scared of the unknown

Honestly, today I was really scared. 

Today I swam in dense fog, and had zero visibility, there was kelp everywhere, and I even spotted a seal swimming near me. All of these things made me really uncomfortable. After a few minutes, I wanted to get out, but was able to push myself to swim 90 minutes more, even though my goal was around 3-4 hours. 

I have been trying to figure out what scared me to the point that I felt the need to get out of the water. The circumstances were not new to me: I have swum in kelp before, alongside seals, and in thick fog as well (not nearly as thick though).

After further thought, I realized that I was scared of the unknown. This fear manifested itself and brought anxiety with it. Mindset plays a big role in open water swimming, and being scared of the unknown is nothing more than a mental obstacle. Once I had made up my mind that I was scared and wanted to get out, my entire experience after that moment was set -"It is foggy, I am scared and I want to get out." Instead if I took a moment to sort out my fears, it would have been clear that I would be fine and should not be scared. If I altered my mindset, had a new narrative I could have reached my goal. 

It is hard to tell yourself or others that their fear is irrational. When watching a horror movie, you are in the safety of your house, yet you are still scared of what could happen. However, once you acknowledge and understand the fear, it becomes easier to overcome it. This is an important lesson for me, and next time I will remember to pause for a moment to change my mindset which will change my experience.