“Zoom in for gratitude. Zoom out for perspective.”
I came across this quote shortly after I got back from our Christmas travels. Reflecting on these words, my mind brought forth this:
It’s the little things that matter: Be grateful.
It’s the little things that don’t matter: Don’t sweat the small stuff.
Everything all at once.
These words describe perfectly what I felt at the end of 2025. Despite a rather chaotic holiday season, the long break from my usual routine and the ample time spent with friends and family over the holidays helped solidify that when it comes to the little things, gratitude and perspective are everything.
Over the past few weeks, we traveled a lot. We spent Thanksgiving at my parent’s house, then traveled to Australia for two weeks, then it was off to my in-laws for Christmas. Being forced out of my daily routine was exactly what my brain and body needed. It’s so easy for me to get caught up in the minutiae of day-to-day life.
During our travels, I removed the pressure of sticking to my exercise routine and focused on being present with friends and family. I exercised when it felt right; doing what I could, when I could. This looked like a handful of runs, some light resistance training, and a bit of mobility work. Sleep was flexible; no alarm clocks. I finally managed to sleep more than seven hours a night. Despite having to adjust to different time zones, I got some much-needed rest.
After doing a few harder runs over Christmas and feeling good, I was looking forward to getting back to a more consistent running schedule. Unfortunately, the universe had other plans for me (yet again). Ava came down with the flu the day we got back from my in-laws and, despite my best efforts to avoid her germs, I woke up on New Year’s day with a fever, body aches, and congestion. Just how I wanted to start 2026. . .
On a positive note (I think), I also woke up to this message in my inbox.
Scared shitless, but full of excitement, is how I would describe my feelings about this decision. My injuries from this past year had me questioning the 100-mile distance, but something in me told me to go for it. I needed something to light a fire under me in 2026, and this seemed like just the thing to do it.
“Life is an adventure or nothing at all.” – Pink
This race, and all the work required to get me there, will surely be an adventure of a lifetime. Even getting to the start line seems like a long shot, but that’s part of what makes it so exciting. Crossing the finish line will be a huge challenge. I’m hopeful I can get there, and if I do, the struggle will make the victory that much sweeter.
Circling back to the idea of everything all at once and relating it to this big, audacious goal of 100 miles: Goals mean nothing and everything. This race is meant to inspire me to do hard things, but at the end of the day, the goal itself and its outcome are meaningless. If I go the distance, great; if I come up short, that’s great too. As I’ve said before, it’s not about what we achieve, it’s about what we learn in the process of striving to achieve.
Here’s to a year filled with perseverance, grit, and immense personal growth.
