As I sit here with my not quite Frankenstein legs the day after my first half marathon, I think back to all the varying moments from yesterday. The story of a race can get a little blurry, you start, you run, (if you’re me you walk) you finish. Yet there are all the little moments that are captured in between. Some of those moments that stand out for me include:

• finding so many Achilles friends before the race and how we were all there for each other
• pushing through the throngs of people to find our corral
• my guide Marcie picking up discarded trash rain ponchos for the three of us while we waited in the rain
• Larry being his race social butterfly self and finding an old friend who stayed with us for 3km
• seeing at least 3 signs that said “If Trump can run, so can you!”
• the cop marshal who finally had a response to Larry’s cheer of where’s the beer?…the reply was, “in the other direction”
• the different bands and cheering sections that pumped me full of energy
• cheering all the Achilles members we saw on course, Yes I knew it was you Randy when you yelled out Pinky! And no I wasn’t offended.
• the woman with squeaky shoes that we kept passing and then she would catch us, I finally asked her name, it was Helen, at one point I turned to her and joked, he’s all about where’s the beer station, I’m just waiting for the shuttle bus! She laughed and said me too!
• our moments of race karaoke, I had compiled a list of cheesy 80/90 songs to sing along to and Marcie had loaded them on her phone
• how quiet it got at the back of the pack when we were eastbound on Lakeshore and the cheering was minimal and they were starting to cleanup the water stations
• thinking how many streetcar tracks there are in downtown Toronto
• pulling out my song at the 20km marker and belting out I Will Survive just as we passed through an underpass, it had an amazing echo, Marcie said we got a few crazy looks and might have embarrassed Larry a bit
• how good it felt to cross the finish line and know there was no farther left to go
• the funny pictures we took afterwards, posing all wrapped up in the space blanket. It wasn’t the best race for me, I hit the wall at 16km. And when I say hit the wall I will admit that it was trying to run to the 16km marker, slowing down into a walk with no breath left and just bursting into tears. I was able to put it back together enough to keep going, Those last 5.1 kilometers were pretty rough. In the end I achieved my goal and ended up with a pace and time that was smack dab in the middle of what I had predicted.

If you had asked me five years ago if I could picture myself completing a half marathon my answer would have been hell no! And that is the victory. One congratulations I received while I was still emotional and overwhelmed was “it’s hard but that’s what makes it special”. Amen.

Lisa

I wanted to give a race report for the Scotia Bank Half Marathon. Firstly, I didn’t know prior to running how much I had from an endurance perspective how much I had to give that was needed to run a race. This is important, as this is the first time in my own life that I had to sustain actual effort to complete a goal. Always previously, slowing down when reaching a pain point or a level of discomfort meant I had the option to “dial it back” This denied me the opportunity to push boundaries and to challenge what I was actually capable of. When I am out on the course, and the running is difficult, reaching into myself to find the reserve needed to keep going is a new experience. The act is deliberate and specific because there is nothing but you and the time. It all is honest. There are no shortcuts to performance but the hard line of the time. Options narrow, you either rise to the occasion or you do not. Actions and intentions are specific. The feeling of being close to a personal best out on the course can either spur motivation or drive you down. Finding the reserve to achieve can unlock the mystical.

When I knew that I was close to a personal best, I increased effort to a flagging second half run. During the race, I do not want to know the minutia of my run. My body tells me what I am capable of; but within some space, my body can grant me the space to achieve and to excel. By achieving a personal best I was granted the privilege of without knowing in advance I could. But indeed achieve, showing that I could.

By writing this, I want others to know that it is ‘ok’ to reach within that well of yourself and extract the best you can offer as a person. To push boundaries, to reach forward as an individual. It is a uniquely human and important experience. It would be my wish that others whom are Achilles athletes know and experience this opportunity because each person has more to give to achieve then they believe themselves possible.

Grant Robinson

I just got back from Wolfville NS, where I ran the Harvest Valley 50k Ultra with Sean Dixon, a guide with White Rabbit Pacing in Nova Scotia! Sean and Mike Kennedy ran the Ultra with me and we crossed the finish line 2 minutes shy of my goal of 5 hrs! 4:57:36!! Once again thanks to Achilles for finding these wonderful people who are willing to assist people on their run journeys!

