I started my athletic career as a swimmer. I competed all the way up to the start of college - when I found adventure. Cause face it, no one ever said that competitive swimming was adventurous. Climbing captured me first, and held me tight in its grip for nearly a decade. Then I discovered bigger expeditions, adventure racing, and other remote ultra-distance events. They all had several things in common that kept me hooked - teamwork, rugged terrain, beautiful scenery, and unknown challenges. The biggest mystery in my swimming career was always which lane I would be assigned in for my heat (lane # 4 or 5 were always the best!). Suffice it to say, I stopped swimming on the first day I trekked to a crag and climbed to the top of some outcrop with a view.
Eventually, I did a brief stint in the triathlon world and found that there was a bit more "adventure" swimming - but also a lot more getting kicked in the face and punched in the arm during the mass starts. And so I once again left swimming, and midwest triathlon behind.
12 years later, my crazy twin brother and New Zealand's remote Fiordland wilderness coaxed me back to the water. It was a river literally right out of Lord of the Rings. And so we swam down it for ten miles. It felt like this video, but was really like this video, and a year later turned into this event.
And then a few years later I saw this AMAZING video invitation on Facebook for the One Water Race.
Long story short - after a very illuminating and challenging trip to Sweden, I came home inspired about the adventure possibilities within the sport of Swimrun. It had elements of my youth rolled into the feeling of multi-disciplined exploration and topped with a healthy helping of teamwork.
This fall, our event development team tested several experimental course all over Central Oregon - looking for an iconic location for our first race. But in the end, we couldn't decide between our favorites. So now we have two. Both courses are uniquely Central Oregon - with one celebrating the majestic Deschutes River, and the other traipsing through the rugged lava landscapes and gliding though crystal clear alpine lakes.
Each race will host a short course (suitable for beginners) and a long course. Not much gear is needed, and there are great resources to help people understand the sport and prepare for their first race. Our favorite place for info is over at www.Lowtideboyz.com.
If you can swim a bit and run a bit, and like outdoor adventure...you should join us at one of our Swimrun events. I bet you'll be just as hooked as I was.
Register or get more information here
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