Patience is a virtue

In the past three months, my health has come full swing and I am very fortunate for this. After visiting with many doctors while home in CT, the common thread seems to be that my body needs to just sort itself out and it will take some time to feel completely like myself again. With this being said, training has been getting better each week and I am thoroughly enjoying each session and genuinely having fun. This is a big step for me considering where I was at early March and even into April this year. Since training has been going well, my coach and I decided that I should give racing a go, so I traveled to Monroe, Washington this past weekend for a draft legal event.

It was the first year there was a triathlon at this location and I think USAT did a fantastic job in choosing a venue. The swim was in a small lake, the bike was on some smooth flat roads, and the run was on a path around the lake. Overall, very spectator friendly, a component of draft legal racing that is important in drawing in crowds for support. I was happy about where I was at mentally going into the weekend, and my body felt great too. I can't say that I felt 100% confident in where my fitness was at, but I have to accept where I am right now, and realize that I am moving in the right direction. We all have setbacks, and it is just about overcoming them and being patient in getting back to where you want to be.

Overall, the race wasn't at all what I was hoping for. I had a great swim and came out with the front group, which is something I had struggled with in the past. Besides my swim, it was a very tough race and I just kept moving backwards. I ended up alone on the bike (never a good thing in draft legal races), kept losing time, and had to serve two penalties (not sure what for!) on the run. Between feeling mentally and physically defeated, I was very disappointed in my performance because I know I am capable of much more.

I spoke with my coach after the race and she told me that racing in Monroe was just an indicator that I am not ready to be racing yet, and there is no rush to be toeing the start line. After a setback earlier this year, it may take some time for me to perform at a high level again. My coach and I decided that I won't be racing for awhile, and instead, just trying to make leaps in my training and gain strength. I will be doing some local running races and open water swim races here in California.

The good news from all of this is, I am more patient than ever, so fortunate for my health, and I am having fun and smiling a lot. For now, it is important for me to listen to my body so I can get back to my base and keep building to reach my highest potential. I know that being patient now and properly gaining strength will bring me to the destination I hope for down the road. So for now, I am just enjoying the journey and grateful for all triathlon has given me.

Thanks for reading!

Jessica

Home is where the heart is

The past month in CT was wonderful in every way. I was overdue for some quality time with my sisters and parents, and after having a rough start to the season with my health, it was great to be with the people that love me most. Chris and I drove to CT from Boulder, and stopped in Knoxville for him to race. He did great in his first pro race against a stacked field of athletes and I am really proud of him! I don't think I have seen any athlete push themselves as hard as he does, and I really enjoy watching him race because he has so much fun out there and has improved so much over the past year. Once we arrived in CT, I knew it would be a fun couple of weeks.

The time in CT included yummy home cooked meals (thanks Mom!), hanging out with my sisters, attending the twins soccer games and swim meets, baking, a trip to NYC, zip lining, bike rides with my Mom, a fun race at Lake Quassapaug and some great training. I also had a few doctors appointments while I was home with other neurologists, and all news is good news. I have been able to monitor my energy levels each day, and be very careful in listening to my body. I am feeling better each week and training is going really well under the guidance of my new coach Joanna Zeiger. The doctors were unable to really conclude what affected my health early March, but are optimistic in stating that I am okay and my body just needs time to sort itself out. This whole situation has made me realize that we certainly aren't invincible and taking care of ourselves is the most important thing as athletes.

I have been in California for a few days now and am loving it here! I miss my family and had an emotional departure from CT, but am happy to have had a great few weeks with them. You don't realize how much you miss your family until you are fortunate enough to spend an extended period of time with them. Sure, I miss my sisters and parents all the time when I am out in CO, but being in CT made me realize just how special family is and how much love there is at home. There is absolutely nothing that compares. Home is truly where the heart is.

Smile big!

Jessica

Summer Plans!

Hello from Colorado-

Although I love it here in Boulder (besides the wind right now!), I will be off to CT in a week to spend some time at home with my family. Chris and I will be stopping at Tennessee first so he can tear it up at Rev 3 Knoxville, and then we will be back in Connecticut for three weeks. I can't wait to be at home with my sisters, go blueberry picking, have home cooked meals, take another trip to NYC and train at sea level. Chris and I will both be racing the Rev 3 Olympic in Middlebury, which will be great! It should be fun to race in my home town with my family and friends cheering on the sidelines. After CT, I will be off to California for most of the summer to spend time with Chris and his family. Santa Barbara is beautiful and I am excited for some amazing strawberries and ocean swimming. It should be a great few months of driving across states, training in the sun and spending time with some very special people. :)

Jessica

A quick update!

