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'If I Can't Run Fast, I'll Run Far'
By Meredy Fullen I would never in a million years have thought I would be a
runner, much less running marathons, ultra marathons, and the
famous Boston Marathon!"
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Kelly Luckett stands on Patriot’s Day emblem. |
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Perhaps only a runner who puts in miles upon miles
can grasp the magnitude of this opening remark by Kelly Luckett.
Perhaps anyone can think back and remember the requirement in
physical education class of having to run just one mile to have an
appreciation for this statement.
When life placed hurdles in front of Kelly Luckett, she learned
to run around them. Luckett, 38, a transtibial amputee from
Atlanta, Georgia, began running two years ago after several years
of sitting on the sidelines while her husband competed in the
annual 10K Peachtree Road Race in her hometown. A Symes amputee
since age two, Luckett had the desire to participate in the run,
but had experienced limited mobility all of her life due to
soreness and pain in her residual limb.
Luckett never imagined she'd one day run alongside her husband
in the 10K, let alone become only the third female amputee in the
109-year history of the Boston Marathon to run that race. But she
did just that in April, 2005, finishing the world-famous
marathon with a time of 6:27:02.
Defining the Drive
When asked if running fulfills an empty space she has felt
within her life, Luckett said, "I had always wanted to run but
never thought I could, since every time I tried I was in pain and
out of breath! Now that I can run, thanks to the right prosthetics
and excellent training advice, I realize it would have always been
something missing in my life if I hadn't started."
Lucket said when she runs she loves the feeling of being active
and being outdoors. She enjoys the planning and strategy that goes
into a long run. "I have to plan what to eat and when, how to pace
myself, how to deal with bad weather or other adverse running
conditions, etc."
Besides health and fitness benefits, as well as sheer enjoyment,
Luckett said she has gained an incredible amount of confidence and
self-esteem through running. "I am amazed that if I push myself
even just a little beyond what I think I'm capable of, I can
accomplish things I once thought were impossible, and this has
carried over into other areas of my life."
Advice for Runners
Her advice to anyone who has physical limitations and wants to
run is to talk to his/her doctor or prosthetist about what
components are available to allow running without pain and with the
smoothest gait possible. "I am very fortunate that the prosthetist
I had while living in Minneapolis, Al Ingersoll, CPO, at Winkley
Prosthetics, fitted me with the components I have. The liner is the
key to being able to run long distances without pain or any skin
problems. I also highly recommend using the Jeff Galloway run/walk
training method which can be found at www.runinjuryfree.com." Luckett said this plan
incorporates planned walk breaks from the beginning of a run in
order to avoid injury and to increase endurance. Depending on the
person's limitations, he or she may want to mainly begin walking at
first with a minute or two of running for every few minutes of
walking. The idea is to start out very slowly, not to overdo it,
and gradually increase in distance and pace.
Kelly attributes much of her running success to advances in
prosthetics and especially to the Otto Bock HealthCare Custom
Urethane Liner, which she says has changed her life. Her liner,
along with her Lo Rider foot, made of lightweight and responsive
carbon fiber, has allowed her to go places--and distances--she
never dreamed possible. In fact, Luckett competed in her first
ultra marathon in February, 2005, completing the 50K Silver Comet
Ultra Run in Rockmart, Georgia, in 8:10:44. Luckett said after
being fit with the liner, for the first time in her adult life she
was able to be as active as she wanted without pain.
Hitting the Wall
Luckett admits that hitting the wall has happened to her. When
this does happen, she has focused on just putting one foot in front
of the other until she is feeling better and can make an effort to
pick up the pace and run. She said, "Fortunately I have learned to
virtually eliminate most of these problems by using planned walk
breaks from the beginning of my runs, by training for the entire
distance of a race, and by learning what foods to eat before and
during a run. It has been by trial and error, as well as advice
from those who know better than I do, as to how much to eat and
when. For me, the key has been to keep up my blood sugar level
(BSL) by eating the right things before it plummets! I have also
had great success by having a slightly flat Coke at about mile 20.
Caffeine and sugar are wonderful things to keep you running when
you hit the wall!"
Going Places
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Kelly Luckett (right) and fellow Boston Marathon finisher Judy Alvarez. |
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Running takes people places, both literally and
figuratively. Be-sides the Boston Marathon and the Peachtree
Road Race, Luckett also recently completed the Kentucky Derby
Festival Half Marathon in Louisville, Kentucky, the Flying Pig Half
Marathon in Cincinnati, Ohio, the Army Hooah 10K that ended at Fort
McPherson, Georgia, as well as the eight-hour GUTS race in Atlanta
in August. She also participated in the Baltimore Marathon on
October 15 and ran the Atlanta Half Marathon on Thanksgiving Day.
Luckett plans to participate in the Boston Marathon in April and be
the first female amputee in history to run the race two years in a
row.
With this race schedule, it is obvious that Luckett is a very
busy person. Besides the long runs, she also works full time as a
manager at LeasePlan USA, with an hour commute each way, and finds
time to spend with her two dogs.
"I would like to continue to do more marathons and ultras, but
the next step is to train for a 50-mile ultra marathon within the
next year or two, depending on how my training goes," Luckett said.
"Ultimately I would love to complete at least a 100K if not a
100-mile ultra, but that is a few years down the road, if all goes
well. I really want to see just how far my endurance will take me,
since my motto is: If I can't run fast, I'll run far!'"
Luckett's favorite race so far has been the Boston Marathon. Not
only was she the third female amputee in history to complete the
race, in 2005 she was the only female amputee in the race. Luckett
said that it was absolutely amazing to experience the overwhelming
support from the spectators and the other runners. "The Boston
Marathon is something every runner should experience, and while it
was a great race, I enjoyed the experience even more thanks to my
friends and 26.2 Pit Crew' members Beth Ann Perkins and Betty Mary
Grube, who traveled to Boston just to be with me for this
experience and to cheer for me and support me at different places
along the course."
But as inspiring as she is herself, Luckett was inspired in the
Boston Marathon by another athlete, Jason Pisano, who has cerebral
palsy. Luckett recalled, "Jason has completed several marathons,
including many Boston's, by using his legs to push himself
backwards in a wheelchair. I know how tough it is to run or even
just walk those hills on the Boston course, so I can only imagine
the training and perseverance he must have to push himself
backwards up those hills!"
Luckett wishes to give thanks and credit to others. Not only
does she credit her support group, husband, practitioner, Otto Bock
HealthCare, and other athletes during the races for their
inspiration, Luckett also gives credit to the Challenged Athletes
Foundation (CAF) of Del Mar, California. "I have been fortunate to
receive a grant from the CAF to help cover my expenses to two
marathons, including the Boston Marathon. Without their financial
assistance, it would have been an even greater struggle to reach
the finish line!"
Answering the question of what she hopes readers--whether or not
they want to or can be runners--will take away from this article,
Luckett replied, "The message that they can accomplish things they
once thought were impossible, if they push themselves. We, as
individuals, are stronger than we think we are." 
Table Of Contents - January 2006
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