Jordan Lake Open Water Challenge

This weekend was the Jordan Lake 1 mi open water challenge. There were 150 swimmers and as usual, FS Series put on a very efficient and well-organized race. The race stared at 7:30 and we swam, got awards, ate Jimmy Johns sandwiches, and got home in time for third breakfast.

Keith, Kevin, and I after the race

Because of the large number of swimmers, they split us into 2 waves - the guys started in the 1st wave, and the ladies started 4 min later (and they subtracted 4 min from our clock time). This is something that I have grumbled about in the past because, in theory, it puts the fast ladies at a disadvantage. With the waves being only a few minutes apart, the faster ladies will inevitably pass a lot of the guys and waste time and energy going around them.

However, I have decided that I like the 2 wave system. It carries certain advantages for a sneaky, directionally challenged gal such as myself:

1) We get to learn from the fellas mistakes - In this case, the guys lined up in front of the second turn buoy, which put them in a disadvantageous position. Of course, girls are usually just a little bit smarter than boys are. I joined a group of ladies lined up in front on the first turn buoy, which gave us a more direct route.

2) It makes for an easier start - I usually waste a lot of energy at the start, trying to vie for position with sprinter dudes, who usually slow down within a few hundred yards. Because these sprinter dudes are big and strong, they can be hard to pass. In a ladies only heat, it is easier to establish a good position early on.

3) It's easy to keep track of where you place among the ladies - with full body suits, mandatory caps, and ubiquitous buff bods, we can easily morph into agendered blobs in an open water race. When the waves are divided by sexes, keeping track of who's who becomes much easier.

4) There are always plenty of people in front to help with sighting - my name is Kim and I am directionally challenged. I have no problem admitting that without my GPS, I would be constantly lost, chronically late for my therapy appointments, and would have been fired from my job long ago. Unfortunately, my Garmin is not water proof and is no help to me during open water swims. When half the field gets a head start, however, that does help. There are always people in front to show you which way to go.

5) You're racing against the clock - Since the guys have a 4 minute head start, to beat them you have to beat the clock, not them directly. If you come in 3 min behind the 1st guy, you still beat him by 1 min. You can see where the guys are but they can't see you. Certainly, there are guys who would pick up their game if they saw you chasing after them. But the benefit of this system is that they can't see! We can sneak up on them.


So, being split into 2 waves really is not so bad. It often works to my advantage and did in this case. I ended up getting first overall, after battling it out with a fast lady who finished only 4 sec behind me. In fact, in this race the first 4 finishers were ladies!

Way to go, girls!

Nationals, part Deux!

So the weekend after the USMS short course yards national championships was the 1 mi open water national championships in Huntersville, NC. As in the pool mile at nationals, I won my age group and got second overall out of the ladies. Now, there's nothing like a four day swim meet to remind me why open water swimming rocks so much more! Let's take a look.

	Pool swimming	Open water swimming
Duration	Nationals lasted four long, grueling days	Nationals lasted twenty minutes and change
Hydration	Important to balance water and electrolytes to avoid dehydration	Can have beer within minutes of finishing
Physical contact	Swimmers must stay in their own lanes or they get disqualified	While drowning people is frowned upon, kicking and elbows are common. It combines 2 favorite things – swimming and whooping folks
Bouts with the arch nemesis	Has a chance against Medendorp in very few pool events	Stands a much better chance of making Mark her bitch

So, while pool racing is tolerable now and again, it is open water swimming that totally rocks. Excited for this summer!

National Championships!

I ventured to Atlanta for my first USMS national championships. Pool swimming's not usually my bag, but Atlanta is so close and we had a fun group going, so I decided to give it a shot.



It was quite the experience! First, I finally met my imaginary boyfriend, Olympic gold medalist Cullen Jones.


After which I crushed my arch nemesis Mark Medendorp in the 500 free.


Now, it may be worth noting that I've been taking a fiction writing class and am learning about different shades of truth. Granted, the above statements might not hold up in the "whole truth, nothing but the truth, so help me God" sense, but they do contain certain nuances of validity.

When I say that I met my imaginary boyfriend Cullen Jones, what I might mean is that I got to meet him vicariously through my friend Jessica. I might have gotten to hear from her all about how tall he is, how nice he is, how handsome he is, etc. This might have sent me into a jealous fit that had me erasing that other broad from the photo and pasting in my own mug. Just a slightly different version of the truth!


And when I say I crushed Medendorp, what I might mean is that he beat me by a solid 11 seconds in the 500, but that I searched his Facebook page for a photo of him looking crushed. See, same thing really!


What doesn't need multiple interpretations is the fact that we all had a very fun time.


As for my goal of getting a lifetime PR: I'm still a ways off from this in my good events (meaning, distance events). However...events that I have always sucked at, I now suck at a little less! Between states and nationals, I've gotten lifetime PRs in the 100 IM, 100 back, and 50 free. Take that, 16 -year-old Kim! Plus, I could totally take you in a cage fight.

Here are my results from the meet:
http://www.usms.org/comp/meets/meetsearch.php?c=267530&MeetID=20100520SCCH10Y