Newbie in Kansas City

Hi all,

This is my first post on the forum (actually my first post on any forum). I’ve been visiting the site for a few weeks now and reading articles and posts… all your stories are so encouraging and inspiring! Especially love the Race Reports. They really help to get an idea of what it’s going to be like. I am going to attempt my very first triathlon ever, the Rose Brooks Women’s triathlon (a sprint), 3 weeks from today. I’m getting a little anxious, but mostly excited! Like a lot of other beginners, my swim is the weak spot, but I managed 700 M today with only brief stops, so that was encouraging. Of course I had to switch to breaststroke sometimes- my freestyle isn’t that strong yet. I’m a little worried about it being an open water swim, but am hoping to get in a few training sessions at a local lake beforehand.

I’m not sure why exactly I want to do triathlons, besides the fact that they look really fun, and triathletes seem to be a cool bunch! I started running in college ~5 years ago to lose the extra 10 lbs I’d been carrying around, but never thought I’d get so addicted to exercising… I’m not the best at cycling or swimming (or even running for that matter!), I just think it’s a great way to spend time, and I love pushing myself. I’ve run a bunch of 5k’s and some 10 and 12k’s, and I love the atmosphere at races. I watched the Shawnee Mission Triathlon here in KC a couple weeks ago, and it seemed even more exciting there. I probably saw some of you there, too, without even realizing it! Hopefully, if all goes well, I’ll be racing alongside you next year!

Looking forward to chatting with you all!