I have just completed my longest ever open-water swim: 2.5km in deep ocean. I swim a lot, every day if I can manage. But this was the first time I’ve swum with the group I consider to be the ‘big girls’, the fast, long-distance sea swimmers. I nearly didn’t go, despite setting two alarms. I procrastinated in bed. It was overcast and drizzly and that 6.30am start felt just too hard, too early. I had to force myself, not looking ahead, taking one step of preparation after another. When I...