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- 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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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. 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.
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Progress Journals & Experimental Routines / Re: warpspeed to the new scenario
« Last post by Joe on December 30, 2025, 03:33:14 pm »
30-12-25

Run --
- w/u
- 2 x (2k on, 90s off) [4:23 avg both reps]
- c/d

Total -7.68k, 38:48

Lift --
OL Calf, Chins, Dips

Notes

Still feeling good. Almost no pain in left foot even doing the very toe-focused 'painful' cueing on the calf raises. Tomorrow I'll go low impact, though.

how formal do your work shoes have to be?

not too formal, tbh. I typically wear brogued derbies or oxfords, but could go a tier or too chiller than that. I found a decent looking pair of fitflops (my wife swears by this brand for her foot pain), so i'll see how they do
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Progress Journals & Experimental Routines / Re: warpspeed to the new scenario
« Last post by LBSS on December 30, 2025, 09:18:36 am »
how formal do your work shoes have to be?
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Progress Journals & Experimental Routines / Re: a fast and explosive donkey!
« Last post by LBSS on December 30, 2025, 09:18:01 am »
thanks!

- run 55:19, 10.46 km
definitely a bit detrained after the long partly forced layoff. HR was higher than usual, felt a bit stiff especially in right hip. knees also protested a bit post-run, which happens from time to time without any pattern that i'm aware of. you've got to start where you are.
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Progress Journals & Experimental Routines / Re: a fast and explosive donkey!
« Last post by Joe on December 29, 2025, 04:08:27 pm »
ended up running only once on the england trip. i got a migraine one day in london that i'd intended to run (with joe, we ended up getting breakfast instead), and then once we were out in dorset at my in-laws' place i got properly sick (haven't vomited that much since...2018, when i had giardia the first time?). it went around: nephew got it first; then my niece and sister-in-law; then me, my wife, and my father-in-law; then my brother-in-law. mother-in-law apparently has an iron stomach, despite being outwardly by far the least fit of the bunch. made for a kind of funny and disjointed christmas, but we still managed to have a good time with whatever crew was well enough on a given day!

back at it this week, which should be the start of my 16-week build to toledo. however, my wife and her best friend separately started planning a baby shower for the weekend of that race, so there may be some adjustments. hopefully they can shift the event forward a week or something. but this is likely to be our only baby shower, so if it comes down to it i'll prob see if i can offload the bib and find a race for the weekend after.

oh, yeah, forgot i hadn't posted that on here yet: my wife is pregnant! wheeee, gonna be a dad!

mazal tov!
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Progress Journals & Experimental Routines / Re: warpspeed to the new scenario
« Last post by Joe on December 29, 2025, 03:59:34 pm »
29-12-25

Run -- 5.39k, 32:06

Notes

Hard to get out of bed when it's still dark at the time I'd be getting back, let alone heading out. So ended up sleeping in and squeezing in a short one at lunch (been wfh more over the holiday season since office is empty). Nice way to enforce a shorter run as I'm getting back to things.

Session tomorrow -- capping it at 20 mins of effort, so probs 2 x 10 or 4 x 5.

Quote
foot basically fine

 :highfive:

great to see you, and glad you're back on the horse. hope the foot stays okay and eventually returns to normal!

Thanks! I'm optimistic -- think I just need to find better shoes to wear at work (or commute in sneakers and change at the office)
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Progress Journals & Experimental Routines / Re: Kingfush
« Last post by Kingfish on December 29, 2025, 09:07:40 am »
Dec 21-27, 2025

Full Squats - Paused - Maintenance
455 #275+ | 465 #5 | 470 #1| 475 #85 | 495#100+ | 505#2 | 545#1
Page 75 - Day 1 of 455. Feb 11, 2013
Page 140 - Day 1 of 495. 2Oct 25, 2020
Cardio Calories - Inclined walking at 3mph pace per 5 mins | 6% [47kcal], 9% [57kcal], 12%[67kcal], 15%[77kcal]1

Dec Week 4 of 5 BW 200-204

Sun Dec 21

6:00 am
Horizontal Leg Press machine - single leg light - medium light x5s
Paused Squats 315-315-315,405
Iso Hammer Strength Inclined Press Machine ~135 80-105-115 x5
One Arm Cable Reverse Fly - High/Mid Pull 15-20-25-30 x5
Seated Bicep Curl Machine - One Arm 50-60-70 x5
Standing Tricep Cable Pulldown - One Arm 40-45-50 x5

3:00 pm
Paused Squats 315-315-315,405-475
Iso Hammer Strength Inclined Press Machine ~135 80-105-115 x5
One Arm Cable Reverse Fly - High/Mid Pull 15-20-25-30 x5
Seated Bicep Curl Machine - One Arm 50-60-70 x5
Standing Tricep Cable Pulldown - One Arm 40-45-50 x5

Mon Dec 22

6:00 am
Horizontal Leg Press machine - single leg light - medium light x5s
Paused Squats 315-315-315,405
Iso Hammer Strength Inclined Press Machine ~135 80-105-115 x5
One Arm Cable Reverse Fly - High/Mid Pull 15-20-25-30 x5
Seated Bicep Curl Machine - One Arm 50-60-70 x5
Standing Tricep Cable Pulldown - One Arm 40-45-50 x5

7:00 pm
Paused Squats 315-315-315,405-475
Iso Hammer Strength Inclined Press Machine ~135 80-105-115 x5
One Arm Cable Reverse Fly - High/Mid Pull 15-20-25-30 x5
Seated Bicep Curl Machine - One Arm 50-60-70 x5
Standing Tricep Cable Pulldown - One Arm 40-45-50 x5

