January Course Correction

22.5 miles over the last four days has more than doubled my mileage for 2026, and suddenly I’m back on pace to clear 100 miles in January. Even better, despite the uptick in volume, I don’t really feel any worse for the wear. I eased off the gas in November and December and coasted a bit, but it looks like I mostly held onto my gains and am ready to start building again.

One of the first tools I used when I got back into running was the Nike Run Club app. I logged my first run on the last day of 2018 and have been recording miles ever since. NRC assigns “run levels” based on lifetime mileage, and after cycling through yellow, orange, green, blue, and purple fairly quickly, I hit Black at 3,106 lifetime miles. That was back in early 2021, and I’ve been sitting there ever since.

The highest level—Volt—requires 9,320 lifetime miles. I’m now just 1,205 miles away.

At my current pace, I’m barely on track to reach it by the end of 2026. It’s one of those silly goals that won’t actually mean anything when I finally get there—but it’s still fun to chase. And when it happens, I’ll probably reward myself with a new pair of shoes or a t-shirt at the very least.

Whatever it takes to stay motivated—but the real goal is simply maintaining my health and fitness. The levels, miles, and streaks are just tools. The best reward is being able to head out the door for a run with my daughters and share the love of it with them.

Hello 2026

I wrapped up December with a respectable 77.9 miles—a huge contrast to the 2 miles I ran in December of 2024, the zero I ran in December of 2023, and even the 38 miles I managed in December of 2022. The data is pretty clear: Decembers are historically rough for me. Still, despite that pattern, I hung in there.

Those December miles were just enough to push me past my big goal for the year. I finished 2025 with 1,007.32 miles, which is more than I ran in 2023 and 2024 combined. That fact alone makes the year feel like a real turning point.

January hasn’t exactly been a fireworks show either—but again, I’m still showing up. Five runs in the first eight days, totaling 18.38 miles. Not spectacular, but consistent. And consistency is doing the heavy lifting right now.

I did gain some weight over the holidays, which is discouraging—but not surprising. Short, cold days mean less incidental movement, more hunger, and an endless supply of holiday junk food. Not a great combination, just the reality I’m working through.

As for 2026, the main goal is simple: beat last year’s 1,007 miles. I’m a little off pace so far, but still well ahead of where I was this time last January. Ideally, I’ll aim for—and often hit—100 miles per month. No guarantees, just steady work.

For now, the theme continues: not crushing it, not quitting—just hanging in there. And that’s been enough to get me this far... and come spring I hope that the fresh air and sunshine will kindle this fire and I can take it to the next level.