diff --git a/src/day11/1.rs b/src/day11/1.rs
index 0cc58ff..c6f6de5 100644
--- a/src/day11/1.rs
+++ b/src/day11/1.rs
@@ -2,53 +2,50 @@
 
 extern crate test;
 
-const INPUTS: [&str; 2] = [include_str!("./sample.txt"), include_str!("./input.txt")];
+const INPUTS: [&[u8]; 2] = [
+    include_bytes!("./sample.txt"),
+    include_bytes!("./input.txt"),
+];
 
-fn process(data: &str) -> usize {
-    let grid: Vec<Vec<char>> = data
-        .lines()
-        .filter(|x| !x.is_empty())
-        .map(|x| x.chars().collect())
-        .collect();
-
-    let n = grid[0].len();
-
-    let mut blank_cols = Vec::new();
-    for j in 0..n {
-        let mut all_empty = true;
-
-        for row in grid.iter() {
-            if row[j] != '.' {
-                all_empty = false;
-                break;
-            }
-        }
-
-        if all_empty {
-            blank_cols.push(j);
+fn process(data: &[u8]) -> usize {
+    let mut size = 1;
+    let mut i = 0;
+    while i < data.len() - 1 {
+        if data[i] == b'\n' {
+            i += (data[i + 1] == b'\n') as usize;
+            size += 1;
         }
+        i += 1;
     }
 
-    let mut nodes = vec![];
+    let input: Vec<u8> = data.iter().filter(|&&x| x != b'\n').cloned().collect();
 
     let mut total_row_offset = 0;
-    for (i, row) in grid.iter().enumerate() {
-        if !row.iter().any(|&x| x == '#') {
+    let mut total_col_offset = vec![0; size];
+    let mut nodes = vec![];
+
+    for i in 0..size {
+        if !input[size * i..size * i + size].iter().any(|&x| x == b'#') {
             total_row_offset += 1;
         }
-        let mut total_col_offset = 0;
-        let mut j_offset = 0;
 
-        for j in 0..n {
-            if j_offset < blank_cols.len() && j >= blank_cols[j_offset] {
-                total_col_offset += 1;
-                j_offset += 1;
+        for j in 0..size {
+            if total_col_offset[j] == 0
+                && !input[j..size * size]
+                    .iter()
+                    .step_by(size)
+                    .any(|&x| x != b'.')
+            {
+                total_col_offset[j] = total_col_offset[j - 1] + 1;
+            } else if j > 0 && total_col_offset[j] == 0 {
+                total_col_offset[j] += total_col_offset[j - 1];
             }
-            if grid[i][j] != '#' {
+
+            if input[i * size + j] != b'#' {
                 continue;
             }
 
-            nodes.push(((i + total_row_offset), (j + total_col_offset)));
+            nodes.push((i + total_row_offset, j + total_col_offset[j]));
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/day11/2.rs b/src/day11/2.rs
index dcc4295..65a13f1 100644
--- a/src/day11/2.rs
+++ b/src/day11/2.rs
@@ -2,55 +2,54 @@
 
 extern crate test;
 
-const INPUTS: [&str; 2] = [include_str!("./sample.txt"), include_str!("./input.txt")];
+const INPUTS: [&[u8]; 2] = [
+    include_bytes!("./sample.txt"),
+    include_bytes!("./input.txt"),
+];
 
 const MULTIPLIER: usize = 999999;
 
-fn process(data: &str) -> usize {
-    let grid: Vec<Vec<char>> = data
-        .lines()
-        .filter(|x| !x.is_empty())
-        .map(|x| x.chars().collect())
-        .collect();
-
-    let n = grid[0].len();
-
-    let mut blank_cols = Vec::new();
-    for j in 0..n {
-        let mut all_empty = true;
-
-        for row in grid.iter() {
-            if row[j] != '.' {
-                all_empty = false;
-                break;
-            }
-        }
-
-        if all_empty {
-            blank_cols.push(j);
+fn process(data: &[u8]) -> usize {
+    let mut size = 1;
+    let mut i = 0;
+    while i < data.len() - 1 {
+        if data[i] == b'\n' {
+            i += (data[i + 1] == b'\n') as usize;
+            size += 1;
         }
+        i += 1;
     }
 
-    let mut nodes = vec![];
+    let input: Vec<u8> = data.iter().filter(|&&x| x != b'\n').cloned().collect();
 
     let mut total_row_offset = 0;
-    for (i, row) in grid.iter().enumerate() {
-        if !row.iter().any(|&x| x == '#') {
+    let mut total_col_offset = vec![0; size];
+    let mut nodes = vec![];
+
+    for i in 0..size {
+        // size * i is offset for the start of the row;
+
+        if !input[size * i..size * i + size].iter().any(|&x| x == b'#') {
             total_row_offset += MULTIPLIER;
         }
-        let mut total_col_offset = 0;
-        let mut j_offset = 0;
 
-        for j in 0..n {
-            if j_offset < blank_cols.len() && j >= blank_cols[j_offset] {
-                total_col_offset += MULTIPLIER;
-                j_offset += 1;
+        for j in 0..size {
+            if total_col_offset[j] == 0
+                && !input[j..size * size]
+                    .iter()
+                    .step_by(size)
+                    .any(|&x| x != b'.')
+            {
+                total_col_offset[j] = total_col_offset[j - 1] + MULTIPLIER
+            } else if j > 0 && total_col_offset[j] == 0 {
+                total_col_offset[j] += total_col_offset[j - 1];
             }
-            if grid[i][j] != '#' {
+
+            if input[i * size + j] != b'#' {
                 continue;
             }
 
-            nodes.push(((i + total_row_offset), (j + total_col_offset)));
+            nodes.push((i + total_row_offset, j + total_col_offset[j]));
         }
     }
 
@@ -73,7 +72,7 @@ fn main() {
 }
 
 #[bench]
-fn part1(b: &mut test::Bencher) {
+fn part2(b: &mut test::Bencher) {
     b.iter(|| {
         let v = process(INPUTS[INPUTS.len() - 1]);
         test::black_box(v);