One of my big goals for 2013 was to race and compete at USMS Nationals in the 1650 in Indianapolis.  I was excited Nationals was in the Midwest and within driving distance.

It was refreshing to compete in a National event that was not Triathlon.  Traveling with a backpack and goggles?  Count me in!

The Masters team that I swim with had nearly 15 athletes competing this year and it was fun to be in Indy with a group of dedicated and passionate swimmers!

The girls in my Lane at Masters are super.  We refer to ourselves as LANE 8 is GREAT (hey, whatever works).  These girls can SWIM and I am along for the ride.   They make the 7:30-9;00 PM workouts that much easier for me (I am a passionate 6am swimmer)!

The 1650 at the infamous IUPUI pool in Indianapolis was on Thursday – MID DAY!  So, Krista and I drove down together on Wednesday night so we could check in and warm up properly on Thursday morning.  It was nice to travel with Krista.  She is my age and has 3 little girls.  And, I think I met someone that talks MORE than me?  IMPOSSIBLE I thought.  I was wrong!

Krista and I (thankfully) were in the same heat of the 1650.  Seeded by time and mixed genders.  Except the 400 IM and 1000 Free, every other event at Nationals is HEAD to head age group racing – AWESOME really.

I was nervous for the 1650. Like, REALLY nervous.  I knew I had just swam an “OK” time for myself at the State Championships 2 weeks ago.  But, because of the swim taper, some workouts and ANOTHER swim rest cycle, I felt flat.  I knew I could swim about the same time I did at State (20:3x).  But, I really REALLY wanted to faster.  (I mean, of course, right?).  Krista and I were ranked 1-2 for Nationals and it was our race to lose.  I knew my work was cut out for me with Krista.  Frankly, she is faster than me now…and beat me at State as well.  But, anything can happen, right?

Finally our 1650 was up on the blocks…I was so nervous my back start leg was shaking.  Once I dove in – I felt pretty good.  Went out in 6:04 for the 500 Free and just felt strong but not like I was swimming downhill.  Damn!  The water felt a little thick to me (just an expression meaning, I felt slow!).  I was working way harder than I should have been for the pace I was going.  AND every card (in the 1650 we have counters b/c it is 65 laps!!!) I was like, “that is it!”  HA HA.  I did not feel good.  DAMN DAMN.  So, at that point I just had to gut it out.  Head down, rip my lats apart, pull hard, kick and turn well.  I could see Krista really pull ahead of me and I was trying so hard, but I was maxed out.  That was all I had.

I touched the wall and looked up at the board.  Fearful that my time was going to REALLY SUCK.   And, it was slower than I wanted and far off my PR (20 seconds) but it was only a few seconds off my State time and for feeling so awful, I will take it.  After everyone was done swimming (ALL DAY) the final results had Krista 1st and me 2nd!   I was so happy for Krista because she has improved a TON in the last couple of years and she has worked so hard.  And for teammates to go 1-2 was a special treat for sure.

I was not disappointed at all.  I did my best.  I got 2nd at Nationals and Krista is just faster.  Plain and simple really.  Here we are with our medals:

After the 1650 we were a mess.  Tired, hungry and Krista saw Miss Daisy coming out fast and hard.  I pulled through after we ate something green and rested for the next day’s events.

The next day I swam the 400 IM and 200 Free and then headed back home.  I could not stay and swim all the events I wanted to because I wanted to get home on Friday night because of the kid’s soccer games, my Mom’s Birthday and Mother’s Day Brunch with my mom.  I just needed to be home.  AND I had big workouts to do this weekend.  In fact, I got home on Friday night from Indy and turned around and was on my bike by 6am Saturday morning for a 70 mile ride + 4 mile T run…

My 400 IM and 200 Free went fine.  I PRd both of them, which made me happy.  The heats of the 200 Free were the 40-44 AG together and it was fast.  The gal that won went 1:56!  AND swimming head to head with these girls kept things super honest!  I was working so hard in that 200 Free to minimize that gap, I was tasting blood.

