Run Mary Run

By Mary D Scott

Mary Scott had a huge desire to attain a 37-year-old dream of running the Boston Marathon.

Overweight, she had never run in her life before.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wealth With Passion
• Release date: Oct 6, 2021
• ISBN: 9780646830094

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Run Mary Run

Mary D Scott

All rights reserved

First Edition, 2020

© Mary D Scott, 2020

https://www.themaryscott.com/ebook/

No part of this publication may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by means of electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without prior written permission from the author.

Table Of Contents

Chapter 1 How Did This Adventure Begin ?

1972

2008

Chapter 2 October 31st 2009

RUN MARY RUN -Twenty-six Weeks to Boston

The Blog Mary Wrote Everyday For The Final 26 Weeks Leading Up To The 2010 Boston Marathon

Chapter 3 NewYork And Beyond

Chapter 4 October 2020 What It Has Meant To Mary

List Of Photos Included

1. Mary with her trainer Michelle

2. Night before first Melbourne half marathon

3. Day of the race 2008 Melbourne half marathon

4. Support group for Mary’s first half Marathon

5. Rotorua. Mary’s First full Marathon.May 2009

6. Rotorua support group celebrating after the race

7. Great Australian run November 2009

8. Mary collecting her registration pack at Boston

9. Checking out the starting line on race eve

10. Mary and Jeanie on race eve in Boston

11. Elite runners bus taking us to Hopkinton for the start of the race

12. Starting line on race day

13. Waiting to be called to the start line,with John Lynch and his daughter

14. Crowd support along the way was amazing

15. Our support group in Boston

16. Mary receives her finishers medal

17. Mary and Katherine at the finish line

18. More of our supporters

19. Good friends Kathy and Stu also came along for support

20. Melbourne Marathon October 2010

This Book Is Dedicated To Jeanie Bromley

We have been partners on a most amazing journey for more than 20 years.

She is my rock!

She is my inspiration!

She has provided unwavering support for my Entrepreneurial adventures for many years.

She has never ever doubted me and my abilities. Jeanie has always had the most amazing belief in me, whatever I choose to take on, and the Boston Marathon challenge was no exception.

She is my Cheer Squad, not just with my running, but in life!

Some of my fondest memories when training for Boston, were when I was running the long runs, more than 20km per run. She would turn up in her little red convertible, a big smile on her face (at the most unexpected places) with her music on very loud! It would always be the same song… The Power of One, refreshments in hand and cheering me on.

Sometimes she would follow behind me for a few kilometers (music playing) in her little red car.

She has put this book together enthusiastically with love in her heart!

She learned new skills in order to pull it all together, always with the end goal in mind.

She has proofread the entire document and nothing has ever been any bother…

In the background, and at the same time continuing her own Natural treatments for her Breast Cancer. What a remarkable woman.

Having Jeanie as my life partner has been a blessing. I could not have achieved so many wonderful things in my life without her support.

She is an Angel in disguise with the biggest, warmest heart, and to top it off is a Gourmet Cook to boot.

I have such gratitude for you in my life.

I will love you forever Jeanie!!

Chapter 1

How Did This Adventure Begin?

It all began way back in 1972, when I was 18 yrs old

I was living in Dunedin, in the South Island of New Zealand, with my older brother Barry.

One day we were watching an old black and white TV. A running race came on the screen and I asked my brother what it was. He said it was the Boston Marathon and that it was the most prestigious marathon in the world.

I announced to him that I would run that marathon one day.

He laughed at me.

I have always been a great one for having goals, so for many years I would write Running The Boston Marathon, as one of my goals.

To be honest I don’t think I really thought it through, it was just something I wanted to do.

Fast Forward To 2008

Jeanie and I were returning to Melbourne from Hawaii, on Hawaiian Airlines.

As we boarded the plane Jeanie said to me I think today you should sit in the middle seat, as I usually end up being squashed between you and the person sitting on the other side of me.

At that time, I weighed 111kilos, and I understood what she was saying. Usually I would always take the aisle seat to give me more room, which left her the middle seat in the set of 3 seats, so she invariably did not have much room to move, especially if the third person was also overweight.

At that time, our Business had us making the 14 hour trip from Melbourne to LA several times a year, and I guess she was just over it!

When we got home I made an announcement that I was going to lose weight…..

This was a familiar story for Jeanie, as I was a real YoYo dieter, losing weight only to promptly gain it back again within a few months.

Jeanie had supported me through a great variety of weight loss programs and I’m sure she thought "Here we go again!’

I have experienced challenges with my weight my entire lifetime.

I recall in my childhood, adults commenting and saying to my parents

It’s only puppy fat, she will grow out of it.

Unfortunately that was not the case and I continued the weight struggle through adolescence and into adulthood.

Not long after that fateful flight, and my announcement that I was going to lose weight, I announced I was going to run the Boston Marathon.

I was so fed up with my size, and how awful I felt, and although I had no idea what it would take, I made a decision that would change my life!

I started to walk around the block at night when it was dark, so no one could see me. I did this for some time huffing and puffing my way round the block night after night in an oversized T Shirt and track pants. I kept that T Shirt for years and wore it as a nightshirt, to remind me of how far I had come.

It was a real struggle for the first few weeks, however when I make a decision I find things really can change. Jeanie, who is an awesome cook, created wonderful nourishing meals for me, and gradually I began to lose a few kilos.