Hey everyone

Collegiate Nationals.was a tough race individually, but the team did fantastic and we took the title again :) I have decided not to race Wildflower because it is in the middle of finals, and I thought that based on how I felt racing at Nats, a good solid block of training would be more worthwhile then trying to race again.

Hope everyone is doing well and your season has gotten off to a great start!

Jessica

A new outlook..

Hello!

I recently got back from Tucson, AZ where the CU Tri team had a training camp during Spring Break. The Buffs dominated in Lake Havasu at our Regional meet winning both the men's and women's divisions. We went down to Tucson after for a few hard days of training at sea level (YAY!) and we all had a great time. The sun was shining, it was warm, and we enjoyed pushing each other with a little extra oxygen. My favorite part of the trip was climbing Mt. Lemmon, which was about 25 miles up from the base, and a little over a 5 hour ride total to and from our hotel. It was an epic day for sure.

Being in Tucson was great for me, and I had my first few hard sessions back after being in the hospital. The first week in Boulder I eased back into training and just did some very easy swimming, biking and running. I was very happy to be feeling good training in AZ and I know that having my teammates by my side definitely helped me get back into things and deal with the pain from working hard. I was nervous for my first few hard workouts back, because I wasn't sure how my fitness would be after sitting in a hospital bed for awhile. However, I was very pleased with my training in AZ and will give everything I have on race day in a two weeks.

I spoke with my Mom about Collegiate Nationals yesterday for awhile. After discussing the race with her, I realized that this setback I have had has really changed my outlook quite a bit. Usually, I experience incredible nerves and tension going into a race, especially Collegiate Nationals because I feel like I am racing for individuals outside of myself- my team! Sure, I am still nervous for April 9th, but I am SO happy to be healthy and SO happy to be racing. Besides, I won't be alone out there on race day in Alabama- I've got the incredible Buffs!

Go CU! 11 days!

Jessica

Health Comes First

Hello to my followers-

Wow! What a couple of weeks it has been.

Two weeks ago, I felt fantastic and training was going better than ever. I was extremely excited about how I was feeling during training sessions, was eating well, recovering well and overall, anticipating a fun trip to Lake Havasu for the first race of 2011. The start to my racing season has now been pushed back a bit. About a week ago I went into the ER with incredible fatigue and memory loss, and a couple of hospital visits later they found abnormalities on an MRI in the parietal lobe of my brain. The doctors believe that I caught a virus that caused post infectious inflammation on my nerves, muscles and a spot in my brain.

This was a lot to take in and I experienced an array of emotions. Initially, what crossed my mind was when I could get back to training again, or if I would be able to race this upcoming weekend. How incredibly naive of me to be thinking of that, I know! But over the course of a few days in the hospital, I was able to evaluate just how important my health is above everything. Triathlon will always be here, so for now I am taking care of myself and easing back into things. Like I have always said, I want to be doing this sport forever, so however long it takes to get healthy is how long it will have to be.

Stay healthy and be happy!

Jessica

Never lose sight of your Beginner Spirit!

Hello everyone!

Today, someone very special in my life shared something very valuable. After picking up my boyfriend from the airport, we were discussing Lance Armstrong and his career on the car ride home. Chris told me about Lance's bike and the quote that is printed on the top tube reading "Never forget your Beginner Spirit." I pondered the meaning of this, and how applicable it is to my personal career as an athlete so far. I think back to the year I started triathlon, the outlook I had on the sport now, and how different things are now. With more experience, and more pressure in competition, I believe that it is easy to occasionally lose sight of the reasons why I started the sport in the first place. I enjoyed the conversation this morning with Chris, and I appreciated him sharing this little piece of wisdom with me. It has been on my mind all day, and it has allowed me to evaluate where I am at now with the sport, and what my outlook is moving forward. With Lance's advice, and Chris's revelation of this quote, I can see how important it is to stay connected with your roots, and never lose sight of them. Sure, Triathlon still brings me a great amount of joy and happiness, and I know that acknowledging the experiences I had as a newbie, will only strengthen my connection with the sport. It forces me to fuse the present with the past, and find an athlete who continues to challenge herself, while smiling and never losing sight of the spirit that launched her triathlon career four years ago.