I left Indy completely exhausted and never wanting to see the pool again!  It was a great experience to witness some AMAZING swimming.  One guy went 22 seconds in the 50 back.  I mean, just crazy fast swimmers.  It was awesome.

A few years ago I could not really string together a proper fly or breaststroke to compete.  I could always swim Free and did meets but ONLY Free.  I got over myself a few years ago and needed a new challenge.  I was bored in the pool.  So, I said I would do the 400 IM in a meet…I worked really hard at it.  My lanemates helped me a ton (REAL IMers) and there I was competing at the Nationals at the 400 IM (I got 11th at Nationals).  I GOT over my fear and did it.  And, that in itself, is a huge accomplishment.

AND then, next year, I promised I would do the 100 fly and 200 Fly…and I will.

Thanks to Cheryl Stine for coming up from Bloomington to count the 1650 for me.  Cheryl is a phenomenal swimmer and I was certain she would be freaked out at my swimming (turns, walls, etc)  but she was a good sport and a GOOD counter, so thank you, Cheryl!  Good to see you!

And, that ends the Masters season for me.  Now onto Open water and Triathlon season – FINALLY!

I feel like a Mack Truck hit me this morning.  GOOD thing, because that means I swam my hardest this weekend.  I look forward to this weekend all year.  For some reason, I always want to play in the individual sports while being a Triathlete.  I do bike TTs & races, do running races and swim meets.  It is a little aggressive that I want to be a single sport athlete, but I surely try hard!

The ILMSA Swim Meet is awesome.  Our team works really, really hard all year to peak and race well here.  It consists of the 1650 over two days and then the rest of the events all day and into 7pm at night both Saturday & Sunday.  Over 1700 athletes compete.  By the time I got home last night – after 7:30pm, I was a MESS.  And, eating for an event like this is interesting too.  By Sunday night I just wanted ANYTHING green.

In addition, I have become very good friends with my lane mates and we just have SO much fun.  We swim in Lane 8…and all of us are girls, except Chris.  This year, we “let” Chris swim with us & we enjoyed having him around.  All of these girls swam in college except me (and Gina, I believe) – so it is a bit humbling, but I try to be a “real” swimmer when I show up!

On the docket for me this meet was:

1650 Thursday night

Weekend:  50 F, 100 F, 200 F, 500 F,  50 Fly, 100 IM, 200 IM, 400 IM & 4 relays (all 50 Free).

Phew.  That is A LOT of warming up, cooling down, in and out of the pool and absolutely max efforts.  I have worked this year very hard at my starts.  When I was a kid, we learned to start with 2 feet on the edge of the blocks….well, that is REALLY old school & I just never really changed.  But, I knew – I had to.  So, with the help of my lane mates, I went to the track start – WAY faster and that helped me a ton in the shorter events, where starts and turns really make the race.

The meet started with my 1650 and this is my FAVORITE event.  I rested hard for it and did not want ONE excuse not to perform my best.  No point for me to go to the State Swim meet – especially since I have not been beaten at this event – TIRED.  So, I was ready to go.

Ironically, my biggest competition in the 1650 is my lane mate, Krista.  Krista is exactly my age and oh, so nice.  I wish she was not nice, it would make things easier! LOL — Anyway, she just started with our team 3 years ago and has gradually gotten stronger (after not swimming since college!)….she has been slowly inching closer and closer to me and last year actually beat me last year in the 1000 F and 500 F (by 1 second) and I out-touched her in the 200F…so it is a healthy and fun competition.  And, honestly, it makes me a better swimmer.  Anyway, she was on fire at this meet & beat me in the 1650 by 20″ or so — and there was NOTHING I could do – I gave it my all.   I swam 5 seconds faster than I did 2 years ago (last time they had the 1650 at State), so, overall, it was all good.

