Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy Festivus for the rest of us, et al.
I looked back at my goals for 2025. From my 2024 year-end post, “On to 2025, my goals are completing all 13 Coldwell Banker Elite Grand Prix races, all 4 Stafford Series races, my 18th Historic Half, and running six days per week. A non-running goal is to use my QuickBooks Online certifications for personal gain. My final goal is to write my 2026 goals at the end of the year. Goals are best when written down and published. On On!.”
One of the Coldwell Banker Elite Grand Prix races was cancelled before the season started, and another was replaced by a race of the same distance on the same date at a park near my home. Still, I completed all the races in the series. Since 2020, I have not missed a race in the series, and my streak stands at 70. I have only nine more years to eclipse the streak record.
I had scheduling conflicts with two of the Stafford Series races and ran only the two that were also in the Coldwell Banker Elite Grand Prix. I had been involved with this series since its inception. I guess that is no longer on my list of goals.
One of my non-running plans for 2025 was to build a covered porch on the front of my house. There is no room to add a side porch on my lot. After getting plans drawn and estimates, I determined that a $28,000 addition to a $150,000 house was not reasonable, so I changed plans to a 96-square-foot deck. The deck was completed by spring.
After my brief AFIB issue in October 2024, my cardiologist prescribed Flecainide, which I thought was to be taken if I ever went into AFIB. I had another episode in January that lasted less than 24 hours. During the issue, I took a low dose of the drug. However, with the drug and increased beta blocker, my legs almost collapsed while running. I only took the drug for three days.
A couple of days before the Dahlgren Trail half-marathon, I had a follow-up appointment with my cardiologist. He had wanted me to take the Flecainide starting in October. He wanted me to start using the drug regularly.
After that race, I started taking a regular dose of Flecainide and a half-dose of my beta-blocker. Running for the next month was not impossible. Just a little more difficult, as my heart rate was restricted.
A month after the half, I did a 5km, intending to run the entire distance. One mile into the race, I was struggling to run downhill. My finish time was 110% if my 5km time. Back at the doctor, I told him I wanted off the rhythm-controlling drug. During the removal taper, my times started lowering, and by the time I was off the drug, they were back to normal.
By August, I had had no more issues and was running well. I wanted to reduce my beta blocker dosage. I started that change days before the Devil’s Den 10-mile and ran that race feeling the best I had since November 2023. My heart rate averaged above 150, I had a bounce in my legs, and my breathing was not labored. However, I was not feeling well in the following days and returned to the previous beta blocker dosage. This time, my morning dose was taken after running. I continued to feel well while running.
By October, I had completed all of my long training runs for the Marine Corps Marathon and completed my best 10km in a couple of years. Later that night, I went back into AFIB. This time, I did not come out.
Still in AFIB, I met with my cardiologist on Wednesday. That night, we tried using a drug to get me back to normal. That did not work, so the next day he cardioverted (shocking, I say) me. I went back on Flecainide, blood thinners, and a once-a-day dosage of a beta blocker, taken after running. In the hospital, I asked him, “Is it OK for me to run a 42km in 10 days?” He told me it would not hurt anything to try.
Since then, I have stayed on the same drug regimen and remained in normal sinus rhythm.
And that 42 km was the Marine Corps Marathon on October 26. It was not one of my original goals, even though I had registered for the race in November 2024. The 2025 edition was the 50th running. Since the event was my first marathon in 1993, I needed to participate in the 50th edition.
Still on Flecainide, which made it difficult to run more than a few minutes at a time, I devised a plan that got me to the finish line in 6 hours and 23 minutes. I made sure to stay ahead of the mid-course time limits. The day after that race was the last time I had anything other than “Normal Sinus Rhythm” on my daily Kardiamobile reading.
My other running goals were to complete the 18th Marine Corps Historic Half-Marathon and to run 6 days per week. I had finished the first 17 years of the race. During the race in May, I was only using beta blockers and recorded my best half-marathon time since starting the drug. The night before the race, the Marine Corps Marathon Organization presented me with their Oscar Mike award for service to the Fredericksburg running community.
I didn’t run 6 days a week. I did get out and walk on some of those days.
