" Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not. Remember that what you have now was among the things you only hoped for'"- Epicurus
On Sunday July 30, I raced another Badgerland Strider running club event. I am competing for a club championship for my age group. I needed the points so I had to run.
I didn't really want to when the alarm went off at 5:00 am. I was getting up so early because I had signed up to work packet pick-up at 6 am. The race was scheduled to start at 7:30 due to the heat.
Two races would be run, the 5 mile which I was doing and a 10 mile which would run the 5 mile course twice. I probably should have run the longer race since I am training for the NY marathon, but I need the championship points. I was sitting in first place but only by 50 points.
I was turned away from volunteering, because my name was not on the list. I was told I was welcome to help, but they had so many volunteers I did not think I was needed.
So I chatted and waited for the race to start. I took a gel 30 minutes before the race, to perfectly time the energy I would need. Right after I took the gel, the race announcer said the race start would be delayed for 20 minutes to let the bathroom lines clear. I was a bit annoyed, since I had gotten their early, took care of everything and was ready to go. The delay would throw off my race fueling.
My plan was to use the race as a tempo run, run the first mile as a warm-up, then tempo pace for the next three and finally ease up the last mile. That was the plan anyway.
I held back a bit the first mile, but when it was time to surge I had little energy. That means it was going to be a tough day. I would have to fight to finish the race.The marathon training is at the point where it is sapping my energy. I would just have to do my best to hang on for the five miles.
Another woman that looked to be in my age group was right behind me. Several times I surged to get ahead, only to have her catch me. I put on another surge and kept up the pace to put her away. Fate had other plans. An older gentleman running just steps ahead of me fell hard. His sunglasses flew off, breaking as they hit the ground. He lost his baseball cap.
I remember when I fell during a race this spring. I would want someone to stop and help me. Another athlete and I stopped to help him. I gathered up his sunglasses and helped him to his feet. He was ok. Other runners asked if he needed help. I called out he was fine. It took less than a minute, but I now saw two other women that looked to be in my age group pass me.
It took some effort, but I caught one, the same one that I had been battling with all race. With about 2 miles to go I was about out of gas. I put one last surge on, but could not shake her. In the last half mile she pulled beside me and said "let's finish together". I told her to go on. I just did not have the will or the energy to match her pace. Before she left, she told me she was in my age group as was the other woman that passed me when I stopped to help the fallen runner.
When I checked the results, I finished 4th, just 9 seconds out of 3 rd and about 30 seconds out of 2nd. If I had been racing in the 55- 59 age group my finish time of 51:09 would have been good enough for 2nd place. I moved up to the 60 to 64 age group just three weeks before.
It was disappointing to miss out on a medal by such a small margin, but stopping to help was the right thing. I would do it again and hope someday if I fall again, someone will do the same for me. It cost me 2nd place, but did not really affect my points for the club competition. My competitor finished in first.
I have come so far as a runner. I remember being yelled at in grade school for being slow. In this race I ran right with the top runners in my age group. I am grateful and proud that I put in such a good effort on a day when I was just not feeling up to a powerful race. I always try to remember how many people with CMT would give anything to be able to run. So I remember them and proudly represent them in every race. I got my points and I am hanging on to 2nd place in my age group in the club championship. What is really important is the start line and the finish line and I crossed them both. That is worth something!
*********************
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 TeamUSA at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in 2015i, Cozumel
in 2016 and Denmark in 2018. In 2018 finishing 5th in the 60 to 64
age group.
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
In 2014 she represented the U.S. as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American
Triathlon Championship in Dallas ,
Texas 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 and the book “Soup Sundays, A Journey Toward Healthy
Eating”.
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 39 states. We also have members in Australia , England ,
Scotland , Canada , Vietnam ,
Turkey , Finland , France, Ireland, 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/
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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