"Luck is when being prepared meets opportunity." - Robert Hafey
I was in Miami on November 9th to race at the Aquathlon National Championship. I was supposed to be in the race last year, but decided to run the New York marathon. A fall down my basement steps ended that. I deferred my aquathlon race entry to this year. I've represented the U.S. at three World Championships in this discipline. It's been easy in the past. The top 18 in each age group always qualify for the team. Never has them been 18 in the age group at any national championship. That would be different this year.
I was able to check the start list for all the races at Miami. The race organizers were really promoting this race. They offered a discount on the race if signing up for one of the Sunday races. I watched the list in my age group grow and grow. It reached 24 athletes in the week before the race.
Also this year, the Athena category ( women 165 lbs and over) would have their own national championship category. They would eligible for awards, start with the age group and be placed in with the age group for determining slots for Team USA. That added two more women to the age group.
Because of this I asked to be scored as a para-athlete. I did not think I had a chance to place in the top 18. I took a risk by asking to be scored this way. USA triathlon might not allow me to be scored as an age group athlete. I had done another aquathlon race in Texas. It was my insurance race. I need two races to be ranked. Two slots are offered to ranked athletes. Before Miami there was only one ranked athlete in my age group.
The race would be a 1000 meter swim in non wet-suit legal water and a 5 K. Really nice easy distances. The course in on a Lake in Penny Thompson park, right next to the Miami zoo. The run was a loop around the lake.
The only problem was the wind was at least 20 mph on race morning. I looked at the lake during practice and I could see a strong current, that I would have to swim against on the first leg of the triangular course. I would have cross currents on two other legs. I was worried about being pulled off course. Before the race it crossed my mind not to do the race. I told my friend Cheryl traveling with me, if it was wavy I would not do it. There were currents, but no waves.
An announcement was made that the water temperature was 83 F. As I got in for the practice swim, it felt much colder. I don't know where they measure it, but it felt wet suit legal to me.
I don't do much for a practice swim, really just get in, get my face in the water, swim a bit.
I've done this race so many times, that I know many of the women in my age group. I said hi to women I've raced with at worlds and chatted waiting for our turn. I said hi to two other friends from Wisconsin. One is another USAT ambassador, the other competes with me for the Wisconsin Senior Olympics.
The race itself could not have gone better. The current was tough to swim against. Due to my CMT, my arms are not strong. My swim is always slow. I was worried about the men in the wave behind us running over me. No worries, the guys were all great. I did pass some people from the two waves in front of me. I just swam steady, easy for 50 strokes and hard for 50 strokes.
Then it was into transition and onto the run course. It was completely flat on a bike path. I had one of my best runs of the year at 29:54. I finished with a total time of 1 hour 2 minutes which was good for a surprising 15th place.
When it came time for awards, I was called up as the first place para-aquathlon finisher. Of course they did not have a medal. I cannot tell you how many times that happens.
When I got home from Milwaukee, I emailed the race director and asked him to send me my first place medal. I also asked that my results be reported in the age group. He said he talked to USA triathlon and that they would do it this year,but not next year.
I asked him to advocate with USAT. I told him I lined up with my age group and asked for no accommodations. I asked him to talk with USAT about treating my results just like the Athena results.
He said he would do that. He also mentioned that USAT wants us to have five para-athletes to add separate scoring. I asked him to get that option on the race web site as soon as possible. That give the best chance of attracting para-athletes. Two years ago we had three women para-athletes in the aqua bike. It is possible that we could get the needed numbers. In any case there is a PC open category at the Duathlon Nationals in the sprint category. I'm already signed up.
So this week I got this in my email.
********************************************
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
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
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”.
You may
visit her author page at:
http://www.amazon.com/Christine-Wodke/e/B00IJ02HX6
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 228 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/
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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