Besides the 1650, I actually PRd (adult PRs) in all my events.  I even dropped 2 seconds off my 100 IM time.  For anyone who has never done a Masters Meet – 2 seconds in a 100 is MASSIVE, so I was happy with that!  To keep getting better & faster – with something I work so hard at and LOVE (and being 42) — is a very good thing!

I am not one to post times — but sometimes I will:  I will say my 1650 time was 20:34 (1:14 pace), my 100 Free was 1:02, my 500 Free was (6:01, 1:12 pace- this is my nemesis, I want to break 6 SO bad), 400 IM was 5:52…..my 50 Free time is slow at 29.1…200 Free was 2:15…..etc…I placed in the Top 3 in all of my events except (let’s be honest here, I suck at the 50s) the 50 Free and 50 Fly.  I was 5th in the 50 Free.

The hardest event of the weekend?  200 Free, by far.  We all agree it is the hardest because it is an all out sprint and that is a long time to be maxed out in the pool.  By the time I was on the 125 of that 200, I was in full blown lactate and was closing my eyes and gritting my teeth to survive.

The excitement of the weekend made me want to quit Triathlon and work on my swimming.  My breaststroke is HORRIFIC….my fly is getting way better but Andrea Block (state record holder in the fly) pulled me aside after my 400 IM and helped with some pointers on my fly….so, I am constantly learning & I love that.  I am already excited for next year’s State meet- it is a lot of hard work and long hours in that pool, but THIS is what it is all about – being passionate about something so much and seeing your hard work prevail.

Next up for me is a big week of Triathlon training.  In fact, I have to run long later today and that could be ugly!   THEN, I am doing the 1650 at Nationals next Thursday night.  I am so excited about it. Cheryl Stine from Indy is going to count for me and I am traveling with my lane mate, Krista to IUPUI.  We are ranked #1-#2 in the Nation for this event (hey, you have to be in it to win it…*my quote of the weekend*) and I am fired up to swim it again with her.  I am also swimming the 400 IM and 200 Free.  Wish I could stay and swim the 500 Free, but it is on Mother’s Day and (it is my mom’s birthday too) – so I need to be home.

And, thanks to my friends:  Stacie, Mia, Karen, Jaynie & Emily who I traveled with all weekend – up before 5am on Sunday, home late AND they even had to deal with me who drank coffee before Sunday’s 400 IM.  (first time all year)…AND Jen Harrison caffeinated is not always a good thing.  So, thanks girls…we had fun (and great swimming!!).

Someone asked me if I am tired of swimming  yet?  My answer?  Never!

Today is the first day since Camp that I feel like myself!  JHC Camp went great this year.  Almost, dare I say, one of the best?  We had 16 campers this year and put them all up in condos around our place and I really LIKED it.  I was able to rotate between all the condos to socialize, talk and catch up with each camper.  That was always harder with everyone in a large house.

The weather was AWESOME.  The athletes were GREAT.  Really, besides a few minor issues with people’s DI2 shifting (no fun), everyone was safe and worked really hard.  I was grateful to Jen Lynn & Diane who organized and helped me with SAG support at Gates Pass & Mt. Lemmon!  What a nice treat in the middle of the desert for sure.

Even Jimmy Riccetello joined us on our climb up Lemmon.  Nice to have Jimmy around in Tucson when we are down there – Thanks Jimmy!

Our days were spent training — bike rides every day, swimming at U of A (hotties), running trails and even very technical ones at Sabino and of course, good food (DQ…..uh oh) & good company.  We all got the work done and left thoroughly exhausted.  Perfect!

Here is the group at the Welcome Dinner the first night – The Calm Before the Storm:

Here is a picture of me coaching on deck  — Ah!!!

And,  I LOVE this picture.  This is Michaela via Hong Kong via New York to Camp.  She is holding a Salsa container that had her daily coffee in it!

