“I like difficulty. I hate danger.”
- Gaston Rébuffat, French Alpinist, in Starlight and Storm.
I was hoping to write a trip report this week. The weather had other ideas. An overnight I had been planning got scrapped in favor of some fitness paddles closer to home.
While I didn’t do much newsletter-worthy training on the water this week, I did have a conversation about the expedition mindset that’s worth sharing as part of this series and as a follow-up to last week’s post on commitment.
On a recent coaching call, Mike and I talked about fear and what to do when it comes up.
Like everything on a solo expedition, fear is something the lone paddler has to be equipped to deal with self-sufficiently.
Fear vs. Panic
THERE IS NO WAY TO ELIMINATE FEAR. All you can do is recognize and accept it.
And fear can be a good thing. Fear might keep you safe by cueing you in to a real danger. Fear, in small doses, keeps things interesting.
But panic is a different story. Panic* is a useless, toxic, impaired state of mind that gets people into trouble on the water.
The purpose of managing fear is to prevent panic.
*Note: I’m not talking about a clinical panic attack. Panic, in this sense, is when fear runs amock and causes a “headless chicken” state where a person is unable to take appropriate action or be at ease in the boat.
Focus and distraction
When you get scared, you basically have two coping strategies: focus and distraction. Each has its place in responding to different flavors of fear, and it’s worth drilling them like any other paddling technique.
Focus - be here now.
The most direct approach is to face the fear head-on. Recognize it, accept it, and observe the sensation as it comes and goes. When you pay attention to fear in this way, you can see that it’s just a passing feeling like any other. Fear comes from your reaction to the outside world, not the world itself.
The key here is to get out of your head. Focus on the sensations of paddling. Count strokes, relax your grip on the paddle. If you’re heading into some rough stuff, perform a check of your gear. This is what baseball players are doing when they pat the velcro on their gloves and make the sign of the cross stepping up to the plate—it’s a ritual to get their head in the game.
A formal meditation practice can help you hone this technique in daily life.
Distraction - blast ABBA and enjoy the ride.
Another way to deal with fear is to distract yourself. Go elsewhere in your head. There are all sorts of ways to do this. I find that blasting goofy pop music helps: ABBA, Ja Rule, and Celine Dion’s French albums are some favorites. This kind of music lightens things up and reminds me to smile. It feels like nothing bad can happen when “Honey Honey” is playing.
Motivational podcasts like Rich Roll, Jocko, and David Goggins are good too. Last winter, before rough paddles, I’d listen to Steven Pressfield’s Warrior Archetype series and ask myself, what would a Spartan do?
I find distraction works best for little fear in situations that are high risk but low consequence: like a tide race with easy exits or big, confused seas in familiar water.
The point of distraction isn’t to deny fear but to change the way you relate to it. It’s a way of reminding yourself that this is supposed to be fun, so lighten up!
Thanks for reading,
-Charlie
Thank you to Mike Jones for coaching and guidance.
Kokatat is the official gear sponsor of The Lap.
The lap will be fueled by Resilient Nutrition’s Long Range Fuel and bars.
Expedition coffee by 3fe.