Noblesville open water swim, third go-round

I've really come to like the Indianapolis suburbs, it seems. I haven't set foot in the city itself since, oh 2001 I think, but I've now been to Noblesville three of the last four years. The nightlife? The shopping? (though I do not mean to disparage them, rather to plead ignorance of them in my singleminded focus) Nope: the reservoir. A great place for an open water swim, and so I sit on Sunday evening, somewhat aching, looking back on yesterday's race.

Back in 2008 I was part of a 5-person team, each of us swimming a 5km loop of the lake, that won the national title for our age group. Last year I went back to swim a solo 10km swim (two loops, of course), and took bronze in my age group. This year... well, we don't know yet. Results aren't yet posted because of some issues going on with the timing. Ah well, who cares? 6 Smelts showed up, four of us on one mixed gender 35+ team, and frankly, it was fun to do.

It didn't look promising first thing in the morning. Conrad, my cheering squad, and I were up at 4:45ish to be at the Morse Reservoir for the 6:00-6:30 check-in window. En route to the lake from the hotel, though, we hit heavy rain and saw lightning. Not good. No open water swim so long as there's a risk of lightning, and so it was when we got to the race site and I had numbers written in bold black marker on my arms and back that we learned the race would be delayed two hours. More sleep might have been nice, and I know some people did go back to their cars for that, but when I'm up, I'm up. A bit of a wait as the rain tapered and finally ended.

I was on a team with Ruth, Michael, and Liz - ah, we'll miss Liz when she moves to Dallas at the end of this month. Ruth filled in at the last minute, switching from an individual swim to our relay when our other teammate became ill (we hope she's feeling better quickly and in time for Pride!). Ruth also, I should add, went to a concert Friday night in Chicago THEN drove the 3-4 hours to the race site and slept two hours in her vehicle before checking in. More amazing? She stuck around a while after the race, drove home, went to Mass, then came for sushi and a concert with us. I am in awe. And in the end, we wouldn't have had a team without her. She deserves so much credit for all of that.

Heidi was there as part of another team, a trio of super-fast women. Chris was the sixth Smelt and the ironman among us, swimming the 25km. At least, we think he did. By the time we left, he had completed 15km, and we hope he made it the rest of the way. No matter, even 15km is a lot, and he had our respect and encouragement.

At 9:00ish, Chris set off, kayaker accompanying him.

At 9:30ish, the first wave of teams went off. Heidi was in this group. The rest of us were starting to get a bit antsy, wanting our turn.

They lined us all up to check us off against the registration list, had us enter the water to line up between a buoy and shore, and then bang! We were swimming.

One loop around one arm of the reservoir. Cool water, a terrific temperature that I wish the pools I usually swim in could stick to instead of being so much warmer. I started out close to the buoy, away from the crowd closer to shore and placed so that I'd be on the inside for going around the first marker. I was off, swimming well. Not bragging on that. It's the simple truth - I felt great. My stroke was feeling smooth. I was feeling the water, catching it well. I settled into a good, brisk rhythm of breathing that set up a song in my head for later in the race (you really do need something to get you through the swim when all sense of time is lost). Don't ask why it was International Velvet. It just was, and the chorus drove me through a good stretch of the second half of the race.

I felt fast going out, and I held my speed well. By 1/3 of the way into my swim, I was catching the tail end of the previous wave - they'd left about 7 or 8 minutes ahead of us. And I kept catching them. Not constantly (and there were a few from my wave carving their own way through the water faster than I was), but in groups every so often. It was great to have them ahead of me - something to strive for in catching them, and people to sight off of when I couldn't immediate see the next marker.

By the end of the race, I was a little disoriented. Either a bit of leakage in my googles, or perhaps some sweat from wearing a cap causing sunscreen (yes, I wore it - despite the clouds, it would have been easy to burn) to trickle down to my right eye. It stung some, and I was having trouble sighting. Also, there weren't that many people ahead of me. The last marker seemed too small to be a real marker, but I went for it, then kept going for where I thought the finish was. I wish I'd gone a little harder. I'm not upset at all.

I passed through the "chute" and continued on toward where a small group was standing up, wading toward shore. Mark from Indianapolis was there - he'd gone out in the previous wave and had just arrived a short bit ahead of me. Turning to look back toward the clock, I saw Heidi behind me - I'd caught her near the end and passed her. She and I congratulated each other and compared our experiences, walking in to shore to food and Conrad. Once there, we could cheer as Michael then Liz then Ruth all made it in. We even got to cheer for Chris as he looped by at his 10km mark.

