Rest and Recovery

"All that is important is the one moment in movement. Make the moment vital and worth living. Do not let it slip away unoticed and unused. - Martha Graham


Rest is just as important for an athlete and working out.  I've fought with both a running and triathlon coach about taking a day off each week for rest or at least active recovery.  With active recovery I might do something fun like kayaking or hiking, but no running, swimming, weights or cycling.

Long distance runner Ryan Hall,  took every Sunday off. I've read many elite athletes take a day off each week.

Every month I have one easier week where I cut back on my mileage. Hard workouts stress the body.  Cutting back gives the body a chance to recover and get stronger. 

Some athletes do push it all the time.  They risk injury and mental burnout. 

I also take an easy month once a year.  It usually comes right now after my triathlon season.  December is so busy for me,  taking some time off helps give me time to get ready for the holidays.
I also get to really enjoy the holidays with my family. I don't have to stress about getting in a swim, long run or a ride. It is a nice change of pace.  I'm still working out, I just take it day by day and do what I feel like doing.

I get to enjoy sleeping a bit more, catching up on my reading and this week traveling.

As I end my rest month, it is time to gear up for my next season. I'll be training for the Winter Triathlon National Championship in March in Minneapolis.

To get ready I going to a nordic ski camp at the Hartford Ski Spectacklar.  The camp is for para-athletes and is in Breckinridge, Colorado.  This will be my first vacation this year.  Breckingridge is a former mining town at the base of the ski resort. I've been there several times to down hill ski.

I am really excited to get a chance to work on my skate ski technique this week  under the guideance of a paralymipic coach. I'll also get to try biathlon. That is a ski and shooting sport. There is a league here in Wisconsin and I am hoping to be able to enter some local races.

The fun of working on my ski technique in such a beautiful setting is all part of my rest and recovery. It is going to be so much fun to meet the other athletes and be in such a beautiful place.

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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 2020 she qualified for World Championship age group teams in Denmark, Italy, Switzerland and the Netherlands.  She has been a USA triathlon ambassador since 2018, is an ambassador for the Wisconsin Senior Olympics and in 2019 was selected as a storyteller ambassador for the National Ski Patrol and Subaru.

 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 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.

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