Hey guys! Thank you all so much for your well wishes about my surgery. I am on the mend and hope to go back to work soon.

And I’m already thinking about my health and fitness goals for this year (as soon as my doctor says it’s ok for me to exercise again):

A look back on 2015

I brought in 2015 with a bit of uncertainty because I was dealing with a pesky knee pain that would not resolve. So while my fitness goals were not very concrete, here are the things I said I wanted to work on:

• Possibly get back into running and run in the Virginia Tech 3.2 for 32 race in April.
• Get back on my bike. Cycle pain-free

If you followed along here then you know that I eventually had a knee scope in early March and did extensive PT for 4 months afterwards. And then I tore my posterior tibial tendon in July, which essentially put me out of commission for the rest of the year.

I didn’t get back into running, but the good news is that my knee pain eventually resolved after EXTENSIVE physical therapy + 6-7 sessions of dry needling.  I got back to a point where I was riding my bike with no major issues and it was truly amazing!!

Goals for 2016

I am going into 2016 with the same approach I had last year dealing with an injury. I want to exercise. I want to be athletic. I want to feel the rush of crossing a finish line. But I don’t want to set lofty goals that will lead to disappointment. So ultimately, my #1 fitness goal in 2016 is to be smart about exercise to avoid re-injury.

Strength Training

Seeing how my knee pain resolved with hard-core strength training really opened my eyes to how lacking my previous fitness regimen was. Spending 2-3 days per week in the weight room working on strengthening my legs was really the foundation for my knee recovery.

So my priority starting off the new year will be to get back into a strength training regimen. I am essentially starting from scratch because I have not worked out since coming off of crutches in November. But I have my PT exercises and I know what worked for me in the past. I feel good about starting there.

Cycling

Once the time is right, I want to get back on my bike. No speed goals. No distance goals. Just want to cycle and enjoy it!

If I’m doing well and feeling good physically then I would love to join in on some group rides. Charlotte has some awesome cycling groups! We’ll see how I’m doing as the year progresses.

Running

Ah, running. You guys know how I feel about this… I want to do it. I know at this point that it might not be the best idea.

I had extensive talks with my PT about it over the summer and his recommendation was to prioritize my fitness goals so that I am doing what I love without causing injury to my body. In other words, cycling > running. I really took this to heart and still agree with his advice. I just want to see how I do and where 2016 takes me. If I ever get to a point where I want to try running, it will definitely start with a very slow walk-run program.

Diet + Nutrition

I spent over half of 2015 being unable to work out, yet maintained my current weight and generally felt good about myself from a health standpoint. I’m going to attribute this 100% to following what I know works for me when it comes to my diet:

• Eating at home and preparing my own meals as much as possible
• Making fruits, vegetables and lean proteins the center of my meal planning
• Staying hydrated and avoiding liquid calories
• Not depriving myself… sticking to healthy eating most of the times leaves plenty of room for the occasional take-out meal or glass of wine without feeling guilty or regretful

Thanks for following along with me on my health and fitness journey! Can’t wait to see what is in store for me in 2016!!!

What are your health and fitness goals for 2016?

Did you learn any lessons in 2016?