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| Running on the Bruce Trail with Rhonda-Marie Parke – pic by Lee-Stuart Evans |
‘Baby head Baby Head, step up, roots roots step right, washboard …. DEATH ON THE LEFT’
Running as a guide runner for a blind runner is hugely challenging but enormous fun too. In Canada late last year I got the privilege to run with someone I’ve wanted to meet for ages, a Barkley Marathons veteran and someone with a zany sense of humour I instantly became like old friends with. In this blog Rhonda-Marie Parke and I cover the skills needed to be a guide runner, why milk comes in bags in Canada and the unique lexicon needed to describe the terrain underfoot quickly at speed.
I had an amazing time representing Team United Kingdom at the World Obstacle Course Race Championships, I wrote about my experience and accidental qualification here and here. During all the excitement of being in Canada I was lucky enough to get to meet one of my running heros Rhonda Marie Avery and better still get to run a few miles on the Bruce Trail with her as her guide Runner.
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| Bad Boy Running David Hellard, Dan Barret and Lee-Stuart Evans get to present Rhonda-Marie Avery a Bad Boy Running T Shirt in Canada. |
Rhonda-Marie was born with a rare genetic eye disorder called achromatopsia, which means she has no cones in her retina.
As a result she sees better in the dark than during the day, and only has about 8% vision. To understand the challenges of running imagine going for a run in the woods at night….with no torch …. and sunglasses on with 92% of the lenses covered in duct tape.
Her vision has been no barrier to her success, in fact it has spurred her on to try runs of ‘utter stupidity’ and I guess for me I sensed a certain kindred spirit in a person that happily talks about runs that last in weeks not hours.
Rhonda-Marie ran the entire Bruce Trail , entered the toughest running race on earth ‘ The Barkley Marathons’ and continues to plan extensive ultra runs on very long trails in Canada. She also works hard to promote her charity and fundraising.
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| The Bruce Trail pic by Lee-Stuart Evans |
We met up at the Blue Mountains resort with Chris Mintz ( an absolute NUTTER and another kindred spirit) and Debbie who is often Rhondas Guide runner and affectionately known as ‘Momma’
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| Rhonda-MArie Avery running the Bruce Trail- Pic by Lee-Stuart Evans |
The plan was to run for 2 hours and enjoy some of the Bruce Trail. The Bruce Trail runs from Niagara Falls area for 890km and Rhonda has run the entire length in one go.
The terrain was like nothing you get in the UK. There were gorgeous ancient trees and autumnal leaves, but HUGE granite rocks and massive jagged drop offs. Our average speed was probably less than 3 miles per hour , I think at one stage it took us 30 mins to travel one mile because much of the path involves climbing and scrambling up and down huge cube rocks.
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| Rhonda-Marie Avery on the Bruce Trail – pic by Lee-Stuart Evans |
Because of the complex nature of the Bruce Trail terrain, a special lexicon was developed when Rhonda Marie Ran it. A typical guide, running one-and-a-half metres ahead of her, usually sounded something like this: “Rock. Root. Rock right. Rock salad. Toe grabber. Ankle-grabber. Limb-eater to the left. OK, take three steps up. Now two steps down onto flat soil. Thread the needle! Dinosaur steps!”
This language grew more colourful as the days progressed. Muddy trail became known as “mashed potatoes.” “Scalloped potatoes” meant mud with rocks and roots thrown in. A “chicken head” was a root sticking straight up. “Cheese Grater” was a pile of pitted limestone. When the trail opened up and became smooth enough for running that was called “butterscotch pudding.”
The most important phrase of all was “death to the left!” That got used whenever oblivion came within inches of the trail.
After an hour of scrambling up and down sheer granite walls and through secret tunnels and caves I got a chance to act as guide runner for her on the way back. It is a 100% job calling out the terrain as you see it coming , In fact its so consuming that I would need a second runner ahead of me to navigate the route markers.
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| Running the Bruce Trail – pic by Lee-Stuart Evans |
After a while I got into the swing of it and we would chat about anything and laugh while interspersing the conversation with guide runner terms. Anyone listening in would think we were nuts. Eventually after 2 hours and barely any mileage we finished and got back to where we started and headed to the pub for a meal and a well deserved beer. We spent the day discussing why Canadians have milk in bags and sugar in cartons, and the joy of a country with road signs to tell you to concentrate on the road and not enjoy the view too much.
There are many divisions between runners , fast runners ,slow ,marathon, 10k sprinters, 100m sprinters and many chase times . In a recent conversation in a pub with another incredible female runner we debated ‘times versus the experience’ and I came to realise what type of runner I am. For me the long runs and events and challenges are all about the experience for me. The time or my placing is irrelevant . Although no less valid the pursuit of a ‘fast’ time on a course is alien to me if it meant the detriment to my experience, and bonds I form with the place or the people.
On the Bruce Trail thousands of miles from home I ran with ‘my people’ like I had known them my whole life. We weren’t fast and some of us couldn’t even enjoy the view.
It was brilliant.
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| Maple Syrup Energy Gel on the Bruce Trail |
Learn more about Rhonda Maries Charity Page here
Listen to her bad boy running podcast interview here
