Boston 3- Week 5 - An Expensive Week

My car, back in the garage as good as new.

"Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now."-Steve Wright

1/20     Monday     Bike       60 minutes          14F
1/21     Tuesday     Run/wts  60/30 min           18F
1/22     Wed.         Bike       120 min              -3 F
1/23     Thurs         Run/wts  45/30 min           -2 F
1/24     Friday        Swim      60 min                 7F
1/25     Sat             Bike/run  60/150 min        12F

The Arctic cold temperatures returned. It is so tempting to skip workouts when temperatures are below zero.. I am cold sitting at my desk bundled up in a sweater. So it is tough to talk myself into changing into shorts to run on the treadmill or even worse a swimsuit to go swimming.  The pool is so cold when the temperatures are sub-zero outside.

All I wanted to do all week was go home and wrap myself in a big blanket. I did all my workouts because I know it is the only way to be prepared on race day. A little pain now and big rewards later. I always tell myself the national champ is working out today. I bet she's swimming laps. So I get it done.

There were lots of distractions this week and lots of expenses.  First my car was in the shop. I had a VW beattle as my rental car. I sat so low I could barely see over the steering wheel.  I've driven my car for 10 years, so operation is well ingrained in my muscle memory.  Every time I had to card into work I kept reaching for the button on the center console. Well in the rental it was in the door. Lots of adjustment including driving an automatic transmission for the first time in 10 years. It took a week to get the car fixed so I had a weeks worth of rental and my insurance deductible to pay. Total cost 550 dollars.

It was too bad that was not my only expense. I woke up Thursday morning with furnace problems once again. The house was 58 F. With temps plummeting I had trouble getting someone to look at it.
I think the furnace guy was trying to scam me. I used a local company I had used for plumbing and I knew it would be expensive. The quoted repair price was 800. Then he came back and said one of the brackets was bad and would have to tear the whole boiler apart. After some back and forth he said what was the top dollar amount I would pay. So I held to the 800 already quoted. After some calls to the company he finished the work. Overpriced repair but so far it is holding up.

I had to go back to work to make up the hours away from work so I got in my workout pretty late that night.

The high spot of the week was Wednesday in Computrainer class.  The week before I could not even get through the workout. I struggled the entire time. This week was a completely different story. It was my first ride after having a bike fit and some part changes.  On a hilly course I was able to hold 160 watts through each of the intervals. Even more major I was not the slowest kid in the class. I finished 3 out of 5 riders on my side of the room. I am not sure what those two guys were doing, but I will take it. I think it is the first time in two years this has happened.

So even though I had some expensive diversions, I still stayed focused on my workouts. It can be a challenge mentally to keep working out when it is so cold. Still each day brings me one day closer to spring. I can't wait.

*************************

Chris Wodke Oro Valley AZ 2013

Chris Wodke

Founder & Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a two time participant of the Boston Marathon.  She was the 2012 National Champion Paratriathlon Open Division. In 2013 she qualified as a member of the Team USA Duathlon Team. She will compete in 2014 at the Age Group World Duathlon Sprint Championship in Pontevedre Spain.

She is the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a CMT affected athlete.

http://www.henschelhausbooks.com/catalog/memoir-biography/215-running-for-my-life-winning-for-cmt-9781595982827.html

Team CMT is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure for CMT. We have 142 members in 28 states. We also have members in Australia, Canada, Vietnam, Turkey, Finland and Iran. If you wish to join us visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com or www.hnf-cure.org

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.