February is for Connection
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Thank you, that was fun! Keep Connecting in 2025 What a great time reflecting on 2024 and connecting with so many of you. We got to know each other a bit by breaking out and then reconnecting to share each other’s victories before turning our sights on 2025. What do you want more of next year? Watch the Replay Download my hot of the presses Goal Setting Guide: Find Meaning in the Monotony to align your goals with your values and vision. Download the Guide Join us in the Swim Smart Community…
LESSONS FROM THE WATER READ PREVIOUS ARTICLES WEBSITE SCHEDULE SUBSTACK I almost missed it. I’m preparing for a swim adventure in a few months and aiming to be more consistent with my swimming than I’ve ever been. With that newfound consistency, my body spoke up; I noticed a small niggle in my shoulder as I was pushing tempo. Part of me wanted to skip a day (or three, maybe a week), rest the shoulder, wait it out. That’s what I’ve always done. But I want this time to be different—I need to…
AI Can’t Feel You can ask an algorithm for a training plan for your next 5k, 10k, or even a 20K swim. It will spit one out in seconds. It looks complete: distances by week, technique with recommended drills, threshold sets, open water skills practice, it even recommends practicing fueling and mental strategies. Convenient? Absolutely. But also completely missing the point. AI can write a training plan based on the latest in exercise science, but it can’t help you feel the water. And when…
Time moves in circles How can the same 24 hours feel so incredibly long? Yesterday had 24. The day before too. But now—on the eve of my 50-mile swim—time moves slowly, each moment stretched… Here I sit, exactly 24 hours before we head to the dock to set out for my 50-mile swim. I know this moment will never happen again—no moment ever will—but this one feels particularly poignant. The last few weeks have been vacation hours: soaking up the big city of Boston, then maritime meanderings in…
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 experience won’t protect you from Do you ever catch yourself thinking, “I should have this all figured out by now”? Maybe you’ve been swimming for years. You’ve mastered the strokes, conquered goals, built confidence through repetition. What could you possibly have in common with someone just learning how to float? This week, a thoughtful mom joined me for a 3 day mini swim camp with her 7-year-old daughter. Sure, mom could swim further and faster—but what struck me was her willingness…