75 Hard Day 11: Swimming Laps, Reset Rituals & Busy Day Recovery
Wednesday — Day 11.
Day 11 started around 4:30 in the morning.
Not because I wanted to wake up that early—
just because I needed to relieve my bladder.
Which honestly feels like part of life now after all this water.
But once I was awake, I decided to lean into the morning instead of fighting it.
And I knew exactly what I wanted to do:
Swim.
Morning Swim + Remembering How to Breathe
Before heading to the gym, I had a quick breakfast:
cottage cheese
strawberries
Simple. Light. Enough to get moving.
Then I headed to the pool.
And this time?
No kickboard.
It was my first real swim in a long time.
I swam in college, so being back in the water brings back muscle memory really quickly.
And if you’ve ever been an actual swimmer, you know:
The hardest part isn’t really the movement.
It’s the breathing.
That’s everything.
The breathing controls the rhythm, the panic, the pace, the endurance.
So for this swim, I focused mostly on reconnecting with that.
I spent half a lap focusing on breathing and full swimming.
Then the next half lap focusing more on kicking and recovery.
And that’s how I spent the full 45 minutes.
Not trying to be fast.
Just trying to reconnect with the movement again.
Still Feeling Good
Throughout the day, I actually felt really good.
Energy is still high.
And surprisingly, I’m still only needing to use the bathroom about once an hour now.
Which feels completely manageable compared to the first few days.
My body feels lighter.
Less swollen.
Less stiff.
And I’m noticing more and more how much hydration affects literally everything.
Lunch + Lack of Meal Prep
Lunch ended up being:
a black Americano
an egg and cheese protein box from Starbucks
And honestly, this week really showed me that I did not do a great job meal prepping.
Again.
Snack ended up being SkinnyPop because I still hadn’t packed enough food for the day.
And by this point, I was realizing I need to get more intentional about preparing ahead on busy weeks.
Because scrambling for food while trying to stay aligned with my goals gets exhausting fast.
One of Those Days
The day itself just felt…
hard.
Not emotionally hard exactly.
Just one of those days where everything seemed to require three extra steps.
Everything took longer.
Everything felt more complicated.
And it was HOT outside.
Then somehow, every time I touched something, another nail popped off.
By two o’clock, I had lost five nails.
Five.
At that point, I called my nail girl and told her I desperately needed to come in.
She told me to head over.
The Reset That Changed My Mood
The most important part wasn’t even getting my nails fixed.
It was what happened before that.
I got there straight from work, stressed out, overheated, irritated, and feeling completely scattered.
But before I sat down, I went into the bathroom and changed my clothes.
That’s the first thing I always do when I’m having a rough day.
I reset.
Fresh clothes.
Fix my hair a little.
Take a breath.
And immediately I felt better.
Even my nail girl looked at me and said:
“You already look so much better.”
And it’s true.
Sometimes tiny resets change the entire energy of your day.
Late Dinner + Evening Workout
Because of the nail appointment, dinner got pushed super late.
But I still made it to my 6:30 workout.
And afterward, I finally got dinner.
I ended up going to Pho Lee Hoa Phat and getting bun ga nuong.
Forgive me for not knowing where to put the accents in that!
Fresh herbs.
Noodles.
Vegetables.
Grilled chicken.
But I asked for half the noodles and more salad greens
Exactly what sounded good after such a long day.
And by the end of the night?
I was exhausted.
I think I was asleep by 9:30.
What I’m Noticing on Day 11
Today reminded me how important small rituals are.
Not huge transformations.
Not perfection.
Just small things that help you reset:
changing clothes
washing your face
fixing your hair
drinking water
slowing your breathing
moving your body
Sometimes those tiny shifts are enough to completely redirect your energy.
And honestly, I think that’s part of alignment too.
Learning how to return to yourself throughout the day instead of waiting until burnout hits.
Day 11 Complete
A rough day.
A good swim.
A small reset.
And somehow…
that was enough.
