Thursday, July 30, 2015

Book Review- The Runner's Guide to the Meaning of Life

Review- The Runner’s Guide to the Meaning of Life
What 35 Year’s of Running Has Taught Me About Winning, Losing, Happiness, Humility, and the Human Heart.
Amby Burfoot




Amby Burfoot was the winner of the 1968 Boston Marathon. He started his athletic life as a bench warmer on his school basketball team. One day the team was punished for poor play by running the cross country course. He was able to easily outrun everyone on the team. He discovered his talent and a life long love of running.

Burfoot is a long time editor of Runner’s World magazine.  His experience as an editor shows in a crisply written work.

If you are expected Burfoot to share training secrets you’ll be disappointed. What you get is something better. You get insight into the mind of an elite runner and you are witness to his transformation into a citizen runner who runs for the pure joy and the benefits it brings to his life.

If you are looking for motivational quotes you will find plenty from Burfoot and those who inspire him.  He t

I recognize my own experience when he talks about the transcending moments we have as runners, when everything just seems right.

Burfoot views all of life’s experience through the prism of his running.  My favorite quote from the book is “In the race to be your best, there is no losing”.   In this pages of this book you will see how Burfoot dealt with divorce, disappointment, goal setting, winning, setting traditions, courage, children among other topics.


***********************
.
 Chris Wodke
Founder & Manager Team CMT
www.run4cmt.com

Chris is a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the Boston Marathon.  In 2012 she finished 2nd at Boston in the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs exploded.

She has appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She has qualified to represent Team USA at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in 2015.  

 In 2014 she represented  the U.S. as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas.

She travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

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

You may visit her author page at:
http://www.amazon.com/Christine-Wodke/e/B00IJ02HX6


Team CMT is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure for CMT. We have 163 members in 32 states. We also have members in Australia, Scotland, 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.

Additional Link
Follow CMT affected Paratriathlete Timmy Dixon
http://cmtamputee.wordpress.com/

Keywords: Running, Running and CMT, triathlon, triathlon and CMT, athlete and CMT, cycling and CMT, paratriathlon, challenged athlete, Team CMT, Running for My Life-Winning for CMT. Hereditary Neuropathy, Charcot-Marie-Tooth.
CMT and running, CMT and triathlon, CMT and athlete, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and running, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and triathlon, Team USA and Team CMT, Running for my life-Winning for CMT, CMT athlete, athlete and CMT, triathlete and CMT, Boston Marathon Bombing

Sunday, July 26, 2015

World Championship Prep Week 13 & 14, New York Triathlon



"Let me win, and if I cannot win, let me be great in the attempt".  Special Olympics Motto

7/12  Sun     2 hr. brick workout
7/13  Mon   Open water swim 1600 meters
7/14  Tue     Bike 45 minutes
7/15  Wed    Swim 25 minutes, run 35 minutes
7/16  Thur    Fly to New York City
7/17  Fri       Bike 1 hour, run 20 minutes
7/18  Sat      Swim 35 minutes

7/19/ Sun    NY Tri  3 hr 24 minutes,  1st Female Physically Challenged Open
7/20  Mon   Swim 40 minutes
7/21  Tue     Travel Day
7/22  Wed    40 minute bike
7/23  Thur    Bike 1 hr 10 minutes, run 20 minutes
7/24   Fri      Swim 75 minutes, run 55 minutes
7/25   Sat      1 hr 15 min bike, Swim 30 minutes

I was given a $1000 travel grant from the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) to participate in the New York Triathlon.

I all happened kind of last minute.  I had applied for the grant months ago and then I did not hear anything. A couple of weeks ago, I got an email asking me to register for the race and a special code to register for the Panasonic Challenged Athletes International Championship.

There would be prize money for the top five male and female athletes. Because I was not a classified athlete I would not be eligible for that.

This would be my first Olympic distance race. I am really more of a sprint specialist.  I'd put doing an Olympic on my list of goals for this year, but just could not find the right race. I had not really trained for it, but I was heading to New York in any case.

