ÖTILLÖ Swimrun Austin (2023)

My goal in 2023 was to complete a long course swimrun. After the Cascotastrophe, I felt a makeup race was in order. I told my coach I'd consider it if I could find a partner, and she volunteered! It was awesome to race with a partner I vibe with and know well. We also had a ton of opportunities to train together, which really helped.

The race felt like a homecoming, seeing a ton of swimrunners I've met before in Mackinac, Folsom and Casco. The best part of this sport is its community.

Conditions were perfect: warm, dry and overcast. Lake Travis was flat and easy to swim in. The trails were a combination of rocky scrabble, dirt and roads. There were some interesting transitions — the water level was super low, so clingy mud was a problem, but we still got a cliff jump!