I know what’s stopping you. It’s the swim! Most people cite their fears of swimming in open water as the reason they aren’t interested in trying a triathlon. I could tell you it’s not as scary as you think, but it has taken me some time to feel comfortable in open water too. Unlike my husband, who grew up almost exclusively swimming in lakes in the Adirondacks, I swam in pristine pools. Looking at anything other than the black tile stripe leading me was strange. Our limitations are more mental than anything, which is why it is so amazing to see someone who has not set limits on themselves. It still takes me a little bit of time to feel comfortable in open water, so this past weekend I got in the water and did a little warm up before the race started. It felt good to ease in to the idea of the swim before getting started, and can you deny the good feeling of accomplishing something that once made you tentative or afraid?

Our weekend in beautiful Geneva, New York participating in the sprint (for me) + half iron (for matt) distances at the Musselman triathon was so much fun. It is something I look forward to each year, in part because I have so few weekends free in the summer it’s a chance to take a break from the routine of wedding photography. I had the sunny and warm day to race while Matt had to battle windy and rainy conditions. We saw friends, cheered each other on and enjoyed challenging ourselves to do more than we thought we could.