I decided to arrive on Thursday so I could acclimate before the race and do a bit of sightseeing. It was my first trip to New York.

I stayed at the West Side YMCA so I could have access to their two pools and workout center.
It was pretty much like many of the youth hostels I've stayed at in Europe, except I had a private room.

Time Square
My first afternoon I headed to Central Park and did a loop all around the park before heading to Time Square.
Central Park


The next day I did the one thing I wanted to do in New York and that was seen the Statue of Liberty.
I also visited Ellis Island. It was really emotional to think of my relatives coming to this country and seeing Lady Liberty and being processed through Ellis Island.

I walked all the way back from Battery Park back to Central Park. I got to see the 911 Memorial, Wall Street, Harold Square and Radio City Music hall.


Saturday it was time to attend to race business.  Accenture one of the race sponsors held a breakfast for all the para-triathletes and their guests. I sat with a visually impaired physical therapist and her tandem partner from Tennessee. It was great that she knew about CMT, in fact she has three CMT patients. She and I talked about the fact we both get questions about being impaired. She shared she is not always accepted in the para-triathlon community.  That has been my experience as well.

To illustrate the point, during the breakfast on of the female wheel chair athletes was passing our table.  She was very friendly with several other athletes.  She had a really beautiful and friendly smile. As she passed I smiled and said "Hi, I'm Chris."  She visibly checked my legs, I am guessing for an impairment, and then rolled on.

The rest of the day was filled with the usual race business, athlete/handler briefing, para triathlon race briefing, packet pickup and set up in transition.

On race day I was up at 3 am and was the first one allowed in transition at 4 am.
We had to be out of transition at 5:40 a.m.  The swim start for the 38 para-athletes was at 7:40 a.m.
So here is a brief summary of how things went on race day.

Swim
We were the first group in the 2nd transition wave. Wave yellow went first and was mostly women. Red was the para-triathletes and mostly men. I remember standing at the dock and looking at the shore. It was a mile walk to the swim and the entire wave was lined up for 3/4 of a mile waiting to start.
The swim was in the Hudson river with a really strong current.  The swim was a mile and I could not see the dock where we would finish. The next wave came through before I finished and I got run over by one of the male swimmers.  I decided to do a slow steady swim and I was out of the water in 23 minutes.  There were suit strippers on the dock and then a 800 meter run. The run was on asphalt with stones and it was really painful. Transition was on a softball field and the grass area was covered with tarp and was really uneven. I do not know how the wheelchair athletes managed it.

Bike
The bike was on the West Side Highway along the Hudson.  I have never been in a race where there were so many riders so close together. I was on a rented bike I found on Spinlister and I had no bike computer. Even though I decided to take it really easy, my legs were strong and had a will of their own.  I passed a lot of racers and a lot passed me. Many would pass with no notice which I hate. I remember one man speed up when I announced I was passing. I passed him anyway. The bike leg was finished in 1 hr 37, way better than I expected.  The course was hilly, with long, long inclines.

Run
The run would be the real challenge. I have not run much long distance since I have been concentrating on sprint triathlons.  The weather was warm at 4 am when I got to transition. With the sun up it was brutally hot and humid.  It was at least 92F and very humid. The 10 K run entered Central Park at the one mile mark.  There were huge hills. I actually thought it was a 5 mile run so I was deflated at the five mile water stop when the volunteers told us there was another 1.2 miles left.
Lots and lots of athletes were walking and I gave in three times on some of the bigger hills. It was so hot I was dumping water on myself at every water stop. I took a water bottle on the run and would re-fill at each stop and pour it on myself.  I finished the run in 71 minutes.

My total time for the race was 3 hr 24 minutes, well under my secret goal of 3 hr 30 and not bad for my first Olympic on a tough bike and run course. It was good enough for 1st place in the female Physically Challenged Open division. It would have been good for 20th in my age group. Not bad for a big time race that I did not train for. It was not a perfect race, I made some mistakes, but I'll take it.

