This was not my year for running. My last half-marathon was hard despite the smiles, and the London Marathon before that was an interesting experience but also a (minor) blow to my ego.
I’m not a natural athlete, but I’ve tried really hard to make improvements over the past twenty years. I’ve tracked all my statistics heavily, but I’ve also just chucked the data in the bin and run based on feelings. I’ve bought all the devices, and I’ve run with none of the devices. This year, my times still went the wrong way, but I’m not ready to quit.
So I broke it down into buckets to see what’s going on. Some of them I can fill. Some of them are what they are. Together, they provide a plan for 2027.
Things I Can’t Change
Part of the limiting factor is my age, which I never counted as a deficit until recently. I’m probably not going to improve in major ways, and maintaining what I’ve got will take more work. I’m okay with that, I guess, because I have no choice. Also, small gains around the edges still count.
Then there’s technique and ability. I’m short, my gait is my gait, and I’m not naturally built to do anything other than nap with my cat Spicy. My anatomy is wonky. I have something called bilateral hip impingement with tears in my labrum. I’ve known this for nearly my whole adult life, and I choose to run long distances anyway. I have been to PT to learn the exercises and stretching required to keep this up, but there’s only so much you can do with the body you’re given. I’m really doing my best without medicalizing every ache and pain.
Then there are my autoimmune challenges. I have both rheumatoid arthritis and Sjögren’s, and these two conditions make even the “good runs” mediocre. I can actually see the impact in my numbers. My HRV runs naturally low, and the research says I’m not imagining it. Studies of people with RA and people with Sjögren’s find lower HRV and a nervous system that spends less time in rest-and-digest mode.
So my body spends more of its time on alert, even when I’m resting, and then I ask it to run a lot of miles.
Everybody has something. I’m not a #sickfluencer, and I look pretty good for someone whose body is trying to attack itself, so some of my friends and colleagues think I’m overstating how much RA and Sjögren’s affect me. I’m not, although I’m glad it’s not worse. Gratitude is part of my daily prayer-meditation practice.
Thankfully, I don’t need the people around me to validate my conditions. Understanding how my body works, and being honest with myself about it, helps me train smarter instead of beating myself up.
Buckets I Can Actually Fill
I can make improvements on recovery, for sure. My Whoop (referral link) is always mad at me for not sleeping on a consistent schedule, even though I always get enough sleep because I go to bed at a decent hour. My mornings need a better routine, because sometimes I’m up at five and sometimes it’s eight. A steadier wake-up time is an easy win.
I can make improvements to fuel, too, although I’m doing pretty well on that front. I’m not going overboard on protein or creatine, but I get both, plus enough water and electrolytes. But I also eat a lot of McDonald’s and ice cream.
I’m adjusting my training load to build fast-twitch muscle, the fibers that give you speed and power. That means strides at the end of easy runs, short hill sprints, box jumps (okay, steps), and kettlebell swings.
And my hormones are what they are. I’ve been on HRT for more than eight years. I’m literally doing the best I can with advice and guidance from a real doctor, not someone who has a certificate on the internet.
See You in Scotland
This year was hard, and I’m committed to fixing it in 2027. I have a fun half-marathon in Scotland on the calendar, and Ken is coming along to golf. I want that to be a nice trip for both of us, so I’m filling the buckets I can fill.
Skee-Lo wrote:
I wish I was a little bit taller, I wish I was a baller
I wish I had a girl who looked good, I would call her
I wish I had a rabbit in a hat with a bat
And a ’64 Impala
Same, bro. Same.
Mostly I want those miles to come with a little more ease, comfort, and maybe a dash of speed. I think I can get there.
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