Jeff Robinson

Written by Achilles athlete Michael Alzamora from Toronto:

Hi there Jared,

Thank you for a most memorable experience sharing 21.1 Km with me. I rank today’s run just as likeable as my first half in Mississauga when I crossed the line in 1:43 hrs some 8 years ago.

I was somewhat disappointed when I crossed the finish in 2:13 hrs. I really wanted to go under 2 hours. So why was this Half marathon as happily memorable as my first half?

I told you I was poorly trained but I didn’t tell you to what extent. I had no build up. My training consisted of running 2 times a week. One 10K and long runs of only 16K. Four weeks before the race I did a 21K LSD run.

I think it was lofty of me to ask you to guide me for under 2 hrs. I should have been more honest with you.

Despite my lack of training I came short of 2 hrs by 13 minutes. I couldn’t have achieved our time without your encouragement in the final grueling kilometres. For that my friend, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

This race was a learning experience.  I am taking a lot from it:

1. I am more suited to the Half Marathon than the Full Marathon.
2. I have to be disciplined with my training.  Meaning, at least a 16 week build up.  This includes running at least 5 days a week, including a long build up of long runs.  Something that I’ve been told by a lot of people is to do some speed work.
3. I was wondering if we could keep in touch via email and have you give me tips on training.  I understand if your busy life doesn’t allow it.

Gratefully yours,

Michael Alzamora

I am a visually impaired runner from Ontario who is running a marathon in all the provinces, to date I have managed to not get lost, fall in a pot hole or trip over a curb by running alone. (The only time I have gotten lost was in a 5k run and the funny thing is a dozen other people followed me – only to find we had only ran 4.5 km). After finding out about Achilles I inquired about having a guide for the Queen City Marathon in Regina and was contacted by a Guide – Rob. After corresponding and finding out his finish time was generally sub 3 ½ hrs, he knew he could get me to the finish line under my goal of sub 4 hours.

We arrived the day before the race so had little time to meet, but Rob graciously offered to pick us up from the airport and take us to the race expo and our hotel! A stop at Timmies gave us the opportunity to get to know each other! Rob then picked us up in the morning and knew where ideal parking was for the marathon! I finished my marathon in 3:55 ! We both went into this relationship blindly and it turned out to be a fantastic experience and Rob has offered to meet in another province in the future as I complete my bucket list. Thanks to Achilles for creating this service.

Jeff Robinson

Hi Mike, I hope June is going well for you so far.

My sore legs from the Ottawa Marathon are long gone now. That run with you is now one of those experiences that I like to think about and talk about. It was definitely the most meaningful running race I’ve done. Those last 10k were the toughest ever but I think that made the whole race that much more meaningful.

I’m just enjoying running at the moment but thinking of a fall marathon and considering Boston 2017.

Thanks again for helping me have such a great experience in Ottawa. I did not buy any race photos. I’ve attached the 2 photos that best represent our run together.

Best regards,

Chris

I was like so many others. A child of proud Military Men & Women, lining up to show our support in The Army Run’s 10th race. I trained (but not hard enough) and proudly arrived early (But not too early) to shake the hands of the men & women who were soldiering on. It was going to be a hot race day. 39 plus with the humidex. Our 5K wounded & ill category was to go first. I was racing a bike I had never used before. A recumbent Catrike Speed. My guides lined up with me. David Shaw on his 2 wheeler would be my snow plow. A term we lovingly give to the person who has to clear the path or warn me of any bumps, potholes or people. It’s an extra challenge since I am also visually impaired. His partner Cheryl stayed back at the starting line up with my RX, the handcycle I would use in the second leg of the Vimy Challenge. The 10K. It went smoothly through the first leg. We were given 45 minutes maximum to complete the 5K and line up for the 10K. We took a leisurely 21 minutes.

