" A bad attitude is like a flat tire, unless you change it you aren't going anywhere."- Denzel Washington
Aquahtlon National Championship, 2015 |
I did not have much time to think about the bad race I had in Chicago, on October 4th I particpated in the Aquathlon National Championship in El Reno, Oklahoma. I would be competing as an age group athlete with another chance to make Team USA and a slot at the World Champsionship in Cozumel.
This is the second year the race was in El Reno, Last year they set the record for the largest Aquathlon ever contested on US soil.
I flew into Dallas to meet up with my brother. It was great to have him for the drive and for the race. I usually don't have anyone cheering for me. He is always up for a local adventure. I had read about a local diner called Sid's. Their onion burger made a yahoo list of top burgers in the US. This was a local spot with four tables and six seats at the counter. The service was fast and friendly. The food was awesom.
Sid's Onion Burger |
For a national championship event, it is pretty low key. Pretty much like any local race. THe nice thing is you are assigned a rack position by gender and age group. After doing this race last year and the race in Chicago I have made several friends. It was fun to see them and talk about going to the World Championship in Cozumel.
Here is a map of the lake where the 1600 meter swim would take place. Open water swims of this distance are now a piece of cake.
A 10 K run was next and it was fun to see my brother on the course taking pictures. It was two loops of a really flat course. I wish I was faster. I used to be able to cover this distance so much faster when I was running marathons.
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 TeamUSA
at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago
in 2015.
In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship. She has qualified to represent Team
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.
Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 1756 members in 31 states. We also have members in Australia , England ,Scotland , Canada ,
Vietnam , Turkey , Finland ,
Scotland , France 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
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Marathon Bombing