Smiles!

Jessica

January Jumps!

Hello!

January has flown by. With 2011 in full swing, the racing season is truly just around the corner. My first race this year will be the CU Tri Team's Regional Championships in Lake Havasu City, AZ. This will be my first year racing Regionals with the team, so I am very excited for the trip.

It has been a great month- adjusting to a new school schedule, and conquering every day with a positive attitude and an appreciation for this wonderful life. Training has been going well, and the weather has been quite cooperative. I can't complain!

This semester has been really exciting for me because I am attempting to add another major (or switch majors) after realizing that I've always had a real interest in writing. This stems from my enjoyment in blogging here, as well as from my history of savoring various writing classes. So, I am taking some Journalism classes at the moment, which are both challenging and rewarding. We will see what life brings next. Until then, I wish you all happiness and enjoyment in everything you do!

Jessica

Gratitude, Gifts and Gusto

Happy Holidays to everyone-

I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas with family and friends, and the holiday was filled with lots of love and happiness. Home has been great so far, and I have really enjoyed spending time with my sisters while we are all in the same time zone. There have been lots of laughs and smiles in the midst of shopping, playing Wii Just Dance (probably the most laughs here) and just relaxing at home. I have also really enjoyed going to the pool with Hannah and Scarlet and seeing how much they have improved. Prior to heading out to CO, I always used to coach them with their swimming. Now, I can see that their work ethic and dedication has taken them far in the sport. It is truly awesome to see hard work and commitment at their age!

It has been pretty cold here in CT, and unlike the powerful Colorado sunshine which melts away snow within hours of it falling, it seems to linger here. We had a brutal snowstorm on Sunday with wind gusts up to 60mph, and a total of 18 inches of snow accumulating. Unfortunately, the snow still is everywhere, roads still icy, and freezing temperatures still evident. An all time high is expected tomorrow at 48 degrees, so maybe we can have the luxury of wearing only two layers instead of three :)

Training has been fun! I haven't been able to ride outside, so just enjoying lots of trainer rides and movie watching. Even though the cold weather isn't very appealing, running in it doesn't seem too bad. Once the blood is flowing, if dressed properly, it is pretty comfortable. I have been enjoying lots of scenic, hilly roads that Middlebury has to offer, and taking advantage of sea level running time. We did our traditional 5 mile Christmas run, and this year, all the girls came! To break tradition, we refused to wear Santa hats and instead watched my Mom wear hers the whole way as she insisted tradition could not be broken. Swimming hasn't been equally as fun, as the pool at the YMCA I swim at is about 10 degrees too cold. Everyday when I go to swim it takes me about 10 mins of standing on the side of the pool to convince myself to jump in. Besides the hypothermic water conditions, I have felt great in the water and strong. I think it is rewarding to train in different locations and different conditions every once and awhile, to challenge yourself.

On a much more important note, the trip home has been most enjoyable because of the time spent with family. With the holiday season, and the start of a new year tomorrow, I am able to reflect on all the relationships I have with family and friends. I am just so fortunate for the love that surrounds me and appreciative of what the people in my life have given me. Happiness, courage, support, and LOTS of love. 2010 has been a great year, and I know 2011 will top it :) Bring on the new year!

Happy New Year to everyone!

Jessica

Holiday Update!

Hey everyone-

Can you believe it is almost 2011?! Scary. The year has gone by so quickly, and I anticipate the same happening next year. I really love this time of the year, mainly because it is a time of evaluation and decision making for the upcoming months. 2010 was a big transition year for me, since it was my first time racing U23, as I aged up from Junior racing (Sprint distance) to racing Olympic distance draft legal. I was very happy with the steady improvement I saw throughout the season, and very excited to see consistent results.

I will be updating my blog with some plans for 2011 soon, after finals are over! Just a brief glimpse into the future- it looks like I will be a part of the Timex Multisport team again for 2011, and I am SO excited to be a part of such an awesome crew. Until the next blog update- I will have my nose in some books, squeeze some quality sessions in and be enjoying the holiday season. Happy belated Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and so very soon, Happy New Year!

I will be back soon! :)

Jessica

Pics from Alabama

Elite Nationals 2010!

