Running With Achilles

Not long ago, after I took up running, I became vaguely aware of the Achilles Track Club (recently re-named Achilles International). Although I knew just a little bit about them, when a running friend of mine talked about wanting to become an Achilles guide for disabled athletes, I nodded and noted "me, too."

But in all honesty, I felt very intimidated by the notion. I'd never even met a blind person. Guiding a person with a disability through a run or a race felt daunting, to say the least.

I now know that Achilles International, is an organization that, as also presented on its website, has developed programs of support for athletes with disabilities, including adults and children.

And I know more than that. Achilles is a family. A community. A breath of fresh air.

Last year I saw a posting on the Flyers website by former NY Flyers President Heidi C. who was recruiting a guide for the Falmouth Road Race. Although it didn't work with my schedule, Heidi had planted a seed in my head.

After trading e-mails with Heidi, and upon her putting me in touch with Laura D. -- a wonderful volunteer at Achilles who co-leads the twice-weekly group workouts along with Andy A. -- I got up the nerve to show up for one of the Saturday morning work-outs that meets every Saturday at 10AM at Engineers Gate in Central Park.

When I arrived, I quickly was welcomed and made to feel comfortable by the organizers, athletes and other guides. I then was introduced to Michelle L., a partially blind athlete, and we set off with another guide for a jog around the Reservoir.

Guiding wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t beyond me either. I found that a lot of it merely involved friendly chatting, but also required me to stay alert, and to provide important verbal cues to ensure the safety of Michelle and those around us with whom there might be potential for collision.

I learned from Michelle and from others who I've guided that the verbal cues need to be very specific. For example, it’s not sufficient to blurt out something like: "hey, there’s a person walking slowly up ahead." Rather, it’s important to calmly and clearly say "hey, there’s a person walking about 5 strides up ahead so let’s move to the right."

Concurrently, as guide, I might gently direct the athlete around a person or other obstacle by using a tether – the athlete holds onto one end and the guide the other end. And sometimes it's necessary to alert others that we're coming by so that they don't step out in front of us.

There's quite a broad diversity of Achilles athletes. Some walk for fitness, others race in wheel chairs, some are amputees or are blind and can out pace most of us NY Flyers, some run marathons, some are triathletes (Heidi C. oversees the NYC Achilles Triathlete Program), some jog for fun and camaraderie, etc.

My most challenging experience was when I got to guide Achilles athlete Eddie M. on a Flyers/Urban Athletics 20-mile Three-Bridges training run through Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn and back to Manhattan. With the help of another guide, we kept up with the 8:30/mi pace group through Central Park, over to and down along the Hudson River, and up to the Brooklyn Bridge until pedestrian traffic on the bridge slowed us down.

We completed the entire run back to the UES Urban Athletics Store, with Eddie (a Masters runner) going on the following month to complete the Chicago Marathon in 3:44:28.

Once I brought my pre-teen daughter with me who’s a swimmer and very fit. We joined two other guides and ran with an amputee for as long as my daughter could keep up, which was not as long as either of us expected -- he was fast!

I also participated in an NYRR race as an Achilles guide, successfully co-guiding wheelchair racer Bill R. in the NYRR Club Team Championships to a 15:39/mile five-mile finish of 1:18:16. We were the final two finishers in the entire race, and I got goose-bumps from the cheers for Bill as we approached the finish line.

An exciting announcement from NYRR is that the 2010 Hope and Possibility Race on June 27th – an event that brings together athletes with disabilities and able-bodied athletes in a celebration of running – will be an ING NYC Marathon qualifier for the very first time!

I’m no expert on Achilles, and I know that other NY Flyers also are Achilles volunteers. I’ve barely gotten my feet wet (or my running shoes worn) getting to know the Achilles folks and the organization.

But I’ve seen enough to know that Achilles truly is a family. I’ve been invited by Achilles athletes to join them for post work-out brunch. I’ve begun to develop friendships. I’ve learned much from the remarkable athletes and volunteers. And I intend to stay involved.

Flyers who are interested in more information about guiding or otherwise about Achilles are welcome to contact me directly at runnersarefunner (at) yahoo.com or by commenting on this blog posting. I’ll do my best to answer questions, provide information, and/or put you in touch with others who can tell you more.

Go Achilles! Go Flyers!
- Dave K.