Tag: year-end reflection

Posted on

Reflections on My 1,000 KM Running Goal: Lessons and Adjustments

Written December 15, 2024

Hello Dear Readers,

So, I checked my progress toward my 1,000 km running goal again to ensure I wasn’t wrong the other day. I reconfirmed that I will reach my goals within this year. All I need to do is do another round of 10k runs. 

While checking my logs, I analyzed why my total distance run was much lower than the prior year. After all, I aimed for 25k per week, so I should have hit 1300k. Then, I realized I started using this app on February 23, 2024. Then, we went on a vacation. Missing nearly 2 months makes a massive difference in the distance, approximately 200 km.

Additionally, before I adopted my early morning running schedule during the hot summer, there were days when I skipped running due to the heat. I figured out how to deal with the summer heat in Tennessee, and it will be good for next year. Some days, I shortened my 10k runs to only 5k due to excess heat.

Since I know I ran during January and early February, I suspect I have already run over 1000 kilometers this year. However, since I’m using my app as my official record, I still want to get those numbers to meet my goal.

Why am I doing this? My wife calls it variance analysis. Variance analysis analyzes the GAP between goals and the prior year. It helps me create realistic goals. During 2024, I learned many things, such as switching my running schedule to extreme weather. 

I will shave off 1 minute from a 5km run for the following year. I am considering mixing my run with long and short runs to improve my speed.

Posted on

How I Balance My Fitness Goals in a Busy Season

Written December 8, 2024

Hello Dear Readers,

Since I started running 10k more frequently than ever, I have been experiencing body exhaustion. This morning, I woke up pretty sleepy and succumbed to tiredness by sleeping an extra half-hour. Luckily, there were no time-sensitive demands on me this morning, so my lateness has no lasting consequences. The volatile weather made my work harder.

Undoubtedly, the more frequent 10K runs have impacted my energy level. I did a few 10k runs last week. I have chronic kidney disease, so I cannot eat even an average man’s protein amount. The food restriction impacts me when it comes to exercising. My body doesn’t seem to recover as fast as I would wish. The sudden change in exercise goals affects me more than I would like. Too much exercise can lead to muscle loss since I cannot eat enough protein. So, I must be extremely mindful of how much I work out.

I just have to sleep more than expected on days like today. I take this as a signal from my body that I need to rest more than usual. The year is about to end anyway, so I will only work on adjusting my goals now. I am nearly hitting the target, and I know it is doable. I still take a rest day on Sunday. I canceled everything that was occurring during the Christmas holiday.

We started to plan what we would eat for this Holiday. My family in Tennessee decided to spend Christmas Holidays at my sister’s house in Virginia. My wife can only take a few days off since she is the sole accountant at her company. There is so much year-end prep work she has to do. She has been automating so many tasks that she runs the finance department alone. Her company is still publicly traded, and the office where she works has nearly $50 million in sales. She says they are hoping to get one more accountant, which will ease her workload in the future. I support my wife however I can, so I will stay in Tennessee to spend our holidays together. 

Hopefully, the extra half hour will be enough to rejuvenate me, and I’ll be able to resume my desired schedule.