“Every journey starts with the first step“

I’m very interested in doing a swim race from Europe to Asia next summer.

Well to be honest, it will not be a “race” for me. Due to shoulder and elbow issues (that I’m currently recovering from), I’ve let my swimming shape drift pretty far off course!

2 weeks ago I did 500 yards straight, and it was not easy.

Yesterday I did 750 yards and it was easier.

I’ve got 9 more months to get ready for it. The race is about 3.7 miles, or 6k. I’m a LONG way from being able to swim that distance comfortably.

But I’m not thinking about the magnitude. I’m thinking about one swim at a time.

Can I do any more today than I did yesterday?

My goal is to do an extra 50 yards every time I swim. Some days, my shoulders tighten up and it’s just not going to happen.

But I’m not disappointed… I’m remaining curious.

The important thing here is that every time you are aiming for some big goal, you absolutely must not get caught up in looking up at all that you have to do to get there, or to beat yourself up for “not doing enough” today.

Here in the US it’s still baseball season. The season starts in early April and goes until mid-October. Imagine if the teams that made the playoffs were horribly upset at themselves for losing a game 6 months ago? It’s pretty meaningless, everything is just building at that point.

Which is where you need to be as a triathlete- in building mode, always attempting to do a little more, but giving yourself the space to drop the distance on days where you’re just clearly not feeling it.

Get curious about each workout, each session, and each swim stroke.

If yesterday felt great, can you figure out how to repeat that?

If it felt terrible, can you pinpoint anything you could improve on for the next session?

I very much know the feeling of not wanting to take the foot off the gas.

However, you’re in this for the long haul, not just a quick 0-60 and done… so the importance of “one step at a time”, consistency, and the goal of just getting out the door, or to the pool, will take you a lot further than pressuring yourself into always needing to have kick ass workouts.