Q2 2026 was a better recovery quarter than Q1: stress dropped, body battery improved, steps came back up, active calories increased, and VO2 max started to recover. It was not a clean win. Sleep stayed just under target, May had a noticeable dip, and weekly intensity was still well below the 800-minute goal. But after the injury-disrupted Q1, this looks like movement in the right direction rather than another quarter of drift.

A short set from Kaikoura.

A short set from Nelson and Tasman.

A short set from Arthur’s Pass.

A short set from Aoraki Mount Cook National Park.

Q1 2026 was a rebuilding quarter from a training and recovery perspective. The data shows reduced training load, lower daily steps, higher stress, and lower body battery relative to late 2025. As usual, there are four areas that I wanted to focus on: Improve fitness by training more. My goal is to maintain 800 intensity minutes on average per week. Sleep better by improving my sleep hygiene and experimenting with meal timing. Reduce stress by examining meal composition and avoiding anything that might impact my sleep. Improve biomarkers by looking at my nutrition, as well as the above items. Overall most metrics moved in the wrong direction this quarter, as we can see with the following key metrics.

2025 wrapped up with another hard quarter, unfortunately. Coming off some travel in September there were some events at work in October and November that were especially challenging, and in late November I got a little sick. Even worse is in early December I managed to break my ankle at the local Parkrun. This was well timed for a long road trip towards the end of December, which suited me well given my condition, but did mean exercise slowed down.

An overall successful quarter, with most metrics moving in the right direction, despite being challenging for external reasons (work and travel). As usual, there are four areas that I wanted to focus on: Improve fitness by training more. My goal is to maintain 800 intensity minutes on average per week. Sleep better by improving my sleep hygiene and experimenting with meal timing. Reduce stress by examining meal composition and avoiding anything that might impact my sleep Improve biomarkers by looking at my nutrition, as well as the above items. Overall most metrics are improving, as we can see with the following key metrics.

Lots of fibre. 125g steel cut oats 1 tbsp sunflower seeds 1 tbsp goji berries 1 tbsp raisins 1/2 tsp turmeric, ground 1/2 tsp cinnamon, ground 1/4 tsp ginger, ground 1 dash of lite salt Put in a jar Add water about 50% above the oats Let soak overnight Eat Number Change Date v2 Adjusted to 1 tbsp each to ease making 30-Sept-2025 v1 Initial recipe 30-Jan-2025

My primary goal here is to boost lycopene. Courtesy of Serious Eats. 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided 2 cloves garlic, grated on a microplane grater 1 small onion, finely sliced (about 1 cup) 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 2 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into rough 1/2inch pieces 2 800ml cans whole peeled tomatoes packed in juice Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan over mediumhigh heat until shimmering. Add garlic, onions, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring frequently until onions are softened but not browned, about 4 minutes. Add bread and tomatoes. Roughly mash tomatoes with a whisk or a potato …