I ended my week with a little more sightseeing and a visit with my niece Brittany. It was a great trip to New York. The only snag was the 24 hours it took me to get home due to cancelled and delayed flights.

I'll get a few weeks break until my next race; Age Group Nationals here in Milwaukee, the second week of August.

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


Chris Wodke
Founder & Manager Team CMT
www.run4cmt.com

Chris is a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the Boston Marathon.  In 2012 she finished 2nd at Boston in the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs exploded.

She has appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She has qualified to represent Team USA at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in 2015.  

 In 2014 she represented  the U.S. as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas.

She travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

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

You may visit her author page at:
http://www.amazon.com/Christine-Wodke/e/B00IJ02HX6


Team CMT is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure for CMT. We have 165 members in 32 states. We also have members in Australia, Scotland, Canada, Vietnam, Turkey, Finland, England 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.

Additional Link
Follow CMT affected Paratriathlete Timmy Dixon
http://cmtamputee.wordpress.com/

Keywords: Running, Running and CMT, triathlon, triathlon and CMT, athlete and CMT, cycling and CMT, paratriathlon, challenged athlete, Team CMT, Running for My Life-Winning for CMT. Hereditary Neuropathy, Charcot-Marie-Tooth.
CMT and running, CMT and triathlon, CMT and athlete, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and running, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and triathlon, Team USA and Team CMT, Running for my life-Winning for CMT, CMT athlete, athlete and CMT, triathlete and CMT, Boston Marathon Bombing


Saturday, July 25, 2015

Super Food Saturday Frozen Yogurt Drops

I have a little bit of a sweet tooth.  I can indulge it and still be healthy with this recipe.  It is easy and quick to make.


1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon chocolate extract
2 tablespoons vanilla protein powder
2 tablespoons agava syrup
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
2 tablespoons coco nibs
1 pint fresh raspberries.


Combine all ingredients except the raspberries.  Mix well. Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper or aluminum foil.  Drop yogurt mixture by spoonful onto the cookie sheet. Put a raspberry on the top of each drop. Place the pan in the freezer and freeze for 2 hours our until firm. When firm peel off of the foil and store in a covered container in the freezer.


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


Chris Wodke
Founder & Manager Team CMT
www.run4cmt.com

Chris is a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the Boston Marathon.  In 2012 she finished 2nd at Boston in the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs exploded.

She has appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She has qualified to represent Team USA at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in 2015.  

 In 2014 she represented  the U.S. as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas.

She travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

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

You may visit her author page at:
http://www.amazon.com/Christine-Wodke/e/B00IJ02HX6


Team CMT is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure for CMT. We have 165 members in 32 states. We also have members in Australia, Scotland, Canada, Vietnam, Turkey, Finland, England 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.

Additional Link
Follow CMT affected Paratriathlete Timmy Dixon
http://cmtamputee.wordpress.com/

Keywords: Running, Running and CMT, triathlon, triathlon and CMT, athlete and CMT, cycling and CMT, paratriathlon, challenged athlete, Team CMT, Running for My Life-Winning for CMT. Hereditary Neuropathy, Charcot-Marie-Tooth.
CMT and running, CMT and triathlon, CMT and athlete, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and running, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and triathlon, Team USA and Team CMT, Running for my life-Winning for CMT, CMT athlete, athlete and CMT, triathlete and CMT, Boston Marathon Bombing


Wednesday, July 15, 2015

World Championship Prep Week 12, National Senior Games



"To conquer fear, you have to feel the fear and take action anyway." -John Maxwell


7/5     Sunday          National Senior Games Sprint Triathlon, 1 hr 23 minutes
7/6     Monday         Off
7/7     Tuesday         Yoga 60 minutes, bike 60 minutes
7/8     Wed               My Birthday  Swim 60 min, run 30
7/9     Thur               Swim 45 min, bike 90 min
7/10   Friday             Run 50 minutes
7/11   Sat                  Bike 45 min, 65 min


This week I got a bit of practice racing at the National Senior Games in Minneapolis.  A National games sounds impressive, but this was a pretty low key affair.

