Double Header Race Weekend

"When I don't run I feel as if something has been stolen from me."-  Johnny Kelly, legendary Boston Marathon winner

Someone once asked me why I run and I answered it is simply part of who I am.  It is such a part of my life I can hardly remember a time when I didn't run and race. I know I'm lucky to be able to run since most people with CMT struggle to walk without braces.  I also know that someday CMT will steal my ability to run.

My running has felt like a bit of a struggle this season.  It just seems physically harder and I'm much slower. As I train my marathon this October, I realize this could be one of my last long distance races.

So I race allot because I still can.  On August 3rd and 4th I did two races, The Real Racine 5K on Saturday and the Iron Girl Duathlon on August 4th.

Real Racine 5K
This race had two race fields, one for the general public and one for the Wisconsin Senior Olympics.  The WSO race is the state championship. There was a 5K and 10K.  I love this race because it runs on a bike path along Lake Michigan in Racine Wisconsin.

Last year I signed up for the 10 K and ended up dropping down to the 5 K when I missed the course turn around.  This year I got smart and signed up for the 5K.

I let the race director know what happened to me. She promised there were signs, arrows on the ground and the volunteers were all briefed.  All of this was true and this year I did not miss the turn around at the half way point. I did not push the pace since I had a duathlon scheduled the next day.

I finished first in my age group with a time of 33:04.  I placed ahead of all the runners in my age group in both the WSO and the public race.

Iron Girl Duathlon- Pleasant Prairie

There is both a sprint triathlon and a duathlon at this event.    I choose the duathlon because I need three races to be nationally ranked.  That means I could get a roll down spot for the World Championship.  This would be race number two.

Iron Girl is a women only race which is really nice.  About 65% of the field were doing their first race which is really exciting.  It is a field of about 2000. 

The best part of this race was all the women I met. First as I walked to the starting line I talked with a women there to support a friend. She decided not to do the race so that she can afford to visit her son who is a Junior at the naval academy.

Then at the start I ran into a women I had talked to and met at the 5 K the day before. She is very involved with the Society of Women Engineers and is going to send me joining information.

While waiting for the duathlon to start a women asked me what CMT meant.  When I told her she told me that her sister and many of her cousin have CMT.

After the I met up with several triathlon friends from my last job and I met some new friends.

 The race was pretty routine.  No wrong turns on the bike or the run.  I was a little tired due to the race the day before.  I placed 1st among six women in my age group.  I loved the bracelet that I got as the winner. Much nicer then than another medal or plaque.

This was a great race to get me ready for my National Championship race in November and a great weekend.

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

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 Para triathlon National Triathlon Sprint Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Para triathlon 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 para triathlete 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 CMTWe currently have 225 athletes in 41 states. We also have members in Australia, Canada, England, Finland, Vietnam, Iran, Scotland, France, Turkey, Poland, Norway, Mexico 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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