Another Achilles workout

The first time I joined an Achilles workout, there were far more guides than there were athletes, so a couple of us newbies were paired up with an experienced guide who would try as best possible to take the role of a blind athlete. While it went fairly well, to be honest there was a bit of "cheating" and leniency -- after all, it's kinda hard for a sighted athlete to not veer away from an obstacle they can clearly see.

Today's workout was very much different, as a couple of us were paired with a blind athlete (blind from birth) who actually came out from DC given family in the area she was visiting. While the first workout we made use of a tether, we didn't have one this time -- it was all spoken guidance, while the athlete was using her cane. I was glad that we were only at a walking pace (despite the cold wind and not being able to generate body heat), as properly giving some of the warnings was tricky at times: a stanchion in the middle of where we were about to turn, sizably wide cracks in the pavement (where her pole my get caught up), several terrain changes in quick succession, etc.

Thankfully, we made it through without any issues, chatting most of the way - only intermittently interrupted by the directions of where/how to shift.

If you're interested, go to https://www.achillesinternational.org/loudoun-county for more information on our meet-ups, and to sign up and/or volunteer! Though we're taking off next week, we'll be back at it starting on January 4. Come join us!