2023
It has been a tough year. I achieved absolutely none of my goals, mostly because family responsibilities ballooned tremendously especially in the second half of the year:
- 2023 was a year of long family travels – Paris and London with my parents, and Switzerland with my in-laws.
- It was also the year my eldest began school and started importing a whole host of flu-related bugs back home. I was hit with two severe cases of stomach flu and a close to constant stream of runny nose. Every time my daughter began sniffling, my wife and I know that our turns would come shortly. I have spent 1/3 of 2023 with flu. Nothing severe but it drains enough energy to not be able to work out.
- In the final quarter of the year, we moved out of our first home and are now working on getting the second home ready. Moving out and then into a temporary place was a massive logistical undertaking which took 3-4 weeks.
- And finally, my second child was born in the final month of 2023.
It has been pretty hectic. But some things did go well:
- The approach to focus less on mileage and more of the quality and consistency was helpful. The almost constant flu did consistency in but the bite-sized approach made workouts more achievable.
- Switzerland was a great trip. It was the highlight of the year. Really enjoyed experiencing the alps and towns with my wife.
- Weight remained largely constant even though workouts severely diminished. I thought I was in significant danger of severe weight gain. I cycled and ran less than half the previous year. But some minor diet management (mostly trying to avoid ordering extra portions) helped.
2024
2024 is going to be rough again. I am estimating this to be the norm for the next 2-3 years, at least until life stablises and the kids get a little older. I am going to move into a new home middle of next year and will be going on course at about the same time too. This means a fair bit of prep work happens in the first half of 2024, which takes away time from workouts.
Some realistic goals with a focus on maintenance:
- Identify 3 workout days a week, and have a mix of cycling, running or even swimming. Minimum 30 mins per session. Commit to these 3 days.
- Make sure I get enough sleep the night before workout days. This is especially crucial with ensuring my immune system is able to deal with both the workout and more hectic family life.
- Go for an overseas cycling trip. I am looking to return to Taiwan after venturing into Europe in 2022 and 2023.
- Lose some weight. Yep, still a goal. Failed the last two years but not giving up.
Happy holidays and have a great year ahead!