Tue Dec 23

6:00 am
Horizontal Leg Press machine - single leg light - medium light x5s
Paused Squats 315-315-315,405
Iso Hammer Strength Inclined Press Machine ~135 80-105-115 x5
One Arm Cable Reverse Fly - High/Mid Pull 15-20-25-30 x5
Seated Bicep Curl Machine - One Arm 50-60-70 x5
Standing Tricep Cable Pulldown - One Arm 40-45-50 x5

7:00 pm
Paused Squats 315-315-315,405-475
Iso Hammer Strength Inclined Press Machine ~135 80-105-115 x5
One Arm Cable Reverse Fly - High/Mid Pull 15-20-25-30 x5
Seated Bicep Curl Machine - One Arm 50-60-70 x5
Standing Tricep Cable Pulldown - One Arm 40-45-50 x5

Wed Dec 24

6:00 am
Horizontal Leg Press machine - single leg light - medium light x5s
Paused Squats 315-315-315,405
Iso Hammer Strength Inclined Press Machine ~135 80-105-115 x5
One Arm Cable Reverse Fly - High/Mid Pull 15-20-25-30 x5
Seated Bicep Curl Machine - One Arm 50-60-70 x5
Standing Tricep Cable Pulldown - One Arm 40-45-50 x5

7:00 pm
Paused Squats 315-315-315,405-475
Iso Hammer Strength Inclined Press Machine ~135 80-105-115 x5
One Arm Cable Reverse Fly - High/Mid Pull 15-20-25-30 x5
Seated Bicep Curl Machine - One Arm 50-60-70 x5
Standing Tricep Cable Pulldown - One Arm 40-45-50 x5

Thur Dec 25

3:00 pm
Paused Squats 315-315-315,405-455
Iso Hammer Strength Inclined Press Machine ~135 80-105-115 x5 skip
One Arm Cable Reverse Fly - High/Mid Pull 15-20-25-30 x5
Seated Bicep Curl Machine - One Arm 50-60-70 x5
Standing Tricep Cable Pulldown - One Arm 40-45-50 x5

* squat at home. all gyms closed. used my functional trainer for the rest of the exercises. 455 felt alright. its harder to lift in my garage because the floor is not as bouncy as a wood platform.

Fri Dec 26

6:00 am
Horizontal Leg Press machine - single leg light - medium light x5s
Paused Squats 315-315-315,405
Iso Hammer Strength Inclined Press Machine ~135 80-105-115 x5
One Arm Cable Reverse Fly - High/Mid Pull 15-20-25-30 x5
Seated Bicep Curl Machine - One Arm 50-60-70 x5
Standing Tricep Cable Pulldown - One Arm 40-45-50 x5

7:00 pm
Paused Squats 315-315-315,405-475
Iso Hammer Strength Inclined Press Machine ~135 80-105-115 x5
One Arm Cable Reverse Fly - High/Mid Pull 15-20-25-30 x5
Seated Bicep Curl Machine - One Arm 50-60-70 x5
Standing Tricep Cable Pulldown - One Arm 40-45-50 x5

Sat Dec 27

6:00 am
Horizontal Leg Press machine - single leg light - medium light x5s
Paused Squats 315-315-315,405
Iso Hammer Strength Inclined Press Machine ~135 80-105-115 x5
One Arm Cable Reverse Fly - High/Mid Pull 15-20-25-30 x5
Seated Bicep Curl Machine - One Arm 50-60-70 x5
Standing Tricep Cable Pulldown - One Arm 40-45-50 x5

3:00 pm
Paused Squats 315-315-315,405-475
Iso Hammer Strength Inclined Press Machine ~135 80-105-115 x5
One Arm Cable Reverse Fly - High/Mid Pull 15-20-25-30 x5
Seated Bicep Curl Machine - One Arm 50-60-70 x5
Standing Tricep Cable Pulldown - One Arm 40-45-50 x5
8
Progress Journals & Experimental Routines / Re: a fast and explosive donkey!
« Last post by LBSS on December 29, 2025, 08:56:36 am »
ended up running only once on the england trip. i got a migraine one day in london that i'd intended to run (with joe, we ended up getting breakfast instead), and then once we were out in dorset at my in-laws' place i got properly sick (haven't vomited that much since...2018, when i had giardia the first time?). it went around: nephew got it first; then my niece and sister-in-law; then me, my wife, and my father-in-law; then my brother-in-law. mother-in-law apparently has an iron stomach, despite being outwardly by far the least fit of the bunch. made for a kind of funny and disjointed christmas, but we still managed to have a good time with whatever crew was well enough on a given day!

back at it this week, which should be the start of my 16-week build to toledo. however, my wife and her best friend separately started planning a baby shower for the weekend of that race, so there may be some adjustments. hopefully they can shift the event forward a week or something. but this is likely to be our only baby shower, so if it comes down to it i'll prob see if i can offload the bib and find a race for the weekend after.

oh, yeah, forgot i hadn't posted that on here yet: my wife is pregnant! wheeee, gonna be a dad!
9
Progress Journals & Experimental Routines / Re: warpspeed to the new scenario
« Last post by LBSS on December 29, 2025, 08:48:30 am »
Quote
foot basically fine

 :highfive:

great to see you, and glad you're back on the horse. hope the foot stays okay and eventually returns to normal!
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Progress Journals & Experimental Routines / Re: warpspeed to the new scenario
« Last post by Joe on December 28, 2025, 08:42:20 am »
28-12-25

Run - 40:33, 7.3k
Stairmaster x 20 mins
Ellipptical x 10 mins

+ calf raises
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