Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Not so Frosty 5K




"Obstacles do  not block the path, they are the path." - Unknown

My first race of the season was this last Saturday. I am running in a 5K race series here in Wisconsin called the "Chilly Willy".  This race was part of a winter festival in Waukesha, Wisconin.

The course would be two loops around the Fox River in Frame Park. I ran this same course as part of a "Beer Garden" run in October.

The temperature was supposed to get to 45F the day of the race. I think it was closer to 35 F with the race started. That meant a combination of ice and partially melted puddles.  The course is otherwise fast and flat.

My plan for the day was to use the race as a tempo run. I would warm up for about 10 minutes and be ready to run at about 80 percent of effort. I knew I would need a good effort to place in the top three. There were 400 athletes signed up for the race.

I had a feeling this would be a close race with the other women in my age group. I lined up closer to the front then usual so that I would not lose precious seconds fighting the crowd.

Other than some ice on the course the race was pretty routine. I needed a distraction, since I was given a buy-out package from my company on Thursday. After 19 years at my company, I suddenly find myself looking for a job.  Well I have never defined myself by my running and I won't define myself by my job either.

It may not be easy to find a job at my age, but I will take on the challenge, just like I have taken on the challenge of being an athlete with CMT.    I will have plenty of time to train now.

Anyway the run was a great way to start my Saturday. It was sunny, there was no wind and it felt warm. It was just a great day to be alive.  I finished the race just a bit over 31 minutes. Not a great time for me, but 4 seconds faster than the 3rd place women in my age group.   So now I have a 1st and two 2nd place finishes in the series.

This was a great way to kick off my 2018 season.

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

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 2nd in her age group at the Winter Triathlon National Championship, earning a spot on Team 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.

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 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/


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, HNF, Tri4CMT, Walk4CMT, MDA




Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)