Then I switched to the handcycle. As we started the 10K the first thing I noticed was that I was struggling. The RX was causing me to labour right out of the shoot and then the chain fell off my handcycle. My guide circled back to help me and before I could even sit up, the men and women from “soldiering on” surrounded me. They held the bike still and loaded up my chain all the while telling me that I could do it. I set off again with great patriotic pride but I was still labouring. I began to get muscle cramps and for the life of me I could not figure out what was wrong. Every so often as tears of frustration ran down my cheeks, i would feel the helping hands of those brave men & women giving me a boost from behind. Around the 5K mark in the 10K event, my guide shouted out that my brakes were on! Well no wonder I was struggling. The last 5K were a breeze by comparison. I had my second wind and I was only battling the heat for the last 5K. Those men and women were true heroes and showed such sportsmanship that it continues to bring tears to my eyes in the telling of this event.

I went to support them. They raced to support me. We never leave a man behind they told me. It’s what we do, they told me. & that is what our men & women of our military taught me.

Achilles Athlete

Written by Achilles athlete Norah Broughton:

Dear ALL Achilles Members

I wanted to thank you all for all that I was able to be accepted into the New York City Marathon. As well as, informing me that I got chosen and the faith you had in me.

Furthermore, I appreciate all e-mails, phone calls, newsletters, accommodation/hospitablity and transportation assistance.

I wanted give special mention to the guides I had: Monica, Molly, and Sloan. It was just fantastic to run with them throughout the Marathon. I do keep in-touch with them. That said, the Race Expo where you picked up your race-kit was really worth while.

The pasta dinner on the Friday night, and the Luncheon for the Canadian athletes + other countries that were there as well was very worth while. I was very pleased to meet Dick Traum during the weekend as well. He’s done so much for Achilles International.

I am very thankful for all the hard-work that everyone puts in for all the athletes. To organize all the volunteers and guides must be one daunting task, which is very impressive. I had a wonderful weekend.

It’s one of the best Marathons I’ve ever done, and being able to participate in one of the top Marathons in the world is an honor.

Best regards,
Norah Broughton

This was my third year running the Achilles St. Patrick’s Day Race. Having become an Achilles regular, March has come to mean a new green t-shirt, a bowl of chili and a fun and supportive 5km race! This year was no exception.I wasn’t really training in any specific way for the 5km distance. After having achieve my goal of stretching my distance to 10km, I wanted to work on extending my run endurance so I could run more and walk less during my runs. This was a work in progress. Some weeks I could do more laps on the track, and other weeks I couldn’t, making me feel like I was running in place and doubting if I was gaining any ground on my run endurance. My guides and fellow athletes were always supportive and told me I was making progress. I focused on just showing up and putting in the mileage no matter how much running versus walking there was on a particular day. My guide Kathy has a favourite saying: “look at us, we’re getting it done!” and that kind of became my mantra.

The week before the race, the talk at our post-run/walk brunch was about everyone’s expected times and goals for the race. The past two years my goal had been 45 minutes. I got close the first year but still hadn’t made this goal yet. In “getting it done” I had never timed my runs and didn’t have a clear idea of what my time was. I secretly hoped it was faster than 45 but thought this was a realistic time to aim for, especially since just getting to 45 min would be a personal best.

The day of the race held a great spring day. There were lots of runners walking around in shorts instead of the multi layers and frozen hair of the past two wintery years. I made it to the race site with my guide Heather, her partner Daniel, my sister Sandra and her guide Iola. We quickly found the Achilles gang and chatted with everyone before the race. I managed to squeeze in just that one extra plumbing maintenance break before making it out to the start line. Heather and I made our way into the pack, trying to be near the middle. There is always such a buzz of energy at a start line. I did my warm-up wiggles to the fun music while waiting in anticipation. We cheered on the wheelchair start and then yelled out our own start countdown. Heather had told me that the game plan was to start by running. I agreed and after slowly making our way to the start, we finally crossed the time chip and were off!