And, our last night’s dinner wrap up:

The best thing about Camp is seeing everyone work so hard.  Seeing them push their own personal limits and really dig deep and find out what they are truly made of!  I love that part of a big camp block.

I know there were some tears.  I know there were some swear words, but I think they were few and far between versus the joy, challenges and finding out how tough you really are.  I think Mia gave me the finger and told me to “f*ck off” at least 12 times a day and even her TP updates were the same.

I had one camper at Camp ask me if I ever cry.  She said, “Do you EVER cry Jen?”

I said NO.  Of course that is a lie.  (I just do not cry at camp in front of athletes).

BUT, I have my moments…

In fact, I got home from Camp last Tuesday and on Wednesday USMS listed their Seed placings for Masters Nationals and I just thought I’d pop onto their site and see what I was seeded at.  Basically, they list the swimmers in each event and each age group fastest to slowest.  It is like a ranking system.

I was hoping to be ranked in the TOP 10 in my AG in the 1650. That would be awesome.  My goal at Nationals was to JUST place in the TOP 10.

I open up the website and there it is:  1st in my AG in the 1650.

I was sick to my stomach.  I was shaking.  In fact, I handled the whole thing horribly & like a baby.  I could not focus the rest of the day.  Went to Masters that night and everyone was talking about the seed placements and I felt sick.  Then, we had to do a timed 1650.   The combination of pure exhaustion from camp and travel AND then the anxiety from the ranking/seeding…I was crying in my goggles during the 1650.

In fact, I swam so poorly, I had to SIT out a 50 and re-group.  I never do that.  Ever.  Then, I could not breathe.  The air was too thick, the water too hot…I was having a mini anxiety attack and it was over NOTHING!

So, yes, of course I cry.  I just do it in private behind my goggles when no one can see me.

And, of course, I got over myself and the 1650 the next day…but damn if that was not a true meltdown.

I think everyone has returned to feeling normal this week post Camp and Jerome and I have already been planning next year’s Camp (s)!  It is a great way to kick off Triathlon season, especially when the weather has been downright awful in the Midwest this spring.  I was begging to go back to Tucson today!

Hello from Paradise (note the sarcasm)!

So many random things going on around here, I thought it best to bullet point life:

*  About 4 weeks ago I did an indoor bike Time trail race.  I suffered.  A lot.  And, I got up the next morning to go for an easy run (it was 15F degrees out) and my hip /glute/psoas were PISSED.  Slowly started to seize up.  I stopped running, came home and stretched/rolled…but the acute stress was done.  My hip was pissed!  From there I went to no real running that week to massages with Nathalie to becoming a PROFESSIONAL stretcher.  Hip did not feel good that week.  The extreme bike TT on an indoor bike (my bike though) put it over the edge and I was paying for it.

*  I went to Pilates twice since then and I have to say I really liked it.  I was hesitant for many reasons.  One, I just prefer to hammer things ….and Pilates is well, nice.  But, I think I need a little bit more of that.  We have a Pilates studio within walking distance from my house, so I went.  I left Pilates Mat feeling 100% better and basically we just stretched the entire time.  I loved going because all the women there are way different than Triathletes and they were completely freaked out by what I did, so that was refreshing! I plan on keeping Pilates in my weekly schedule.

*  Spring Break for the kids start on Monday and goes thru April 1st.  I am excited to head to Tucson on Friday with my sister and her daughter and Morgan!  We are going to have a nice time – frankly, we just want the sunshine and heat.  And, I get to ride my bike outside!  Besides Tucson, this has not happened in almost 5 -6 months (Can you imagine warm weather friends?).  Jerome is off to China for business and Graham is going to Mammoth Cave National Park with my parents and the boy cousins.  It will be a fun Spring Break!

*  JHC Camp starts on April 4th and I am VERY excited.  We have a great, big group going this year.  Thanks to Jen Lynn, down in Tucson, with helping me with some of the details that are so hard to do from afar.  It will be a great time in Tucson climbing our bikes for 5 days!  I hope everyone is excited!

