It's all in the mind.
In any sort of endurance event, we all know that - at a certain point - 'it is all in the mind'; the moment when your limbs or lungs are already hurting, you have been contemplating stopping for ages, and something 'in the mind' keeps you going, keeps you from stopping. Determination, willpower, drive, grit - it's all in the mind. In long-distance swimming, more so - I think - than other long-distance events, the battle within those 'top two inches' is not just about keeping going; it's also about managing both the boredom and the strange wanderings of the mind to ensure that the stroke remains efficient and effective. We must add to the 'determination and drive' a strange cocktail of random, confused and bizarre musings which are also 'all in the mind' when swimming for a long time. Consider this section of internal monologue from our recent 2-hour qualifying swim in the sea off Brighton beach: "Ok, off we go. Two hours. Two h