WHEN THE HEAT IS ON

 

With faith, I know that everything will be taken care of. Even the difficult times become learning experiences to help make my faith stronger.

Torrii Hunter (Baseball Player)

A narrowly avoided front-on collision in the car at high speed; a van that refuses to move out of the way whilst I am running towards them on a country lane; or suddenly feeling like an Olympic swimmer in a race, when my husband and I are caught out by the speed of the tide coming in on one of the Greek Islands. How do we really cope when it is not a practice or a drill and the pressure is suddenly on, in an unexpected moment? We have all had those hair-raising moments that we would prefer to wipe from our minds but, as a friend wisely suggested, it is good to have got through them and hopefully we can still find something to learn from even the most horrific situation.

The heat can test all of us. It is great to enjoy the rays of sun on your face at the beach or during a walk in the summer, but when it is constant for weeks and there is a water scarcity, farmers crops are suffering, people are struggling to cope with the soaring temperatures, and fires and extreme weather conditions risk lives, things can take a sudden turn for the worst. We need to be ready to brave the storm. By each doing our part, however small, drinking more water and carrying a bottle, trying to be mindful of our use of water and how we treat our environment, adapting our diet and exercise routine, we will be better prepared to navigate the increased pressure on our bodies, minds and surrounding and any unexpected situations that come our way.

We cannot predict what will happen to us in the future and what we will face, but we can work on our attitude and our willingness to try different ways of doing something without relenting in how we face our challenges. I was actually on a drive out to the countryside to ride my bike, feeling happy that I had found the motivation to make time for it, when I had a rare moment of distraction and almost turned in on a car coming round the corner at speed. It totally threw me, and I sat in the car feeling shocked and frustrated with myself for the risk I had caused to both of us due to my lack of attention. I could have given up at that point and packed in both the cycling and the driving, but in spite of how I felt, a few days later I got back in the car to continue on with my goals. I even got into the swimming pool to face another challenge.

These unexpected events can knock us for six, but we must accept them as uncomfortable and horrid as it may be at the time, swallow the mixture of guilt, delayed anxiety and uncertainty, and decide that we won't quit. A tough choice when you are fighting with yourself to give up. Just because something unfortunate happened at the same time as the project you were working on, that does not mean you should throw in the towel, quite the opposite in fact. Gaining awareness and maybe having an evaluation of what went on, yes, but not a definitive stop to all action.

I am certainly not an expert cycler or swimmer, quite the opposite, but day by day I am learning new skills that are opening up different horizons, talking to people in different fields of expertise and being open to advice and other approaches to training. The book 'Limitless', by ultrarunner Mimi Anderson, has been an invaluable source of encouragement to me. Mimi faces her fears and challenges with humility, a massive dose of courage, sheer determination and will power. I would recommend it to everyone as it is an approach that can be applied to any walk of life.

It is one thing to watch the turn of the person in front of you getting in the freezing cold sea and start open water swimming, but when it is our turn and we are faced with the mass of waves and all our fears before us, the atmosphere suddenly changes and the strokes in the choppy water before us are suddenly not quite so inviting as before. Do we try to avoid them and the possible discomfort doing the training, or do we see the experience as an opportunity to get to know ourselves better when we are confronted with tension and things beyond our comfort zone? It can be difficult with all the perfectionism portrayed on social media and on the TV, to feel able to talk about the struggles and moments of failure, fear and when life requires yet more determination and only you can give yourself that consistent attitude to get on and try.

These last two weeks have been very interesting, taxing and fulfilling. I finally got on my push bike without excuses, after years of saying that I would, and started to get a feel for it. Not an easy task as an adult to take it up again after years of running long distances on my own two feet, simply controlled by how I feel, without the added complication of how the bike responds. I then met up with a friend who ran, swam and cycled a lot but with an increasingly busy life and the ongoing effects of the pandemic, has had less time for these in recent years. So it was that our four hour walk, with a considerable uphill section, was a way back into activities she had previously regularly enjoyed. Thanks to her company and dynamic approach to things, the uphill part passed swift, and we were actually a lot faster than we had anticipated. She has since done two 5 km runs and other walks in the past week.

Yesterday, another friend and I arranged to meet a talented swimmer who does numerous swimming challenges in the sea and lakes, covering considerable distances and has helped train numerous swimmers. He offered to help us develop our basic technique in an accelerated session. Thanks to his patience, encouragement and confidence in us, we made solid progress and got more motivation on the way. These are all actions at the start of something and some that caused considerable fear-fighting and feelings of not being up to the challenge. This, however, is part of the deal when you find yourself suddenly out of your comfort zone in a situation that is not in familiar territory. Will you accept the humbling discomfort, potentially embarrassing points of evaluation and, of course, the critics who disagree with your decisions and attempt to make it through to the other side? What is the cost you are willing to give to embrace the unexpected?

All these experiences and fears can lead to inaction or make us realise that if we do not confront certain things, they will still come calling whether we want to do something about them or not.

I have an idea for you, dear reader. Go and grab a pen and paper or open the notes section of your phone, whatever is easiest or feels the most natural. Jot down three things you would love to do but that you find difficult even just thinking about, let alone actually doing. Do you know someone you trust who does this specific activity that you have or could introduce you to someone who does? Make a point of meeting up with that person as soon as possible and broach the subject, asking any questions you have been storing up. Procrastination is the thing to watch in this process. The fear will only build and so often things are nowhere near as bad as we had foreseen, it is often within ourselves that we create layer upon layer of fear until we are so submerged by them that we can no longer move. Action reduces discontent, frustration and disillusion and is the only way to shape your future into something that really allows your true self to shine through. Be one of the brave few to get out of the boat and take the first strokes to a new adventure of self-discovery.

“Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy”.

Dale Carnegie