2025 Lessons Learned

 

"You have to know what sparks the light in you so that you, in your own way, illuminate the world." Oprah Winfrey.

I planned to have a lighter year of racing in 2025. I wanted more time to travel, volunteer, and complete some home improvement projects. I got my wish.

Plus, after more than 12 years of racing at the national level, I needed a break. I was getting burned out. I didn't have a training plan. I did the workouts I felt like doing. I would swim, bike, and run for 45 minutes to an hour 6 days a week.  I kept the workouts pretty light and fun.  Although my race performance suffered, I enjoyed working out without too much planning or pressure.

Although my racing was limited, I did learn a few things:

Winter Triathlon National Championship, February Breckingridge, Colorado

I was scheduled to race two days at Breckinridge, a duathlon and a triathlon. The race venue is at 10,000 feet, and I struggle with the elevation. I was only able to complete the first day of racing.  I was disappointed that I only did one race, but I have to remember that I have CMT and need to listen to my body. As much as my brain wanted to race, my body said no.  I still claimed a national championship and a spot if I want it on Team USA and the World Championship. I am fortunate to even be able to travel and compete in these races.

Aquathon St Louis, June

I signed up for this race to try and gain a spot on Team USA.  I asked to race in the physically challenged division.  I was placed in the Team Triumph start. So I spent my swim race dodging boats. That is a terrible race experience. I fully support Team Triump racing, just not placing me behind them. It does slow my swim time. I was scored against other age group athletes. I finished 2nd out of nine athletes. This experience taught me to fight being placed in this wave at the Age Group Nationals in Milwaukee. My swim times are fast enough to be assertive about getting a good race experience. It was also a safety issue because boats were just inches from my face while I was trying to swim.

Ugly Dog Gravel Aquabike, Grass Lake, Michigan- July

I originally signed up for the sprint distance triathlon. But about three weeks before the race, I had a bike crash. The injuries include a couple of possible broken ribs. I decided to do the super sprint aqua bike. My thinking was I could do two of these races and be ranked, securing a spot on Team USA.  The swim part of the race was full of panicked swimmers. So never again will I do this short distance at this race. The other thing I need to learn is to stop lining up in the back of the swim. It is an old habit from my novice days. I can handle swimming in the crowd now. Then I found out months later, because I was the only person in the aqua bike, the race could not be used to qualify me for rankings or a spot on Team USA.  Lesson learned. It takes at least three athletes racing to count.

Age Group Nationals, Milwaukee, August

I am used to being one of the only physically challenged athletes when I race. This has made me a bit lazy and complacent. But in Milwaukee, there were about 12 women in the open division. I think I would not have done well against this group. So I learned I need to train more and move up to the Olympic distance. Much less competition there.  The race was cancelled due to the weather, so I avoided humiliation at least until next year.

Wapaca Triathlon Aqua Bike, August

This was a longer distance aqua bike with a 20-mile bike section. I was a bit worried because I had not been biking much over the summer. I was slow and was passed on the bike by an athlete I always beat.  I finished 9th out of 10 athletes. Not a great showing. My lesson was that I need to cycle longer next   Summer and move up to longer distance races.  This race was a wasted effort because my July race in Michigan did not count.  Good thing I had fun.

Gravel Nationals, Lincoln, Nebraska, August

One reason I picked this race was that it was halfway to Dallas. My brother lives there, and I planned on visiting after the race.  I ended up bailing on the race due to the weather. I was still nursing broken ribs. I did not want to race in the rain. I was worried the course would be muddy and I would risk failing. Lesson learned that sometimes safety is more important than another medal.

Blackland Triathlon, Aquathlon, Plano, Texas, September
I've done this race before. It is a pool swim and a flat 5 K. Really, a well-run, easy race. The only problem is the early start due to the Texas heat.  The race was uneventful.  Just a long way to go for a race. Lesson learned is that next year I will race at the Multi-Sport National Championship to qualify for Team USA and the World Championship. That will be much easier.

It was the season I wanted. I was willing to trade some performance for a bit less training stress. Next year will be a little different. More races, but at only three or four venues.  I have already started training at longer distances to be ready for 2026.  

I am still waiting to hear about the Winter Triathlon World Championship.  I don't know the date or location yet. I am hoping for a race venue in a new location. Time will tell.

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

 

Chris Wodke

Founder 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 Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion, Paratriathlon Open Division Champion.

She has won national championships as a physically challenged athlete in Aqualon, Duathlon, Aqua bike, and Winter Triathlon. She was the national champion in her age group in 2023 for gravel duathlon.

 In 2014, she represented the U.S. as a Paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas.  

She was the 2023 Gravel Duathlon National Champion in the 65-69 age group.

She has won state championships as an age-group athlete in cycling and triathlon. She has represented America as an age-group athlete at world championships in Chicago, Denmark, Cozumel, and Norway. She earned a bronze medal at the Winter Duathlon World Championship in 2023 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 257 athletes in 43 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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