Subject to the Weather

 

Lapham Peak State Park Delafield, Wisconsin

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

This winter I've also been subject to the weather. Many seasons winter is a bit of a down time from training since the racing season for triathlons does not ready start until June.

This year I have five races in April at the USAT Multi-sport National Championships in Irving, Texas.  I have been trying to train for those races while also getting for the ITU Winter Triathlon World Championship races in Skeikampen, Norway on March 24 & 26th.  

I have been trying to juggle swimming, biking, running, and the weight-lifting workouts needed for April with the Nordic skiing I needed to be ready for Norway. 

The races in Norway are a ski/run duathlon and a run/bike/ski winter triathlon. Both of the bike legs are on snow.

To say the weather has not cooperated has been an understatement. We had very little snow until March. The snow we did get in March was wet, making for icy ski trails. The picture above is from Lapham Peak State park in Wisconsin. It is about a 45-minute drive.  I am glad it was open but often conditions were not great.

I also got a really bad cold after I got back from Alaska in January and lost a week of training.

I did a time trail race there every Tuesday in January and February. Several of the races were canceled because it was either too icy or there was not enough snow. I got out skiing once or twice a week and I managed to get first place in my age group for the skate division. I am a little proud of that because I can ski using only the skating technique. That has been a project years in the making.

I did get out on my bike for an outdoor ride a couple of times a week. This is a big step for me because that meant going out when it was in the 30s.  I never used to bike outdoors if it was under 30 F.  I was only able to bike twice on actual snow. I do hills in the park across the street.

The only consistent bit of my training has been my running.  To say I feel under-prepared is an understatement.  My April race has suffered as well because some weeks I only get to the pool once.

I had to balance that with trying to figure out the logistics of booking flights, figuring out hotels, renting cars, deciding how I will navigate around, what to pack, and a million other details  It has crossed my mind the last few days that maybe Norway was not a great idea.  I have been pretty stressed trying to pull everything together. The biggest stress has been the worry of navigating around on my own. I am a bit direction impaired.

So today I did the last few trip duties.  Ready or not Norway here I come!  

There are 21 of us on Team USA. I met some on a Zoom call. I am looking forward to meeting some new friends.  

I am treating this as a learning experience. I feel ready for the duathlon. There are only three women in my age group and we are the oldest in the race. I just have to finish making the podium.

Depending on how tough the course is and how I feel, I may just skip the triathlon due to my lack of training.  I also have the April races to consider and do not want to risk injury.

I hope it goes well since I qualified for next year's races as well. I am going to use this as a learning experience and have fun. Now that I am ready, I am excited. I love to travel and Norway will be new for me.

**************************

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 Boston in the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs exploded.

 

She has appeared three times at the Para triathlon National Triathlon Sprint Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Para triathlon 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 Para triathlete 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 2023 she was the PC Open National Champion for Winter Triathlon in Anchorage and will represent the U.S. in Norway.

 

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”.

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 

Soup Sunday-Vegetable Beef Soup

 

We got nine inches of snow late this week. For me, nothing is better after shoveling than a hot bowl of homemade soup.   I basically threw a whole bunch of stuff I had around the house into the pot.  I thought about adding gnocchi to go with the Italian spices, but honestly, there was more than enough already in the pot.  Adjust by changing up the type and amount of the vegetables.

Beef Vegetable Soup

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cups beef bone broth
1 (15-ounce) can of Italian tomatoes
1 tablespoon dried Italian spices
1 can French green beans
2 cups frozen corn
1 can (15 ounces) peas
1 small can of mushrooms
2 medium carrots sliced
3 stalks of celery diced
1 can white or butter beans
1 lb. beef stew meat

Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add the onion and garlic. Cook until the onions are softened.  Add the rest of the ingredients.  Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.

Makes 6 servings

*********************

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 Boston in the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs exploded.

 

She has appeared three times at the Para triathlon National Triathlon Sprint Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Para triathlon 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 Para triathlete 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 2023 she the PC Open National Champion for Winter Triathlon in Anchorage and will represent the U.S. in Norway.

 

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”.

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 find a cure for CMT. We currently have 250 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.

 

Keywords: Running, Running and CMT, triathlon, triathlon and CMT, athlete and CMT, cycling and CMT, Para triathlon, challenged athlete, Team CMT, Running for My Life-Winning for CMT. Hereditary Neuropathy, Charcot-Marie-Tooth.

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Soup Sunday-Mexican Bean Soup

 

Today's soup is a little bit spicy.  I made a few changes to the original recipe because it seemed a bit bland.  I swapped water in the recipe for diced tomatoes and in stead of the cumin and oregano the recipe called for, I used chili powder and dried red peppers. Reduce the amount of the spices if you want a milder soup.  

Mexican Black Bean Soup

 

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
2 celery stalks chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon hot chili powder
1 teaspoon dried chili peppers
3 cans (15-ounce) black beans, drained and rinsed
3 cans (10-ounce) diced tomatoes with green chili peppers
Juice of one lime
Fresh Cilantro and sour cream to top the soup.

 

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrot, and celery. Cook until the vegetables are softened.

Add the tomatoes and black beans. Add the garlic, chili powder and dried chili peppers.

Bring the mixture to a boil, and then lower the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the lime juice.

Using an immersion blender, puree the soup to the desired texture. Pulse longer if a smoother soup is desired. An alternate method is to use a blender to puree a few cups at a time.

To serve ladle the soup into bowls topped with sour cream, and chopped cilantro.

 

Makes 6 servings

 

***********************

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 Boston in the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs exploded.

 

She has appeared three times at the Para triathlon National Triathlon Sprint Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Para triathlon 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 Para triathlete 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 2023 she the PC Open National Champion for Winter Triathlon in Anchorage and will represent the U.S. in Norway.

 

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”.

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