Day 244: Steady Pace

I felt great post-swim and post-run, and really enjoyed the work-out at spin class yesterday morning. I mistakenly thought the class was heading for the finish line, and pushed myself as hard as seemed possible for the last leg, then discovered we had some extra bursts yet to complete. But after a minute of rest, I was ready for more. Bizarre. I got to wear my new bright pink top. I'm getting a fondness for fitness clothing. I put it on, and it's like putting on a uniform, I'm ready to go to work.

Yesterday was my youngest's third birthday, so we let the kids stay home from school and my husband stayed home from work, too. But I got a good solid nap in after breakfast, and I also fit in a yoga class over the noon hour--a new time slot that we're going to try to make work, because with the kids starting their outdoor soccer season and my husband doing the same, my evening yoga classes will be a thing of the past. It worked well. It's only an hour class, so it feels easy, but the stretching is good and necessary.

Want to note, too, that the pool feels all around friendlier, now that I've gotten to know it on my early morning swims. My kids started swim lessons on Monday, so I was back again in my swimsuit, twice in the same day, because the youngest is in transition lessons which require me to attend for the first few weeks ... and I felt kind of at home there. Everything about the place seemed friendlier. Best of all was watching my eldest daughter burn through a length using the crawl stroke. We were able to talk about technique, and she said afterward that she'd been able to blow out all of her air underwater for the first time ever--I'd been showing her how I do it. I used to feel very powerless to help the kids in any way with their swimming--it was so foreign to me--and it's exciting to have that change, and to have new ways to motivate and encourage them. (Though one of them said that since I'd learned as an adult, why should they have learn as kids?!).

This morning, I went for a run with my friend. It's still cold!!!! But I got to wear my new snazzy jacket. And I felt strong and comfortable. We went about 7.5km. And now for this morning's power nap, in a lovely quiet house.