About The
Challenges
Amy Palmerio Winters
Photo by Pictures On The GoŠ
Endurance Challenge - Bellingham, WA Event
THE RUNNER'S NEWS
RUN FARTHER THAN YOU EVER HAVE
Amy Palmerio Winters
"Life is about not giving up...and so is The North FaceŽ Endurance Challenge Series"
October 20, 2009 — I have never doubted my self or my abilities as an athlete. After a motorcycle accident in 1994 which crushed my left foot, followed by 27 surgeries, doctors amputated my left leg below the knee in 1997. The doctors told me I would never run again. Two children, (Carson and Madilynn) and 10 world records later I am still defying the odds and, in this case, silencing the cynics.
While flipping through a popular running magazine, an advertisement for The North FaceŽ Endurance Challenge caught my eye, "5 opportunities to run your self-doubt into the ground". I am always looking for a new challenge and after seeing this ad running 50 miles on a trail is going to be it. As an amputee, running on anything less than smooth pavement is hazardous and extremely difficult to do given the lack of a movable ankle joint, as well as the lack of proprioception and kinetic awareness that allows one to know where the foot is all of the time also adding in the overall lack of calf muscle due to the amputation. I immediately threw all of those thoughts to the side when I received an emailed response about running the first stop on The North FaceŽ EC Series, Bear Mountain New York. I was told "there is no way an amputee is going to do this race". Of course you know what was to follow, I signed up for the 50 miler just to prove them wrong....
The North FaceŽ Endurance Challenge series was created to help you as a runner go farther than you ever have before, to boost your performance as a runner. All of the 5 stages gives you the option to join TNF running club specific for each venue. The clubs prepare you for the distance and terrain of each course whether you choose to run the 10k, 1/2 marathon, 50k or the 50 mile and also gives you nutritional information to keep you going, what ever challenge you choose. The series even gives you the opportunity to run with renowned runners such as Dean Karnazes, Michael Wardian, Nikki Kimball, and Tim Twietmeyer and take part in a special pre-race panel discussion giving tips on everything from running trail techniques, clothing, nutrition, training as well as the opportunity to meet and ask questions of The North FaceŽ athletes, coaches and race director. All in all, whatever distance or venue you choose you will walk away from the finish line with an epic tale to tell.
The first challenge, Bear Mountain a course full of technical terrain and rocky footing that tests anyone’s off-road running endurance. I will let you in on a little secret: I always like to set big goals and with this race the goals were coming into play for me. Never before has a leg amputee run the famous Western States-100. I had my sights set on doing just that by qualifying and capturing the 11 hour finishing needed. Cutting to the chase; the Bear Mountain 50 mile trail run was a true test of my abilities, the technical terrain made navigating on my custom made carbon fiber running leg very difficult. Calling it a rocky terrain was putting it mildly, I was running on giant boulders, up and down the sides of creek beds full of shifting rocks and I know the course offers a great deal of beautiful scenery but unfortunately I can’t take my eyes off the ground for fear of tripping. What did amaze me and this holds true to all The North FaceŽ Endurance Challenges is the camaraderie of the other runners and the incredible aid stations. The members that crew the stations are rock stars and if you’re having a bad race pray for an aid station. They know how to cheer you up and get you going. To all the volunteers that make these races happen, thank you for your continuing support of kindness, fluids, PowerBars and candy. I crossed the finish line with 30 seconds to spare and very humbled to say the least, because I was off any type of Western States qualifying time. However the ending was I walked away more determined to do better and to reach that goal set out before me, but I did prove them all wrong on this one….an amputee did this race and finished!
I have been running since my dad took me to my first race at the age of 8 and road racing for the last 23 years so for me change is good. The next stop on the The North FaceŽ Endurance Challenge is Bellingham Washington. The course is full of traverses of broken ridge line requiring nimble feet. To put it into better terms of which I have one along with a very expensive pogo stick. I did also hear mention of highly technical sections that demanded mountain goat skills. This course tested my abilities not only as a runner but my overall mental strength. Amputee or not I think we were all tested on this one. While passing another runner on the course, he let me know he had reached his limit, he had hit the wall. I looked back at him and said “we all have 2 choices when we are presented with a challenge, lie down and give up or suck it up and be better because of it”. We all feel bad at times out there on whatever course you are running but you need to know that the feeling will pass, never cross that finish line thinking I could have done better. The tiredness, pain and overall muscle fatigue we feel out on the course will never out weigh the feeling of accomplishment when we cross the finish line. I crossed the finish line 1min and 43 seconds after the official cut off time. No I didn’t get the WS qualifying time, no I didn’t finish in under 12 hrs but I did run my best for that day and I am never disappointed when I give it everything I have which takes me to stop #3 on The North FaceŽ Endurance Challenge Washington D.C.
Never give up, never. As athletes and runners we all have our own natural affinity that match up to our ability and the Washington DC 50 miler was a course more suited to my strengths and that strength being running, although we did do some tip-toeing and hopping along bluffs well above the Potomac River. Just into the race at mile 8.2 I rolled my ankle, something I have done numerous times before. Each time I partially tear the lateral ankle ligament but this time it is different, there is no limping, there is no “oh my gosh how am I going to run 40+ more miles like this”, it is only determination and focus I feel. I know I can go under the 11 hour mark and this time, nothing will stop me. I always thought I knew everything about being mentally strong as a runner, but these races have made me stronger, they have made me better in many ways, they put to truth the fact. We all set goals, but we don’t always accomplish them and if you do fall short don’t ever give up on yourself or your dreams. I never gave up and I crossed The North FaceŽ Endurance Challenge finish line in Washington DC in 10:18, setting a new world record for below the knee amputees by almost 2hrs and capturing the Western States sub 11 hour qualifying time proving anything is possible. The next stop on The North FaceŽ Endurance Challenge Madison Wisconsin...
Amy Palmerio Winters Upcoming Guest Appearances:
Event Name: The North FaceŽ Endurance Challenge Pre-Race Panel
Event Date: Friday, 12/04/2009
Event Location: San Francisco, CA
Learn more about Amy Palmerio Winters:
http://www.seeamyrun.com
