This will be the view at about 6am as I jump into the frigid, murky waters near The Rock.
The moment of jumping into freezing waters will cause a type of shock, with rapid breathing and the propensity to flex up and swim too fast. I need to do the opposite: relax, breath steadily and start swimming as soon as I hit the water to get into an easy rhythm. I have practised this moment repeatedly so that my movements will become automatic, robotic, despite what might be going on in my head. I think it’s called muscle memory and also avoids me thinking ‘why am I doing this?’
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