Fewer mistakes, smoother habits, cleaner progress

Every year has its purpose.
2024 was exploration.
2025 is consistency.
And 2026 is something different—not a reinvention, but a refinement.

I’m not trying to become a new person this year. I’m just taking what I’ve already built—running, strength, nutrition, routine—and making it smoother, cleaner, and more repeatable.

Consistency Over Intensity

I’m aiming for training that feels steady and sustainable. Regular weekly miles, a long run I don’t skip, and no dramatic swings in motivation or burnout. Just showing up, again and again.

Weight as a Performance Lever

I’m not chasing perfection or aesthetics. I’m simply keeping my weight in a range that makes running feel easier. That means high protein, a small calorie deficit, carbs around training, and avoiding the late-night chaos that derailed me in the past.

Strength as the Missing Link

Short, efficient lifts—push, pull, legs, and mobility—to support my running and keep me moving well. Nothing extreme. Just enough to make everything feel stronger and more stable.

Simplifying the Mental Side

I understand my patterns now: long work days, ADHD hyperfocus, and late-night fatigue can lead to overeating or skipped workouts. So this year is about guardrails—better routines, less friction, fewer decisions, and a calmer training rhythm.

Alcohol in Check

I handled alcohol well before, and 2026 is about keeping it clean: limited, intentional, and without the late-night spirals afterward.

Running as a Skill, Not an Identity

This year, running isn’t about proving anything. It’s about improving pacing, cadence, long-run comfort, and the small details that make races more enjoyable and less punishing.

A More Balanced Life

Writing, working, running, and lifting all fit into a steady weekly rhythm. Nothing overwhelming. Nothing chaotic. Just a more grounded version of my goals.

---

2026 isn’t about extremes. It’s about fewer mistakes, smoother habits, and cleaner progress.
A year where the system finally feels natural—and where I quietly build the foundation for the marathon I want to run.

2024 was a massive and new year for me. I tried a bunch of things. Got a coach. Became manager. TACKLED A FUCKING MARATHON!!!!!

The coach didnt work for me so I dropped him.

I will learn from that experience and do things better.

Last time I kinda gave up on diet. I did protein well, but not general carbs. I would binge a lot. I did alcohol well.

I did not do strength well. So this time I should add some strength training as well.

Dropping the weight will be important. So need to focus on that.

Mental shift: YOU ARE NOW A MARATHONER. So time to TICK IT UP A GEAR

NO IDENTITY CONFUSION

When I was a kid, I was fucking impressive. I had a company at 12. I was top 1% in a musical category. And I had honed AMAZING skills. I was questioning ideologies, and strenghtening my own.

That 13 year old kid was very impressive. And he had BIG HOPES for his older selves.

That’s who I am doing this for. My own 13 year old self, who expected the universe from me. And I have failed to deliver even a sliver of that.

The LEAST I can do is build a sustainable body. For him. For you, little guy.

More to write about this in the future.

I just did intervals. It was GREAT

I have a plan. Let’s keep it going.

Woa, maybe this works?

Yo this is AMAZING. I feel it.

Even the movement of eyes does it.

🔥 Fastest (10–30 seconds)

1. Slow Exhale Breathing

The vagus nerve fires strongest on the exhale.
Protocol:

• Inhale 4 seconds
• Exhale 8 seconds
• Do 6–10 breaths
  Effect: Drops heart rate, reduces cravings/stress spikes.

2. Face-in-Cold / Neck Cooling

Cold triggers the mammalian dive reflex → instant vagus activation.
Protocol:

• Splash cold water on face or
• Hold an ice pack on cheeks/upper neck for 10–20 sec
  Effect: Rapid stress downshift. Great before sleep or during urges.

3. Humming / Chanting / “Om”

Vibration resonates along vagus branches in the throat.
Protocol:

• Hum for 30 seconds
• Feel vibration in throat & chest
  Effect: Lowers cortisol, increases parasympathetic tone.

---

⚡ Quick (1–5 minutes)

4. Box Breathing

4–4–4–4 pattern
Helps with emotional regulation and concentration.

5. Gargling

Activates throat/laryngeal vagus fibers.
Protocol: 30–45 sec with water.

6. Ear Massage (Auricular Vagus)

The ear has direct vagus nerve branches.
Protocol:

• Massage the inner tragus and cymba conchae (upper inner bowl of ear)
• 1–2 minutes
  Surprisingly effective.

---

🧠 Behavioral (Steady Daily Improvements)

7. Slow, rhythmic cardio (zone 2)

Your specialty. Running, biking, long walks.
Improves baseline vagal tone over weeks.

8. Yoga / Stretching / Cat-Cow

The vagus nerve runs through diaphragm + GI tract.
Back-and-forth stretching improves parasympathetic activation.

9. Diaphragmatic Breathing

Hand on belly → inhale into your palm.
Do this when anxious or before sleep.

---

🧘 Mind–Body (Long-Term Baseline Boost)

10. Meditation (especially breath-focused)

Increases HRV (a proxy for vagal tone).

11. Laughter

Real or forced — same effect on vagal output.

12. Social connection

The vagus is tied to the “social engagement system.”
Talking, being around others, even calling someone works.

---

🍽️ Gut → Vagus Pathway

Your vagus also regulates digestion.

13. High-fiber meals + probiotics

Fermented foods (yoghurt, kefir, kimchi, pickles) → increase vagal signals via gut-brain axis.

14. Slow eating

Triggers stronger vagal satiety signals → reduces overeating episodes.

---

⭐ If your goal is to control cravings & post-stress overeating

Use this rapid combo (takes under 60 seconds):

1. Cold splash on face
2. 4 breaths of 4-in / 8-out
3. 30 seconds humming

This drops sympathetic activation and kills that “I need food now” impulse.

