2025 - When you Learn How Important Your Friends Really Are

"The only way out is through." - Robert Frost

I don't want to say 2025 was an off year, but after 2024 delivering on very high expectations, it is hard to think of it any other way.  After a long year coupled with losing my parents, false starts, canceled trips, and a DNF, I'm happy to simply be still running.  

The year started off like the last few with a big January, knocking out 345 miles including a marathon (training run) in the snow.  This is also when we kick started the "lets go to bakeries 3 or 4 times a week" which we pretty much held onto the entire year.  

February is where the year initially went off the rails.  Amy, the kids, and I were set to go to Disneyland and Joshua tree national park for February break.  First, we had to change our flight due to an impending snow storm, then hours before boarding the flight my father had an aneurysm and ended up in the hospital. 

The next month was a bit of a blur as we juggled to take care of my mother who had advanced Parkinson's while visiting my father during his slow recovery ... all this while trying to explain to a 9 and 12 year old that we had to postpone Disneyland. 

Thankfully, after 5 weeks in the Neuro ICU and 2 weeks in rehab, my father made it back home.  

In March, running wise, I may have over compensated a bit knocking out 384 miles with back to back to back weeks with a marathon.  

In April, I got in my only race of marathon or longer on the year; the Madeira Island Ultra Trail (MUIT) marathon.  It was complete with more mud then you could ever have hoped for and over 5000' climbing.  After 5 hours, I made it to the finish line, a bit beat up from all the slipping and sliding.  

In general, our trip to the Azores and Madeira Island were a high point on the year and I highly recommend them as places to visit.     

Post Madeira, I was hoping to get straight back to ultra shape, but my hips thought otherwise, so I dialed it back a bit and then just got back to base mileage. 

In June, we got our makeup trip to Disneyland and Joshua Tree National Park in and Neil made this cool video about all the parks he has been to.  It was great to get out of town for a few days.  

End of July is when the world turned upside down again.  First my father went back into the hospital with an infected gall bladder, then had multiple surgeries due to internal bleeding.  Next we had to put my mother into assisted living, which she was not impressed by.  5 weeks later my father came home from the hospital, was put into hospice.  At this point my mother moved back home to be with him, with a pair of live in aids helping out.  

On October 4th, my father passed away peacefully and then a week later, my mother had a brain hemorrhage, never to awaken again and passed on October 23rd.  The whole thing is still a blur and doesn't seem real.  On November 22nd, we laid them to rest and hosted a gathering at Nigh Shift brewery in Everett.  We miss you mom and dad.  

Birthdays Celebration, Mighty Squirrel, Arsenal Yard, July 

 
While this has been one (if not) the hardest times in my life, the support I have received from family and friends has been incredible.  From the wellness gifts to the check ins, knowing how much people care, really makes you feel loved and know that you are not alone.  

The last couple of months of 2025 have a been a bit somber, but given me a chance to reflect on what is important and what I want to do with my life.  I coached Neil's soccer team this fall again, took up coaching with the Waltham Track Club this winter and am looking into how I can make this a bigger part of my life.  Helping others not only achieve their goals, but figure out what they are capable of, has been something that I take a lot of enjoyment in.  

Racing wise, I ended the year with a 4 mile race on Thanksgiving and a 5k in mid December.  While I still haven't found my pre Tahoe speed, it was nice to get some quicker runs in.   

By the Numbers 

• Races: 8, Marathon and a bunch of short stuff
• Longest run: 47 Miles (Kodiak 100k DNF)
  
• Miles Run:  3682
• Time Running:  530
• Climbing: 209k
• 12th consecutive year of running every day
• 11th consecutive year of running my age on my birthday 
• Total Streak Miles: 39,420
• Total Miles Tracked: 45,174

How Far Did I Get

This year, I made it just past Cape Verde and have now logged just over 45k lifetime miles.  In just over a year I will finish my second lap of the earth at the equator and cross the big 50k.  

A Look Back / What's Next

There isn't too much to say other then what was already said above.  A long hard year, lots of consistent running (5th year in a row over 3500' miles, 10th over 3000'), but not much racing and haven't found my speed. 

So as we look forward to 2026, I am aiming to find my mojo; more racing, more trips and time to do something epic again.  Stay tuned. 

- Scot