Big Shoulders

Husband had a big weekend.

Neal swam his first open water race at the Big Shoulders Open Water Classic on Saturday morning.

(A moment of silence for me working on Saturdays.  I can't believe I couldn't be there.)

Neal started swimming about a year and a half ago, and he's really taken to it.

Pretty much every day after work he stops by the pool to get his laps in before coming home, with occasional workouts at the lake to practice with the lake elements.

If I'm home in time, I take it as an excuse for me to ride my bike out to the lake and walk or read while that one swims.

For almost any summer sport, Chicago has some of the greatest races in the country.

Big Shoulders calls their swim "the world's most architecturally significant race" since the race starts at Ohio Street beach and stretches out along the base of Chicago's skyline.

I like.

I love the race's reference to one of my favorite nicknames of Chicago, "City of the Big Shoulders."

The nickname was first dubbed in Carl Sandburg's 1916 poem "Chicago," which you can read here.

I'm into a husband who swims laps in Lake Michigan.

A Chi-town husband for a Chi-town girl.

Have you done any Chicago races?