The space between stimulus and response – just before you DESTROY YOURSELF.

The things that FORCE you to learn about yourself – spiritual, meditative processes:

• Creating and raising a family. This will consume you
• Your work and business. Consumes you. You learn about yourself
• HEALTH – just you and God’s gift to you

Food addiction is HARDEST because you NEED food. You cannot completely turn it off like Alcohol or Crack.

Why are you causing self destruction? You have a MASSIVE goal ahead of you. Why do you have to cope?

Take the health EXTREMELY seriously for your kids.

You are allowed to give up on Booze now. Especially after that destruction.

You are allowed to be an asshole about it. No need to satisfy the urges of OTHER PEOPLE.

You are on a journey now. Marathon 2026. A Big Year for running.

Booze will destroy your efforts. And there is something AMAZING about staying up late while sober.

You now have the permission to dedicate yourself to this goal. And maybe one more thing like housing. But really, nothing else.

I need a list of regular meals

Cinnamon

Yoghurt with oats

Vegan stuff, higher fiber

Wow. It is TOUGH to get on the wagon. But I think it is happening.

I did a 5 mile run. AS USUAL. 5 to 7 miles is the sweet spot to kick things off.

My legs feel stronger. I feel like going back out. That’s really all you have to do.

Just. Keep. Going. Out.

Wear your shorts and tshirt. Get your audio book. Turn the brain off for some time and keep going.

And then, I want to hit up the gym too. It’s ON

✅ What is Retatrutide

• Retatrutide is a synthetic peptide drug developed by Eli Lilly and Company. Its developmental code name was LY-3437943. Drugs.com+1
• It is not yet approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) — it’s still investigational. Drugs.com+1
• Because of its mode of action — targeting multiple hormone receptors — people sometimes call it “Reta,” “Reta peptide,” or “reta” informally. Drugs.com+2Alturas Medical Weight Loss+2

🔬 Mechanism of Action — Why It’s “Next-Gen”

Retatrutide is a triple-receptor agonist: it activates three key metabolic hormone receptors simultaneously:

• GLP-1 receptor (glucagon-like peptide-1) — like older weight-loss drugs. Wikipedia+2Synapse+2
• GIP receptor (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) — another incretin hormone receptor that helps regulate insulin and fat metabolism. Drugs.com+2ScienceDirect+2
• Glucagon receptor (GCGR) — which influences glucose production, energy expenditure, fat breakdown (lipolysis), and metabolic rate. PMC+2ScienceDirect+2

This “triple agonist” design is intended to:

• Suppress appetite (via GLP-1 and GIP effects) Nulevel Wellness Medspa+1
• Improve insulin sensitivity / glucose regulation (incretin effects) Drugs.com+1
• Increase energy expenditure and fat-burning (via glucagon receptor activation) Men’s Health+2PMC+2

Because of this combined action, Retatrutide is considered more comprehensive than older, single-pathway peptide drugs like those that only target GLP-1. Men’s Health+2Nulevel Wellness Medspa+2

📈 What the Clinical Data Shows (So Far)

• In a 48-week trial, participants with obesity lost on average about 24.2% of their body weight on Retatrutide. Nature+2New England Journal of Medicine+2
• Other trials showed reductions up to 22.8% and ~24% depending on dose (e.g. 8 mg or 12 mg) in participants over 24 to 48 weeks. Nature+2PMC+2
• Beyond weight loss, Retatrutide has shown promising effects on blood sugar regulation (glycemic control), insulin sensitivity, and other metabolic markers — potentially beneficial for people with type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome. ScienceDirect+2Synapse+2
• There is also emerging evidence that it may help reduce liver fat in people with metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (a form of fatty-liver disease). Nature+2Synapse+2
• Some sources suggest advantages for cardiovascular risk factors (e.g. cholesterol, blood pressure) and possibly benefits related to metabolic health and “healthy aging.” Premier Dermatology+1

⚠️ What We Don’t Know / Safety + Regulatory Status

• Retatrutide is not yet FDA-approved. Drugs.com+2Drugs.com+2
• Because it’s still investigational, long-term safety — especially over years or decades — remains uncertain. ScienceDirect+2PMC+2
• There is concern about grey-market “retatrutide peptides” being sold online outside medical/research settings. Many of these are unregulated powders marketed to fitness/body-image communities, but they are not the clinically tested, quality-controlled drug. Drugs.com+2Men’s Health+2
• Risks of unregulated peptide use are real: unknown purity, mislabeling, contamination, dosing errors, and potentially serious side effects or adverse reactions. Drugs.com+1
• Also, because Retatrutide can cause notable weight loss — and you want to preserve muscle mass while losing fat — there’s a risk of muscle loss if diet/training aren’t carefully managed. Some experts highlight this trade-off. Men’s Health+1

🎯 What It Means for You (Given Your Goals)

Given your background and goals (you want to lose fat while preserving muscle, are doing strength training and prepping for a marathon, and you track macros intensely):

• In theory, Retatrutide’s fat-loss and appetite-suppression effects could help accelerate fat loss.
• But because it’s unapproved and safety/long-term effects are uncertain — especially regarding muscle preservation — using “retatrutide peptides” (esp. from grey market) would be risky.
• If Retatrutide eventually gets approved, and is used under medical supervision, you’d need to make sure nutrition and training are adjusted to protect muscle (plenty of protein, strength maintenance, careful macro tracking) — exactly the kind of disciplined approach you already prefer.
• Given your heavy protein goals (160–180 g/day) and structured training: you might better lean on those fundamentals first before considering unapproved pharmacological shortcuts.