Did December surprise you too?

Am I trying to prove something? In my last note, I hinted at a swim that’s been tugging at me. It’s not just about finishing something I started—it’s about revisiting what it means to give myself permission. Despite being a lifelong swimmer, adapting to open water hasn’t come easily for me. I remember a time when I just wanted to get out of open water. I was terrified—of what was underneath, of what I couldn’t see, of the unknown. First, it was fear. Then it was performance. For a long time,…

What are you training for? When people ask me, “What are you training for?” my answer is simple: life. Sure, I like to take on a big swim each year (my version of misogi)—this time, I’m celebrating my 50th trip around the sun with a 50-mile swim in a Vermont lake. But here’s the thing: I don’t want training to feel like something separate from the rest of my life. I want it to fit into my days, not take them over. Training for Life, Not Just a Goal If you’ve ever looked at the long list of…

Hi there, This month at The Water’s Edge, I’m inviting us to tune into Connection. Connection to your body.Connection to the water.Connection to the people and practices that help you stay with what matters — especially in this time when things feel uncertain, chaotic, and messy. Rather than fixing or pushing, February is about re-establishing contact and noticing what changes when you stay in relationship with your swimming — and yourself. Inside The Water’s Edge, you’ll find weekly polls…

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…

You can’t hold the water. In my last post, I wrote about how swimming isn’t just about getting to the side—it’s about giving yourself permission. To slow down. To feel. To stop performing. That permission doesn’t end in the shallow end. I don’t just teach swimming. I help people rewrite their relationship with the water—and often, with themselves. And this isn’t just about beginners. Even experienced swimmers can find themselves gripping, striving, trying to get it “right.” How do you carry…

LESSONS FROM THE WATER READ PREVIOUS ARTICLES WEBSITE SCHEDULE SUBSTACK Last week I taught an adult beginner swimming class at Rogue X. One swimmer was 73 years old and had nearly died after falling into the Rogue River eleven months ago. Another thought she was in the wrong class because she already considered herself a strong swimmer. By the end of class, she was glad she stayed. It left me thinking about how the water reveals what each of us is ready to learn. I wrote about it here: Read:…