One of my goals as I close out 2025 was to get back into blogging. I started writing earlier this year mostly as a place to keep a personal diary of the struggles I’ve faced with health and fitness. If it happened to help someone else along the way, that was a bonus.
For a while, I was on a great roll. The words were flowing, the motivation was there… until it wasn’t. Life got busy. Summer and fall were hectic, and my routines were the first thing to suffer. I stopped loving my time in the gym, and once that happened, writing about my journey started to feel irrelevant to me.
Fast forward to now — I’m partway through week four of a new program, and I’m genuinely loving it. I’m starting to feel like my old self again. Right now, I’m not overly focused on nutrition; my priority is getting back into a consistent routine. I’ve missed that sore feeling after a solid week of lifting. I know soreness isn’t a true indicator of a “good” workout, but it’s a feeling I enjoy — no matter how light the weights are.
My running-focused strength plan just wasn’t enough for me. It lacked the reps and consistency I personally need to stay motivated. I thrive when I feel pushed, and for me, that often means gradually increasing weight — safely — with at least one exercise per program. I carry a lot of strength in my legs, so I can usually progress faster with larger muscle groups. The reminder for me is always the smaller muscles: focusing on proper form and reps instead of chasing heavier weights.
Another big reason I’m starting to feel more like myself again is my digestion. About six weeks ago, I started using Hydrate + Detox from Hugh & Grace, and it’s made a noticeable difference. It helps keep me accountable with hydration, and the detox component includes pre- and probiotics that have helped regulate my digestion and reduce bloating.
I’ve tried my fair share of pre- and probiotics over the years, and most of them never seemed to work for me — this one actually does. Combined with increased water intake, it really feels like the best of both worlds. It’s also the only product I know of that combines hydration with pre- and probiotics, which saves me a bit of money.
Hugh & Grace products are also created with hormone health in mind. Whether it’s nutrition or skincare, everything is made with hormone-safe ingredients designed to support overall hormone balance. I had stopped using them for a while due to the longer shipping time, but honestly, the quality is unmatched. With continued use, my goal is to better regulate my hormones and fully get back to feeling like myself again.
As 2025 comes to a close, I’ve been reflecting on what I want 2026 to look like. I recently received my fitness year-in-review from both Strava and my gym, and I’ve started setting some goals based on that data. One of my biggest goals is improving my 5K time. I’d love to get it down to 30 minutes by the end of next year — shaving off about 20 minutes, or roughly four minutes per kilometre. It’s ambitious, but doable.
As I step into 2026, my focus is simple: consistency, strength, and feeling like myself again. If you’re setting goals of your own — big or small — I hope you’ll stick around and follow along as I share what works, what doesn’t, and everything in between.
Check back next week — I’ll be sharing a full breakdown of my 2025 goals and reflections.
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