Race Report: Achilles 5M Hope and Possibility

On Sunday, I took part in the most inspiring race I know, Achilles' own annual 5 mile Hope and Possibility race in Central Park.

It was founded along with Trisha Meili, the Central Park Jogger, who was brutally attacked while jogging in Central Park in 1989.  She nearly died from her injuries, but battled back and even ran the NYC marathon in 1995.  She is now a motivational speaker and on the board of Achilles.  The race takes its name from her (fantastic) book, I Am The Central Park Jogger: A Story of Hope and Possibility, and attracts people with all kinds of disabilities.


The team I ran with was Team A Step Ahead from my prosthetics company.   We were a kicking crew of about 30 amputees, from 5 year olds to 50 year olds, and varying athletic abilities.

The race started at 9.00 am when it was already hot.  I was feeling good as I started out, and decided to give it my all and see how well I could do.

Hand-crankers at the start.  All photos by kind permission of Rachel Van de Voorde.

All round the course I was inspired by the runners with disabilities taking on the course with their own particular challenges.  Army veterans running on one, or two prosthetic legs.  Strange as it may sound, I've always felt somewhat 'lucky' that I was born with my disability, so I never had the shock of suddenly having to adjust to life without a limb - it's all I've ever known.    People with cerebral palsy in wheelchairs, some pushing themselves backwards.  Blind runners.  Autistic runners.  Also around me - people with traumatic brain injuries and the like - 'invisible' disabilities to others, but just as challenging.  

In evidence today:  people who refuse to be daunted by their challenges, are determined to overcome them; give it their best, and in so doing, regardless of their final time, bring out the very best in the human spirit.

Around mile 3 I finally found my stride, huffed and puffed up and down the hills on the West side of Central Park, and crossed the line with a thumping heart, final time 46.25.

After that, my favourite part of the race:  cheering in the rest of the runners over the finish line, mixing with Achilles athletes and volunteers and the A Step Ahead team, and even catching up with Dick Traum, the founder of Achilles; the man who started it all.   No better way to spend a Sunday morning.

With Dick Traum, founder of Achilles International

Half Mile Hudson Swim

To help prepare for the NYC Triathlon next month, on Sunday morning I did a half mile swim in the Hudson, organized by Urban Swim.  Just getting access to the Hudson is not an easy thing - it is normally illegal, probably because of the strong currents and amount of ship traffic, but for this event, Urban Swim managed to scratch a few backs and twist a few knobs with various people working for authorities like the NYPD, Coastguard, Port Authorities etc, and got the green light to lay this event on.

Rachel and I met with Kat and Tessa from Achilles around 9.00 am to be signed in for the event, with about 40 other swimmers taking part.  At about 10.00 am, we were taken out in 2 boats up to about 100th Street, and then had to swim back down the river to another boat that would take us back to the dock.

I still get quite a bit of anxiety about swimming, so I need all the practice I can get.  I've found there are so many components - getting used to being in a wetsuit (which can feel claustrophobic and constricting), getting the breathing, swimming, and kicking all in sync (easier said than done), as well as the sighting, to make sure you're actually going in the right direction.

After being taken up the river, we had to wait around in the boat until 11.00 am sharp, until we were allowed in the water.  The waiting wasn't ideal, as this is when the old nerves can build up, and as the day was starting to warm up we were starting to boil in our wetsuits.

We were finally told we could pass the timing chips on our wrists over the mat at the back of the boat and jump into the river.

When I first got in I just couldn't get comfortable; in fact for the first five minutes I'd say I was really struggling, doing my best not to panic.  The water was colder than I expected, and I was hyper-ventilating; I don't know if it was from the cold or from the anxiety.  I was finding it hard to get into a rhythm, and took a couple of mouthfuls of water in.

Coughing and spluttering, for a brief moment I thought I wouldn't be able to make it.  One thing Urban Swim had done though was provide volunteer kayakers to help any swimmers in distress, and when I looked up, I could see one who'd noticed me struggling and asked me if I was OK.  Knowing back-up was close by, and it would be VERY hard to drown in a wetsuit, I decided I should do my best to get a grip and try to get my composure back.

Sure enough, after a brief panic about my nose-clip falling off (obligatory in all my swims), I was able to get some rhythm, and slowly but surely the target boat started getting bigger and within reach.

The current in the Hudson is so strong that you wouldn't actually need to take any strokes and you could complete the swim; my final time was 13 mins 23 seconds to cover about 800 metres.  It would have taken me at least double that in a swimming pool, and the fastest swimmer did it in just 8 minutes.