Right from the start things were a little disorganized at packet pick up. There were only 3 people a head of me in line, yet it took abut 45 minutes. The credentials we were picking up were not in alphabetical order, hence the delay. So it was a good time to chat up the other athletes in line. I met shuffle board and softball athletes from Ohio, Alabama and Rhode Island.

The expo did not have many vendors. The packet we picked up had very little in it.
There was no tee shirt and no race numbers for the triathlon. I hear in Cleveland the site of the last games there were some nice athlete gifts.

Since there was no information on line or in the packet about the triathlon, I emailed the race director. I heard nothing. So I went out to the venue the day before the race to check out the course. There were half a dozen triathletes there all wondering about race day logistics like how would we get our numbers, when would transition open and close, that kind of stuff.

I revolved to just get to the race site early. My wave was set to go off at 7:36.

The night before the race I had dinner with Team CMT member Louise Gehardt and her friend Joyce.
There would be competing in doubles tennis. Since I did not do the Boston Marathon this year I did not get to visit with Louise. It was great to see her.

So on race day I was awake at 4 am which was good, because the 5 am wake up call I requested was never made.  I had breakfast and I was at the race venue by 5:30 am. I got a great parking spot. The volunteers were just setting up transition and said we could rack anywhere.  The sun was just coming up over the venue at Lake Phalen.

This was not the first time I've done a race on this lake. I used to be a competitive rower and was in a regatta here years ago.

It would be another 45 minutes until registration was set up.  All pretty loosely run.

The benefit of such a low key race is I was able to do a bike, run and swim warm up.  The water on the swim warm up was almost too warm for a wetsuit.

The race was about 15 minutes late starting and after a very brief race meeting waves went off by waves with the youngest (50-54) going first.

I've not done much open water swimming this season and it showed in the swim. I had trouble catching my breath and I had a headache.  Then the negative self talk started and I was wondering why I was doing this and promise to quit. Then I started using my swim mantra and calmed down.  I often have this fear when I race or even practice on open water and I have learned to manage it and push through it.

I came out of the water in 9 min 38 seconds. It was then off to the bike. The road was full of pot holes and cracks so it was hard to really open up. It was also a little bit of a hilly course.

The run was one loop around Lake Phalen and then it was done.  I set a PR of 1 hr 25 minutes. The funny thing is I had no energy, especially on the run.

The next day I did get sick and went home early from work. So maybe I was starting to get sick  already on Sunday. Still I will take it, on a day when I did not feel great I have a great time and lots of fun.

There were a number of Tri Wisconsin club members at the race.
I met lots of great athletes from all around the country.  The week was not a great one work out wise since I was sick the first few days. Having a birthday does not get me a day off with my coach and I did two workouts.

The race was a great experience to build on as I do my first Olympic distance race in New York this Sunday.

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

Chris Wodke
Founder & Manager Team CMT
www.run4cmt.com

Chris is a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the Boston Marathon.  In 2012 she finished 2nd at Boston in the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs exploded.

She has appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She has qualified to represent Team USA at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in 2015.  

 In 2014 she represented  the U.S. as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas.

She travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

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

You may visit her author page at:
http://www.amazon.com/Christine-Wodke/e/B00IJ02HX6


Team CMT is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure for CMT. We have 165 members in 32 states. We also have members in Australia, Scotland, Canada, Vietnam, Turkey, Finland, England 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.

