welcome back to the logbook, a monthly series where i share what my own training actually looks like. you get a real-time look at how i set my goals, adjust my training, and track my progress along the way as a personal trainer.
if you missed the past editions, you can catch up here:
two weeks ago, i finished the 8-week block i shared with you in the last two editions, and i started a new block last week. in this edition, i’m giving you all the details: how the block went, what my training looks like now, my new goals, and how i’m organizing this new phase.
but to give you a little preview, things didn’t go the way i expected, even after the adjustments i made, and i think i know why. i’m going to share how i felt about it and how i dealt with it, because it might help if you’re in a similar situation and feeling frustrated right now.
how my 8-week block actually ended
after adjusting my training block in the last edition, i really thought things would fall into place. i had a new running program that i designed myself, based on what i thought i could realistically do, and it looked like something i could actually stick to. here it is again, as a reminder:
the first week went exactly as planned, and then things went off the rails. different events in my personal and professional life started squeezing into my schedule, and my two runs a week were the first thing to go. i’ve told you before that if i have to choose between lifting and running, i’ll always choose lifting, not only because it’s my favorite activity, but also because keeping your muscle mass matters more and more as you get older, especially in your forties.
but i didn’t want to stop running completely, so i applied the minimum viable rule i’ve already talked about in previous articles and kept one run a week, without worrying about performance. after that first week, i honestly stopped following the program altogether. i ran whenever i could, and every run was pure freestyle: 7 km one week, 10 km another, whatever the day allowed.
lifting went well, though. i kept my four sessions a week and kept my loads where they were, but i’ll admit i didn’t try to progress. the goal was to maintain, and that’s what i did.
so, no surprise, i didn’t improve my 5k time. the goal was 25 minutes, starting from 29 to 30 minutes, and today, on a good day, i can run 5 km in about 30 minutes, which is pretty much where i started. i was frustrated, i won’t pretend otherwise, but it also made me understand something important.
what keeps me showing up when life gets in the way
sometimes you don’t need an impressive goal to stay motivated. sometimes all you need is a purpose, the why behind what you do, to keep showing up every day.
for years, i’ve always had a goal for my training. it changed depending on the period, but there was always one: build muscle, lose fat, improve my performance, get stronger, run more kilometers, run faster... having a goal kept me focused, and i still think it’s important, especially when you’re starting out, because setting goals gives meaning to what you’re doing.
and i think meaning is the key word here. today, training is part of my routine, it’s become second nature, and yet i still need to see the point of what i’m doing. in moments like this one, when life happens and i have to change my plans and let go of performance goals, what keeps me going is knowing that i’m also doing this for my physical and mental health, and for my longevity. picturing myself at 80, able to get around on my own and still doing the things i love, is my why.
i’ve also realized that my life right now doesn’t leave room for big fitness goals, and insisting on them would only bring me more frustration. i have a body i’m happy with, my cardio is good, and i’m still training with intensity, so for now my goal is simply to maintain what i’ve built, keeping my why in mind and the meaning i give to all of this.
if you’re in a season where your plans keep falling apart and you’re frustrated with yourself, it might help to ask yourself why you train in the first place, and what you want your training to give you in twenty or forty years. goals come and go from one month to the next, but that answer usually stays the same, and it’s the one that gets you to the gym on the weeks when nothing else does.
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