After the swim:  John Nunez, Tessa, Kat, Rachel, Ben

Getting on to the boat proved a bit tricky as I couldn't grab the stairs on the back of the boat, due to the current being so strong, and for about 10 seconds I had nightmarish (and maybe slightly drama-queenish) visions of being sucked under the boat and dying a tragic, premature, watery death, before being hauled out by Rachel and another helper on the back of the boat.

This swim was great preparation for the tri next month.  Even though it was 800 metres, and the tri will be 1600, the important thing is to get used to the feeling nerves before getting into the water, to keep calm when you dive in, and to find your composure as soon as possible so you can be relaxed in your breathing and start concentrating on your stroke.  Fingers crossed, when I get into the Hudson next month, everything will be OK.

Austin ParaTriathlon Nationals

Team Achilles at the Finish Line

Last week-end I took my first trip down to Texas with Achilles for the National Paratriathlon finals.  Whoever won this event in one of the six categories would go on to represent the US in the International finals in New Zealand later this year. The six categories are: TRI1; wheelchair user; TRI2 severe leg impairment (my category), TRI3, les autres, TRI4, arm impairment, moderate leg impairment, and TRI6, visual impairment.  The distances of the race:  750 metre swim, 20k bike, and 5k run.

The day before the race I went for a classification meeting and was told that I couldn't compete in the Nationals, as I'm not a US citizen, but I could still race in the Open Classification wave, which left about 10 minutes after everyone else.  I was OK with this - it meant less pressure competing against other people in my category, so I could just focus on completing my swim and then enjoying the rest of the event.

Daniel Tratt exits the water

Exiting the water and helped by handlers into transition

On the day of the event, I awoke at 4.45 am to travel over to the transition area to get set up for a 7.10 am start, along with the rest of my Achilles team-mates.  Looking back, the wait for the start was the hardest part of the whole day.  I felt a strange mixture of emotions; I was definitely nervous about panicking in the swim and not completing the race, but I also felt excitement and was really choked up that I was part of such a prestigious event.  When I came to the U.S. nearly 10 years ago I could bike, but I definitely couldn't run or swim - competing in a triathlon seemed completely off limits to me.

I took the choking up to a new level after having entering a particularly foul-smelling port-o-loo.  I did very nearly throw up, but just about held it together and by the time it came to get my wetsuit on for the start, I was able to get it together and focus on just finishing the swim.

Our wave had to get in the water and wait a couple of minutes before the gun went off.  When it did, I felt calm and just knew I had to go slow but steady, and not hyperventilate, to make sure I could get round the water course, marked by large yellow buoys.  We were swimming in the river in downtown Austin; the water was completely flat and also warm, which helped.

Once I got into my stride, I felt fine, even though I was zig-zagging along a bit.  I'd put my head down, swim for a bit, and then find I'd gone off course.  However I was able to finish the swim comfortably and was excited to exit the water having just finished my longest ever swim - 750 metres.

Lamar Brown and Drew Garrison cross the finish line

Crossing the line

With the help of a handler assigned to me, Karyn, I got changed into my biking gear and was out of the transition area for the course around downtown Austin.  My new bike felt really good.  It was a flat course with just a few climbs and turns, so I was able to get some decent speed up.

Well deserved ice-bath!

After the bike, I came in and then just had the 5k run to complete.  It was quite hot by the time I started the run, but I felt OK and after I'd run for 10 minutes or so felt like I was getting into my stride.     I crossed the finish line with a final time of 1.48.

My final splits were: swim: 27 mins, bike: 40.40 (18.2 mph av), run 28.49 (9.18 min/mile).  The winner of my category won it in 1.27, so I would have been well off pace, but I was happy with my performance and I'm now looking forward to the Olympic distance tri in New York in July.

The next couple of days I had to look around Austin before coming home.  Overall it was a great week-end.  I met some new friends, met some inspiring athletes, and experienced great Texan hospitality, particularly from Joe Paschall, who put about 12 Achilles team members up in house one night, and Andrew Smith, his guide, who had some people from Achilles over for a BBQ on our last night in town.

Preparing for Austin ParaTriathlon Nationals

In general, I wouldn't describe myself as a nervous kind of person.  The only things I really get nervous about are: flying, public speaking in front of large groups, going out with attractive women for the first time, interviews, being in large groups of people where I don't know anyone, waiting for important test results back from the doctors, watching England play in the World Cup, paragliding, and of course snakes and large hairy spiders.  But apart from that, there's little that ruffles my feathers.

