Bike Patrol-Age Appropriate Fun

"Always plan for the fact that no plan ever goes according to plan."- Simon Sinek

It's rare for me these days to get out of the house. That is except for my weekly trip to the grocery store.  Things get really exciting if I have to go to the hardware store.  My usual social outlet, races have all been cancelled.  So I was excited for my recent bike patrol shift at Little Switzerland in Slinger, Wisconsin.  

The hill is a bit of a mecca for mountain biking.  People come from a five state area for a chance to ride the trails. The advantage of biking at a ski resort is you and your bike get a ride up on the life.  As usual the patrol is present to take care of injured skiers and make the hill runs safely.

During the shift I was helping to take care of a patient by filling out the accident report.  "How could the accident have been prevented?" was a question on the report.   "Act my age" was his answer. He was 33.  I had to laugh a bit to myself because earlier in the day I had my own challenge with age appropriate behavior.

I planned to do an hour or two of mountain biking during my shift. I am not a very experienced mountain biker, although I have been riding road bikes most of my life. The two skills are definitely different.

I've done a bit of mountain biking on vacation and liked it.  I bought a high end mountain bike a couple of years ago to start doing off road triathlons. That race includes mountain biking, swimming and trail running. Well all the local off road races have disappeared. I never seem to have time to fit mountain biking into an already busy training schedule. So I thought my patrol shift would be a perfect time to work on my bike skills.

Last year I rode the beginner trail on the front face of the resort for about an hour.  It went fine. But shortly after that I rode my bike in an off road triathlon in Indiana.  I had a minor fall on the first lap and dislocated my elbow. Not quite the race I planned.

So the beginner trail it would be.  I noted the name of the trail, Sesame Street as I got to the top of the hill. It should have been easy. My bike and I rode the lift up. I would just have to bike down. It would second nature on skis.

For someone with my slim skills even the beginner run was a challenge.  Lots of tight turns. It has been dry so there was lots of loose gravel.  Plus it seems like every few seconds some young kid was whizzing past me.  I saw those same kids earlier in the parking lot doing wheelies and other tricks.  I pulled off of the trail to let many of them by.  

Even on a beginner trail you have to be careful how you position yourself on the bike. Lean too far forward and you can go flying over the handle bars. That is what happened to two of the patients I took care of during my shift. I thought to myself, I am too old for this, this  is a young person's game.

I bought my mountain bike just a few years ago in my early sixties.  As an athlete I like to challenge myself. I find it fun to try to learn new things. But sometimes I struggle whether I am pushing myself too much.  

I constantly have to evaluate if I am asking too much of myself due to my CMT. As I find myself now in my 60's age also comes into play. I weigh pushing myself with my age and limitations against my desire to challenge myself and grow as an athlete.

Well  I got to the bottom unhurt. I decided to call it quits for the day. There will be other days to hone my skills. Hopefully I will get out on a trail soon or during another shift.  I'll give it another go in an age appropriate way of course!

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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 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.

 

In 2020 she was named a National Ski Patrol Subaru Ambassador and a USA Triathlon Foundation Ambassador.

 

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 233 athletes in 41 states. We also have members in Australia, Canada, England, Finland, Vietnam, Iran, Scotland, France, Turkey, Poland, Norway, Mexico, Wales, Ireland 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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