I think we all were happy with our swims. Conditions were good, and I, for one, had no problems with crowding around me. My time according to preliminary results was 1:13:16. Not too bad. A minute slower than three years ago, I think but under two minutes slower than a timed swim at the natatorium at UIC where I had the benefit of turns and people to pace off of.

We ate, we waited for results, we left for Chicago and en route I slept a bit. At home, a good, long, hot shower was my first order of business.

It's a good swim, Noblesville. I know the timing is vexing them, and I hope they sort it all out. I hope they also know that now all of us really care too much - we just went for a fun swim with friends, our teammates and others. I'll keep an eye on next summer's open water schedule and see if a trip to IN is in order again. But for now and for once, I'll not be self-deprecating about what I have done. I swam well yesterday, and I'm simply proud of what I and my teammates did.

(for more photos, check out the set on Flickr)

2:34:51

I admit, I got more than a little caught up in the whole birthday celebration thing, and, as a result, I have neglected some other things in my life. Like this blog, and like mentioning things other than my birthday on this blog.

So let's fix that and talk instead of how I am a national bronze medalist.

:-)

Two summers ago I was part of a national championship open water swim team, successfully completing my 5km leg of a 25km relay team. The setting was a reservoir outside of Indianapolis, near Noblesville, and was it ever a great swim. Last month I went back for another swim, a longer swim. No team, all alone.

Fun!

No, I wasn't exactly alone. For starters, the handsome, wonderful supportive Conrad was my very able and willing biggest fan. Not much for him to see while I was swimming, mind, you, and I'm glad that he went off in search of breakfast.

Also, Ruth (from Smelts) and Marcia (who was a teammate in 2008) were there to swim, as was Ruth's friend (and former Smelt) John. I wish more of my teammates had made it to Indiana this summer - I'm talking about you, Tim! - but ah well.

Conrad and I drove down after lunch on the Friday and made it in time for me to get inked (which needed re-application the next day - apparently sunscreen will remove Magic Marker) and for the pre-race meeting. Butterflies were settling in a little, but only a little. Heck, it's just a swim, right?

To the hotel, check in, dinner with the handsome Greg, then to bed. Up early and dawn at the race site. Warm up.







And then, ladies and gentlemen and everyone else, we were off in waves. I was in the first wave, the faster wave, and I soon settled into a rhythm. An hour and a bit later (around 1:13), I passed through the timing area at the completion of my first loop. Back out again.

The second loop started well enough. Yep, tired, but not worn down. Sore, definitely. I had banged my right forearm on a car sideview mirror in the restaurant parking lot the night before, and it was beginning to throb. By the end of the race, it was screamingly painful.

I was also not bilateral breathing like I thought I should. The vagaries of where the sun was at the outset kind of set me on single-side breathing out my strong side (my left), and I kept that up throughout. It worked for me, in the end, but I do wonder how the race would have turned out differently.

And Ruth, I know, is horrified that I didn't take water or nourishment during the race. Worse, I had a glass of wine the night before!

And then, you round that last little curve, and the end is there. SPRINT! Or something like that. Conrad there on shore to meet me. Done!





In the end, though: 2:34:51. Really, that's quite good, I think. I was pleased with my time, and when I saw my placing, all the happier. 22nd overall, 3rd in my age group. Yes, you can tell people you know a US Masters 10km Open Water Swimming Championships bronze medalist.

;-)

And then it was time to rest, refuel, cheer for Marcia, Ruth, and John as I saw them come in. Text TK. And eat. Oh man, did I eat. I feel like I've been eating non-stop since!

I don't often compete, and I don't take it too seriously when I do. I know there's a lot of people out there who can kick my butt in swimming (and running) - heck, I used to coach 9 year old girls who were faster. I have no illusions. Still, I did well. I know I did. And I had fun, truly. 2+ hours of swimming is remarkably meditative, and that time to expend energy and just be alone with my thoughts was pretty precious, I have to say.

2012, perhaps?

(More photos on Flickr!)

Greg exists!

Wow, busy week. Lots of enjoyable evenings (topics for blogging ahead) and busy days at work (which is, after all, work, so I don't spend time there writing blog posts). And now we're at O'Hare, booked on a flight four hours from now and hoping to sneak aboard an earlier flight on standby. Time, then, to blog a bit and bring all four of you back up to speed on the super glamourous life of Peter as HE SPINS OUT THE LAST FEW DAYS BEFORE HE TURNS 40 AND LIFE CHANGES IRREVOCABLY.

