2026 Goals

... truth be told, I wonder if I should even set 2026 goals given that I failed SO HORRIBLY at the one goal I had set out for myself last year, which was to end the year feeling better and stronger than when I started it.

Yeah. That happened.

But something needs to change. And badly.

Especially because any base-building that I should have been starting for Roth? Hasn't happened. And the loose logistics I started looking into in late September-early October spiked my anxiety horribly, realizing that I'm already so incredibly behind. So, I've made the tough decision to defer the race a year. Yes, it means I won't be racing on my birthday, but that's okay. Even better, probably, since I can in theory enjoy the day in success. And I can figure out the logistics (and lodging and whether I'll need to rent a car and actually TALK TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE RACED IT BEFORE) well ahead of time. Because racing a 140.6 is hard; racing it in a different country where you don't speak the language? Yeah. A whole 'nother level of fun.

But. I did register for USAT Sprint Nationals.

I don't know if I mentioned it here or not, but Brineman was a USAT regional championship and a few months after the race, I got an email saying I qualified for USAT Nationals - sprint and Olympic, but I don't like the Olympic distance. I initially thought oh fuck no, but after dwelling on it ... it probably is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for my slow(er) ass, so I bit the bullet.

So the plan (goal, if you will) for this year? Get back into the routine of swim/bike/run. Focus on getting some speed back, and then, post-nats, work on getting my endurance back for Roth. Because speed is necessary for Roth given the shorter time cut.

I did actually sketch out a few official fitness-y goals, and they are:
- perform one pull-up
- perform 10 strict push-ups
- run a sub-10 5K again (stretch: sub-9)
- finish above 75% (have 25% of the field below me) at sprint nats (because if I go, I don't want to embarrass myself)

And definitely be a healthier version of myself at the end of the year. Because this? Is unsustainable.

December and 2025 Round Up

... I don't even want to write this post if that tells you anything.

Swimming: 0m (0mi)
Cycling: 0m
Running: 9.92 mi
Lifting: eight sessions (3:32)
Other: one session ARCTrainer (:15), six sessions hockey (5:47), one session ice skating (:20), seven walks (3:04)

Terrible month to cap off a terrible year. I also did get sick - I felt it coming in early December and I told myself I just had to get through Goal Digger (mid-December hockey tournament). Well, I played that tournament sick and then proceeded to take basically the rest of the month off due to being sick. Of which I still kind of am (but almost better).

This is the worst year of swim mileage - by far - since I've started seriously tracking things. Actually ... probably the worst year with everything.

So it's no surprise that I tumbled even further from where I was at the end of last year. I thought I was in the worst shape of my life then? 2025 decided to take that as a challenge, apparently.

In that sense, December was a perfect microcosm of the year - complete fucking trash.