WELCOME TO THE MOVING FORWARD MARY-THON™!

Our motto is:  FINISHING = WINNING!   When you finish your Mary-thon – you are truly a WINNER!!!!

NO RUNNING REQUIRED!
Just regular exercise!

WHAT IS A MARY-THON?  A Mary-thon is a 26 WEEK fitness program where YOU set a fitness goal, YOU decide what type of exercise(s) you are ABLE to do, YOU commit to exercise throughout the 26 weeks and I (Mary) provide you with the inspiration, motivation and applause along the way.  

IS THIS SIMILAR TO A MARATHON?  Not exactly…Although both are fitness events, a Marathon is a 26.2 mile long distance foot race and the Mary-thon is a 26 WEEK fitness program.    A Marathon is usually an event that involves running, but you do NOT need to be a runner in order to be a Mary-thoner. 

WHAT DO I GET FOR MY REGISTRATION FEE?  You receive the Moving Forward Mary-thon™ Workbook, aluminum water bottle, tracking sheet, racing bib and pledge when you start, motivational e-mails, blog and Facebook updates throughout your journey, personal encouragement as needed, and a beautiful finishers medal and certificate when you finish!  PROJECT LINUS receives a $10 donation for your registration.  It’s as simple as that.   CLICK HERE for more details.    

WHAT EXACTLY DO I NEED TO DO?  You DO need to commit to regular exercise for 26 weeks with the following guidelines:

1. Regular exercise means 30 minutes per day, 5 days per week (for the Full Mary-thon) or 3 days per week (for the Half Mary-thon) for 26 week.  
2. You design your own personal workout by selecting the exercises that best suit your abilities, health and physical endurance.  **Be sure to check with your physician BEFORE beginning any fitness program, including the Mary-thon!
3. Walking, running, weight lifting, elipitcal, yoga, Zumba, stair stepping, swimming, etc. are just a few of the many ways you may want to try.   
4. The Moving Forward Mary-thon™ Workbook also contains several GREAT workouts with three levels of intensity – Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced if you need some suggestions.  The best part is that if you cannot exercise for 30 minutes straight, you are allowed to break up your workout into manageable increments (5-10 minutes each) as you build your endurance, energy level and strength.        
5. You MUST report your progress to Mary along the way.  It’s the Honor System!  You are welcome to e-mail Mary (mary@marython.net) as often as you like with your questions, concerns, successes, and progress.  Minimally, you MUST report in quarterly (Week #6, #13, #19 AND when you finish).  
6. The “Starting Gun” goes off on January 1, 2013 but you can start (or restart if necessary) any time after January 1.  As long as there are 26 weeks left in the year you will be able to finish your Mary-thon
7. Our FAQ’s page gives you more details by answering some questions posed by other Mary-thoners.  CLICK HERE  

WHY DOES THE MARY-THON WORK?  Working together supporting each other, being accountable to someone (YOU and Mary), making a financial commitment, signing a pledge, and being rewarded for completing our goal is why the Mary-thon is successful.   

1. You make a financial commitment 
2. You sign a pledge
3. You track your progress in your workbook and report your progress to Mary regularly.  
4. You will receive motivational support throughout your Mary-thon
5. You will be awarded a beautiful finisher’s medal when you finish!
6. You will become stronger and more physically fit as a result of 26 weeks of regular exercise AND  you will be supporting a charity through your participation.

THOUGHTS FROM A FEW MOVING FORWARD MARY-THON™ FINISHERS:                “I have established a nearly daily exercise habit, I’m exercising longer than I used to, I’ve learned how to push past not wanting to do exercise, I’m walking faster (and uphill too), & I’m trying new exercises.” 

“I’ve lost 22 pounds but more importantly, my blood pressure went from 171/108 to 105/63 and I’m off all blood pressure meds. I just had my yearly physical and my doc was thrilled with the progress.  I’m still doing my 5 days a week and will from now on…it’s a habit now. “ 

“I continue to “keep on keeping on”.  I’m all for the extra years of life exercise can give me. I’m convinced that exercise and eating healthily are the keys to my continuing remission.“ 

“We finished our Mary-thon!  We plan on going strong—we hope forever!  Thank you for encouraging us—it has truly blessed our lives.” 

“I’m done, I’m done, I’m finally done!!! Woo Hoo   I finished…and I am over the moon with excitement that I finished!”  

“I am so pleased to FINALLY email you to report I have accomplished the Mary-thon! I’m so grateful to be a part of it all and so pleased to be a finisher. I find myself thinking about exercise more and having a better appreciation and understanding of being “active.” AND recently when my doctor asked me if I exercised and how often, I about busted with pride when I told him five days a week! Thanks for the motivation!” 

 “I’m done!! Woo Hoo! But – I’m still working out – go figure. Thank you so much for setting this up – I have definitely amped up my work outs. THANK YOU!!!!

If you’re interested in a more modified program – you may want to consider the Mini Mary-thon.  The Mini Mary-thon is a 12 week program where you commit to exercise 30 minutes per day, three days per week.  CLICK HERE for details on what the Mini Mary-thon includes on our registration page.