Panic! In the pool

In my recent adventure in triathlon training, I've learned quite a bit about this body of mine. First off, I'm a runner...a runner through and through...I love it. Put me on the road and I'll go all Forest Gump on you. I really like riding bicycles, road bikes, mountain bikes...that's all great, can't beat it. Swimming. Swimming is great on a sunny day with friends or a few laps at the pool, sure. Now imagine your a latent aquaphobe who's about to swim in his first race which begins with a nice mile long swim in the ocean. Imagine you've been training at a gym in a controlled environment. You're gonna be a little apprehensive. So I pushed it the other night at the pool, pushed myself into a panic. My heart raced, I gasped for air, I felt the terror come over me and swallowed air, water. My rhythm was gone, my ability to be consistent faltered. I had a choice to make. Drowning wasn't an option, so I had to decide between giving up the swim, standing up and taking a minute to gather myself or find a way out. I have not come this far to let fear get the best of me. No. I found a voice in me that guided me through. A voice of clear and simple reason. It said, couldn't this be caused by trying too hard? Couldn't this be just a result of your heart racing too fast? Try to slow down just a bit, but don't give up. For a moment, that was the only thought that sustained. The fear subsided, the panic echoed away and I caught my breath. My heart slowed and I regained control. Today, I'm thinking this is a good metaphor for anything that gets our hairs raising, anything that we may accidentally "over-do" in our excitement. I get that same feeling when doing something physically dangerous for the first time, when meeting new people or approaching women or when I'm in a volatile emotional situation. It's that calm rational voice that can see us through these tough moments. Fear cannot stop us, if we trust that voice. Go slow, ease up for a minute and gather yourself. You want to do your best, so know your limits and be rational and you'll find yourself doing just that.