Home from USMS Nationals in Atlanta, Georgia: Such an Amazing Time!

I'm home from Nationals!!! Oh, it was such an amazing time. I haven't written for so long that I hardly know where to begin, so I think I will just start breaking it down into topics and babble as to all I can currently remember. I am sure I will forget much and have to interject here-and-there again this week, so bear with me if you don't mind.

The Place
Oh wow!  Atlanta surprised me and delighted me. I don't know what I expected, but Atlanta is a HUGE city!! Our hotel was smack dab in the middle of tons of skyscrapers, busy streets, lots of traffic, great restaurants, mass transit, and very kind and hospitable people. Loved it!
 
The Pool
Holy cupcakes! What a place! The meet was held at the pool complex where the 1996 Olympics were swam, on the Georgia Tech campus... and WOW, it was an incredible feeling to walk into that natatorium. Exciting, beautiful, state-of-the-art, fast pool, great starting blocks, grand stands ... just really awesome and a total honor to get to swim there.

Our relay - Lane 3. Ahelee is in the water. I'm behind the blocks.

The People
The people I spent time with and met at Nationals were truly the BEST part of the whole trip. Not only did Steve and I have a complete blast with my amazing teammates: Rob, Ahelee, Becky, Julie, David, Diane and Nancy...but I got to see many people I already knew from Southern California swimming, meet lots of swimmers who I had only previously known online, and met a TON of new friends from all over the country. It really is the comradery, kindness, support and enthusiasm that makes USMS such a stellar organization.

While it is certainly competitive and everyone is serious about swimming fast, there is a different kind of energy than I had been used to in the swimming environment when I was younger. People honestly care about each other, cheer one another on, want to get to know you, and have huge amounts of respect for their fellow swimmers.

The US Masters Swimming organization does an amazing job of rallying everyone together and making the on-deck atmosphere as inspiring as that which takes place in the water. It's something I will never forget and that I feel really lucky to be a part of. Honestly, I just can't wait to do it again!!

With Leslie and Ahelee - two INCREDIBLE swimmers and women

With Kip Fulbeck - artist, author, professor, super nice guy and FAST swimmerWith my friend and teammate, Rob - blogger extraordinaire, awesome swimmer, & all-around great guy

CVMM Women's Relay

My Swims
I'm super stoked about my swimming results. I had personal goals that I had set for myself in each event going into the meet and I reached them (or came very close) in everything I competed in, so I really am happy with the way things all turned out.

Me, ready to get on blocks for race

It made me feel like all the time and work really DID pay off. I felt strong and rested. I had a blast competing and swimming in heats with such fast swimmers. I learned a LOT and now have a better focus for meets to come. It was all I could have hoped for.

To get technical about it all...my times were:

• 200 Freestyle: 2:06.45 - 8th Place - Best Time
• 50 Butterfly: 29.72 - 15th Place - Best Time
• 100 Freestyle: 57.91 - 10th Place - Best Time
• 100 Individual Medley: 1:06.91 - 10th Place - Best Time
• 50 Freestyle: 26.80 - 11th Place - just 1/10th of a second off my best time from 2 weeks ago

I was also a part of 4 relays with CVMM (Conejo Valley Multisport Masters) and swam:

• 200 Freestyle Mixed (men/women) Relay
• 200 Medley Mixed (men/women) Relay (swam the Butterfly leg)
• 200 Freestyle Women's Relay - 6th Place
• 200 Medley Women's Relay (swam Butterfly leg) - 8th Place

The relays were fantastic and my teammates are amazing people. We had such a blast together, both at the meet and before/after...traveling together, eating together, getting to form really wonderful friendships. I adore them all!! 

After our 200 Medley Mixed Relay on Saturday, the guys filming for USMS pulled us aside after our race and interviewed us. Portions of that made it into the Saturday wrap-up video. You can see me, Ahelee, Rob and David around 1:44 or so. Fun, fun!!

Steve
I don't really know how to tell Steve how much I appreciate his support and love. He took the red-eye flight out on Thursday night after working all day on Thursday and then getting the kiddos ready for their Grandma Duchess and her best friend, denise, to come and stay with them for the weekend. He arrived just in time to get to the pool deck and see me swim my first event on Friday, the 200 Freestyle. From that point on, he was there for me in every way possible. Lending an ear and a shoulder, providing support, love, food, and more. He is my rock and I'm so lucky to have him by my side. This whole swimming adventure wouldn't even be possible without his support and I am so grateful for all he does to help me attempt to reach my goals.

Steve listening to me babble. Photo by Becky

The Future
After experiencing Nationals, I am so stoked to continue on. I got to the pool at 5:00 am this morning and got in a good 4,000 yards. It felt great to be in the water again after traveling all day yesterday and I'm so excited after swimming like I wanted to, that I feel ready to gear up for some new goals for the Long Course season.

LC is not lengthy in comparison to the Short Course season we just finished, but there are still some great meets to sneak in and then the LC Nationals are in Puerto Rico. It's been six months since I started lap swimming at 24 Hour Fitness last December and I feel like I have just barely scratched the surface and peeked open the door as to what lies ahead. It's been an incredible time in my life. Taught me so much. Brought me so much.

I am open and ready to see what happens next. "Swimmers, take your marks..."

With my teammate Diane and her sweet partner Karen

With my teammates Julie and Becky - they both rock!

Met lots of new friends

With Cokie and Ahelee - 2 coaches/swimmers who have taught me more than they'll ever know USMS Nationals ruled!