It takes a team

"Win or lose, you will never regret working hard, making sacrifices, being disciplined or focusing too much. Success is measure by what we have done to prepare for competition."  Jon Smith

It takes a team to get to the marathon starting line healthy and ready to race.  Last year I read 20% of those registered for the New York marathon got injured and didn't make it to the starting line. Hard work and dedication only gets you so far.

Keeping an athlete with CMT healthy is quite a challenge and I have a great team of medical professionals helping me. I wanted to thank them since I will be be healthy and ready to go Monday morning in Boston.

Chiropractic Associates
Dr. Mark Drewicz of Chiropractic associates is my chiropractor.  He works with many local runners and triathletes.  He is great at treating all my running injuries before they get out of hand. I swear he has magic hands.  He's also well connected in the running and triathlon community. When I need a recommendation on a coach, getting a tri bike or anything else Dr. Mark is always helpful. His assistants Patti and Andrea take good care of me as well. Their friendly faces always greet me at the front desk. I've gotten to know them since they do my treatments before I see Dr. Mark. It is largely due to their efforts I'll be ready on race day.

Dr. Robert Chetlin PhD
Bob is an exercise physiologist at the University of West Virginia Medical School.  He helped me put together my training program for both Boston and the  Sprint Nationals in Austin in May.  He's also given me good advise on diet as well. Bob has worked with several athletes on the team with CMT to develop training programs.  He is an expert on the effects of exercise on CMT. The money I raise with my Boston run will go to fund his work.

Dr. Greg  Barczak
Dr. Barczak is a former All American long distance runner. He was a fixture on the local running circuit for years.  He made the orthodics I have used in my running shoes for over 10 years.   Because of the CMT I am really prone to injury.  A good set of orthodics are key to staying healthy. The first time I had  orthodics made by another doctor, it felt like I was running in high heels.  Because of his running background Dr. Barczak works with many local runners.

Thanks everyone for your help in all three of my marathons this year. I couldn't do it without you.

Chris Wodke
Founder & Manager Team CMT
www.run4cmt.com

Team CMT is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure for CMT. We have almost 100 members in 17 states. If you wish to join us visit our web site.

CMT or Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS).  It is a disease of the nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual dexterity.

Structural foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold hands and feet.

Additional symptoms may include fatigue, sleep apnea, breathing difficulties and hearing loss.

Running, triathlons, impaired athlete, paratriathlon, USAT, running and CMT