Last year I set a goal of 100 books with the thinking that a massive volume shock might reignite a sustainable, long-term reading habit. My 2026 reading pace (1 book every 3 days) seems to support that the method worked.
This year I'm using the same method for a new goal: health and fitness.
I've debated over whether this belongs here. This is not a fitness blog and I have no desire to inflict before/after pictures or exercise tips on you.
I ultimately decided it's worth posting about because (as I've stated previously) my biggest weakness is execution - and the ways I've improved the method are proof that I've grown.
So here's the goal:
500 Miles of Running
1,000,000 Meters of Rowing
I've considered adding a biking component to this - but outdoor biking is currently off the table and I can't afford a Peloton.
It seems important that I provide some context.
I'm not terribly out of shape. Genetics have kept me roughly the same shape/size for the better part of 20 years. I've never had serious injuries that prevent exercise..
Despite all of that, the last time I regularly exercised was when I ran cross country my senior year of high school. That was Fall of 2011.
I give this context because for people who exercise regularly, neither of these goals probably looks ambitious. But for me, these are the upper limit of what feels remotely possible.
In 3 months I may feel differently - my lungs may open up, my heart may slow down, my muscles may get in the groove. If that's the case, I'll bump them up. Until then, this mountain feels plenty high.
I've learned from my mistakes with the reading last year - I won't be able to complete 60% of these goals in November/December (I would need to row 10,000 meters and run 5 miles every single day.)
So this year I've made a vastly more meticulous plan.
I'll spare you from the entire spreadsheet - but here's enough to share the system:
I have a clear schedule: Row on Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Run on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday. (there will be some outliers)
I track my rolling total against a target total.
The target total increases faster as the year continues, and accounts for about a 10% buffer. That buffer is how I keep myself safe from sick days, travel, meteor strikes, and whatever else Murphy can throw at me.
To start the year, I'm keeping things easy - especially the running. Having been a distance runner in high school, I still have innate feelings that one mile is hardly worth running. Without this tapered start, I'd likely push too hard and discover that 31-year-old me is not as resilient as 18-year-old me.
Injuring myself would be stupid and detrimental, so I'm taking great care to avoid it. (Sounds like risk management - maybe this is a career development post after all)
This plan is what makes me believe that this post is relevant - and that the work I'm doing to grow is having an impact.
I've taken a method that was functional but unsustainable, applied the lessons and ideas that I've learned over the past year to improve that process, and ended up with a clear plan that will allow me to achieve my goals in a more sustainable way.
In short:
I won't bother you with weekly workout updates, but I may drop in with progress reports when it feels relevant.
As always, thanks for reading.
CHG
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