I went into 2022 thinking it would be a rebuilding year, I didn't know how right I'd be. It was an up-and-down year, but I'm finishing on a high note. At least that's what I have convinced myself of.

THE LIFTS

I have standing standards for my lifts. For my upper body, it's any version of a bench press of 2 x bodyweight. For the lower body, it's a 2.5 x bodyweight trap bar deadlift.

As I entered 2022 on a reverse diet to build some calories back up, I felt strong and confident in those lifts. I hit a 403 (stupid kilos) bench at 198 and a 515 deadlift at 200. Both were done before I even hit summer. That was easy.

THE RUN

Being a rebuilding year, I focused first on strength and held off on my run goal.  I was damn lucky I did because my body took a giant dump over the summer.

Here's a lesson for all of you who don't know it, but unlike strength and hypertrophy, you can improve your conditioning significantly in a matter of weeks. Unfortunately, you start losing it as soon as quickly as you improved it.

The fall was supposed to be a heavy conditioning block. What's the expression "Man plans and God laughs." With my back bringing me to tears over the summer I jotted down the goal of a 10-minute mile.

The 10-minute mile is a far cry from the 8-minute mile I have hit in the past, but I wanted to set something doable all things considered.

I have barely been able to run at all this fall due to my back. Oh yeah, and I got covid which is not great for the ol' respiratory system.

Within the past three weeks, I have experienced a great turnaround with my body. Covid was lingering, but with only a few weeks left in 2022, it was put up or shut up time for the sub-10-minute mile goal.

Luckily we had good weather back here in the Northeast. It was in the forties and sunny so yesterday was as good as it was going to get. I headed out to the track and hoped for the best.

I didn't check my quarter-mile splits, I just gave it what I had. Turned out it was good enough. I finished with a 9:48.

It was definitely a shot to the ego, but I hit my goal nonetheless snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. I tell most people any powerlifting meet you can walk away from is a good meet. I guess that's how I feel about 2022.