Week 11, 2026: The hardest so far in 2026

On Monday, when I couldn’t hit the 400m paces during my interval session, I had a feeling this was not going to be an easy week!

Last weekend, I spent it binging Heated Rivalry and getting obsessed with what is probably the best thing I have seen in a very, very long time. This week, however, couldn’t have been further from that joy. Work was very hard, I couldn’t study as much as I wanted, and running wasn’t easy either!

Thursday was probably the worst day for me in 2026 so far! I had a very stressful interaction at work, and it made me very frustrated. I don’t like recalling the frustrated, angry version of myself that showed up a lot during my last relationship. I really don’t like how consumed I became!

A lot of things to work on.

✨ Highlights

Best Moments

As I said above, this wasn’t the happiest week. Still, there were a couple of moments that made it a tiny bit better.

I bought my mom the ring she had wanted for a long time for Mother’s Day! At least I was able to make someone happy!
Not only did I finish a whole book this week, but I also started another one. I have to admit, Heated Rivalry impacted me so much that I had to read the books too! So far, that has been a great decision.
Having lunch with my friends and people at the office always brings a lot of laughter and joy to my heart! Next week, we are celebrating St. Patrick’s Day 🍀! God, I miss Ireland so much!

Wins

I finished a major migration at work, which I was very happy about.
I was happy to finish the week in a caloric deficit. I am trying to lose weight this year, and I started tracking my calories last Sunday. I need to be careful not to cut too much because of my running volume.

⚠️ Challenges

What felt heavy or draining?

As much as I love what I do for a living, some days and interactions make me question it. I approach work as a place where I can find joy and have fun, and I try my best to make other people’s lives and jobs easier as well because I understand the pain of wanting to do something and feeling like a million blockers are standing in front of you! Some people don’t do that, and that is okay, but I need to learn how to deal with that reality. So far, I am failing.
Studying and waking up early in the morning have been hard for me these days! It might be because work is draining, or maybe I am simply not in the right mindset yet to work on what I have planned for this year. I do know, though, that this will improve. I can feel it.

What didn’t go as planned?

Speed workouts have been very hard for the last 3 weeks or so. Harder than I have ever experienced, I think. I am generally tired, and the paces were very hard anyway. I would be very happy with anything sub-1:39 in two weeks. That is mad, to be honest! Last year, I wouldn’t have dreamed of this number.

🧠 Lessons & Patterns

I am deep into Kubernetes core concepts and trying to learn how it all works. I have been a user for the last 4 or 5 years, but I never really looked under the hood. Very interesting stuff!
I am currently learning a lot about food and nutrition. I would like to work on my physique this year. I run a lot, but I am a heavy runner (93kg and 183cm), and my goal is to finish the year at around 83kg with good muscle development. Muscles weren’t my thing for a long time, but for the last 3 months or so, I have been trying to work on them! I wanna feel strong and capable, and I also wanna look good, like really good!

🏃 Running & Training Summary

This week, I did 5 runs, 73km in total, which came to about 6h 30min. I am two weeks out from the Berlin Half Marathon, which means I am going to be tapering over the next couple of weeks. Not gonna lie, I need it!

I felt flat, to be honest, on most runs. Monday’s interval session was so hard! I couldn’t hit the 400m paces and fell behind on many of the targets. I think my fitness isn’t where I thought it was. It is okay, though. I still have a lot to learn and practice. Besides training hard, I am also trying to lose weight to feel lighter.

I hit the gym 3 times as well! I really wanna feel strong there and build muscle!

😄 Things I enjoyed this week

Heated Rivalry for sure. I hate the idea that some people think, and I used to be one of them as well, that the show is just gay porn or smut. It is an amazing show. The subtext and dialogue are unlike anything else, and people who haven’t watched it are missing out on an amazing experience. So go and do yourself a favor and watch it.

🎯 Next Week Plan

Stay in a caloric deficit and focus on tapering and recovering. I am very excited for the Berlin Half and wanna be ready for that day.
Study every day as planned and focus on work/life balance again. I did a great job with this in 2025, and I don’t wanna lose that progress.
Continue enjoying reading. I think I have hit a wonderful spot in my reading journey these days, and I am always looking forward to it.