December 4th 2023
Causeway Coast
Charity AWARE
Swim Distance 1.58km
Air temp 8 degrees (def think they are lying)
Donate here https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/al-mennie
Last night I had to make a few last minute changes to location because some other water users were set up when conditions were most suitable for me. I have a lot of locations I swim at that I use depending on conditions and whatever situations like last night may arise. It resulted in two swims to make the distance up which was fine. The moon wasn't visible so the cliffs stood tall and dark in the distance with no light falling on them. The sky was littered with stars obscured momentarily by low level whispy cloud.
East in the wind made for very choppy chaotic conditions but I actually prefer those nights. The calm, darker than dark light wind nights fill me with concern. I never know if a wave is coming or not. I prefer to swim in the wilder nights when I know there will be a wave every few seconds. It rules out one of the unknown elements.
I broke the 5km mark last night with these two swims which is a little confidence boost. One of the hardest things to do when you feel low is to make a start. The hardest bit is often the start and to get started is to immediately put the hardest bit behind. So for me, breaking the first 5km makes me feel a bit more confident, the whole thing seems more achievable than when I was standing looking at the entire month ahead of me. Hopefully whatever you are facing in your life can be made a little easier if you can just start to move in a direction that helps. It might be making a concerted effort to get up and do a short walk, some exercise every day, it might be to start to consume something healthier and remove something less healthy from your life. Whatever it is, make a start and the hardest bit immediately moves behind you, routine will join you after a while, then momentum will become your friend and before you know it, you will be doing things you thought were beyond you. Start today. Start.
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