Then one day I was out with Jeanie and we went past a little fitness studio. I was immediately drawn to go in and speak to the woman inside.

Her name was Michelle.

I asked her if she thought I could run the Boston Marathon?

She asked me if I had a pulse? To which I replied Of course I do!!.

She replied, Then you can run the Boston Marathon.

I asked Michelle if she would help me reach my goal, and she agreed to train me.

I worked the program she gave me in a most diligent manner and she could see I was 100 percent committed to achieving my goal. She gave me her total support.

Some time later, Michelle suggested that I enter a 15kms race in Apollo Bay along the Great Ocean Road in Victoria. The reason she suggested that race was that my race would be on Saturday, and on Sunday there would be a Marathon.

She thought it was a good idea for me to go and watch, to understand how it all worked. This turned out to be great advice.

The day of the race, it was very wet and the wind was howling.

It was a two hour drive to Apollo Bay, and as I drove down the Great Ocean Road, with the rain pouring down and periods of hail pelting on the windscreen, Jeanie repeatedly asked me if I was sure I wanted to do this!

Another defining moment for me!

I said that I was going to participate in that race no matter what, and participate I did!

Early in the morning before we left, I thought I’d better go and buy myself a jacket to run in because the weather did not look good at all. I ended up having to purchase a suitable jacket from a cyclist store as there wasn’t anything available in my size in any of the running stores.

That trusty green jacket has been around the world protecting me from some wild weather. These days it is way too big for me however I keep it as a treasure never to be thrown out.

As I lined up with the other runners, I was so nervous I was nearly sick because I did not look like a runner, and nor did I feel like one.

Jeanie waived me off with a very worried look..

Lots of the participants took off at great speed, and I began my slow running pace. Once we rounded the bend and were out of sight I was surprised to see a lot of the runners began to walk.

My running pace is sometimes slower than the walkers, however I decided I had committed to RUN the race which I did till the very end.

As I approached the finish line, with only four other people left behind me, there in the distance was Jeanie and one official and not another soul in sight.

The rest of the field had finished the race long ago and left to celebrate.

When she saw me coming along Jeanie looked very anxious, and when I was at the finish line, she rushed out to say she was so worried something had happened to me.

That night I could hardly walk, everything was sore. I had a spa thinking all would be well in the morning, not so, I had soreness in muscles I didn’t know I had !!

The next day we watched the Marathon, and I was completely in awe of these people and their courage. I was amazed at how easy some of them made the process look.

As we drove home that afternoon, back to Melbourne, I was more determined than ever before to achieve this life long dream, although I had no idea how that would happen.

I did some smaller runs around Melbourne, most of them in the city, as I prepared for my first half Marathon. It was lovely to see another side of this beautiful city. It is such a different perspective when you are running on the usually busy major streets in a big city.

March 2009

We had moved to Queensland at the end of the previous year, confident in our thriving business, and the opportunity to enjoy a warmer climate.

It was great, however life is not always a smooth ride!

The Company we were with moved the goal post

Our business went belly-up over night and we were insolvent…

Bankruptcy was upon us.. No Job and no business. I did however apply for 500 jobs to no avail. I received 3 interviews. One of those jobs was a counselling job in Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory..

Mostly people did not want to employ a woman who had spent most of her life being self employed, and someone who has a mind of her own.

At this time I became more determined to find a way to run the Boston Marathon.

In May 2009 I participated in my first Half Marathon in Melbourne, Australia.

This was to prepare me for my very first full Marathon, in Rotorua, New Zealand

August 2009.

I chose New Zealand, as this was my birth place.

I was very nervous about travelling overseas.

Because of the bankruptcy, I had to approach my Trustee to obtain my passport which he held, and also to get a letter of authority to leave the country. Quite a traumatic and shaming experience to be in that situation.

At the airport I was sweating waiting on customs to ask me for the Trustee letter and I had no idea what to say to them.

Guess what, they didn’t ask for my letter of authority.

All that stress for nothing!

You know, ninety percent of what we worry and stress about, never actually happens, which is why I now work at being in the present moment. It’s really the only place where our actions and decisions truly are effective.

Breathing a big sigh of relief, I was now able to just enjoy the experience.

My sister Jude, who lives in Auckland, drove us down to Rotorua, and our friend Coral from Melbourne travelled with us.

My Sister in-law Diane, from Christchurch and her friend Vicki, flew up to join us. Now we had the cheer squad complete.

The day was quite cold and the wind was coming off Lake Rotorua at the start line.

I was not sure what emotions I had, swinging from excitement to pure nervousness.

It was a very humbling experience..

I found my pace for the race and settled in with the job at hand.

There were a few of us running or some might say nearly walking together.

There were also walkers participating in the Marathon. I was surprised at their pace.

At one of the water stations a lovely young man gave me a cup of water and said water for the walker. I said to him I might look like I am walking but believe me I am running. He apologised and then I started laughing.

My sister Jude, Coral and Jeanie were travelling around the course in Jude’s (My sister’s) little yellow car.

They would sit and wait for me to appear, then all of a sudden they would all jump out of the car together yelling Go My Sister!

At the same time they would wave a big piece of cardboard very vigorously with the words Go My Sister on it.

After a while the other people running the same pace as me would shout out to me Go My Sister at about the