date April 6th and all of the details effortlessly came together. We shared the same vision for the Book Launch.



I will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of when I overcame my past to run the 2009 Boston Marathon on Mile 10 at Paper Fiesta sharing a message of healing, hope, Spirit, strength, history, resilience, endurance and possibility. I know that my book and my journey will touch the hearts of everyone who gathers and the ripples of my story will continue to reverberate into the Universe.

In writing and in running, you're never quite sure where the road might take you.

But when you partner with the Divine, you can rest assured that your destination will be exactly where you are meant to be.

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

Be sure to visit my website by following this link.

My books are available on Amazon.



“The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953” takes you on Mary McManus’ healing odyssey from a wheelchair to the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon and beyond. After the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome in December 2006, Mary got still and asked for Divine Guidance tapping into the powerful connection she experienced to the Divine from an early age. She harnessed the power of her mind to heal her body, feverishly writing poetry in which she imagined herself healthy, whole and free from the shackles of her youth. Mary’s quest to heal her life led her to the sport of running. Her story is one that will leave you cheering for the underdog, discovering the meaning of different ability and experiencing the stunning view from the back of the pack of a race. You will have the privilege of bearing witness to how Mary overcame every challenge that life presented to her. The sport of running provides the backdrop for her journey of transformation from a survivor of childhood paralytic polio and severe trauma at the hands of family members to a woman who embodies faith, grace under fire, courage, determination, endurance and resilience. Running became a way of life for Mary that tested her mettle while forging friendships to last a lifetime. As you’ll discover in “The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953” nothing, not even a serious knee injury in December of 2014 could stop her on the roads or in her life.

Feel the Heal: An Anthology of Poems to Heal Your Life


Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing Hope and Possibility that chronicles the first 7 years of my healing journey:


Going the Distance: The Power of Endurance (With a Foreword by Jacqueline Hansen):


My healing journey using the power of visualization is featured in David R. Hamilton's book, "How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body-Anniversary Edition." It's available on Amazon.

The Magic of Marathon Monday Has Arrived! Part II

There was so much Marathon Monday magic happening on Saturday that it takes two blog posts to share all of the emotions and excitement!

In February of 2008, I had completed 6 months of working with a personal trainer. We were setting new health and fitness goals in February of 2008:

“Well I want to feel free in my body. I want to dance. I want to be able to walk outside and feel unencumbered when I take a walk.”

Janine feverishly wrote down my goals, and we worked out a plan. She gathered up her belongings and had her hand on the door knob.

“Wait. I have one more goal.”

Janine stopped and turned around.

“I want to run the Boston Marathon for Spaulding Rehab Hospital. I know they have a Race for Rehab team and I want to do it next year.”

Did you ever have one of those moments when words fell out of your mouth after rising up from the depths of your soul without going through any thought process?

When the words, "And I want to run the Boston Marathon for Spaulding Rehab" fell out of my mouth, I had no idea that ten years later I would be standing near the Johnny Kelley statue on Heartbreak Hill experiencing all that the magic of the Boston Marathon has to offer. It was magical to see so many of the friends that I made through the running community and experience the bonds created through the sport of running. I got goosebumps and may have even shed a few tears of gratitude and awe as Tom and I ran our 5K out and back on Heartbreak Hill. I was in awe of how I transformed my life through running and how many lives I have inspired through my Boston Marathon journey. I refused to take the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome sitting down and when I vowed to heal my life, the door opened inviting me to become a part of the most powerful community I have ever known.

Charity runners run with more than their legs. They run with heart and passion for the causes that are near and dear to their hearts. In addition to going through the grueling training for the Boston Marathon, they fund raise to bring monies and awareness to organizations that are improving the quality of life for so many.

One such charity is The Joseph Middlemiss Big Heart Foundation. Kate lovingly and creatively sets up an aid station for the runners. One week the theme was St. Patrick's Day and for Saturday's run, she brought in Easter and the Hop21 theme. Pretzels, Peeps, brownies, water, gatorade and beer shots were a few of the goodies on their table:


Everything they do involves children and kindness.



Each of their runners carries the memory and legacy of their forever 6 year old son, Joseph Middlemiss who died on 9/23/13 with them in their hearts. When Scott was suffering with the depths of despair and grief, Dave McGillivray offered him a Boston Marathon bib.

