GETTING TO KNOW
JENNIE FINCH
SOFTBALL ICON JENNIE FINCH retired three years ago with a golden legacy: Not only did she win U.S. Olympic gold (2004) and silver (2008), her fearsome pitches have famously gotten the best of Major League Baseball stars Albert Pujols, Mike Piazza and Barry Bonds, among others.
When distance running (she finished the 2011 New York City Marathon in four hours, five minutes) didn’t satisfy, the 6-foot-1 Finch decided to give triathlon a try. In July, Finch, 33, completed the Olympic-distance New York City Triathlon in 2:51 and just seven months after giving birth to daughter Paisley. Finch lives with her three children (Paisley; Diesel, age 2; Ace, age 7) and husband, former pro baseball pitcher Casey Daigle, in Daigle’s hometown Lake Charles, La. Before New York, Finch got her feet wet with three local sprint triathlons, including her first in Sam Houston Jones State Park.
USA Triathlon Magazine: What was the experience like in your first triathlon?
Jennie Finch:I had no business being there. All of a sudden all these guys are showing up with Ironman tattoos. I had just started training a couple weeks [prior]. I was borrowing a bike. You have these elite athletes, and then there’s a couple rookies. Everybody was super nice and welcoming, which was fun. And we took off. I was pretty intimidated by just the transitions, where to go and what to do. Probably the open water was what I was most worried about going into it, not only because they are alligator-infested waters.
USAT: You were thinking about alligators when you were swimming?
JF:Oh for sure. You try not to. That was one of the biggest hurdles I had to overcome. I only swam in open water once prior to that race. I did all my training mostly in the pool. Every time you put your head under, you’re thinking, `OK, am I going to come face-to-face with an alligator?’ Luckily I think my mental toughness and what I was able to learn with softball kind of carried me through. Because if I’m thinking about (alligators), I’m done. You just have to kind of face your fears head on, one stroke at a time and think about it versus all these other fears and negative thoughts that go through your head. I lost my breath right away, so I had to sidestroke for a long time just to catch my breath. What I learned is I just went out real fast. I made myself hyperventilate from nerves and everything else. But I got through it.
USAT: How was your swimming when you first started to train?
JF:I was a complete beginner. I never even knew how to really swim correctly. Other than Marco Polo in the pool, I didn’t even know how to freestyle stroke. I could never find the air pocket. I had no idea how they did it. All I kept thinking was, ‘Man, I should’ve paid more attention or asked the Olympians. I should have gotten some pointers from them.’
40 USA TRIATHLON FALL 2013
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