What are you training for?
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The means matters. There are many lenses through which to view the world, why swimming? Have you ever had a moment where you lost track of time? Whether your ideas flowed effortlessly in your writing, your perfectly coordinated movements allowed you to bound down the trail, you got lost in the notes and rhythms playing an instrument, or had a rich and thought provoking conversation with a dear friend? That feeling—where mind and body are seamlessly synchronized—is called flow. Flow is more…
Earlier this week, I stood in what will become the swim studio space here in Talent with the architect, the landlord, and the builder, reviewing plans from the engineer. It was exciting—15 months in the making—and equally terrifying, seeing something I’ve been imagining start to take shape (the plans still have to be approved by OHA before we can pour concrete). It reminded me of the difference between planning for something and being in it. The gap between the idea and the work. The water…
Hit Reset I gave up. That’s the thought I couldn’t shake as waves crested over the bow on our boat ride back to the marina—25 hours after I’d first pushed off into Lake Memphremagog. What does it mean to not finish—again? I had pushed off into a headwind at 3 PM the day before with 50 miles ahead of me. Through the night, I swam under stars, imagining I was playing tag with the boat, warmed by lemon ginger tea and imagining that I was snuggling with my kids. Eventually the wind shifted to…
550 yards This week, I realized I was swimming to the other side just because it was there. I was following my plan—I teach a class at Rogue X on Wednesdays from 12-1 PM and after class I do a 60 minute practice. It’s the only day of the week that I swim in a “regular” pool, and I’ve come to expect the level of effort that I put in so that I can check off the box for doing some amount of time in Zones 4 and 5. When I planned my week on Sunday, it looked great—I was going to get in strength,…
Sink or Swim: The Art of Asking for Help I spent months putting off requesting a meeting with our local small business development center. Once I finally swallowed my pride and asked for help, I was immediately met with support and guidance. Is it just me, or does everyone have trouble asking for help? My history of avoidance runs deep. In high school, I dodged guidance counselors preparing for college. Even now, walking into a building to ask for help feels daunting. Picking up the phone…
LESSONS FROM THE WATER READ PREVIOUS ARTICLES WEBSITE SCHEDULE SUBSTACK Hi there, Earlier this week I sat down with a small group of swimmers and asked a question I’ve been sitting with myself: what feels sustainable right now? “I used to wear a watch to track my times and distance in practice — but I realized I had to take it off. Not because the data was wrong, but because I was stuck in comparing today to yesterday.” The watch wasn’t measuring progress anymore. It was measuring…