(that was a hint for cards, gifts, meals out, beers after work)

I'm all over the place with these posts - the only thing not progressing chronologically it seems - so heck, I'll just jump back into blogging with this one. The topic? Greg.



I am, it should be noted, a frequent and deeply involved user of Facebook. Funnily enough, I resisted for a long time, up until about 2.5 years ago. And then? Blammo! Off and running! Conrad shakes his head and says he should get his own profile, but I tell him, why bother? I keep up with enough people on Facebook that he doesn't need to.

Facebook is, however, a great way to make connections to new people. In some cases I have used it to get to know better some of the people I see only at conferences - the best example of this is how it was a great tool for TK and me as we built up our close friendship we now enjoy. It's also a way to meet people, though. Friends of friends, common interests. Greg falls into this latter group, then. Someone I met online and just found easy to get along with. Months and months later and there I am, in his neighbourhood, more or less, and an opportunity to meet.

Greg has more hair than I thought he would.

He's a sweetheart. Conrad and I were down staying in Carmel near Indianapolis for a swim event, and Greg drove on over to meet us at our hotel. From there, a good dinner of seafood not far away, at Mitchell's Fish Market. A bit of wine (yes, Ruth, a bit of wine the night before my 10 km race - you must be utterly scandalized at all the things I did wrong!) and even some deep fried food (kung pao calamari, shared) before my steamed cod with rice and spinach. All of it tasty. And truly, good company.

We lingered nearby outside for photos on the fine evening.




If it's only every 15 months or so that I see Greg in person, then adequate documentation is needed!

But yes, Greg exists. If you see his name, "liking" things I post, you now know that he really is out there, he really is a very charming (Conrad enjoyed meeting him very much) and handsome guy. Which is my way of trying to fix him up with my single gay friends, I suppose - any takers?

;-)

IN swim: quick post

In among the leisurely evening Conrad and I are having out on the balcony (sushi is done, bottle of Huia Sauvignon Blanc is done, chocolate sits enticing us, laptops are running as we look at things for Hawaii next month), a quick post to say

I kicked some butt today.

Having said that, I should add that 21 people kicked my butt.

:-)

I'll update more tomorrow and next week (and do I really have a 10-mile run on the heels of today's 10 km swim????), but for now, your favourite #21 is pretty darn happy with his effort, pretty darn proud of Ruth's effort, and - above all - so grateful for the immediate support from Conrad along with the remote support from TK and Greg!

South Bend, IN

Just home from a dinner at Yoshi's, and almost time for bed. Gosh, we've had a wonderfully full, relaxing, accomplished, lazy weekend - if that makes sense. I think I napped for a good hour this afternoon, for example. On the other hand, I managed to deal with 7 loads of laundry on Friday night before going out for dinner. A little of everything. It's been good.

Before bed, then, let me post a bit to the blog, and - jumping all around in time - go back to last weekend's Michiana adventure.

After a morning in Niles, visiting Darth and Heidi, Conrad and I turned our attention south across the border, wandering into South Bend to see what the fabled city was like. Home of the University of Notre Dame (lovely campus, we did drive through it), it's a city that should have fallen on hard times like many other modest-sized Midwest and Rust Belt communities. The university, doubtless, helps keep it going. As a result, there is a life and energy to the city, and some handsome and interesting efforts at restoring and reclaiming its past.

South Bend straddles the St. Joseph River, and has done some nifty things with the old mill races on each side. On the west there appears to be a substantial fine arts museum with some landscaping incorporating remnants of the race. We didn't venture that way. On the east, though, the race has been converted to a whitewater course for kayakers amid paths and park.


Nicely done. We walked a short ways on that side, watching a few kayakers attempt the course.

After that, it was on to lunch. Not really blogworthy, though not bad. What was nice, though - aside from the big outdoor arts fair that was drawing quite a number of people - was the Morris Performing Arts Centre around the corner - lovely building with some gorgeous terra cotta detail. We peered inside, and were struck by the beauty of the interior, too.

All too often I think we in Chicago disparage the "small towns" (as if hundreds of thousands only constituted small!) around us, downstate and in neighbouring states. Oh, sure, I think there are ways to make South Bend more attractive. But, crucially, it seems to be surviving and thriving and doing what it can. Nice to visit, in fact, and I, for one, am rather glad I did.