That first run section I tried to keep running as long as I could. I definitely had more motivation to push a little harder than in my training runs. I let my legs and breathing tell me when it was time to walk. I think one of the main differences was that I didn’t let the walk breaks get to be more than what I needed to recover. Heather was also a great guide and coach, encouraging me the whole way. It helped that I was familiar with the route, I remember on the way back we passed Simcoe street running and I thought okay, let’s just run to York. Taking the race in little bites and chunks made the distance easier to swallow!

There was lots of cheering on the route, from the marshals as well from the other runners. Heather kept an eye out for all our team mates. With her being a part of both Black toe and Achilles, we had lots of people to cheer for! Those little shout out moments were like little bursts of supportive fuel. Though apparently if you want to coordinate a blind hi-five, I need a bit more verbal info to actually make it happen.

Finally, and yes even in a 5km it still feels like finally, we were making the turn into the home stretch. My legs felt pretty good and the race had held more running than walking which had been my goal. I got my wires crossed on how far away we were from the finish line. I took off at a dead run a bit too far away from the finish line. I then needed to take a short walk break to put a bit more fuel in the tank for the real final stretch. I did manage to cross the finish line running but I could only get one sprint section out of my legs!

I was standing there huffing and puffing while Heather exuberantly congratulated my effort. She said the clock had said about 42 minutes when we crossed. I wasn’t able to absorb my time right then and went to have our recovery food and catch the awards and speeches. It wasn’t until I got home and saw my chip time of 41.46 that I really felt the impact of my accomplishment. This was more than I had hoped for. I e-mailed one of my regular guides who hadn’t been at the race with the subject line, you won’t believe it! Her response back was, Yeah I can! It meant that all that hard work and those sore muscles and getting up early on the weekends had made a difference. “Getting it done” had gotten me past my goal to a new personal best!

I have always liked the Achilles’ slogan of “running beyond disability”. It means running beyond all that ablest negativity that is so often heaped upon people with disabilities. For me, there has also been the meaning of running beyond body shaming and having been that kid who was made to sit on the bench in gym class. It was like with each step my body was healing my heart and teaching my mind what I can do. That is the power of Achilles. And it is mighty!

Lisa D

Written by Achilles athlete Jeff Orchard from London, Ontario:

The St Patrick’s Day Achilles 5k
Steam Whistle Brewery, Toronto, Ontario, Sunday, March 18

I still get nervous at the start of the Achilles 5K, though I have participated in the annual event – the marquee race for Achilles’ athletes in the Greater Toronto Area — often.

It’s an anxiousness that stems from wanting your friends to do well, and hoping your guiding works out all right. I wouldn’t trade that anxiousness for
anything.

This race is like coming home for me.

It’s a chance to reconnect with all the wonderful people I met through my 10 years or so connection with Achilles Canada.

I would be guiding my friend Chris White in our second preparation race this year for a spring marathon. The Achilles 5K race starts at the Steam Whistle roundhouse (an old railway station), in the shadow of the CN Tower.

We were also looking to help out our mutual friend Geza Fenyo, who, like Chris, is a veteran Achilles’ athlete. It was our honour as well to run with guides Monica Lee, and Todd Shannon.

This shorter distance was a small concern. Chris was fit, but hadn’t done any speed work. We had a long warm-up (about 30 min), but found it a challenge at the start to ramp up quickly to our goal pace of 4:10 to 4:30/kilometre. Tackling a hill at race start, and negotiating the crowds at also took vigilance.

Chris settled into a good rhythm by 2K. We stayed as close to Geza, and his guides Todd and Monica. The spectators and other achilles’ runners helped a great deal in that respect, too, overwhelming us with their one-of-a-kind enthusiasm and support.

Geza left nothing out there, giving everything he had for last half of the race, fighting fatigue. He and Chris finished together in a great time of just over 21 and a half minutes, good for top 3rd and 4th spots for Achilles’ athletes.

Geza and Chris were more than satisfied with their own efforts and their race results. The beer and chili, though taken in earlier than advisable at 11am on a Sunday, was a worthy reward, not to mention all the post race stories, pictures and instant nostalgia. Wouldn’t trade that for anything either.

Jeff Orchard