Another one to add to the list though is the anxiety I feel before competing in a big race.  I was quite nervous before my first marathon in New York in Nov 2008, because I'd been filmed and appeared on TV preparing for it, and would have felt a bit of a fraud if I hadn't completed it.  I felt pressure to do the London marathon in 2011, because I'd raised a lot of money for charity from friends, family and colleagues, and would have felt I'd have let them down if I hadn't finished it.   For any marathon, there is pressure anyway that you've put 3 months and countless hours of effort into gearing up for just one day.  Always though, as soon as I've started the race, I'm OK.

In 3 day's time I'll be competing in the USA paratriathlon nationals in Austin, Texas and I'm flying out there tomorrow with a team from my Achilles running group.  I'm getting just a touch nervous again, and I think this time its because it involves the longest swim I've ever done - 750 metres - and only my second proper open water swim in a wetsuit.  

But I think it should be OK.  I don't any excuses about being let down by crappy equipment any more!  Thanks to A Step Ahead prosthetics, I'll be going to Austin with a grand total of four legs - a running leg, a biking leg, my regular walking leg, along with my (non-mechanical) right leg.  Most amputees across the world don't have access to this standard of care, so I feel truly lucky to be in this position.

Molly does a quick luggage inspection to make sure I haven't forgotten anything.

I'm looking forward to meeting the other paratriathletes, who are often very cool and inspiring people, and to visiting Texas for the first time.    It's going to be hot though - 93 degrees forecast on Monday.  More to come from Austin!

New bike, new....leg??

One of the newer philosophies by which I lead my life these days is:  whenever one gets a new bike, it's always nice to get a new leg to along with it.

About a month ago, at the age of 37, I got my first EVER customized biking leg.  I'm lucky enough in New York to be close to a fantastic prosthetics company, A Step Ahead, and one of their specialities is catering for active amputees who want to participate in all kind of sports.  See here for more info on some of these amazing athletes.

The biking leg is basically a lot lighter than a regular 'walking leg', and it is less built up around the groin area, to enable me to crouch down on the bike, to get out of the wind.  Being an amputee, having less power is one obvious disadvantage on a bike, but another one is when your artificial leg cuts you in all kinds of uncomfortable places during a long ride.  Imagine taking a cheese grater to the old clock weights over the course of a few hours, and you'll get the idea.

Finally, this leg has been adapted so it can clip into the bike.  It has taken a while to get used to, but gives a lot more power than the cages I was using before.

I got my Specialized tri-bike, at a generous discount given to A Step Ahead athletes, from Bike Works on Long Island.   Expensive, but worth every penny!

Yesterday, I biked down from Garrison, about 50 hilly miles north of NYC, along the Hudson river.  I was riding into a headwind all the way, and by the time I got back I was pretty tired.  It was my first long ride of the year, though, so hopefully with a new more long rides I'll start to build up some endurance.

NYC Half Marathon

Today I ran what must be my first half marathon in nearly a year, the NYC half marathon.  It is one of my favourite half courses, taking in a loop of Central Park, followed by a run down 7th Avenue and into Times Square, along 42nd Street, and then down to the very south of Manhattan, via the West Side Highway.  The route was changed this year to run less in CP and to end up in the South Street Seaport area.

It was perfect weather for it; a cool misty morning.  My two guides for today, Amanda and Mark, made for a great running team.  The run felt good; we went at a steady pace, and the only thing that really bothered me was my old shoe, which started to give me a blister around mile 6.

We finished in 2.11; I was surprised how quickly we'd done it, considering I'm just getting back into running after a few months taking it very easy.  After a pleasant brunch and a loong cab ride back home, I took a mammoth 1hr 30 mins map, and then went out and demolished a large plate of sushi.

Perfect way to spend a spring day in NYC!

Grrrrrrrrrrr

Just finished my last run before Sunday's New York half marathon, an evening jog in Central Park with my running partner for the race, Amanda.  Was feeling a little sluggish on the way round, but wasn't sure if it was the running leg to blame, or me for having too many cream eclairs for lunch.

Anyways, cycling back home, thought I detected the faint whiff of oil; put my hand down left, and felt the brown stuff dripping down the prosthetic.  I've blown the hydraulics on my knee joint.

On balance I wouldn't say having one leg has been a bad thing; it has certain advantages (half price metrocard anyone?), and has made for an interesting life (not many people can crack walnuts in their knee joint), but one huge disadvantage is the unexpected leg malfunction.  I have had a few of these, and they always seem to happen at the worst time.

Still, in this case I can get the leg fixed tomorrow so everything is OK for Sunday.  It could have been worse and happened on Saturday evening.  And, unlike anyone else who gets bad knees, I can just get mine swapped out in about 20 minutes, and I'm as good as new..so its really not all that bad..