Team CMT's New Kit

Gillian Kearney, Robert Kearney and Cheryl Monnat

"The only competition of a wise man is with himself."-Washington Allston

Just in time for CMT Awareness Month, Team CMT debuts some new kit.  The HNF has been very generous to sponsor Team CMT with running singlets. They are great and I love the design. Those of us participating in cycling events and triathlons felt the need for some event specific gear in addition to our running singlets.

We've used the HNF design which I love and got Champion Systems to custom design some great kit for us.

First up today were Team CMT members Robert Kearney and Cheryl Monnat.  Guest team member today was Robert's daughter Gillian. They rode a steel? tandem in the Steel is Real 25 mile bike ride here in Milwaukee.  You guys all look fantastic and I hear Gillian may be joining the team.  Thanks for representing Team CMT today!

Your Team CMT leader had a triathlon in Fredonia Wisconsin this morning and I got a chance to wear my new tri top and bottom. I feel like a real tri-athlete and hands down I had the best uniform of all the athletes.  The biggest challenge was finding Camp Awana this morning.  It took me over an hour and when I saw another car with a bike on it I followed him. After a few calls to his friends already on site and after being joined by two other lost cars we arrived.

It was a 1/2 mile swim which is the longest I've done, I cruised through it and onto the hilly and windy bike course. It was 52 F at the start of the race so my hands and feet were numb for most of the race. The 5 K run was a trail run through the camp with more hills and a stretch around the lake. The bike was three loops and the run was two. All that working out by myself really paid off .  The race was so small I was by myself though most of the bike and run course.  Finished in 1:44:12 way under the time needed to back to Nationals next year. This was a USAT certified race, so I can now relax and enjoy next weeks race. I was really excited about the 1/2 swim, since I sometimes have struggled with the swim in the past. I rocked this one and that's two in a row for me.  Competing is just as much a mental battle as it is a physical one. So put one in the win column for me today.

I've learned I am no longer competitive among the other athletes. A good day would be a finish in about the middle of the field. Today I ran against the clock and against myself to beat my time for the Silver Lake Triathlon and my time at Nationals. I did both.  Nationals had a 1/4 mile swim so my adjusted time there would have been about  1:34, five minutes faster. I credit my Fuji Altimira. It has made a huge difference.  It is nice to be getting better. I can't wait for Nationals next year!

If after seeing our wonderful Team CMT kit you just have to have your own let me know and I can work on putting in another order. Champion has a wide variety of running, cycling, triathlon and warm-up gear. They have great accessories like socks, hats, polo shirts etc. 

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.