Additional Link
Follow CMT affected Paratriathlete Timmy Dixon
http://cmtamputee.wordpress.com/

Keywords: Running, Running and CMT, triathlon, triathlon and CMT, athlete and CMT, cycling and CMT, paratriathlon, challenged athlete, Team CMT, Running for My Life-Winning for CMT. Hereditary Neuropathy, Charcot-Marie-Tooth.
CMT and running, CMT and triathlon, CMT and athlete, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and running, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and triathlon, Team USA and Team CMT, Running for my life-Winning for CMT, CMT athlete, athlete and CMT, triathlete and CMT, Boston Marathon Bombing


Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Transformation Tuesday- Week 9, Water



This weeks column is part of a 14 part series. It is summarized from a presentation by Dr. Jay Davidson
Davidson Family Chiropractic
Waukesha, Wisconsin
www.MaxHealthRadio.com

Water Facts
·        Our blood is 83 % water
·        Muscle 75 % water
·        Bone 22% water
·        Brain 75% water
Water is important for our health.
A University of Washington study showed:
·        75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.
·        37% of Americans thirst mechanism is so weak it is mistaken for hunger.
·        A glass of water can ease hunger pangs.

How Water Can Affect Your Body
·        Mild dehydration slows metabolism
·        #1 trigger of daytime fatigue
·        2% drop in body water can trigger:
o       Fuzzy thinking and short term memory issues
o       Trouble with basic math
o       Difficulty concentrating on a computer screen
How Water Can Help the Body- Drinking 5 glasses of water a day
·        Decreases risk of colon cancer by 45%
·        Decreases risk of breast cancer by 79%
·        Decreases bladder cancer by 50%
Water should be sipped throughout the day to be effective.
Drink a glass of water before bedtime to keep from getting hungry during the night.
Water-How Much to Drink?
Answer: Drink half your body weight in ounces of water a day.

Drink More Water if:
·        It is winter and the air is dry.
·        Getting chiropractic adjustments
·        Are de-toxing
Do not drink water from plastic bottles; glass is free of the contaminants that can be in plastic.
Toxins in Water
Water from your tap can contain the following toxins:
Chlorine
Fluoride
Medications
Heavy metals
Pesticides
Fluoride can be very damaging:
Fluoride causes more cancer deaths and causes it faster than any other chemical.” – Dean Burke, M.D.  U.S. National Cancer Institute
Your skin can absorb these toxins when showering. For every minute in the shower you absorb about 8 ounces of water.
Dr. Davidson recommends at the very least a shower filter.
He also recommends the use of a whole house filter and/or water ionizing system.
The whole house is a reverse osmosis system that takes out toxins.
The cost is quite high at $3300.
Tyent makes a water ionizer that according to Dr. Davidson produces water with a higher ORP or anti-oxidant properties. It is supposed to also be better absorbed by the body.  

The water also is alkalized creating a body environment that does not allow viruses and bacteria to thrive and keeps down inflammation.
You can learn about this system and get pricing at their web site:
System price is $3295

There are a number of testimonials on the website from medical professionals and celebrities such as Tim Tebow, Anthony Robbins and Roger Daltrey.

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


Chris Wodke
Founder & Manager Team CMT
www.run4cmt.com

Chris is a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the Boston Marathon.  In 2012 she finished 2nd at Boston in the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs exploded.

She has appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She has qualified to represent Team USA at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in 2015.  

 In 2014 she represented  the U.S. as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas.

She travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

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

You may visit her author page at:
http://www.amazon.com/Christine-Wodke/e/B00IJ02HX6


Team CMT is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure for CMT. We have 165 members in 32 states. We also have members in Australia, Scotland, Canada, Vietnam, Turkey, Finland, England 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.

