Splendid Sunday: A Swim Milestone & A Fun 5k With My Slumbrew Happy Soles

When it is 11 degrees outside, you need a really freakin' good reason to get out form underneath your warm covers and leave the house.

While I wanted to blow off my entire day and do just that - hide under the covers and snuggle the pups - I knew I would regret missing out on the fun morning plans I had.

Yesterday (aka Sunday) I slept in... until 6:25am. Okay at least I went to bed at 9:30pm so really I got about 9 hours of sleep. ;) Ever since I started implementing our 9:30pm bedtime during the week at the end of January, I am ready for bed at 9:30pm EVERY night of the week. Which means I am now waking up most mornings where I had the option of sleeping in by 6:15am. But it is worth it. The sleep has seriously been amazing and helping my mood like no other.

While the wife was still asleep, I snuck out to get us both Dunkin Donuts coffee before returning to pack my backpack up for my double workout date.

Since she had an 11am hockey game, she kindly dropped me off at the gym just after 8:30am. I was really hoping for an empty pool, but I was disappointed. Luckily it wasn't as busy as last weekend so I wasn't fighting a waiting line for a lane.

I had a game plan written out on my very high tech post-it note. It was time to try another 2,000-consecutive meter swim to see if my time had improved since last month. 

I kicked off the swim with my usual 300m warm-up plus 12x25m of mixed form laps. During the mixed form is where my Garmin somehow missed 1 25m lap somehow. Odd, but I knew I did it. I mean I didn't end up on the opposite side of my stuff so I know I completed all 12 laps. ;)

Then it was time. 2,000-consecutive meters = 80 laps.

My iPod was dead so I was tackling this swim workout sans music. OOF! Let me tell you it gave me a great chance to zone out and focus on leveling out my anxiety level. I was feeling super anxious that morning and I hoped some time in the pool would help.

On February 6, I did my first 2000m swim in far too long. I finished in 41:51 (2:05/100m).

On this day (March 5), I finished in 40:13 (2:01/100m).

You know what I think I could've pushed the pace more. I had some left in my tank when I finished. But I was proud of having that feeling. Like I could've given it even more. This makes me super excited for what I will post next month. For reference my 1.2 mile swim (2000m) during my first half ironman was 34:34. I am working to get back to that speed... and I will!

Once I completed the 2000m swim (and gave myself a little fist bump), it was time to wrap up: another 12x25m mixed form (again my Garmin oddly missed 1 25m lap) and 300m cooldown.

WOO!!!! My longest swim ever at 3200m! I don't care what my Garmin says I know it was 3200m.

Love being able to check out my stats after the swim thanks to my Garmin Forerunner 735xt. If i flip my phone horizontally, I get even more data. Yes this math nerd loves seeing all the numbers.

Pretty cool right?

The timing gods were with me as I got out of the pool just after 10am. I needed to meet the Slumbrew Happy Soles at American Fresh at Assembly Row for our monthly fun run at 10:30am. Just enough time to change into my running clothes, which was a little difficult being so wet and having to get into enough running clothes to survive 11 degrees. ;) Let's say I stupidly went outside with wet hair shoved under a Patriots winter hat.

Many of the Soles were rocking a double loop run (meaning they were already out for one 5k loop) while I was walking over from the gym.

Despite being windy AF (as fuck for those not in the know), it was a sunny morning and the miles fly when surrounded by friends.

I wasn't sure how the legs (aka knee and hip) would like 3 miles after 10 the previous day and my morning swim, but both felt okay. Plus I was totally distracted chatting and catching up with everyone.

Look at all of those smiling faces of folks that just rocked 3.1 (and 6.2 miles in some cases). I think the beer, waffles & mac n cheese helped. 

After a delicious Porter Square Porter, Susan offered to drive me home. (YAY!) Not only did it keep me out of the cold, but gave us more time to catch up.

Then it was an afternoon hiding under the covers, blogging about last year's Ragnar Trail and enjoying more of the Skinnytaste Crock Pot Sesame Honey Chicken (1 cup = 6 sp) with cauliflower/broccoli rice (0sp).

Overall, it was one seriously splendid Sunday. I got in 2 kickass fun workouts, caught up on blogging, got to snuggle the pups and wife, ended with a delicious dinner... oh and I had beer! ;) 

What was the highlight of your Sunday?