"If you done it, it ain't bragging." - Walt Whitman
Once again I am way behind on my blogging since this event was in April. My excuse is that the medals from the event and the national championship did not arrive until mid-June. That will teach me not to go to the awards ceremony.
The event sponsored by USA triathlon featured nine events over five days. If an athlete completed five events they could be designated a "Multi-Sport Master" and receive a special medal.
That is just the kind of challenge that I love. I knew doing five races in four days was going to be a challenge. It can be hot in Texas so I knew that much racing was going to take a physical toll.
The challenge started even before the race. I decided to drive so that I would have my bike and not make my family drive me to all of the races. I thought that was too much to ask.
Draft Legal Clinic
I kicked off race week with a two-day clinic on draft-legal racing. World Championships for age group racers are transitioning into drafting in races. I signed up for a draft legal race in Texas and wanted to feel ready.
The clinic started with bike handling skills, especially steering the bike. I had done skills like this before and learned my skills are rusty. After the drills, we learned about riding in a line and drafting. Drafting is when you ride on someone's wheel. You have to be a steady and predictable rider when riding in a line of cyclists. We spent lots of time practicing taking turns leading a pace line, communicating when riding in a line, and dropping back.
We also learned race strategy and how to do attacks. The only bad part of the clinic was actually being dropped when practicing these skills in the clinic. Being dropped means the other riders took off and did not slow down so I could ride with them. It was really annoying since it was a clinic. Since I was racing that week I wanted to conserve energy. It happened to another woman in the clinic. Still, it was a good clinic and I felt ready for my draft legal race on the last day of the event.
Day 1
Draft Legal Super Sprint Triathlon
250 meter swim, 5K bike, 1 K run
Open Water Swim Competition
750 Meter swim
Super Sprint Triathlon
The first race with an open water swim can always be a little tense for me. It will have been months since my last race. The good thing about the Irving event was the first event was the draft legal super sprint triathlon. This race had a PC Open category. There were actually four of us in the race. The race went really well. I had no one to draft off of. Not quite an even race since the other PC Open athletes were in wheelchairs. They went right into transition and they have a hand cycle for the run. It took me about 35 minutes and I finished 3rd out of four. Race one did. I also earned a spot on Team USA for Spain in 2023
Open Water Swim Competition
I again had some competition for this race. There were three of us in the race. One of the guys said he wanted to draft off of me. I hear this kind of stuff at the start of races all the time. This athlete was at least 6 feet tall and looked extremely fit. My plan was to try and see if I could catch a draft off of him. When the race started everyone was gone. It had also gotten really windy. I was not making any progress swimming freestyle so I started swimming side stroke. That seemed to work. So I finished 3rd out of three. The second race was done.
Day 2
Aquathlon
1000 Meter Swim
5K Run
I hate early morning races and I was concerned about disturbing my family by getting up early. I had booked six races to give myself some room for error. I dropped out of the morning race. That left an aquathlon race in the afternoon.
When I got to the start I was the only PC athlete. I was the very last wave of the race. I lined up behind the last group of age group women. I talked to four women that were 86 years old and so excited to be racing.
The wind always picks up in the afternoon in Texas The American flags at the venue were flying straight out. I am guessing it was over 20 mph. The swim would have me swimming into the wind on the first leg and the finishing leg. Again I had trouble making progress doing freestyle swimming and switched to side stroke. I even asked the kayakers following me if I was making any progress. Several times I told them I was ok. I know they worry about me and I must look so slow in the water. I like to let them know I am fine. So a 1st place visit for this event and a national championship. No one raced against me, but with the wind I earned it. I also earned a spot on Team USA for Spain in 2023.
Day 3
Super Sprint Triathlon Team Relay
When I crossed the finish line of the Aquathlon, the race announcer was looking for a female 50-64 to join a team for the relay race. I had been scheduled for the standard duathlon which meant getting to transition at 5 am. I jumped at the chance to do a much shorter afternoon race. For this race, each athlete did the super sprint distance just like the race on day one. Each team started with one of the male athletes completing the course and tagging the next female athlete on the team. All the athletes to be tagged were in a pen by transition. When an athlete finished their run, they tagged the next athlete and then finished. It alternated make, female, male and female. I was the last to go. My team of Jim, Katherine, Chris, and I were complete strangers. I warned them I was slow.
This race was the most fun I have ever had racing. It was so fun watching all of the athletes coming to the finish and the frantic search for the athlete to tag. My race went well. My whole team was at the entrance to transtion and saw me fall trying to get off my wet suit. I races as fast as I could becasue I had a team to work for. We finished 10th in our age group and had so much fun. I cannot wait to do this race again. So no medal, but I got race number four done. Now just one more.
Day 4
Draft Legal Duathlon
It had been in the 80's and windy for the first three days of racing so I was tired even before the race started. There was no PC division for this race so I would be racing as an age group athlete.
The race was pretty uneventful. I took it easy on the first run. There was no shade on the course. Again over 20 mph winds. For the bike, I got lucky and was able to draft off of another woman. She only asked me to take the lead once. It really helped to preserve my energy. Then it was a short run and it was all done. I finished 10th in my age group. No podium sport, but I qualified for Team USA in Spain next year.
I had a great time. I met my goal of completing five races and was awarded the designation of multi-sport master. I got a whopper cold right after the race. I think all the racing lowered my resistance. I am looking forward to going back to Irving for next year's championship.
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Chris
Wodke
Founder
& Manager Team CMT
www.run4cmt.com
Chris is
a triathlete Nordic skier and long-distance runner. She is a three-time participant in the Boston Marathon. In
2012 she finished 2nd at
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
In 2014 she represented the
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” which 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
Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and find a
cure for CMT currently have 247 athletes in 42 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 website; 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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