My medical situations were not all bad.
In March, my annual brain MRI indicated the tumor in my right IAC had not grown in 3 years, and I do not have to return to UVA Medical in Charlottesville until 2027. I will have my hearing checked in March 2026. We would investigate any declines.
In August, my annual PFT showed that the effects of my asthma were improving. That same month, my eye checkup confirmed my cataracts were severe enough to be removed. I had the left one extracted in November and the right one in December. I can see clearly now.
As a non-running accomplishment, I passed the QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor Level 1 and Level 2 tests. I currently serve as the FARC Treasurer, using my QuickBooks skills. Also, I learned Python, just for something new.
Until I could not see well enough, I measured five courses for USATF certification. I’ve been reducing the fee I charge in exchange for multiple years of complimentary race registrations.
For the first time in my memory, I slept every night in my own bed, except for one hospital visit. Besides DC, Charlottesville, and Richmond, my longest road trip was to Baltimore in October to play in a WSOP Circuit event. In 2024, I won a World Tavern Poker tournament, which awarded me an entry fee for the Baltimore event. I played well and cashed in 14th out of 160.
My Garmin account doesn’t know of my running before 2024. It keeps awarding me PRs. This year they include 1 km, 1 mile, 5 km, 10 km, half-marathon, marathon, and the longest run.
I finished 18 in-person races. I continued my finish streak of Coldwell Banker Elite Grand Prix races, now at 70. I finished first in my Grand Prix age group.
The 18 in-person races are the same as 2024 and include a marathon, four half-marathons, seven 5km, two 10km, a 15km, and ten, five, and one-mile races. I participated in the FARC weekly track meets. Should I count those mile races, too?
I finished the year with 1357 miles, up from 1255 in 2024.
I had a weird dream last night. It was toward morning. After getting up at 5 am for a bathroom visit, I dozed back asleep. I woke up multiple times after that, each time in a dream. The strange part was that the dreams shared the same theme and continued where they left off.
I was at the start of a long trail race. I had wandered over to pick up my bib number. Others were warming up with bibs pinned to their shirts. I did not pick up my bib, knowing I would get it later. <woke up>
I ran into Jim Lynch on the way back to my car. I didn’t expect to see him at the race. If I had known he was going to be there, I would have asked him for the stuff he was giving me at the Dahlgren Trail half-marathon at the end of January. I walked back to my car.
While there, I roamed over to watch the youth mile race that was passing nearby. I realized I needed to hurry up and get ready to run, knowing I still needed to pick up my bib. < woke up>
Back at my car, I start changing shirts, but not a singlet since I still had to pin my number on when I picked it up. I filled up a water bottle with a UCAN mix. I start putting on my shoes, still hurrying to get to the start. Even with the top on, I spilled my water bottle. Oh well, I added more water.
I’m sitting on the ground leaning against the back of somebody else’s car, trying to put on my shoes. The owner comes by, opens the hatch, and a strange-looking large dog jumps out. <woke up>
Did I make it to the start line on time? I might find out tomorrow morning.
I came into modern times. I had wired standard-def TVs with set-top FIOS boxes. This configuration was installed in 2010. Verizon has updated its FIOS products to include a central router communicating via Wi-Fi to TV monitors. I recycled five tube TVs/monitors and replaced them with two flat-screen HD monitors. Mid-summer, I retired my Windows 10 computer and moved everything to my Windows 11 desktop. I was able to use the monitor on the Windows 10 computer as a second monitor with the new setup. Maybe in 2026, I’ll get a 5G cell phone.
I took my annual December pilgrimage to the Jefferson statue on the lawn and remembered the phrase I coined, “If you don’t do what you want to do, you will never do what you want to do.” I reflected on my goals for the upcoming year
I reached three of my six goals. I’ll try to do better next time.
On to 2026, my goals are to complete all 12 Coldwell Banker Elite Grand Prix races, run or walk six days per week, and finish my 19th Historic Half. Non-running goals include becoming a certified tax preparer and maintaining my QuickBooks Online certifications. My final goal is to write my 2027 goals at the end of the year. Goals are best when written down and published. On On!.