Boston's Done-What's Next?

Boston Marathon 2012

" The Finish Line is just the beginning of a whole new race."- Unknown

There was a reason I was so calm and cool about the Boston Marathon.  I knew I had another event following closely after.   I stayed calm in Boston by focusing on all the things I was going to need to do to get ready for my next event.

On May 28th, 2012 I will be participating in the USA Para triathlon National Championship in Austin, Texas.  With only 6 weeks between events I went right into training for the tri.  I am really supposed to be in recovery mode. It takes about a day to recover for every mile you run. That means I should be taking a bit easy not training for another event, much less a national championship. The athlete that places first in each category will represent the USA at the World Championships in Auckland New Zealand in October. I am still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that I am going to a National competition with a shot at the U.S. team. It was a chance I couldn't pass up.

I never expected to be running this event this soon.  Last year just for fun I ran the Denton Pioneer Sprint triathlon just for fun. I did about a month worth of swim training and a bit of biking since I was already training for Marine Corp Marathon.  To my surprise my performance was good enough to land me a qualifying spot.  So National Championship ready or not here I come.

I start to get nervous every time I thought about it, so running Boston seemed like no big deal. It was marathon number seven after all. I feel like I have been running and racing half my adult life. It seems second nature now and I know just what to do.  This event will be triathlon number five, so I am still a novice.   I panicked in my first two triathlon swims, so the swim will continue to be a challenge.

So I focus my nervous energy on all the things I needed to do to get ready. Here is my list and my progress;

New bike-          Yep Fuji Altamira 1.0

Bike Fit-             Check, done by Dave Sneider at Wheel and Sprocket this week.

Coach-                Yes, currently being coached by Joy Von Werder

Wet suit-             still working on that

Swim-                 working on this one, been to 2 swim clinics

Flight                  Done

Hotel                   Done

Support               My brother and sister in law will be my support crew

Documents-        yes, application and medical info received by USTA

Bike Transport    $400 to ship, but I found a solution.

New Helmet         Done

Pictures  required by USTA- not yet

Bike                     going to a bike clinic this week to work on technique.

Clipless pedals-  still working on this. One crash already.  Hope they're worth it!!!

So I have had a lot to arrange and this has helped me to fight my nerves. I know the swim will be tough since I am not experienced at open water swims.  I got a  little practice at my swim clinic and some good technicques for turning around the buoy.

The one thing I can't control is injuries. I have what has been determined to be a muscle knot on my right ankle. I've lost several days of training this week as I battle that.  Going to swim and bike today to see how it goes.

There is still plenty to do. I still have to make it through the USTA medical appointment and classification.  So until I stand at the start at Ladybird Lake in Austin I have lots to do to keep me busy until then.

Chris Wodke

Manager & Founder 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