Posted by: Steve Lackey
on Jul 13, 2011
Death Valley, CA - In the early hours of the morning on July 13th, amputee runner Amy Palmiero-Winters became the first female amputee to finish the Badwater Ultramarathon. Often called the "World's Toughest Foot Race," Badwater is a 135-mile nonstop run from Death Valley to Mt. Whitney, CA, with temperatures often rising to 130 degrees Fahrenheit. This was Amy's second time running Badwater; a 2010 attempt ended in injury as the bone in her leg broke through the skin inside her prosthesis. Frequently, runners who do not finish the Badwater Ultramarathon are not afforded another chance in favor of new runners wanting to attempt the race. Given a rare second opportunity in 2011, Amy made the most of it, finishing with a time of 41:26:42 despite the temperature of her prosthesis reaching 160 degrees.
Amy is no stranger to adversity. After her left leg was crushed in a motorcycle accident at age 21, she would undergo twenty-seven surgeries over the next three years before doctors decided to amputate the leg below the knee. Having been an enthusiastic runner her entire life, Amy began learning to run on a prosthetic leg. Eventually, she received a custom-made running prosthesis from Hicksville, NY-based A Step Ahead Prosthetics, and soon after began breaking world records in the marathon and triathlon.
Posted by: Joe Nuss
on Nov 14, 2010
BREATHTAKING!
Posted by: Steve Lackey
on Aug 21, 2010
I am so pumped! After 80+ hours of arduous high humidity runs across the North Carolina summer, I am finally in Buena Vista, Colorado getting ready to start running in the 2010 Gore-Tex Transrockies Run.
Through the charity of my hugely encouraging family, I was able to come out early and spend a few days in Breckenridge acclimating to the altitude (what an amazing place - I may have to spend all my summers there - an endurance lifestyle paradise).
Posted by: Joe Nuss
on Aug 01, 2010
By Steve Lackey
Posted by:
on Jul 01, 2010
Posted by: Joe Nuss
on Feb 28, 2010
I spent a weekend in Colorado Springs this month with our event director, Thys (pronounced like “rice”—only faster). We were attending a USAT Race Director Symposium, and after a few too many hours in conference rooms we headed out for an afternoon run. We made our way over to an unofficial trail that runs up the Mt. Manitou Springs Incline—an old incline railway that has been turned into a trail that climbs 2,100 vertical feet in the distance of a mile.
The view from the bottom was daunting, but at least you could see the top (so we thought). We headed up and I quickly realized this was going to be not a run, but a hike—and a grueling one at that. At 8,000 feet the air felt so thin in my not-yet-acclimatized lungs that the pain of the effort felt like I had a piano on my chest. A distance that normally would take less than 8 minutes took 45 and left everything I had along the rocks and shattered railway.
Posted by: Joe Nuss
on Nov 23, 2009
BY STEVE LACKEY
Like every year, 2009 has delivered so many awesome moments for so many people. But more than any other in memory I am ready to let it go and leap freely into the new year.
Posted by: Joe Nuss
on Oct 29, 2009
Posted by: Steve Lackey
on Oct 06, 2009
Tagged in: Untagged
So glad we run! And if you need a new reason, GU just created one. Their new holiday flavors are available and the Vanilla Gingerbread Gel is delicious. Assuming it carries the same eletrolyte punch I am so used to from GU I am sure to enjoy the run I'm about to take.
There is also a Mint Chocolate flavor for the season (haven't tried that yet). Proceeds from the sale of both of these flavors will go to the Challenged Athletes Foundation.
Posted by: Steve Lackey
on Oct 01, 2009
Tagged in: Untagged
It was about a year ago when I first Twittered. It’s truly remarkable how quickly the phenomenon of this so simple and consciously basic form of communication has grown across our collective society. Still so many people tell me, “I just don’t get it,” “I have no time for that,” or “I don’t want to put myself ‘out there’ like that.” (I’m confident you all will find your way to Twitter at some point, but due to your hesitation will likely end up with an account ID like @clownpeni284&^2!r98fjhqwkfj-scaredpigeon).
I find Twitter therapeutic—not unlike writing monthly notes like this. It simply reminds me to recognize, and appreciate, the moments I am offered. Of course, I tend to share perspectives that lean positive (perpetual complaining is not good for building our type of community) and in turn I am compelled to zero in on the things that are life-enhancing. As a bonus, the updates I see from so many people give me perspective well beyond my own daily travels—all at the swipe of a finger on my iPhone (#getone).
Of course, these brief snips of personality pale in comparison to the whole of what we are presented with each day. The great things (and the not-so-great) come and go so quickly that we can’t even respond to them when we move through each day as if we are trying to “survive” to the next—which is inevitably filled with much more of the same, only different.
So we’re left with what we manage to remember—more specifically, how we manage to remember. And therein lies the choice (arguably one of the most powerful words known to humankind). Was it a great day? Did you have an awesome moment? Maybe even just one within the hundreds experienced during that 24-hour period? From there, you find the moments you choose to remember for that day: “felt great during my 5-mile run,” “nothing gives me life more than seeing a genuine smile on my daughter’s face,” “so appreciative of the kind man who helped me at the post office today—good people are awesome!” “can’t believe people actually eat roadkill,” “looking forward to crossing the finish line at Ramblin Rose this weekend #celebrateme #1stxtriathlete.” As long as you can express it in 140 characters or less, you can send it out into the universe as if you wrote it in stone—and now you own it. Powerful in many ways.
Life is essentially a series of moments. You can enjoy them, you can forget them, you can dread them, you can celebrate them. In the end, it’s important to find a way to appreciate them.
In our annual off-road issue, our managing editor, Joe Nuss, once again serves up a menu of inspiration, motivation, and, as usual, many moments that await your presence (and perspective). Most notably we introduce the MovNat approach to fitness, essentially showcasing how to build healthier fitness profiles by getting back to nature, or back to MOVing NATurally. And with our monthly reader giveaway from Great Outdoor Provision company (see adjacent page) you’ll have more than you need to get motivated to experience this season off-road.
What are you doing?
Inspire. Perform. Endure.
You can follow me on Twitter @stevelackey, and for all things Endurance Magazine: @enduranceonline
P.S. Happy 77th birthday to my Pop—a master at enjoying his moments.
