Visually impaired Coloradoan finds her strength running

From The Denver Post:

BOULDER, Colo. — Running on a track might strike some as confining — going in circles without really getting anywhere. But for Luanne Burke, the endless oval has opened a world of possibility and discovery.

Burke is totally blind in her right eye. She has a small tunnel of vision remaining in her left eye, but that tiny window is narrowing because of a genetic condition called retinitis pigmentosa.

She can run on roads and trails with a guide, but the track is flat and fast, and it has allowed her to blossom as a runner over the past year.

"Getting on the track, you can really open it up," Burke said after a recent workout. "The ground is even; there's nothing in the way. That's the really exciting thing for me. I finally feel uninhibited by my surroundings. Not that I've ever been that inhibited, but it's really exciting to open it up and go."

Burke, 48, loves to challenge herself by skiing off cliffs, water skiing and sculpting human figures in high-fired clay. But over the past year, the former "disabled" ski racer has been shocked to learn she possesses remarkable talent as a runner.

This spring, Burke hired Boulder running coach Ric Rojas to train her for the International Blind Sports Federation Pan American Games, which will be held in Colorado Springs from July 15-20. Rojas quickly became so impressed with her ability that he recommended she enter this week's able-bodied USA Masters Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Oshkosh, Wis.

From skiing to running

"That's the big shocker for me," said Burke, who lives in Lyons. "I had no idea I'd be a competitive person at all."

When Burke ran her first 1-mile time trial for Rojas in 6 minutes, 34 seconds — with a 94-second last lap — it became clear she had a gift.

"She's amazing," said Rojas, who coaches several national-caliber masters runners. "She's the real deal. She enjoys it — she's got a great approach toward training. She tells me she feels exhilarated when she runs."

Two decades ago, Burke found exhilaration ski racing with the National Sports Center for the Disabled at Winter Park.

"I had some more vision at that time," Burke said. "I skied with a guide, and he wore a big orange coat. It was just the thrill of my life."

Burke had sufficient vision to drive a car until she was 19. Then she turned to the bicycle, which she used for transportation until she was 40. Now she is largely dependent on public transportation.

"It's about the width of a pencil, the tunnel I'm looking out of," Burke said.

But she makes the most of that. She is a people-watcher who studies potential subjects for her sculpture while riding the bus, committing their images to memory.

"I just work from my head," Burke said. "I can check everybody out as much as I want. They think I can't see, and I love looking at people."

With an art degree from Adams State, Burke has painted and worked with bronze but prefers clay.

"I like it because of the whole concept of 'ashes to ashes,' " said Burke, whose eyes have irises of a striking steel-blue hue. "It's what we're made out of. It's dirt. When you start moving it around, you're like, 'This is exactly like skin.' It moves like skin, it creases like skin."

Guiding friendship

Burke discovered her running ability in the spring of 2008 when she decided to run a road race to celebrate her 47th birthday. She contacted Boulder Road Runners president

Luanne Burke, who recently discovered her talent for running, also creates clay sculptures, including this one in a garden in north Boulder. (Kathryn Scott Osler, The Denver Post)Rich Castro looking for a guide, and he turned up former University of Colorado runner Deb Conley. With Conley guiding, Burke ran an 8-kilometer race associated with the Rocky Mountain Half Marathon in Denver.
"What blew me away was, we got on the start line, it's a pretty competitive field, the gun went off, Luanne took off and I thought, 'Oh my God, I can't keep up with this woman!' " Conley recalled. "She bolted. All of a sudden, I was getting anxiety, 'Man, this woman is faster than I am!' "

The fast pace caught up with Burke, and she had to slow down, but she still finished the race averaging 8 minutes, 27 seconds per mile.

"After that race, we went out to breakfast," Conley said. "I said, 'I think you've got some talent we can develop. You're really good.' I don't think she believed me."

She didn't.

"I just had no idea," Burke said. "I'm still — it's all new to me. Everything is new — running on the track, running different events, doing workouts and doing races with a guide."

Guiding Burke has renewed Conley's enthusiasm for running after she endured an extended period of burnout.

"It's given me back that happiness I had missed," Conley said. "The first time I saw Luanne run without me, without a guide, was in 100 meters. The expression on her face — she was so happy, because it was the first time she was able to do something by herself. It really changed me."