If you have encountered me in person in the last 12 months (almost exactly), there is a high chance I have bored you on the topic of outdoor swimming. If you haven't, then today is your unlucky day.
But fortunately for you I'll keep it brief: I have done quite a lot of swimming outdoors in unheated pools and rivers, and I have enjoyed it.
The reason that I bring it up isn't to wax lyrical on the restorative nature of cold water (stop it — Ed.). I bring it up because that very act of (endless) broadcasting has (I think) played an important role in making me stick with it for the last year, to the point where it's a habit rather than just a few frigid dips. Because if I've told so many people, it makes it that much harder to stop, past the point where it's now just something I do.
The impact of feeling watched is significant, whether or not anyone is actually looking. This blog is another example for me. An impetus, that precious habit-forming gift.
I should use it more often.