Going the distance – 2023 – Year of Endurance

As I embarked on my final long run of the year, a wave of realisation washed over me: 2023 was a remarkable year of growth, learning, and self-improvement. This year taught me the importance of consistency and determination. I’ve learned that achieving goals, both in professional and personal realms, is akin to running an endurance race rather than a sprint.

Looking back, on the sports side, I added a bit more km this year running this year, the motivation being boosted by the marathon in Athens and the plans for the next evens. Also, improved my swimming, not that much biking (actually, most of the rides were indoor in the debut of the year), but generally speaking it was a good year, one that I will keep as a reference for improving.

If you compare that to 2022, there are small differences (positive ones) in 2023 for running and cycling, not that much hiking and walking .. but overall, I was still more time active than in 2022, which says something about the determination to be active and healthy.

For running, it’s clear that the Athens marathon training helped this year to be back in the game, after starting the year not that motivated compared to last year.

In terms of gadgets, this year allowed me to use (and test) Garmin Fenix 7X (most of the time), Apple Watch Ultra (a good part of the time), Polar Vantage V2 (from time to time), Suunto Vertical (for close to one month) and Garmin Epix Pro (the current device). All of them offered me incentives to be active and continue my journey, all of them would be a great tool for people interested in being active, they all have strengths and may appeal to different people for different reasons.

Ultimately, while gadgets like fancy watches, bikes, or trainers add excitement to the fitness journey, the true driving force is your long-term motivation and goals. It’s about the commitment to stay active and move forward, beyond the allure of the latest “toys”.

Have a happy new year 2024, active and ..enjoy your running (in life)!

PS: you can always choose to celebrate the year end or start with a run, I did it once again (Garmin says) and I enjoyed it thoroughly