"Go out and play. Fitness and health are sure to follow." -Dr. George Sheehan
I had my first race of 2018 on January 14th, the Sampson Stomp 5K.
The race is named after former zoo resident Sampson, a lowland gorilla. Sampson was something of a local celebrity due to his enormous size. I remember seeing him when my grade school would do a field trip to the zoo. Sampson came to Milwaukee as a baby and lived at the zoo for more than 30 years. At his largest he weighed 652 pounds, landing him in the Guinness book.
Sampson's namesake race is now a fundraiser for the zoo, with a 5K, 2mile and 1 mile race. This is also the first race on the local running club race schedule. I am again signed up for the club championship for the Badgerland Striders. So while I knew I would not be fast enough to place in the top three, there was a good chance I would be in the top three in my age group of the club members in the championship. This was a good chance to earn some points.
As I was driving to the race the temperature in Milwaukee was -1F. So while running a 5K race is pretty routine for me, running in temperatures this cold takes some planning. It really is all about proper layering.
My experience on a local ski patrol has taught me to to dress in layers. So first I put on a base layer of long underwear top and bottom. My second layer on top would be a Smart Wool half zip wool sweater. The bottom layer would be a pair of Columbia Lycra pants. the pants are great for cold weather running because they are thick, but still flexible. On top I added a fleece lined running jacket. I wore smart wool running socks and added wool gloves with a chemical hand warmer in each. I wore a Team CMT knit cap. Not only was I warm, but every thing matched.
I worked as a volunteer pre-race at the club membership booth so there would be no time to warm up. Because of that I planned to run the race at a slow jog. As I lined up, I saw several guys in shorts. I find it hard to believe anyone could be comfortable in shorts.
There was no wind and it was sunny. The race course ran all through the zoo. The only animals on outdoor display were the Humboldt penguins and a Sand hill Crane. The crane was making quite a bit of noise as we ran past.
As I warmed up, I did a few two minute efforts. I even got warm enough to take off my jacket about mid-race. I finished in 33:15, not a great race, but I never run well at this event. I am just coming off of my rest period and I did not push the pace at all due to the cold. I was just glad I had a comfortable and safe run.
****************************
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 and at the Aqua bike National Championship in 2016. She represented TeamUSA at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in 2015 and at the World championship in Cozumel in 2016.
In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship and at the Aqua bike National Championship in 2016. She represented Team
In 2014 she represented the U.S. as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American
Triathlon Championship in Dallas ,
Texas USA
for the World Championship.
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.
Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a
cure for CMT. We have 213 members in 39 states. We also have members in Australia , England ,
Scotland , Canada , Vietnam ,
Turkey , Finland , Scotland ,
France , Poland , Iran ,
Norway and Sweden . 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/
Follow CMT Author Chris Steinke
https://cmtandmesite.wordpress.com/2017/01/30/what-is-charcot-marie-tooth-disease/
http://cmtamputee.wordpress.com/
Follow CMT Author Chris Steinke
https://cmtandmesite.wordpress.com/2017/01/30/what-is-charcot-marie-tooth-disease/
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