Additional Link
Follow CMT affected Paratriathlete Timmy Dixon
http://cmtamputee.wordpress.com/

Keywords: Running, Running and CMT, triathlon, triathlon and CMT, athlete and CMT, cycling and CMT, paratriathlon, challenged athlete, Team CMT, Running for My Life-Winning for CMT. Hereditary Neuropathy, Charcot-Marie-Tooth.
CMT and running, CMT and triathlon, CMT and athlete, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and running, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and triathlon, Team USA and Team CMT, Running for my life-Winning for CMT, CMT athlete, athlete and CMT, triathlete and CMT, Boston Marathon Bombing

Sunday, July 12, 2015

Salad Sunday-Blueberry Quinoa Salad

This salad tastes like summer with fresh blueberries and mango. The shrimp is a nice compliment to the fruit. The lime juice in the dressing keeps the salad from being too sweet. There is a nice crunch from the celery, cucumber and onions. Feel free to change up the vegetables to suit your own taste.
Blueberry Quinoa Salad

1 quinoa
1 pint blueberries
1 1/2 cup mango
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 cucumber chopped
6 ounces cooked and peeled shrimp
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves shredded
juice of one lime
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon agave syrup

Prepare the quinoa according to package directions. It will make 2 cups of quinoa when cooked
Cool the quinioa and then place in a large salad bowl. Add the blueberries, mango, celery, cucumber and shrimp. Mix well.  Sprinkle in the mint leaves and mix well.  Mix together the lime juice, olive oil and syrup. Shake well and pour over salad mixture.  Top with the slivered almonds.
Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving to blend the flavors.


Serves 6

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


Chris Wodke
Founder & Manager Team CMT
www.run4cmt.com

Chris is a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the Boston Marathon.  In 2012 she finished 2nd at Boston in the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs exploded.

She has appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She has qualified to represent Team USA at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in 2015.  

 In 2014 she represented  the U.S. as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas.

She travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

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

You may visit her author page at:
http://www.amazon.com/Christine-Wodke/e/B00IJ02HX6


Team CMT is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure for CMT. We have 165 members in 32 states. We also have members in Australia, Scotland, Canada, Vietnam, Turkey, Finland, England 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.

Additional Link
Follow CMT affected Paratriathlete Timmy Dixon
http://cmtamputee.wordpress.com/

Keywords: Running, Running and CMT, triathlon, triathlon and CMT, athlete and CMT, cycling and CMT, paratriathlon, challenged athlete, Team CMT, Running for My Life-Winning for CMT. Hereditary Neuropathy, Charcot-Marie-Tooth.
CMT and running, CMT and triathlon, CMT and athlete, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and running, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and triathlon, Team USA and Team CMT, Running for my life-Winning for CMT, CMT athlete, athlete and CMT, triathlete and CMT, Boston Marathon Bombing

Friday, July 10, 2015

Fair Friday Coffee Scrub


Today's scrub is easy to make with things you have right in your kitchen.
It takes just a few ingredients. The scrub is a bit messy to use. When I tried iout I took the scrub to the gym where I swim.  The scrub was all over the walls, but I was able to wash it all down. So might not want to do this one at home.


Coffee Body Scrub

1 cup fresh ground coffee
½ cup coconut oil
½ cup  Kosher salt
½ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon olive oil


Mix together all of the ingredients.

After a bath or shower, rub the body scrub using circular motions over areas prone to cellulite such as thighs, hips and stomach.   Rinse off with water, towel dry and then moisturize.
Do not use a salt scrub if your skin is broken, have sunburn or other skin irritations. Do not use before sun exposure since the orange oil can cause sunburn.

Salt scrubs detoxify the body. Stimulate circulation and help to fight cellulite.  They remove dead skin from the body to leave soft smooth skin.  Exfoliate once per week.  Doing this before skin treatments can make them more effective because it opens up the pores.

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


Chris Wodke
Founder & Manager Team CMT
www.run4cmt.com

Chris is a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the Boston Marathon.  In 2012 she finished 2nd at Boston in the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs exploded.

She has appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She has qualified to represent Team USA at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in 2015.  

 In 2014 she represented  the U.S. as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas.

She travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

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

You may visit her author page at:
http://www.amazon.com/Christine-Wodke/e/B00IJ02HX6


Team CMT is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure for CMT. We have 165 members in 32 states. We also have members in Australia, Scotland, Canada, Vietnam, Turkey, Finland, England 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.

