I enjoy seeing how far I’ve come. Today’s 5k swim took work, for sure, but it did not sideline me for the rest of the day like past races have. There have been some where I left the race and not 45 minutes later needed an hours-long nap. I was ravenous and exhausted and nearly couldn’t keep up with all the energy catch-up I needed to do.
This time, I was challenged, sure, but the race was hardly the focal point of my day. It did not consume my week, nor did it eat up every facet of today. It was a long bout of morning exercise, and then my day moved on.
I am sore; a few calf craps burgeoned during the swim (curtesy of the fins I did, in fact, use, I suspect), and my hips feel a little less mobile than I’d like. My lack of prep did make itself known today, but rather than pushing myself too hard and leaving the swim with strained shoulders, I finished with my body intact and only a few blisters on my toes. I call that a success.
It’s exciting to look back at what my body used to be able to do and appreciate what it is able to do now. What used to be a monstrous challenge was this time just kinda hard. Sometimes, the changes time brings is a treat to observe. This is one of those times. I can feel thankful for my body and so proud of how far I’ve come, and I can look forward to where another year will bring me.