Just get in


 I know I feel happy when I swim. I know it does me good.  But sometimes the reasoning goes 'I need to get things done, other people don't swim most days, I am tired, its raining, no one else wants to go.  

So my new rule is just get in.  Because I always feel happy when I do.  And here's the thing, at the end, no one will wish they had done more work/dusting/weeding.  So instead of no time to swim, I have no time NOT to swim.  I will swim like my life depends on it. I will holiday at the beach even though I live at the beach. 






And, ahem I have been known to swim three times in a day.  I had to.  I went swimming  first thing to make sure I got a nice high tide swim.  Then the kids came down and we went to the beach.  It was hot, so a wee swim to cool off.  Then someone did a shout out for an evening high tide swim and off I went again.  It seems that lots of small swims add up.  Because I recently did a 3k swim in loch lomond and it was easy.  More about that soon.






So drop everything and do what you love, never mind trying to be grown up and serious.  And magic will happen. Your mental and physical health will be the best ever. Pain will diminish.  You will feel strong.  No need to strive or try to swim more, push yourself, get too cold or get injured by overdoing it. Just get in and have fun.

I often laugh inwardly when unfit guys offer to lift my Brompton folding bike for me.  It only weighs 12k and feels like nothing with my swimmers arms but some will injure themselves trying to help and I try to stop them!  Don't be fooled that you are inevitably stronger than an older, 5foot 1inch tall woman...  






Oh and don't take an inflatable unicorn.  Its national drowning prevention week and we don't want to have to call the coastguard out.  

We met them at the chippy after a swim.  They were patrolling the coast and at the ready to tow back inflatable boats, unicorns and paddle boards in the offshore wind.  

They were delighted to meet sensible safety conscious swimmers who use tow floats and don't jump in!  And said 'Barry just got his first unicorn today' apparently its a rite of passage as a new coast guard person! 


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