Additional Link
Follow CMT affected Paratriathlete Timmy Dixon
http://cmtamputee.wordpress.com/

Keywords: Running, Running and CMT, triathlon, triathlon and CMT, athlete and CMT, cycling and CMT, paratriathlon, challenged athlete, Team CMT, Running for My Life-Winning for CMT. Hereditary Neuropathy, Charcot-Marie-Tooth.
CMT and running, CMT and triathlon, CMT and athlete, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and running, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and triathlon, Team USA and Team CMT, Running for my life-Winning for CMT, CMT athlete, athlete and CMT, triathlete and CMT, Boston Marathon Bombing

Thursday, July 9, 2015

World Championship Prep Week 11, Every Day

Riveredge Bike Ride


" It;s not once every four years, it's every day." - Motto U.S. Olympic Committee

6/28     Sunday     Riverdege Nature Bike Ride 46 miles, 3 hr 15 Min
6/29     Monday    Rest
6/30     Tuesday    Swim 50 minutes, run 30 minutes
7/1        Wed         bike 90 minutes
7/2        Thur         run 55 min swim 60 min
7/3        Fri            Swim 45 min
7/4        Sat            Bike 45 min

At the beginning of every season I talk about my planned races and goals with my coach.  The ITU World Championship and the Age Group race the same week are my A races for the year.

We also decide what to work on for the year and I have worked on improving my cycling the last two seasons. To get faster I needed to bike farther.

I signed up for a number of organized bike rides to keep the miles fun. This week I had the Riveredge Nature Ride in Newburg, Wisconsin. The ride was scheduled to be 42 and with a detour ended up to be 46 miles.

Newburg is about 30 miles north east of Milwaukee. The area is covered with small towns and dairy farms. Anyone that has been reading my training blog knows I love barns and this ride had some beautiful farm buildings.

 The course was one hill after another and provided a great training ride. I have a long course duathlon later in the year and this ride will help me to be ready.

The weather was perfect, sunny and in the low 80's.

I've live in Wisconsin my whole life, but there are parts of my own state I have not seen. One of the rest stops was at Covered Bridge Park in Cederburg. I've never seen this beautiful bridge.
The shady park was a perfect place for a rest stop.  You know you are in Wisconsin when cheese curds are served at the rest stop.

This is the first time I've seen cheese curds at a rest stop, but on a hot day the salt tasted really good.
Bagels and peanut butter went down really well too. When doing a long ride like this, it is important to eat and drink enough to stay fueled. Not eating or drinking enough can hider recovery after the ride.
On Friday of the week I headed up to St. Paul for the National Senior Games. I got to meet up with Team CMT member Louise Gerhardt. She was there to compete in tennis and I would compete in the Triathlon on Sunday.
So every week and every day, I work on my goals and my training. They bring me one step closer to being read for the World Championships in November.

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


Chris Wodke
Founder & Manager Team CMT
www.run4cmt.com

Chris is a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the Boston Marathon.  In 2012 she finished 2nd at Boston in the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs exploded.

She has appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She has qualified to represent Team USA at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in 2015.  

 In 2014 she represented  the U.S. as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas.

She travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

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

You may visit her author page at:
http://www.amazon.com/Christine-Wodke/e/B00IJ02HX6


Team CMT is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure for CMT. We have 165 members in 32 states. We also have members in Australia, Scotland, Canada, Vietnam, Turkey, Finland, England 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.

Additional Link
Follow CMT affected Paratriathlete Timmy Dixon
http://cmtamputee.wordpress.com/

Keywords: Running, Running and CMT, triathlon, triathlon and CMT, athlete and CMT, cycling and CMT, paratriathlon, challenged athlete, Team CMT, Running for My Life-Winning for CMT. Hereditary Neuropathy, Charcot-Marie-Tooth.

CMT and running, CMT and triathlon, CMT and athlete, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and running, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and triathlon, Team USA and Team CMT, Running for my life-Winning for CMT, CMT athlete, athlete and CMT, triathlete and CMT, Boston Marathon Bombing