State Time Trial Championship Part 1

"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seed you plant." - Robert Louis Stevenson

The Wisconsin Cycling Association Wisconsin State time trial championship was held in Cottage Grove on July 22nd. The race was 13.6 miles. I like time trials because they are easy for someone like me with limited cycle racing experience.

Each athlete lines up according to their race number and they start one at a time every 30 seconds.
These races are small, but they draw really serious contenders.  I saw aero helmets, skin suits, time trial bike worth thousand and even covers on shoes to cut wind resistance.  There were four women in my age group. I knew I would not place, but I was racing for the experience.  My cycling leg of my triathlons really needs work. One way to get faster is to race.''

The woman lined up just ahead of me looked fast. When I told her she was not in my age group, she told me she was in the 65 to 69 age group and had qualified for a World Championship in Europe.

The race started at 9:00 and I started at 9:02 making me one of the first racers on the course. I started off and was surprised not to see any racers passing me.  That is pretty typical in a time trial.  I kept biking getting more and more worried. I got to a right turn and a giant hill. There was no course sentry at the turn or markings on the road. So I figured out I must have missed a turn. I hoped to retrace the route and get back on course.  I saw racers and went in the opposite direction where I hoped to get back on course. Well after much riding around, I was crossing the finish. I asked to be disqualified because I am sure I did not do the complete course.

I found out from one of the guys ahead of me that the course sentries were not there for the first riders. I should have taken a left jog right after the first right turn.

Well the first race was a disaster, but there was a second race being run the same day. American bike racing was holding a race on the same course right after the first race finished. It was not a championship race, but I had signed up for the practice.

So in about 20 minutes I was lined up again. I heard one of the guys talking about last year's second race. He said someone had pulled up all the direction signs and he got lost during the second race and that a number of other racers did as well. That made me feel a little better.

I was off again and this time I did not miss the turn. I had left my time trial bike at home, thinking a road bike would be better for the hilly course. It was hilly with several 90 degree turns. I think it was a good choice for me, since I am not as skilled yet as I should be to do this kind of race on a TT bike.

The race was pretty un-eventful This time I saw other racers passing me. It is hard for me to believe how fast some of them are. There were times I was doing 23 mph and was passed like I was standing still. I passed one or two other racers.

I ended up finishing 2nd out of two in my age group. I had a time of 52:19 for any average speed of 15.6 mph. That is not a great time, which is why I need the practice.

I have several time trials coming up. I planted some seeds of experience which I hope will pay off. Plus when I race, it motivates me to work harder to get better.   My next time trial will be the Wisconsin State Championship for American Bike Racing. I am the two time State of Wisconsin champion in my age group.

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

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 Team USA at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in 2015 and at the World championship in Cozumel in 2016.  

 In 2014 she represented the U.S. as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas.  She has won state championships in cycling and triathlon as a senior Olympian. In 2017 she placed 2^nd in her age group at the Winter Triathlon National Championship, earning a spot on Team USA for the World Champsionship.

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.

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

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 215 members in 38 states. We also have members in Australia, England, Scotland, Canada, Vietnam, Turkey, Finland, Scotland, France, Poland, Iran, Norway, Sweden and Ireland. 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/

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, CMT disease, CMT and exercise, exercise and CMT, CMT, athlete and CMT.Team CMT, CMT athlete, athlete and CMT, bike4CMT, walk4CMT,  CMTA