Hey everyone-

This past weekend was my final race of the season- Elite Nationals which took place in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Remembering from last year the intense heat and humidity, I anticipated a tough race with a VERY talented field. This year, the start list included the best of the best in the nation including Laura Bennett, Sarah Groff and Sarah Haskins. After spending some time with these three athletes in Budapest, Hungary, as well as watching them race there (Elite Women's race), I was excited to toe the start line with such incredible athletes who I admire greatly for both their athletic achievements and their amiable demeanor. What an honor!

I had been looking forward to this weekend also because I would get to see my Mom again (after three months) and spend time with my coach, and a few members of the CU Tri Team who were racing the AG Nats on Saturday. Overall, I knew it would be a great weekend with great support. After my race in Budapest, I was excited for one more race to see if everything could come together. So far this season, I have learned a great deal about HOW to race and just how important the little things are such as the first 300m of the swim, transitions etc. I have had a handful of solid races with a good swim/bike, or great run, or solid bike/run. However, I had yet to see a race unfold that I could look back and say "Everything was great!" I guess it is somewhat naive of me to hope for this, but I do believe that it is beneficial to constantly shoot for that perfect day. Through daily dedication to all aspects of being a triathlete, and more experience, each race will be a step towards that. I've got time on my side, so I am optimistic and ready to keep making improvements each year.

Race morning, I was excited and ready to go! Race start time was 12:00, peak heat of the day. Warm ups at the race site felt great, and I was ready to hear the gun. Having the support of my Mom, teammates and coach in Alabama was fantastic. Nothing better than getting a good luck high five, or "kick some butt," right before toeing the start line.

The swim was non wetsuit since the water was 83 degrees! I found a spot in the middle of the pontoon, and had a good first 500m. Although the swim was rough at times, I was pleased with my placement and came out of the water with a solid group of girls.

I quickly transitioned onto the bike and ended up in a pack of about 5 girls. Like usual, the pack was not working well together and there were about 3 of us who did most of the work. Every time I came around, I could hear my coach yelling to "Sit in" but that's just not how I roll. I wanted our pack to be able to keep moving along, so I refused to sit in and see our group keep losing time. A few other athletes bridged up to our pack, so we ended up having about 8 girls. 3 other girls and myself tried to get away a few times, and on the second to last lap just as we attacked again, my chain dropped. This was extremely frustrating, but I was able to calmly get off my bike, put my chain back on and solo TT back to a group of 4 that had fallen off the other 3. I stayed with this group going into T2, and had a pretty good transition off to the run.

On the first two laps of the run, although the heat was taking its toll, I felt great. My legs were tired from the bike effort, but I focused on fast feet and staying relaxed. On the second half of the 3rd lap I really started feeling the conditions. I tried not to think about the humidity and heat, and just focused on trying to tough it out for another 3k. On the last lap, I guess you could say I "hit the wall," and unfortunately was passed and had absolutely nothing left. I ran myself up to 9th, then fell back to 10th, which is a placement that I am extremely happy with. Top 10 two years in a row at Elite Nationals! Going into this race, knowing the caliber of the field, I thought it was doubtful that I could squeeze into the top 10. I am overall pleased with getting to the finish line in one piece, and knowing that I gave it absolutely everything I had. Last year, I battled foot injuries that started at Elite Nats in Alabama and had to walk parts of the run. This year, I went with the philosophy of ""Only those who risk going too far, can possibly find out how far they can go." On the run, I went out extremely hard to see what I could do. I think that experimenting as an athlete is extremely important, because you surprise yourself often in what you can do. Although I really fell apart at the end of the run, I am happy with the mind frame I had during the race, and pushing past boundaries of my own abilities.

Now, after a full week off from training, I am back at it. Big run focus this winter and am excited to keep working with Mike Ricci. After having consistent performances (besides San Francisco) from April through October, it is nice to step back, evaluate the areas to focus on for next year, and delve into the off season. 2010 was my first season of racing where I can see steady improvement and NO injury. I'm a happy camper.

On to 2011!

Jessica

A quick note...

Hey!

It has been awhile since I have posted.

Kelowna was solid- ended up 9th.

Worlds was ok- ended up 22nd with my best run split ever.

This weekend is Tuscaloosa Elite Nats. I plan on catching up on blogging after I catch up on all the school work I missed while in Budapest. All for now!

Jess