To the doghouse

Almost seven months ago, Pierini Fitness composed a reflection showcasing his darker side as a jaded old man.  The composition can be viewed here: Go find less.

While it reflects my mindset when I’m in a stinking thinking mode, it’s not honorable behavior by any stretch of anyone’s imagination.  It may reflect the mindset of cantankerous and jaded old men who have an axe to grind with their wives and significant female others, but it isn’t a mindset that’ll get us to Heaven.

Mrs. Pierini Fitness recently stumbled across this reflection on my blog, and my ears have been ringing ever since.  It resulted in me being sent to the doghouse, again, rightfully so, and has given me time to reflect on how what I expressed in this reflection is at odds with the person I desire to be. 

There may be others who read this who took similar offense.  To all who did, I ask for your forgiveness and want you to know that the message I expressed is not my playbook by which I try to live my life.

But there were some truths in what I expressed.  Specifically, I said that a kind heart often co-exists deep within our psyche and soul if you’re willing to peel off the layers of thick skin we’ve grown over the years.  This is true, but our and my propensity to relapse to a lower level and undesirable behavior will always be there in the bowels of our old man minds.

So, what should we do? 

Be aware of this and pray for the strength to avoid relapse with a behavior that isn’t the kind and gentle older men that we strive to be.

Because this behavior is one that will, often, send us to the doghouse.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

  

2026 fitness and health goals

Happy New Year 2026 greetings Pierini Fitness sports fans.  Wishing that all your aspirations and dreams for the new year are realized.

 

Some of your goals may be fitness and health related; mine are too.  I’d like to share with you my 2026 fitness and health goals.  Mine is a list of five and here they are:

 

Goal #1 – Continue being prescription medicine 

According to one internet source, the Merk Manual Consumer Version writes that “older adults tend to take more medications than younger people because they are more likely to have more than one chronic medical disorder, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or arthritis.”

 

This source goes on to say that “approximately 90% of older adults regularly take at least 1 prescription medication, and 43% regularly take at least 5 different prescription medications.”

 

Thus far, Pierini Fitness has been blessed with good health and does not take any prescription medicine, so my first goal is to continue being prescription medicine free in 2026.  This goal has an asterisk next to it in that if I somehow develop a bacterial infection and take an antibiotic briefly, this won’t preclude me from achieving my goal.

Goal #2 - Complete 100 burpees with jumps in under ten minutes

Burpees continue to be my go-to exercise for cardiovascular conditioning and strength endurance and I’ll continue regularly doing them in 2026.  My best time completing 100 burpees with a jump is 9 minutes and 42 seconds that I did on May 1, 2024.  Afterwards, I relaxed and have since done them at a slower gentleman’s pace.

 

My second goal is to complete 100 burpees with jumps in ten minutes or less by my 71^st birthday, which is less than two months away, and I’m currently training to accomplish this.  If I achieve this goal, this will be great but if I don’t, it’s not the end of my fitness world and I’ll keep on chugging along with a regular serving of burpees for my fitness nutrition.

Goal #3 – Run, run, run, and have fun, fun, fun in 2026

I’ve had an on-again and off-again relationship with running as a regular fitness training activity; currently it’s “on.” 

 

Currently my relationship with running as a fitness training activity is on again, so I plan on entering a 5k distance fun run in 2026 with a goal of completing it at a pace of 8 minutes and 45 seconds per mile. 

 

The last run I entered a fun run was on July 4, 2024.  It was a 5-mile distance, and my time to complete it was 52 minutes and 31 seconds, a 10 minutes and 29 seconds mile pace.  This is slower from 25 years earlier when I could run this distance at a 7 minute and 10 second mile pace.  Gracefully aging and my lack of consistent running has created this slower pace. 

 

Let’s see if I can do something about it and achieve my third goal mile pace this year.

Goal #4 – Train smart, rest and recover, and remain injury free in 2026

I’ll train smart with plenty of rest and recovery to remain injury free in 2026.  While I may engage in pedal to the metal workouts from time to time, I’ll always be mindful that I’m an older man, training for upper percentile, age-adjusted cardiovascular conditioning, and strength endurance.  

I’m not training to make the 2028 Olympic team but to gracefully age and enjoy my life. 

Training smart, with plenty of rest and recovery, is how I’ll plan on remaining injury free in 2026.

Goal #5 – Lighter and leaner in 2026

I’m training to weigh 172 lbs. by my 71^st birthday in less than two months.  This morning, I tipped the scale at 174 lbs. so I’m getting close.

A second goal is to weigh 161 lbs. by the first day of Summer 2026. This was my weight in late 1972 when I took my Army entrance physical exam.

I was a dripping wet 17-year-old in late 1972, over 50 years ago, when I had this physical exam.  Three years later, in November 1975, I tipped the scale at 169 lbs. for my Army discharge physical exam.

At this older age of my life, lighter is better.  It makes it easier for me to do burpees, pull-ups and running, fitness training exercises I regularly do.  Plus, it’s easier on my old man knees and hips.

We’ll see if I accomplish my fifth and final goal.  I’ll relax my dietary discipline once I achieve it and may climb back to 169 lbs. which, as I previously said, was my Army discharge physical exam weight.  The last time I weighed this was in 2020.  

Tell me one of your goals.

Take care, Pierini Fitness sports fans, be safe and enjoy the new year.  I’m Pierini Fitness #FITAT70 and blessed, signing off. Until we meet again, I’ll be diligently working to achieve my 2026 fitness and health goals.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum