Boston Week 8- A little Perspective

Ground Hog Day Snow Storm 2010

" The strongest steel is produced from the hottest fire"- Andy Andrews

There's a saying in Wisconsin if you don't like the weather, just wait a bit.  We can see just about any type of weather at any time. Last week was no exception.  Here is what we had for weather last week.

Monday- 43 F and sunny
Tuesday- 58 F and rainy- lots of rain with flooded streets
Wednesday- 12 F and all that rain turned to ice
Thursday- 6 F and  -20 F wind chill
Friday-   - 2 F and -25- -30 F wind chill
Saturday-  13 F and windy
Sunday-  a balmy 18 F and sunny


When it's icy and super cold I hit the treadmill.  The cold was not too bad, but it was really icy and I couldn't risk a fall.  My balance is dicey enough without running on ice.

I got all my workouts in but it was also an up and down this week physically.  I am entering into my highest mileage weeks. My long run was 17 miles this weekend ( 3 hr and 20 minutes).  It always takes my body some time to adjust to this work load.  I added my normal CMT tired to workout tired.

Although I get one day away from working out, I still get extremely tired. One night it was 7 pm lights out and 8 pm another night. I am used to constant exhaustion, but this kicks it up a notch

The tough workouts make me a strong athlete once my body adjusts. Kind of like all the cold weather makes Wisconsin people tough.

Being down physically also drains me mentally. I know it isn't normal to go to bed exhausted at 7 pm.    A little perspective helps. I have been through this before and know my body will adapt. It will all be worth it when I cross that finish line in Boston.

I also know I'm lucky to be running and preparing for an event like Boston. As I look at the picture at the top of the blog I think about the 22 inch snow storm we had Feb 2nd just 3 years ago. The weather can also  be allot  worse then we saw this week..

March is just 3 weeks away. Soon it will be warm enough to run outside all week long.  Both Boston and spring will be here before I know it. Remembering that gives me a little bit of perspective when I face these tough weeks.  This too shall pass.

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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 116 members in 25 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.