Jail Time

Taper Week for Open Water USMS Nationals

For the first time in 6 months I am lightening the training volume and intensity this week, 33,550 meters to be exact, about 10,000 meters less than in previous weeks, the reason I am resting up for an Open Water race, the USMS National 25km Open Water Race, it is coming up this Saturday, I was only accepted into the race 2 weeks ago due to another swimmer pulling out so it is “Indiana here we come!”

 Monday June 13th, 2011 consists of 2500 meters easy, teaching a fitness class and taking Yoga

Tuesday June 14th, 2011 consists of teaching a fitness class, swimming 3050 meters easy with some short sprints and a light strength training session

Wednesday 15th, 2011 consists of 3000 meters easy in the pool, with a few sprints and an open water swim to ‘ Little Italy” of 4923 meters, it is a good outing with Deb, we swim our fastest ever down to Italy’s boot and get to see a mother loon with 2 babies on her back, very cool. We checked each other out while I tread water near her, she was nice.

Thursday June 16th, 2011, rest day, my husband Jeff and I fly to Indiana, we arrive at midnight.

Friday June 17th,2011 our task list is pack up the gear and food for the race, tour the race course and attend the race meeting. That leaves us a few hours to check out Noblesville Indiana….here is our story.

Jail Time

 In 2010 I raced in the USMS 10km National Championships, it was also held in Noblesville, Indiana, I was pleased with the swim and completed the 10 km course in 2 hours and 39 minutes, placing 3rd in the 40-44 year age category. After the race we had 2 hours to kill before driving to the airport to fly back to Vermont, I had spied an old building with amazing architecture and we decided to go check it out,  it turned out to be a museum, it was not only a work of art but also had some incredible history.

 We learnt that the building was built in 1876 as the Sheriff’s Residence & Jail and was a working jail until 1977, the building was strongly influenced by the French Renaissance, W.R Parsons being the architect. Inside the jail was a dear little lady who had been their since the 1990’s she offered tidbits of information and pointed us in the direction of the self tour. Each room had historical clothing, furniture and sheriff uniforms on display, it also had newspaper articles about some of the famous prisoners that the jail at one time held.

 Jeff and I looked in each room of the Sherrifs Residence and read, there was much history and I could not fathom that the sherrif lived with his wife and children in the house, prisoners in toe in the same building.

 As we looked around we were joined by 3 others, one in particular seemed to know an awful lot about the building, as we moved towards the jail cells he seemed engrossed at the smallest of details, he had long black hair, extensive tattoos and a ring tone on his phone that went ” Nan Na Nan Na Nan Na Nahhhhhhh, when the phone rang, heavy metal phone call right there.

 Well we looked on and so did he and his friends, we went into the jail cells that were very grim indeed, then upstairs to the womens cells, in each cell were many messages scrawled into the wall by prisoners from years gone by, some were angry, some threatening and some the work of what seemed to be lost souls, calenders of endless days crossed off on the walls.

 We learnt that some of the famous prisoners included Charles Manson and Klu Kulx Klan leader, D.C Stephensen. After we had taken the self tour we thanked the dear wee lady who greeted us, she was busy chatting with the Na Na Na Naaaaa phone ring guy, they seemed to be familiar, I heard one of them say ” see you next year ” as he left the building a few steps behind us.

 We walked out to the front gate and stood pondering what to do with our final 45 minutes in Noblesville, phone ring guy was standing right behind us, I turned, Jeff gave me that  knowing look, the….. do you have to talk to strangers look, as he gave me the look I said to phone ring guy ” you seem to know an awful lot about the jail” , he looked up as he was approaching his Harley with a surprised look on his face, it was a ” are you talking to me look?”. I smiled, as I do.

 He answered,”  yes I do,I was young and dumb at the time, I come back and visit every year”

 ” Wow”, I replied, ” that’s amazing you were in jail here, when were you in?”, ” 1977″, he replied, I was astounded, what a remarkable experience, I thought, so I said, ” Wow, you were lucky to get in, it closed in 1977!”

 Jeff was shrinking into the sidewalk, Na Na Na Naaaa Ring tone guy looks stunned not only that I was talking  but also that I managed to express how lucky he was to be jailed. What can I say New Zealand country girl comes to America.

 Well Jeff quickly shuffled me off, I turned and shouted goodbye to ring tone guy and his friends and we were off to eat ice cream, or was it hide in the ice cream shop? Either way the ice cream was YUMMY and we did laugh about the conversation after the fact.

 So are we going to return to the jail in 2011, you bet, I also saw that there is a historical building tour of downtown Noblesville, the old buildings are amazing, we are going to hit the tour and then revisit the jail again, I never did ask the phone ring guy his name, will I find that out this year? I think so, I’ll keep you posted.