She thought she was in the wrong class
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When the Goal Gets in the Way Last week, I wrote about trust—how the water meets us when we show up, just as we are. How learning to trust might be the most powerful thing we can do. This week, something happened in a lesson that reminded me how easily trust slips—not from fear, but from something more subtle. I was working with a 6-year-old who had just discovered he could push off from one wall, arms in streamline, eyes on the bottom, and glide all the way across the short side of the…
LESSONS FROM THE WATER READ PREVIOUS ARTICLES WEBSITE SCHEDULE SUBSTACK Hi there, This week I got an urgent message from one of my swimmers. She was spiraling about the unseasonably cool temperatures that could affect her upcoming race. What if it’s colder than expected? What if I can’t handle it? I know the feeling. Before swimming the length of Loch Ness I refused to get in the water before the swim start. I was afraid that if I did, I would psych myself out about the temperature. So when…
Reflections from the water Reflections | News | Updates Winter Edition As winter settles in, I wanted to pause and reflect on what’s been unfolding at Intrepid Water over the past few months, and offer a glimpse of what’s taking shape in the season ahead. In Swimbound, my five-month virtual coaching program that culminates in an in-person open-water experience, we’re in week 15 — building confidence for longer durations, experimenting with fueling while swimming, and learning how tempo and…
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…
One Breath at a Time Is it just me, or did it surprise you too when we came back from the long Thanksgiving weekend and it was suddenly December? Sure, I’ve been hearing Christmas music in stores since before Halloween, but it still felt like the season changed overnight. Monday arrived and I found myself staring at the list of everything I wanted to wrap up before the end of the year—wondering how on earth I was going to fit it all into four jam-packed weeks studded with holiday events. I…
