I figure it's finally time that I talk about 2025 and what's going on with my fitness into 2026. I've been somewhat consumed by the ongoing chaos here in the US, and the feelings I have about where the country is going. Not sure if I want to get into that, but it does weigh on me quite a bit, however I won't allow it to derail me from staying healthy. I'd rather be healthy in a dystopian future instead of looking like Baron Harkonnen if you get my drift.
With that gloomy intro, how did 2025 end up? If I had to pick a word it would be disappointing. Maybe I set my bar too high, or maybe I didn't expect some of the challenges that hit last year, but overall it was just a disappointing year.
You might ask why, and that's a fair question, especially given I still accomplished quite a bit last year. While that's true, I think I took a few steps backwards and I'm not sure how that happened. Let me explain. The easiest metric for me to point at is my weight. While my weight was stable for part of the year, it began to trickle up and I finished the year 16 pounds above where I started it. Yes, I put an effort into gaining muscle, which I think I did, but I did put some weight on that I'm not too happy about, so I am going to get back down this year.
Secondly, I rode the fewest amount of miles on the bike that I have since I bought it. I had month after month where I missed goals, yes I always had an excuse, but when I look back at the results last year, that's all it was. Excuses.
Third, I had my worst performance in a triathalon yet and skipped a number of events I registered for. I'll excuse the last one, because I'd been struggling with injuries for a good chunk of last year, but the reality was I didn't put the effort in, and it showed. I suspect it contributed to getting hurt and I've been paying the price for it all along.
Fourth, and probably the most impactful were the injuries. I started the year pulling my hamstring in a race, still finished it mind you, and that kind of set the tone for the rest of the year. I think I over compensated and planned too many events, but surprisingly I made it through most of them. However, I really didn't anticipate my hip giving out in August. Some days it's just a struggle to walk to the bathroom and quite frankly, I've never EVER, had this type of issue. I suspect I'll be getting a new hip and knee(s) in the not so distant future, and I really hope I can back to moving without pain. I had to accept the reality that running is out of the question right now, hell walking more than a quarter mile isn't an option right now and that just fucking sucks a lot.
Finally, I feel like I didn't put the work in last year. Even if I didn't run any races from May on. Even with all the travel, which really doesn't help. Even with my dad passing away, I took shortcuts on exercises and did the bare minimum to get it done. Yes, I closed my rings, but sometimes barely. I used to do 60-120 minutes of exercise and feel great, now I do 30-45 and call it a day.
All of this comes back to why? I wish I had a solid answer. Some was a little bit of burnout. Two years of hard work with almost no letup was a lot to ask. Especially since I'm not a kid anymore, but I don't think I overdid it, instead I think I wasn't smart about it. I will say that getting hurt and not being able to run anymore has been a real blow to my sense of invincibility. Yes, I knew running was at best a "questionable" choice, but I like competition. I crave goals and challenges, and I feel like those have been taken away from me prematurely. I'm also at a loss as to where to find alternatives. We had a lot going on last year too, we spent a lot of time up in VA, my dad died, we went on a ton of vacations, and I spent a week in Ireland. All of that was competing for my time, and exercise found the back burner.
So... What am I going to do this year? Some of it I'm still unsure about. Lately, my hip has been feeling better, so I'm optimistic that with continued rest I can maybe do some light walking. In a perfect world I'd be able to start a light running program and maybe train for an event, but I think that's unlikely. With that said, I've set what I think are some some realistic goals for this coming year. I got used to missing goals and that needs to change.
So, here are my goals for 2026:
- Ride a minimum of 6000 miles
- Get my weight back down to 215-220
- Become Scuba certified
- Start rowing regularly again
- Start weight training after the distance challenge ends.
- Close my rings
- Monthly challenges
- Apple monthly challenges
- Read a book every 2-4 weeks
- Start painting
- Pick up my guitars
- Get my hip/knees fixed
- Learn Spanish
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