In this article, I’m sharing a personal story about a wild water swim – and why the hardest part of trying something new isn’t the activity itself, but the story we tell ourselves before we start.

Many runners experience this moment of talking yourself out of running, joining a running club, or signing up for a race because of the stories their brain creates beforehand.

Fear of judgement, self-doubt, and uncertainty often stop people before they even begin.

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At the weekend I did something that I very nearly talked myself out of completely.

I signed up for an International Women’s Day wild water swim event…in Scotland…in March. 

Now I should say straight away – this wasn’t something I normally do. I’m a runner. I’m used to lacing up my shoes and heading out the door. Standing on the edge of freezing Scottish water…that’s a different story.

And in the days leading up to it my brain went into absolute overdrive.

• Do I have the right gear?
• Am I going to look like a total newbie?
• What if everyone else knows what they’re doing?
• What if I can’t handle the cold?
• What if I scream?
• What if my swimming costume is too revealing?
• What if I stand out because I’m not wearing the right gear?
• What if I hate it?

And instead of feeling excited about doing something new…my brain was busy writing a whole story about why maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all.

And the more I thought about it, the more I realised this isn’t just about wild swimming.

We do this all the time when it comes to movement, exercise, and trying something new.

The Story Our Brain Creates Before We Start

Humans don’t love uncertainty.

Our brains are wired to keep us safe, and when we’re stepping into something new or unfamiliar, our brain tries to fill in the blanks.

And unfortunately, it rarely fills them in with glowing, optimistic, best case scenarios.

Instead it jumps to things like:

• You’ll look stupid.
• You’ll be the slowest. 
• Everyone else will know what they’re doing.
• You don’t belong here.

And suddenly the thing we were curious or excited about trying becomes something that feels intimidating or even embarrassing.

I see this all the time with runners – the quiet habit of talking yourself out of running because you think everyone else will be faster, fitter, or more experienced.

Someone will think about joining a running club…and then find themselves talking themselves out of running before they’ve even given it a try.

Someone will think about signing up for their first race…but convince themselves they’re not ready.

Or even experienced runners will hesitate before signing up for a marathon because the doubt creeps in.

What if I can’t do it? What if I fail? What if everyone else is better prepared?

It’s what I like to think of as the story before the start.

That moment where our brain writes the entire narrative before we’ve even taken the first step.

My Wild Water Swim Story

So back to the wild swim. I turned up to this International Women’s Day event and honestly my nerves were through the roof.

I was standing there looking around thinking:

• Do I have the right stuff?
• Does everyone else know exactly what they’re doing?
• Am I about to embarrass myself here?
• Why am I doing this?

And I realised how loud those thoughts were. They were so convincing that part of me genuinely considered just not getting in the water.

You know that moment where you think…”maybe I’ll just watch instead“.

But then I looked around and saw all these women there for the same reason – to try something new, to do something a little bit brave, to celebrate movement in their own way.

And at some point I just thought… “Right, let’s stop thinking about it and just get in“.

What Actually Happened

And here’s the thing.

None of the stories my brain had created actually mattered once I was in the water.

Nobody cared whether I was new.

Nobody was judging my gear.

Everyone was just there having their own experience.

And the thing that almost stopped me from going wasn’t the cold water, was the story I’d built in my head about what it might be like.

And this happens so often with movement.

People talk themselves out of things before they even begin.

Joining a gym. Signing up for a race. Starting a Couch to 5K programme. Going to a yoga class.

Even experienced runners can talk themselves out of stepping up to the next challenge.

Because the brain jumps ahead and writes a story about how it might go wrong.

But confidence doesn’t come before the experience, it comes after the action.

After you try. After you show up. After you realise the thing you were worried about wasn’t nearly as scary as your brain made it seem.

If You Feel Afraid to Start Running or Trying Something New

Here’s a couple of questions I’d love you to sit with:

1. What is something you’ve been curious about trying?
2. What is the thing that’s been sitting in the back of your mind?
3. What story is your brain telling you about why you shouldn’t try it?

Because often the thing holding us back isn’t ability, it’s the narrative we’ve created before we even begin.

If you’ve ever caught yourself talking yourself out of running, joining a class, or trying something new, you’ll recognise this moment.

Building Self-Trust Through Movement

This is actually one of the reasons I created the 31×31 challenge, because so often when people feel stuck with movement, it’s not about fitness.

It’s about trust.

Trusting your body again. Trusting yourself to start. Trusting that you can show up even when your brain is telling you all the reasons not to.

And that’s exactly what this ritual is about, 31 days of intentionally moving your body while rebuilding self-trust.

Not through big heroic workouts.

But through small daily decisions.

Choosing to move.

Choosing to show up.

Choosing to listen to your body instead of the voice that says you shouldn’t even try.

Because self-trust isn’t built in one big moment.

It’s built in small moments like the one I had standing at the edge of that water.

The moment where you decide: “I’m going to do this anyway.”

And over 31 days, those small decisions start to add up.

You start to feel more connected to your body again.

You start to trust yourself again.

And movement becomes something that supports you rather than something that feels intimidating or overwhelming.

That wild swim reminded me how powerful our internal stories can be.

They can stop us before we even begin.

But sometimes the most important thing we can do is simply take the first step and see what happens.

Because the story we tell ourselves beforehand is rarely the story that actually unfolds.

And if you’re someone who’s been sitting on the sidelines thinking about getting back into movement, maybe this is your invitation to try.

Not perfectly. Not fearlessly. Just curiously.

And see where it takes you.

If you’ve ever found yourself talking yourself out of running, joining a running group, or trying a new type of movement, you’re not alone.

Often the hardest part isn’t the activity itself – it’s the story our brain tells us before we begin.

Confidence doesn’t come before the experience. It grows after you take the first step.