National Duathlon Championship Race Goodies- 2013

Finisher Medal 2013 USAT National Duathon Championship

" Success isn't about how far you got, but the distance you traveled from where your started."- Steve Prefontaine.

I traveled a long way just to get to the starting line of the race in Oro Valley, Arizona. First a flight to Phoenix from Milwaukee, then a 2 hours drive with college friend Cindy Stefanovic.  We had a nice chance to visit and catch up.  It was really nice to have her along because I ususally do not have a cheering section at my races, expecially away races.

I'm not fast so I know I won't be earning one of the awards given to the top three finishers in each age group. Every finisher gets a medal for completing the course and every participant gets a bag of goodies as part of their participant packet.

The packet at the Age Group Triathlon Nationals had lots of cool stuff. So I was excited to get back to the hotel and dump out my goodie bag.  First was a cool USAT cap.

 The only time I have gotten a cap was here in Milwaukee at age group nationals.  Here is the rest of my loot.

Socks:  a nice pari of USAT Triathlon socks, this is a heavy cotton pair. Not good for running, but nice for computrainer class or just walking around. I will wear them to work with my sandals so everyone can see my USAT Duathlon socks. Maybe I will even wear them on the plane on the way to Spain for the World Championships.  I love getting socks as part of the package. Any athlete goes through lots and lots of socks and they are a nice reminder of the race.

Number:  The set of numbers is important. Runners have one they pin to the front of their shirt. Triathletes and Duathletes have multiple numbers. In this case there were numbers for our helmet, bike, gear bag and for the run.

Race Tats:  These are right in the midddle. They are the temporry race number tatoos that identify you on race day. You see all the pros wearing them in big races. I feel big time when I wear them.  They go on the upper part of each arm and on the side of your calves. They must be clearly visible to race officials.  I know when I worked as a volunteer timer here in Milwaukee I would look for these numbers.  The only problem with these cool tatoos is they are hard to get off. I had to turn to the Tri Wisconsin Facebook group after the National Championshsip in Austin to find out how to get them off. The trick is baby oil and lots and lots of elbow grease. A soak in a hot tub also helps a bit. Some athletes leave them on for days to show off. Me I like them off right away.

Bike Levers:  Up at the top those red things you see are bike levers. They are used for changing flat bike tires. Now if I just knew how to use them. I live in fear of getting a flat when racing or on a long ride.

Misc: there was also a pack of chops which I love, some gripper tape which I have yet to try and a clothfor wiping off glasses.

Pretty much the same set of goodies I got when I raced at Age Group Nationals here in Milwaukee.  I didn't mind, but little did I know how similar the experience would be to the Milwaukee race. I would experience that the next day.

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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 137 members in 27 states. We also have members in Australia, Canada, Vietnam, Turkey, Finland and Iran. 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.