It’s been a few days now since I was honored with the opportunity to compete in my first-ever Boston Marathon. It is a symbol of my personal Olympics. I have had to take several days to reminisce and reflect. It is hard to express eloquently my experience and performance. It took several years and multiple Marathon attempts to BQ (Boston Qualifier). Being someone with a visual impairment, I knew it would take a huge leap of courage. Not only that, but discipline would also be required to make to it to the start line at Hopkinton Center.
Back to the Beginning
To truly understand this journey, we have to take it all the way back to the beginning. Born legally blind (visually impaired) in Ottawa, Ontario Canada, I had an interesting childhood. I was sent to a private boarding school in Brantford, Ontario, the W. Ross Macdonald School for the Blind. I had a very unique upbringing: the school had a unique learning style that took some adapting. Being isolated meant I was disconnected from my family, but one thing that excelled at W. Ross Macdonald was the sports program.
I met an inspirational mentor, gym teacher, vice principal, and running coach there who single-handedly changed my life. He never gave-up on me which inspired me to become like him one day! I would never be competitive or successful with regular-sighted people in baseball, soccer, hockey, basketball etc. But he saw something else in me: a strong ability for running. He told me “Jared you have a talent, do not waste it”. I have not given since. I stayed at the boarding school for 10 years before making the executive decision to change.
I took the chance to spread my wings in the regular school system—an opportunity to grow normally. Ultimately, it was the best decision I ever made because I wouldn’t be the runner I am today if I never met my mentor. He was my dearest friend and is still a second dad to me to this day!
All-in to Excel at Marathon Running
Three years after I started taking running seriously, I completed my first marathon. The Ottawa Race Weekend received a bareface 20 year-old ready to take on the world. It changed my life and perspective on running. I knew with the right direction and determination, I could achieve great things. I have continued racing and competing. Eventually, I earned my way up to be carded for para-athletics Canada as a visually impaired runner. I competed for para-athletics Canada for three years, from 2013-2015, in long-distance running.
All of this has led me to my mission of helping others on their running journey as a professional running coach, personal trainer, and mentor. I love giving back to the running community and am still on the journey to see how fast I can go in the longer distances.
The Uphill Battle
I know how it feels to struggle with finding the right support: I spent several years trying out different coaches, but kept having sub-par performances. The problem was that their programs were not customized enough—I felt like I had to constantly nudge for more feedback and reassurance that I was on the right track.
As a result, I got injured a lot in the early years and got tired of it. Making mistakes along the way made me tired, burnt out, overtrained, and unmotivated. I was determined to learn from my mistakes with the guidance of the right mentor who cared about my journey and goals. I learned the importance of advocating for yourself. Eventually, I found the right running group and coach, and I naturally became faster. I have not been injured ever since! I continuously try to push the envelope without getting injured. And now that I’ve received so much coaching & have become a coach myself, I know my body well… I know when to back off and when to push for breaking records.
Ultimately, it took me three marathons to qualify for the prestigious Boston Marathon. I had to really advocate for myself. I had to find the right support system. It was important to discover alternate ways to train since I couldn’t run in the same way as other regular-sighted runners. Several sacrifices and many years of consistent hard work had to be made to get to this level. I am very proud of what I have accomplished—I finished the marathon in 3 hours and 25 minutes. Unfortunately, due to the extremely hot weather and tough course, I did not reach my goal time, but the ultimate goal was to make it to Boston healthy and well-trained with the help of SKINS Compression.
SKINS Functionality
The one thing I love about SKINS is that it caters to my every need, whether it’s recovery, performance, or comfort. One of the big barriers I faced along the way was finding the right attire when I cannot drive and would run to my destination. That said, during the winter I would get cold and run longer than I had too. SKINS saved me from having to guess what to wear, regardless of the weather, while training for the Boston Marathon. I discovered SKINS throughout my training and am eternally grateful that I did—they saved me from many uncomfortable long runs feeling cold.
Wearing the SKINS recovery tights and long sleeve shirt during chilly long runs or recovery runs gave me the extra strength to zone out while being more economical as a runner. It made my legs and overall body have additional bounce and energy. It was exactly the attire I had been searching for for marathon-specific training. Wearing SKINS Compression always gives me the confidence that I will have a better run while wearing them. I am now wearing SKINS performance wear on a regular basis when I need extra function, speed, and recovery in my running sessions.
Manifestation of the Marathon
Running a marathon is like going through life; it has many ups and downs, tribulations, and tests to your mental and physical limitations. Once you complete a marathon, I can guarantee that you’ll feel like you can accomplish anything. Everything else pales in comparison to the humbling and difficult task of completing a marathon. Running in general manifests itself in being dedicated and disciplined on a daily basis—you feel more alive as a result. I realized that having a visual impairment forced me to advocate for myself if I wanted to reach my potential in running.
I continuously pursue to prove to my mentor, friends, and of course myself that I do everything in my power to set myself up for success. By doing my best in every run, race, and workout, I will never live in regret knowing that there was something left on the table. In conclusion, all the sweat, hard work, time, and consistency was worth making it to the Boston Marathon while giving it my all—regardless of the outcome time. Thank you to the SKINS Compression team for their help and support in getting me through the training healthy & happy 😊
Running, like life, is a journey: we have to try to enjoy every moment while we can and never take it for granted. Life is too short to not pursue your athletic passions!
