I’ve Failed to Get Back in Shape Since the Pandemic, so I Signed Up for a Marathon

I used to exercise, a lot. 6+ days a week. Sometimes twice a day on weekends. I was in great shape.

When the pandemic hit and sporting venues closed, the exercising started to slowly dwindle.

Then I met the mother of my now 1-year old daughter. We first got a dog, then a house we renovated. Life kept happening, and I lost my way.

5 years later, I’m still not back. So late last night, I did something drastic. I signed up for a marathon. I haven’t even ran that distance in the past 3 months, put together.

The Proven Method to Get in Racing Shape

I’ve fallen out of shape and climbed back up before.

My knee got wrecked during military service. It took visiting 6 doctors to finally find the cause: a meniscus that had all it’s attachments torn off. It took 2 years to find the cause, fix it with surgery, and heal back up. By the time, I was completely out of shape.

I knew I needed to change. My pain free knee demanded I got back in shape. So I signed up and completed an Ironman 70.3, just 7 months after putting weight on my left leg again.

Btw. that’s the current president of Finland, Alex Stubb in the orange quilt.

Why This Time is Different

Back then, I was just over 20 years old, single and had no responsibilities. I could train hard, eat fast food, go out partying and still recover.

Not anymore.

I’m now 35, have a bad back that has a tendency to flare up when I ramp up training, and responsibilities beyond myself.

I know the sign-up-for-a-race strategy works for me, but I don’t know if it works with all the responsibilities I have now.

I need a much smarter approach than I had as that 20-year old without competing demands on my time and energy.

Enter My Not-So-Secret Weapon: The AI Coach I’m Building

Approximately half of first time marathoners get injured during training.

It’s not because first timers are weak, it’s because training for a marathon is really hard on your body.

It’s hard to know when to push through the pain and when to take it easy. It’s hard to keep track of everything and make sure you are training optimally.

Furthermore, plans are rigid. Miss a workout, and you’re either behind or trying to catch up. That’s how people get injured. Real life demands plans that adapt.

That’s why pros have coaches. But coaches are out-of-reach for most, they certainly are for me.

But coaches no longer need to be out of reach for regular people. There’s a lot of established marathon research out there. Smart watches, like the popular Apple Watch, collect all sorts of data from their wearers. Connect those two with the latest AI technology, and you can have an elite coach in your pocket.

I’m building that coach to help me, and I’m putting it to a public test with my first marathon.

What This Blog is About

This blog is my accountability, both for my marathon and the AI coach I’m building. If you’re considering your first marathon, you’ll see someone taking on the challenge in real time, with an AI coach by my side.

Every week, I’ll share:

• My actual training approach
• What the AI prescribes
• What I’ll do with the advice
• And whatever else this journey reveals

Honestly, I don’t know if any of this will really work out. My first marathon is May 16, 2026. Stay tuned and find out with me.