*  I raced a 1/2 Marathon yesterday!  I was so excited but worried to race.  When I hurt my hip, I went into private FREAK OUT mode because this is the NEW JEN post 40.  I have realized VERY quickly that the post 40 year old Jen is way different than the pre-40 Jen.  I really had a hard time adjusting to the new life as a Master athlete, but it is my new reality.  THE PARTY IS OVER as a few have told me…they are right.  I now have to stretch in the morning, PRE workout, POST workout and before bed at night.  I was stretching so much last week, I was stretching at Graham’s soccer games, basketball games, you name it, I was stretching.  But, news flash –>  It worked.  I went from walking with pain to PAIN FREE and racing a 1/2 yesterday.  In just over 3 weeks.  I was super smart and with some smart feedback from my smart friends, I turned it around.  Yippee!  But, I really need to stick with this regime.  And, the extreme cold makes things tighter/worse, so I am hoping with warmer weather things will stay looser too.

*  It was a busy race weekend and many of us raced our local 1/2 Marathon yesterday.  Every year I torture myself and do this super hilly (for this area) race.  I do really like it.  I have done this race with temps all over the place:  30s, snow, ice, wind, 80s (last year)! , but this year took the cake.  I was SO cold.  It was 21F at race start and super cloudy and just blah.  It was a FIRST FOR ME.  I wore tights.  I have NEVER ever worn tights in a race.  I almost hated to do it, but I was so cold.  I even WORE my down jacket – FULL LENGTH for the entire 30 min warm up – strides and only took it off 5 min before the start and threw it in my car.  IT was THAT COLD.  It never warmed up.

*  I felt amazing during the 1/2 Marathon – dare I say it was easy (despite the cold).  The first 7 miles of the race are flat with a few rollers most of my miles were easily sub 7 at this point…after mile 8 the race gets really tough…like baby step hills…and I was fine going up, but felt my legs seize up on the downhills.  It is a horrible feeling, really.  It was not nutrition.  My legs could not contract and respond to the pounding of the hills in the cold. It was a combo of the extreme downhills & then it being cold – my legs were NOT happy.  I even had to stop once and stretch and rub my legs out b/c I thought I may not be able to take another step!  OUCH!  HA….but, I pulled through.  I had a few rough spots, but pulled my sh*t together and ran well all things considering.  I ended up 3rd in my AG and with a respectable time, so all was good.  I  went back to cheer on everyone and I could not stand outside for a minute longer.  I was so cold I was nauseous.  I had to walk (I could not run) to my car and get my down jacket again.  I sat down and was a mess.  I couldn’t walk.  Couldn’t feel my legs or hands.  I was SO pissed for a short period of time thinking WHY WHY WHY do we do this to ourselves??? (in this cold)…but then I remembered it is MY choice and then got over it.  AND I was just happy to be racing, frankly – despite the tough conditions.

*  Today I can hardly walk.  I got up at 5am (really?) and went to the pool.  Nothing is better than swimming post race, so that helped me with being able to walk today.  Ironically, I started a Boy’s Running Club at the kid’s school today.  I had 26 boys there from the ages of 8-11.  I was pretty nervous for this…b/c it was windy, cold, snowing, ice all over the ground and not even 30F degrees.  AND I had 26 boys to run…OUTSIDE (we have no indoor space).  BUT, the boys were rock stars, we played TAG, did run drills, did relays…laps around the school.  We had a great time!  I am so grateful I get to do this and spend this quality time with Graham and the boys.  It really is a wonderful age.

* Lastly, Elizabeth and I did a PODCAST on “All Things Swimming” – It was a fun one!  Here it is:

http://traffic.libsyn.com/jenandliztalktriathlon/Swimming_Podcast.mp

Looking forward to some sun in Tucson.  I don’t think my poor sister knows what she is getting herself into.  I do not think she realizes how much I work…I will try to behave in Tucson and try to take some time for R&R  AND SUNSHINE!

