Lessons from the Water

How to Balance Big Goals and Daily Life I’ve always had trouble sticking to daily habits and streaks rub me the wrong way, so how do I manage to train for big swims, raise two growing boys, be a present partner, get a podcast out into the world, email broadcasts weekly, and coach and teach swimmers locally and virtually? It’s a work in process; it will always be a work in process. But I think I’m starting to embrace that process. When I started my podcast, Marathon Swim Stories, in 2020 one…

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…

Find Refuge in the Water Last September I turned 50. I thought that I was handling “middle age” just fine – until I had to pull out the reading glasses that I reluctantly purchased – I broke down crying. But that’s just one piece of it. The swim studio project I have been pouring myself into has been dragging out, tangled in unexpected regulatory hurdles and unforeseen expenses. Every step forward seems to come with a new roadblock. And beyond my own struggles, there’s the flailing economy, a…

What’s it like for you? Do you have an easy time showing up for your training sessions? Or is it a struggle to make it happen? (🙋♀️ Yep, I’ve been there.) Showing up is half the battle, but making each stroke count—that’s the real challenge. In community, we support each other in putting our best effort forward. Yes, there are times when showing up is all we can do and it’s enough. But let’s be real—water time is precious. We need to make it matter. This isn’t about hollow conversations,…

There’s more than meets the eye At our weekly Q&A on Tuesday, we explored a powerful truth: looks can be deceiving, especially in swimming. It’s easy to assume a long, graceful stroke means efficiency or that choppy movements signal struggle. But the water tells a different story. A swimmer who looks smooth might be leaking power in invisible ways, while someone with an unconventional stroke might be moving through the water with surprising ease. The real difference isn’t in how a stroke, a…

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…

Start on a mat Last week I was in Mexico doing yoga two times a day and swimming in between. While I’ve practiced yoga on and off for decades, something is really starting to click for me – not just on the mat, in the water. The word ‘yoga’ literally translates to yoke, or to unite. Yoke, as in the piece of wood that connects two animals together to pull a cart so that they can work together. In a yoga practice, the aim is to create a union between your mind and your body. As my yoga teacher…

Performance versus Potential The word ‘performance’ makes me cringe. It brings me back to high school swim meets. Spending time before a race visualizing a qualifying time that would earn me a spot in the State swim meet. Then diving off the blocks and falling apart. The weeks, months, years of practice completely escaping me. Anxiety and overthinking taking over. Potential, I can get behind. Everyone has potential. With my swimmers, I cultivate curiosity, resilience, and a growth mindset….

The author reflects on the crucial space between intention and action, recognizing it as a place for choice and growth. While automatic habits can streamline daily decisions, moments of pause can lead to greater awareness and alignment with deeper goals. Mindful navigation of this space allows for personal growth and effective action.

It feels like a chore. I struggle to build and stick with daily habits. I resent that every app wants me to track streaks – even my meditation app! Nothing disrupts my effort it be mindful like a pop up asking if I meditated offline yesterday. And yet, I can’t figure out how to stay engaged without tracking. I signed up for a 30 day yoga challenge and actually completed it! When it was over, a sense of pride washed over me, also relief. I was so glad that I didn’t have to find time to do yoga…

You know that feeling you get when you… …come out of an unproductive meeting. …finally break away from scrolling social media. …peel yourself off the couch after binge watching a few too many episodes. …get sucked into your phone and can’t even remember why you picked it up. Malaise. Discontent. Annoyed. This is the opposite of flow. Too much of this leads to an unfulfilling hour, day, week, month, year(s)! I’ll be the first to raise my hand. I’m guilty of bringing my phone to the…

Pursue purpose.

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…

How it starts… Do you swim to manage stress? Get healthy? Workout with others? Immerse yourself in nature? Connect with your body in the water? As a vehicle to meet others and travel the world? Because it’s a challenge that you don’t want to back down from? Where it can take you. For me, what started as a challenge – I was terrified of what lurked in the open water, but didn’t want that fear to define me. Grew into a love of being, literally, immersed in nature – the rhythm of the seasons,…

Make it matter. Do you make resolutions? Do they stick? The energy of a new year- a clean slate – tempts us to resolve for the change that we’ve been meaning to make. But resolutions rarely stick. You need a new strategy with a clear vision of where to go and why! Make this the year that you support yourself in the progress you seek to make. Change is HARD – let’s do it together! What does swimming mean to you? Do you swim for fitness? Swim for fun? Swim your frustrations away? Make 2025 the…

Dare to Dream Whether you prefer salt water with sandy beaches, the lake you visit every summer, or your local pool, make 2025 the year that you dare to live your dreams. Not just in the water, but in everything you do! The lessons learned from the water have the capacity to transform how you approach challenges, foster resilience, and connect deeply with yourself and the world around you. If you apply those lessons to your life, great things happen! But it’s hard to do on your own. Join a…

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…

Everybody Should Feel Comfortable in the Water Support Swimming in the Rogue Valley and Beyond… The lease is signed, and architectural drawings are stamped – the move of the backyard Endless pool is imminent! Welcome news, I’m sure, to the handful of you who have braved the cold weather to come by for a swim – thank you for swimming with me even during these dark, cold days! I’m thrilled for the opportunity to teach teens, kids and coach adults in a location where I can temperature control…