🧠 A Shift in Thinking
2025 has been the first year I truly began to train wisely. Not just run, not just follow plans, not just fight through discomfort. But think.
In past years (especially 2023–2024), I relied on ambition, grit, and raw willpower. My mentality was: “Push harder. If it hurts, it means I’m doing something right.” I chased personal bests with sheer force, thinking that high heart rate, suffering, and depletion were markers of growth.
And I got results. I broke records. But I also burned out, damaged my recovery, and pushed my body past healthy limits. I didn’t know how to train, only how to endure.
🏃 The Turning Point
This year, something clicked. I stopped worshipping the grind and started respecting physiology:
- I began watching heart rate zones, not just pace.
- I realized that a good run isn’t always a hard one.
- I finally understood that zone 2 (base) training builds real endurance, and threshold runs need precision.
I used to run “easy” runs at HR 165+ and call it progress. Now, I run real base at HR 145–150 and feel better, stronger, more stable.
Yes — in 2024, I could run 5K in 21:57 with an average HR of 187. But I’d be wrecked. My bloodwork would tank. My sleep would collapse. That wasn’t training — that was damage disguised as discipline.
Now? I’m still uncertain if I’ll break that record. But I’m certain that I’m doing it the right way.
⚙️ Training as a Tool
I don’t train to impress. I don’t train to collect medals. I train to build a body that works — a sharp, durable, responsive system that supports my life.
This means:
- Mobility, recovery, and strength matter.
- Training load is balanced by training readiness.
- My central nervous system gets a say, not just my ego.
Yes, the 17-week Garmin adaptive plan is brutal. But it has also forced me to listen to my body, to reflect daily, and to adapt even when the algorithm doesn’t.
Whether I beat my PR or not, I’ve already gained something more important:
A mindset I’ll keep for the rest of my life.
🧩 The Bigger Picture
I used to think VO₂max was everything. Now I see it’s just a part of a bigger ecosystem:
- Sleep
- Nutrition
- Nervous system balance
- Emotional readiness
- Strength & mobility
And slowly, I’m learning how to align all these pieces.
This isn’t the end. It’s the beginning — of training with intelligence, not ego.
Fiat voluntas tua.