Скачать или смотреть This year I had one goal - conquer the 100 mile distance Sadly it ended as one of the toughest

This year I had one goal - conquer the 100 mile distance

Sadly it ended as one of the toughest years I've had on this fitness journey and the lowest I've felt for a long time

Nothing seemed to be 'clicking' early on and I put this down to competing priorities and a lot of "life" getting in the way - then I had to DNF the 100 mile race and have spent the time since on Dr's orders to stop training and undergoing tests for suspected heart problems(still no news there, still waiting in the cardiologists report) - heart problems that were probably building up over a long time.

There have, however, been some incredible highs along the way - PB at the in February, supporting at the working with and the incredible event it became, graduation for my MSc, my first ever stone life in bonnie Scotland....to name but a few of the many many highlights!

But the DNF has overshadowed it all and took more out of me than I thought it would. The DNF wasn't the problem, it has been the ongoing health issues and declining ability to do even easy exercise.
In the end, in mid November, I came to the conclusion that my mental health would be better if I stepped away from the fitness side of things for a while.

None of this was helped by crashing, and writing off, my M3 in October 😢 that car had been a gift to myself for completing my MSc and the first time I'd really spent good money treating myself and getting the right car. And I loved it!

The end of the year has been filled with therapy appointments and diving back into hobbies I'd sidelined to make room for the level of training big endurance events take - sacrifices that left me vulnerable mentally once the training was taken away.
It’s easy to make the sacrifices at the time but we should be mindful what a void this leaves if/when the training is no more. Always remember there is more to life than the next run or gym session and these things are so so important!

Heading into 2026 with my head held high, a determination to resolve the heart issues and get back to it but mindful to not put all my eggs in one basket again. It just isn't worth it.