Kate told the story in her post Hop21 Facebook post:

More Saturday morning inspiration out on the Boston Marathon course today. It was simply amazing to watch thousands of individuals come together to complete their “long run” in preparation for Marathon Monday. So many powerful and beautiful observations made from the sidelines! I’m not sure if I will ever be able to thank Dave McGillivray enough for believing in Team Big Heart and making it possible for us to have a marathon team. Dave, you have made so many dreams come true! This has been a life changing experience for so many (myself included) that all started with one bib for Scott Middlemiss several years ago. ONE marathon bib that pretty much saved my husband during the darkest days of his life while also opening our eyes to the indescribable goodness of the running community. With Dave’s unending support, Scott Middlemiss and Andrea Ketcham Walsh’s vision for the team, JMBHF Board of Director hard work, and the sheer dedication of ALL of our Team Big Heart runners and supporters, WE have built this beautiful legacy. We are ALL HEART and so proud to be a part of this iconic Boston experience.

Last year we had the opportunity to join Susan Hurley’s Charity Teams organization. We have met some of the most extraordinary individuals here and have been embraced by a bigger “family”’of runners filled with care and community spirit. We are so grateful!
Only a few more weeks to go until the big day! It’s been such an honor to be part of this journey and witness the resiliency of the human spirit present in all of these runners. Truly powerful stuff! I’m so glad my children have been by my side to see it all. Lifelong lessons for sure! I’m just not sure what we will do with our Saturday mornings after Patriots Day!

Team Big Heart runners in Hopkinton and with the group of Charity Runners:


The magic and mysticism of the Boston Marathon is palpable at the starting line!

Team Big Heart members conquering the Hills and a photo of the T shirts designed by a team member for the day:



"Do you have a bandaid?" a runner from Team Brookline asked Kate.
"Yes, I have one in my diaper bag."

I helped her and her husband get the band aid on a blister that had just popped. She needed an arm to get her sock on before she went on her way. She chatted for a few minutes about Team Brookline and then I added, "Don't worry about the blister. I had a huge blood blister pop on my last long run and I was fine on Marathon Monday."

Tom and I would cheer on runners who we didn't know by name by the charity shirts they were wearing. Several stopped to ask about the Middlemiss Foundation.

At around noon, when many of the Team Big Heart runners had passed and we were getting hungry for lunch, we headed out to Mile 10 in Natick.

Paper Fiesta, on historic Mile 10, is the venue for the book launch party for "The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953" on 4/6 from 3-5pm.

The magic of Marathon Monday pulsated through Natick Center Cultural District:


Although the runners had already passed Mile 10, in their wake they left the anticipation for Marathon Monday happening 3 weeks from today.

The stage is set inside Paper Fiesta for my book launch party and for runners and spectators to anticipate the excitement of Marathon Monday:


We have the book launch party on April 6th, a screening of the Boston Marathon documentary in Natick with a Q & A with Director Jon Dunham and Boston EMS Walter Dunbar on April 10th and a weekend of festivities, the Expo, welcoming friends to Boston and meeting Facebook friends in person for the first time as we countdown to the 123rd running of the Boston Marathon.

To quote the Boston Marathon documentary, 'There's nothing that compares to standing at the starting line of the Boston Marathon!"


From Hopkinton to Boston, and all the cities and towns that mark the Boston Marathon route, the magic of Marathon Monday has arrived. How will you count down to Marathon Monday?

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

Be sure to visit my website by following this link.

My books are available on Amazon.



“The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953” takes you on Mary McManus’ healing odyssey from a wheelchair to the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon and beyond. After the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome in December 2006, Mary got still and asked for Divine Guidance tapping into the powerful connection she experienced to the Divine from an early age. She harnessed the power of her mind to heal her body, feverishly writing poetry in which she imagined herself healthy, whole and free from the shackles of her youth. Mary’s quest to heal her life led her to the sport of running. Her story is one that will leave you cheering for the underdog, discovering the meaning of different ability and experiencing the stunning view from the back of the pack of a race. You will have the privilege of bearing witness to how Mary overcame every challenge that life presented to her. The sport of running provides the backdrop for her journey of transformation from a survivor of childhood paralytic polio and severe trauma at the hands of family members to a woman who embodies faith, grace under fire, courage, determination, endurance and resilience. Running became a way of life for Mary that tested her mettle while forging friendships to last a lifetime. As you’ll discover in “The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953” nothing, not even a serious knee injury in December of 2014 could stop her on the roads or in her life.

Feel the Heal: An Anthology of Poems to Heal Your Life


Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing Hope and Possibility that chronicles the first 7 years of my healing journey:


Going the Distance: The Power of Endurance (With a Foreword by Jacqueline Hansen):


My healing journey using the power of visualization is featured in David R. Hamilton's book, "How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body-Anniversary Edition." It's available on Amazon.