By the end of February, I am DYING for some sun and warmth.  I swear it is like we are in the Twilight Zone here in the midwest.  One more day in dark, snowy and 20F degrees (if that!)  Thank goodness (I say in jest), that we have INDOOR Bike Time Trials to occupy ourselves with in the winter out here. I know, when you can’t ride your bikes outside — might as well race them inside…

We have swim meets, indoor triathlons and bike TTs all winter.  It has been at least 10 years since I have done an indoor Triathlon – I am done with those…for lots of reasons, so the next best opportunity to suffer is on a computrainer with hundreds of your closest and sweaty friends — In a elementary school gym while Elvis and polka music blares over the loud speaker.

Last month I did this TT and it was a 10k flat course.  I worked my a$$ off and while I did not feel great, I had a fine TT.  Top 3 OA get $$…so a little extra cash is always nice.   This past weekend was a rolling 10k TT course…and lip smacking, sh*t talking little Elizabeth.  We could not race next to each other because she registered much later than I did, but truth be told, she was afraid of me.  (Oh, cripe, I am only kidding!).

No matter how many workouts I win by myself in my basement, nothing hurts more than an indoor TT of 6.2 miles.  I mean, I am riding my bike for this distance AND not running it?  WHAT?  Anyway, I had a long warm up and listened to Elizabeth talk MORE sh*t because she was DONE.  I literally walked in to the school and had a text “where are you?”  Clearly she was ON FIRE and caffeinated.

No matter how much I like Elizabeth, we are both there to win.  To show these CAT 1/2 Pro Girls that we CAN TT with them.  Never mind we are all running off these TT races – minor detail.  Elizabeth affirmed her great race and blurted out her time.  NICE!   It is 13″ faster than I went last year when I was 2nd OA.  I thought, “damn that is fast for a little person.”   See, indoor TTs – take away the heat and real hills and weight does HELP.  I have 20 lbs on her AND 5 years…..I think the handicap was even.

Anyway, Elizabeth graciously left – after setting the bar – and I went to race.  The race has 12 computrainer banks rolling every 30 minutes from 8am until past 2pm.  Busy busy day!  Todd, one of my athletes, who is also the race announcer texted me that morning and said he had the flu and was out for the day.  Too bad because he is the best cheerleader and LOUD & trash talks the ENTIRE time you are racing.

We calibrated my CT and we started the race.  I told myself “do NOT blow up too soon…”  I tend to go out super fast – in everything I do – so I was trying to behave just for a few seconds.  THEN, I turned up my music so loud I could not hear ONE thing.  In fact, I closed my eyes and only opened them a few times.  I could not even hear myself think.  I just worked my tail off.  I over-rode the downhills, smashed the uphills and stood for the last .4 miles in my biggest combination 52×12..I was giving it my all.  I had no idea if I would beat the standing time, but I knew it would be close.

I was just hoping I would not pee myself.

In fact, at that time, the top 3 females on the day were .6 tenths of a second apart.  YES that close.  That is ridiculous and rare.

I could not have gone any harder.  I was completely done.  I finally opened up my eyes and saw the same time and could not figure out the tenths because I was so trashed.  I was breathing like I was in labor and if I was not mounted into a computrainer, I would have fallen off my bike.  It took me over 1 hour to feel normal again and get my face color back to pasty white.

I loved it.  It is so hard.  SO painful…and something we almost cannot do outside – even when I race TT outside because we have to focus also on being safe.  And, while I can really work by myself in the basement, I just cannot work this hard.  Having that little carrot out there is really motivating and mixes up the winter monotony.

Regardless of the tenths that I did not end up on top, I won.  I set a new power PR number at the age of 42.  Every year I say, “I am just trying to manage the slowing down, ” and honestly, that is the truth…I swear!  But, when I have days like this, I am happy and grateful.  And, excited.