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!