St. Pats Day-Shake Your Shamrocks-5K

"When you arise in the morning think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive, to breath, to think, to love." -Marcus Aurelius

St. Patrick's Day is a big day for racing in the running community. The really big race was in Wauwatosa, a near-by suburb. It had about 2100 runners.

I did the smaller "Shake Your Shamrocks" 5K in Silver Lake Wisconsin. It was not slacker race, with almost 500 signed up for the 5K and 10 K race.  The race is part of a multi-race series with points on the line.  Last race I had beat my rival for 1st in our age group for the series.  So staying home or doing another race was not an option.

The weather was forecast to be 45 F and the sun was shining. I have been off of work since the end of January and think we have sun maybe three or four days.

I got there really early to nab one of the limited spot at the race start.  The venue was at the Lakeside Supper Club on Silver Lake. I did not really understand from the map where the alternate parking was located, only that there was a shuttle bus.

I caught up on my reading and after I picked up my packet, I had plenty of time for a warm-up run and some dynamic stretching.  My race plan was to be really warmed-up so that I could take off at a good pace.

I lined up in the middle of the pack, there were runners with jogging strollers clogging things up. I almost was annoyed and then remembered they would probably pass me during the race.

I did have to do quite a bit of weaving through the crowds which slowed my pace a bit. Next time I will have to line up closer to the front or more in the back. Since the race is chip timed, it sometimes make sense to line up farther in the back, because it is less crowded.  I would spend less time being blocked in by runners. This race had lots of walkers so that may have not worked well.

I was probably seeded well based on my pace, many of the runners in this race, should have lined up a bit farther in the back.

The race was flat and there was very little wind. For once I was not over-dressed and did not have to remove any layers.  I stopped only briefly to get some water at the two water stops. I've learned that time wasted there can be costly.

I finished in 30:36 for 2nd in my age group. I was just 20 seconds behind my rival, the 1st place finisher.  The competition has been fun for me because it has made me work harder and be a better runner.  Most of the time in the past, I just cruised and did not work all that hard. Now that I am in races where I am competitive, I have had to work hard to place in the top three.

I can't wait for the next race next month!

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

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 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.

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 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/

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