The Perfect Race

Crossing the finish line at the Age Group National Championship in Milwaukee

"Above all be the herione of your own life, not the victim. Nora Ephron

This weeks question from the USAT Ambassadors was " What is your favorite triathlon memory?"

I've had so many great menories in the seven seasons I've been doing multi-sport events.   The race that left the most lasting impression was the 2012 Age Group Sprint Triathlon National Championship in Milwaukee.

It stands out in my memory because it was a perfect race. Perfect races don't happen often and I had one that day.  It wasn't because I was fast, becaue I wasn't and it wasn't because I won anything because I didn't.  Sometimes just crossing the finish line is a victory.

The race was on my home course. I lived just 10 minutes from the race venue. I had just finished a tri newbie class and many of my classmates would be volunteering along the course. I was the only one brave enough to do the event. The others were too intimidated.

The two races held as part of the National Championship attracted a field of over 7000 athletes.  The two races held were qualifiers for the World Championship. The top 18 in each age group would qualify.

The most intimidating part of the race would be the swim.  Lake Michigan can be cold with strong currents.  My swim wave combined several age groups and had over 200 women.  I knew competing with the high caliber athletes the race attracts would be like swimming with the sharks. With spots on the line for the US team I knew things would be intense.  I also did not have that much race
experience.

I knew when I signed up I would not be a contender. I'm a Physically Challenged athlete.   I have Charcot-Marie-Tooth a genetic condition much like MS that affects 160,000 Americans.  I race not to win, but to raise awarness for this condition that many have never heard of.

Most with CMT wear braces and struggle to do every day tasks.  CMT weakens the muscles making it difficult for most with the condition to walk, much less run.  It causes issues with balance and fatigue.It is a challenge for me to swim, bike and run.  Even though my case is mild, it affects me as an athlete. It means I am much slower than most athletes that race.

I was also in a fragile metal state going into the race. Just a few months earlier I had thought about quitting triathlon.  I had been turned down for classification for paratriathlon. I could compete at the local level but any dreams for national competition was gone.  My love for the sport was restored when I went through a tri newbie class with a local triathlon club. I had started the class the year before and not finished. I had so much fun in the class and made such good friends my love for the sport was re-energized.

I had founded Team CMT two years before to raise awareness and had raced at high profile marathons like Boston and Marine Corp marathon. This would be another high profile race as part of my mission.

So there I was in the water hanging onto the dock waiting for the starting horn.  It was every bit as intense as I expected.  In races before I had always hung back and let the crowd go. This time I got right in the middle of it.  I felt strong, like a real athlete.  When the men's wave behind us came through a large guy went right over the top of me and just stayed. I didn't panic. I just pushed him off.
I felt so proud of myself. I was off to a great start.

The exit swim ramp was very slippery.  Two friends from my local ski patrol were there volunteering. It was so cool to have them reach out and help me up the ramp.

I was on to the bike course. Part of the course rode over the Hoan bridge which rises high above the Milwaukee harbor. It is never open to bike traffic. On the way back I saw three friends from my tri newbie class. They were working as course marshalls. They recognized me and cheered loudly.
There was no worry about getting lost on the rest of the bike course, I had practiced riding it many times to prepare for the race. I love the bike leg, it is my favorite part. The wind in my face feels like freedom.  I was having a blast.

Before I knew it, I was off on the run course.  The swim is always risky and the bike I am always worry about flats or mechanical problems. When I get safely out on the run course it just feels like a celebration. The course was flat on a bike path along the lake.  I chatted with several other runners as I breezed along. I felt great and strong.  The entire race was mistake free.   I could not imagine a better race or a better memory. I think I finished 43rd that day in my age group but I felt like a winner.  You can see in the picture in this article, just how happy I was.

Because CMT is a progressive disease, I might some day lose the ability to complete.  There is currently no treatment or cure.  The good news is that it progresses slowly and we have a drug in clinical trials. So my work continues not just to raise awarness, but to find another perfect race.

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

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 2015i, Cozumel in 2016 and Denmark in 2018. In 2018 finishing 5^th in the 60 to 64 age group.

 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 and the book “Soup Sundays, A Journey Toward Healthy Eating”.

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 221 members in 41 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/

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