Just do it! (And other ways we talk ourselves into things...)

Swim Orlando - 5K Open Water Swim

It's not that I didn't think I could do it... The question was did I want to?

I've participated in enough organized athletic events to know there's no sleep the night before, only tossing and turning and continually checking to see if the alarm is set.

I mean really... Who wants to wake up ridiculously early on a Sunday morning and jump into a frigid lake? Forget about the gators or questionable cleanliness of the water, it's the cold! No sir, no mam, no thank you.

Just when I about talked myself out of it…

"You haven't trained enough… nobody even knows you're doing this, so nobody will know if you don't…"

A little voice arose inside of me, shouting something profound:

"PUNK!"

I gritted my teeth and dove in.

A little self-talk goes a long way in pushing us somewhere farther or into someone better... I'm good enough, smart enough... buoyant enough?

Friends/fans/followers of this blog may recall me writing about the idea of a "life list" around the start of the new year. Well, I compiled one… but I prefer to think of it as a "Things I'd like to do while I'm still young enough, healthy enough and/or stupid enough to do them" list.

So #5 on my "list" reads as follows:

Swim

• 1 mile in a competition (if I complete that, then B)
• 5k open water (if I complete that, then C)
• Length of the Pensacola or Tampa Bay (if I complete that, then D)
• Across Lake Tahoe (if I complete that, then E)
• Around Key West

So with this recent feat, I am one step closer to crossing this one off the list!

Comments

[Suzi]

Em, this is so cool. I totally know how you feel. 'no one is going to love me less if I don't do this'. But how much more do you love yourself for not being a huge lazy ass?! After my first 5k after having 3 babies and finishing faster than ever I have to admit, I shed a few tears and shouted 'i'm back'! It's great to be alive and have a body that you can use! I'm proud of you for getting out of bed!