A Reflection on 2014

I've been pondering this blog for awhile now.  Mostly, what do I want to say?  How does one measure a year?  How do you determine if a year was good or not?

To figure it out, I've been weighing what was good and what was bad.  Here's some highlights of the "good":

- I got a ground school instructor position with my company.  An important resume builder
- I transferred bases, from Newark to Kansas City.  Much easier commute
- I solidified some great friendships, added new friends, and kicked out some negative people in my life
- I began taking more steps to further my career (ground school instructor being one of them)
- I had some great trips this year (Minnesota and Vegas were awesome)
- I got my finances secure, to the point that we are actively house shopping

But there were some "bad" things too:

- T and I had a somewhat rocky year in our relationship life (not airing any dirty laundry, just stating the truth)
- I became a workaholic for a period of time, driven by money and money only
- I developed some laziness, becoming a bit of a couch potato

But since this is a fitness blog, you can probably guess what is the worst thing of the year was...that's fitness.

Simply put, fitness was not a priority this year.  To the point that my fitness year was the worst since 2006.

I have weighed on why this was, and have come to a few conclusions. 

The first is that I rode the wave of being an Ironman finisher way longer than anyone should.  There are some reasons for this, but none truly valid.  The second is that as the year went on, the excuses for not working out got more creative (work, work, etc.).  Eventually, working out became a chore.  Going to the gym, putting on my shoes to go for a run, dragging my bike outside?  It all became work.  Even in years past, when riding/running/swimming/lifting weights were tedious and monotone, basic fitness was never difficult for me.  This year, even something as simple as going to the hotel gym to lift for 15 minutes became a chore.  Things like TV, dicking around on the internet...these were things that became more important than 20-30 minutes of activity.

Now, instead of dwelling on what 2014 was not, it's time to move on, turn the page, and make 2015 the year that it needs to be.  A lot of people would say that you shouldn't rely on the New Year to flip the calendar and begin change, but right now, I need something to flip the mindset, and a new date on the calendar seems like a great excuse to do so.  Obviously talk is cheap, and unless I put my words into action, 2015 will simply be a repeat of 2014.  So let's talk a bit about the game plan:

- 175,000 meters of swimming
- 5,000 miles of riding (exercise bike and trainer counts)
- 500 miles of running

There's races to be had.  I have three half-Ironmans on the schedule, a couple half-marathons, some other sprint tris, and various other races sprinkled in.  The reason is that racing gives me a purpose.  Racing is why I do what I do.  I love racing.  Simple. 

I also need to improve food.  That's pretty obvious.  My eating habits are terrible.  I'd say we're right now at a 50-50 healthy/unhealthy.  A long way to get to 80-20 or 85-15.  Luckily, if I start working out a lot, that will be pretty easy to figure out.  That process, my friends, will also be in baby steps.

Obviously life can throw wrenches in the mix.  My schedule is inconsistent at best.  There are life goals that will take time this year (buying a house for example).  Most importantly, the chance to further my career is becoming quite serious, and that will ultimately take priority over pretty much everything.  But there can always be a balance.  Always.  It's up to me to figure that balance out. 

To begin the year, tomorrow morning I will hop on the trainer and do The Pain Cave, which is a pseudo-new years tradition.  It's not much, but it's a good way to start off the year. I have a rough gameplan of fitness over the next few days of this trip I'll be on. 

There's a few hours left in 2014.  Tomorrow, the page turns, and 2015 begins on the right foot.

Also, next year, I vow to blog at least once a week, and hopefully twice.  Look for workout stuff, but also life lessons as well.

See you next year!