- interval workout
-- warm up
-- 7 x [3 min @ 90-92% of 5k pace w/1 min jog]
-- cool down
track was locked so i did this on the sidewalk around the perimeter of the high school. struggled to keep pace consistent and ran most of the intervals a little too hard. target was 4:13-4:17, i ran 15, 11, 9, 10, 10, 8, 5. RPE 7, though, which is good.
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ETA: since it's new year's eve, figured i'd do a little recap of the year. the highlight, obviously, was finishing my first and second ultramarathons. i didn't have time goals in mind for either and ran both at the limit of what i knew my body could handle on the day, which i'm proud of. also learned a lot both in the races and along the way about nutrition, the importance of specificity (more downhill!), and how much i can push through fatigue.
i also PR'd in the 5k, in february, and the half marathon, in april. both times are still way below what i would like to be running, there is much room for improvement. ran a crappy half in september, as well. i would say that's better forgotten but (1) it was a good learning experience and (2) i like the shirt from it and so will be remembering it on at least a biweekly basis until it gets too hot to wear long sleeves, lol.
i ran a total of 2724 km/1692 miles in 2025. that's roughly the distance from my house to el paso or the eastern edge of yellowstone national park, as the crow flies, or to denver by road. 302 hours on my feet. those are clear lifetime PRs, and my overall weekly average of 32.5 miles/52km is also something to be proud of. passing 2000 miles next year would be a good minor goal, although who knows what things will look like after the baby comes. i ran 229/365 days (4.3/week on average), plus an uncounted number of gym-only days.
that last number points to one of the main shortcomings of my year in running: consistency. i was hurt in late feb/march, and had big rises and falls throughout the year in monthly mileage. a higher-level goal than total miles run will be hitting at least 5 days week-in and week-out, which would get me to 260 days of running over the course of the year. most weeks should be 6 days.
another shortcoming was how far i fell off at the gym. strength work is not going to be my focus anytime soon, but in 2026 i'm resolving to be more consistent with it, and see some improvement in grip and pull up strength, core strength, shoulder and hip mobility, and squat strength.
so, in sum: a year to be pretty happy about, given where i started and what my goals were. i wish i'd run more days, and i wish i'd been better about strength work. but plenty to build on in 2026 and beyond!
so, as of NYE, here are my 2026 goals, imagining that i'll be able to carry on more or less uninterrupted after the baby comes, which, lol. but let's pretend:
- run sub-3:00 in the marathon (ideally BQ)
- run 260+ days
- run 2000+ miles (38 miles/week)
- do 3 days per week of strength work, including 2 in the gym
- stay injury-free
i think that's enough for now! will add as other things occur to me.
