There’s Always Room for Something New

I feel pretty well-rounded in my workouts and races. I think getting involved in triathlon does that to a person, just by its very nature, but I also like the fact that I’m able to switch from various triathlon distances to different running race distances without too much thought. I just adjust my training a bit, and off I go.

But don’t think for a second that I’m done trying new kinds of races. Last year, in addition to my first Olympic tri, I took part in a team obstacle race. And this year—in fact, in just over a week— I’ll be competing in my first 1-mile open water swimming race.

It’ll be interesting, for sure, because while I’ve definitely swum a mile (and well over that) in workouts in the pool, I have yet to do a solid, straight mile in open water. And yes, it does make a big difference when you’re not pushing off a wall every 25 yards.

But you know what? I am so, so excited. For one thing, a bunch of people from my weekly masters swim class are going down—most of us are doing the one mile, with a few brave souls going for the two-miler—so it’ll be a fun morning, no matter what. And I love trying new distances. Who doesn’t? I mean, it’s an automatic PR!

But aside from all that, I really can’t wait to see what I can do. As I’ve mentioned before, swimming is by far (oh god, by SO FAR) my strongest discipline when it comes to triathlon, and while I’m always trying to improve on the bike and run, swimming is where I really want to be competitive (by which I mean I want to kick a lot of ass). What better way to do that than to immerse myself in the sport in any way I can?

Are you adding anything new to your race portfolio this spring? Tell me all about it! —Kristen