And we beat anyone sitting at home on the sofa with a remote in their hand. That's what I always say. That and whose idea was it to get up this early and run this race anyways.
Welcome Philadelphia resident Jude Burton to Team CMT. Sorry about that title Jude, I have that Beatles tune in my heard since loading it on my iPod today.
Jude was born in Wales and moved to the States to work in 2001. She got her diagnosis of CMT at age 3 following a nerve biopsy. She feels fortunate to know so young about her CMT. She never had the shock of finding out as an adult. She always knew she had it, how it affected her and that it is progressive. Sincethere is no family history on any side of her family,s he had the genetic test last year to confirm she has CMT 1B.
She was given a clear message from her doctors from the time she was young, that she should not do any significant exercise. Swimming was the only thing recommended, but since she was a terrible swimmer she did nothing.
When she moved to the States in her 30's she started to exercise on a regular basis for the first time ever. She saw an immediate and significant improvement in her strength and balance.
Jude started running seven years ago while home in the U.K. on a business trip. She tried running so she could stay fit during the trip. She was hooked and has been running ever since. It just feels so good.
Up until 2009 she just ran at local parks. She didn't dare to enter any races because she felt she was so slow. She had always found competitive sports humiliating because of her CMT. In October of 2009 she decided to run a 4 mile charity run in a park where she runs her workouts. Her husband joined her. She didn't come in last and she didn't feel humiliated. I hope she felt like the winner she is. She was frustrated she had not trained more and was sure she could do better.
In 2010 she ran another 4 mile race, four 5 K races and her first 10K the Livestrong Philadelphia and she didn't come in last in any of them.
This year she decided to train for an event she has wanted to do ever since she started running. She joined a local running club the Fast Tracks and trained for the Philadelphia Broad Street run. It is a fast and flat 10 mile run through the city. Her training went great and she completed the run on May 1st this year getting her 1st completion medal. Congratulations Jude! You're a real athlete now!
As someone with CMT she knows she is lucky to be able to run. She joined Team CMT because she wanted to give back to the CMTA through fundraising. She has a goal to run her first half marathon this year in Philadelphia on November 20th.
She's had a slight set back recently due to injury. Anyone with CMT is used to the ankles that roll and give out. Jude broke bones in her foot from the frequent ankle rolls. She doesn't even remember when she did it. She will be in a cast for a few weeks and then will be back to training.
Welcome to Team CMT Jude! You look great in our Team CMT signlet. Jude joins athletes Chris Wodke, Joyce Kelly, Jess Knowles and Ericka Wiltenmuth who have CMT. Our stories are all very similar. We are joined by a total of 21 athletes in 8 states and we are still growing. We all share the vision of raising awareness and a world without CMT.
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 100 members in 17 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.
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