Sarah Groff's 6 Reasons To Try A Tri

American Sarah Groff recently finished second at the ITU World Triathlon Series race in London and is now ranked No. 3 in the world. She wrote this article for EspnW.

Summer has finally started unofficially, and our winter woolies have been replaced by shorts. It’s also the perfect time to become a triathlete–and I promise it’s not as hard as you might think.

After spending many years immersed in my multisport world, I admit that I might be a little biased on the triathlon front. (When checking out at the supermarket today, for example, I remembered that the typical shopper probably isn’t stretching her lats while waiting for the quizzical cashier. Normal behavior for me, but strange to Ann at the co-op!)

So, I make no claims that this is a complete list. But here are my six reasons everyone should join the tri bandwagon.

No. 1: It’s highly addictive
Roughly 98.7 percent of first-timers do a second triathlon and 93.2 percent of new triathletes start planning family vacations around a race within a year. (OK, OK — these are completely fabricated statistics. But the number of people who fall head over soles in love with the sport is staggering!)

The typical thought process upon finishing your first race: “Wow! That was hard and I’m really tired / sweaty / sore / hungry.”

Then, mere moments later, “That was super fun. I can’t wait to do the next one!”

No. 2: Boredom is not in our vocabulary
The sport is a constant balancing act among the demands of three activities and the interaction between them. There is always something to work on, no matter how long you’ve been a triathlete: technique, endurance, speed, strength and more in each of the three disciplines. It’s a veritable bevy of stimulation.

Read more: Espn.go.com