Swimming Part 2:

Swimming is the perfect thing to do first thing in the morning.  before the sun even comes up over the horizon.  Half asleep and wondering why you woke up so early in the morning, you drive to the beach, trying to convince yourself that the water will be warm today, when you know it's going to be freezing again.  Just because it's one of the largest lakes in the world, it thinks it has the right to stay cold all summer.  Silly lake Ontario, just warm up you!  But you go anyway.  When you get there you meet a real team of all-stars.  I can't tell you the number of times I've heard Roger congratulate someone on coming in first in their age group for a race i didn't even know was happening!  Seriously!  It feels like there's a few races every week and a couple of these early morning swimmers run away with the golds like every time!!  I can't think of a better group to wake up to and talk to first thing in the morning.  Not to mention the sights.  Braddock bay is beautiful!  You get to watch the sun come up over the water in the morning while you swim, it's just the best! The list of things I'd rather do first thing in the morning is a short list, believe me.

Good Morning!

Swimming is the thing that holds most people back when it comes to doing a tri.   This is crazy when you think about it.  Do you remember when you couldn't walk?  Do you remember when you couldn't run?  Of course not!  How about when you couldn't drive?  Ahh, now there's the trick isn't it.  Most of us remember when it was illegal for us to drive, but truth be told, there's nothing magical about the age 16.  It's not like you did not possess the physics capability of driving before 16.  I learned to drive a tractor when I was 10.  My mother learned when she was like 8 or something.  The trick to figuring out how to do something, is believing you can figure it out.  Swimming is no different.  People who believe they can't swim, won't be able to swim.  People who can't swim won't be able to swim until they think they can, then it'll take them about 5 minutes to figure it out.

Braddock Bay Swimmers, Rock-stars all... except the pasty one in the middle... that's me.  haha

Swimming in a competition is a little different, but it follows the same pattern.  It follows the same pattern because EVERYTHING IN LIFE follows the same pattern.  First comes belief, then comes learning, most likely followed by failure, which in turn yields to success.  The truth about failure, is that failure is weak and pathetic.  It doesn't last very long on it's own, you have to keep it alive in your mind or it naturally dies out of your life.  The truth about success is that it is preceded by failure.  You really can't succeed at something until you've failed at it a little.  First time you parallel parked, how did it go?  First time you tried to run, did it go well?  How about the first time you went on Facebook?  First time you kicked a soccer ball?  Shot a basket?  First time you liked someone?  First date?  First kiss?  SERIOUSLY these are some of our funniest stories because they are SUPPOSED to be complete train-wrecks   There is nothing wrong with messing up!  There is health and growth in making a fool of yourself.

You want to expand your horizons?  You want to experience something you've never done before?  You want to see life from a different angle, grow as a person?  Go make a fool out of yourself trying something new!  And then send me an email and tell me about it!!  Don't you dare not tell me!!  And if your reading this and you think it'll be a good idea to go skydiving (Jon) or bungee jumping or bull riding for the first time, go do it!!!  I want to hear the story and so will hundreds of other people who are begging for permission to go do a hundred other stupid things!  I was talking about swimming right?