Run 4 CMT: September 2020

Sunday, September 27, 2020

Tri-ing Times

"You can't get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good." - Jenny West

It's CMT awareness month, so just in time I have a whopper injury. One of the challenges for me with CMT is lack of proprioception. That means my body is not always aware of where it is in relation to spaces such as walls or furniture. I am always full of bruises on my legs from bumping into things.

That can also mean bad judgement on stairs. Three weeks ago I was going up the basement stairs. My brother was in the workshop looking for a suitcase. He is living with me during the pandemic.

He could not find the light switch. I turned to go back down in the basement to help him and missed a stair. I was in bare feet and landed with my right foot on the concrete floor. My ankle immediately collapsed. I was in so much pain it took my breath away. I did get up and have been limping around every since. I limped my way through my recent two week vacation. I had a similar fall down the basement stairs almost exactly a year ago.

I haven't been able to run since the injury. I've replaced running outside with running in the pool. I've rehabbed running injuries in the past doing this. I got through my first few marathons by alternating running outside with pool running. It is just one of the things I've had to do as an athlete with CMT to get through training.

The injury came at a bad time since I was scheduled to race in Arizona on October 16th and 17th at the Duathlon National Championship. The races are run bike and run. So the foot injury came at a bad time. My hope was to maintain some level of fitness until my foot was well enough to run outside. Then I was going to hope for the best.

It won't matter now, my season effectively came to an end a few days ago. USA triathlon, the governing body for triathlon cancelled all the races in Arizona. So far this year the only National Championship race that has taken place is the Winter Triathlon I did the first weekend in March.

There is a National Championship race in Miami in November. Florida is fully open so there is a good chance it may happen. This event qualifies athletes for the World Championship next September. I am already qualified based on last year's race. I've deferred my entry and plan on racing next year. I am still waiting for a refund of two flights to Europe for races cancelled this year.

It has been a trying year for everyone due to the pandemic. But someday the pandemic will be over, but CMT will go on for me. I am hanging on like everyone else with this condition for a cure.

Now that triathlon season is over it is time for me to start preparing for nordic and biathlon races. As running becomes more difficult, I am looking to start a new chapter in my athletic life. Let's hope it goes a bit more smoothly than this season.

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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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Monday, September 7, 2020

Superwoman Triathlon

Wanting to be someone else is a waste of who you are."- Kurt Cobain

On August 3rd I raced in Ann Arbor, Michigan at the Superwoman Triathlon. I had to drive to Michigan because everything in my home state of Wisconsin has been cancelled. My goal is doing the race was to get a second USAT sanctioned race. Only two races are needed to be ranked. With so few athletes racing my chances of making All American as a para athlete are better than most years.

It was actually nice to be able to get away for a weekend and it's only a 3 1/2 hours drive to Ann Arbor. I could have gone on race morning since There were two races contested on race day; the Superman for the men and Superwoman for the ladies. I decided to drive up the night before. I often don't sleep well the night before a race. If I had a rough night, I am more likely to drop out of a race if spend the night before at home.

It is strange with COVID and travel restrictions. There may have been only three cars in the hotel parking lot. The place was quiet. I should have had a great nights sleep. I was relaxed a ready for sleep, but my body had other ideas.

I took a dose of Ibuporfen PM which usually helps me sleep. For some reason I had pain all over and my body felt like I was on fire. It took three doses before I finally fell asleep for about 4 hours.

The race itself was pretty routine. We could not enter the park until transition opened up at 9:45 and it was strictly enforced by the State park staff. As usual I was early so I had to wait in lin with dozens of other cars.

The race was run by 3Disciplines. They have all the procedures down for doing a socially distanced race.

I lined up for the time trial swim, another that was not wet suit legal. I lined up right behind Tri Faster owner and coach Lauren Jensen Mcginnis. Ten Tri Faster athletes were also at the race including two in my age group. Lauren and I are about the same size. Lauren is a former pro-triathlete and almost always wins the entire women's race. As I stood next to her, I wonder if I didn't have CMT, how good an athlete I could have been. I was actually a pretty decent runner before my CMT accelerated after my post bike accident surgery.

God had other plans for me, so I will keep on racing for as long as I can. Still I sometimes wonder what might have been.

The race was a bit of a disappointment for me. I had the slowest swim in my age group, but I did feel comfortable.

The bike course was like riding on a washboard. Not fun. I missed a turn somewhere and ended up with an average bike speed of 14.2 mph., Earlier in the week I had averaged 17.6 mph at the WSO races.

The run was on trails and honestly could have used a few for arrows on the course. There were not many runners out on the course. I think I did the correct course, It was almost entirely an off road course. So there were times I was not sure I was going the right way. I finished the race around 1 hr 48 minutes. Not a good time for me. I finished in 4th place. I accomplished my goal of finishing a second race. My mis-turn on the race did not cost me third place. I think the 3rd place woman was 10 minutes ahead of me.

Both these races were a good turn up for my most important races of the Season. I will be racing at the Duathlon National Championships in October. I got the word this week the races are still on. 3-Disciplines the race organizer for this event will also be staging the Du Nationals. I am really looking forward to it.

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