Every year offers a new chance to grow, but 2026 feels different. It’s a year where many of us are stepping into bigger goals, deeper challenges, and bolder versions of ourselves. As a coach and an athlete, I’ve learned that achieving anything meaningful requires three things: reflection, presence, and a willingness to lean into the unknown.
Last year, my own journey to the A100, a 100‑mile ultramarathon, reminded me of all three.
Looking Back: The Truth Behind the Training
If you could look at my ATP on Training Peaks (Annual Training Plan), you’d see a structured, progressive plan leading into the A100. Weeks of endurance, speed skill, muscular endurance, and power work. Steady blocks of 4–6 hours per week, building resilience and strength.
But what you wouldn’t see is the reality behind the numbers.
My mileage dropped.
My training declined.
My sleep was almost non‑existent.
Life was heavy. Emotionally, physically, logistically.
I was navigating bereavement, recovery, and responsibilities that stretched far beyond running. And yet, somehow, I still stood on that start line. I still moved forward. I still finished.
Not because everything went perfectly.
But because I refused to give up on myself.
Living in the Now: The Power of Presence
One of the biggest lessons from 2025 was that you can only train with the body and mind you have today. Not the one you had last year. Not the one you hope to have next month.
Living in the now means:
- Accepting the session you can do, not mourning the one you can’t
- Listening to your body without letting fear dictate your choices
- Showing up consistently, even when the effort feels small
- Letting go of perfection so progress can breathe
This mindset didn’t just get me through training, it kept me grounded when life felt chaotic.
My Top Tips for 2026: Look Into the Future and Embrace What Will Be Hard
Most people avoid discomfort. Runners learn to make friends with it.
If you want to achieve something big in 2026, you must be willing to:
- Lean into the discomfort
- Accept that growth feels messy
- Step toward the things that scare you
- Choose the harder path when the easy one whispers your name
Every meaningful goal has a moment where you think, “I can’t do this.”
That’s the moment that defines you.
Visualise the Future You Want
Visualisation isn’t fluffy, it’s a tool. A powerful one.
Before the A100, I visualised:
- The start line
- The dark miles
- The checkpoints
- The pain
- The finish
Not to pretend it would be easy, but to prepare myself for the reality of it.
When you can see yourself achieving something, you’re far more likely to make the choices that lead you there.
How I Managed the A100 With So Much Going On
People often ask how I managed to train, race, coach, and cope with everything happening in my life.
The truth is: I didn’t do it alone.
Support matters.
Community matters.
Letting people help you matters.
Whether you choose to share the details of your personal challenges, a personal loss, an operation, or anything else, is entirely up to you. What you can share is the message behind it:
That even when life feels impossible, you can still move forward.
That strength isn’t built in perfect seasons, it’s built in the hardest ones.
That showing up for others, as I did for my athletes, can make you stronger, more compassionate, and more capable as a coach.
Why I’m Stronger Now
Finishing the A100 didn’t just make me a stronger runner. It made me a stronger coach.
Because I understand:
- What it feels like when training falls apart
- How to rebuild from setbacks
- How to keep going when life is overwhelming
- How to hold space for athletes who are juggling far more than miles
This is the kind of strength you can’t fake. You earn it.
Your 2026 Roadmap
Here’s what I want you to take into the new year:
1. Reflect honestly
Look back at what worked, what didn’t, and what you learned.
2. Live in the now
Train with the body you have today. Honour it.
3. Lean into discomfort
Growth lives there. Always.
4. Visualise your future
See it. Believe it. Move toward it.
5. Accept support
You don’t have to do this alone.
6. Keep showing up
Even when it’s messy. Especially when it’s messy.
If 2025 taught me anything, it’s that we are capable of far more than we think, even in the hardest seasons. So here’s to 2026: a year of courage, clarity, and chasing the goals that scare us a little.
Achieve your goals in 2026. You’ve got this. And I’m right here with you.
10 thoughts on “How to Achieve Your Goals in 2026: Reflect, Live Now, and Lean Into the Future”
Very wise words coach. Continually learning and growing keeps me going.
Thank you so much Owen, that means a lot.
Continual learning and growth are exactly what keep us all moving forward, and it’s a privilege to support you on that journey. Here’s to a year of steady progress, curiosity, and showing up for yourself.
My goal is London my way 2026 in April and I know if you’re my coach I will achieve it and learn and grow more as a runner. You’re such a amazing coach to have and all I can say is thank you and you keep me working hard
Thank you Kristian, that’s incredibly kind of you to say.
April 2026 is absolutely within reach, and I’m excited to support you as you grow as a runner. You bring the effort; I’ll bring the structure. Together we’ll make sure you get there feeling strong and confident.
There is so much posivity, understanding and guidance here I am sure I will be referring back to it for years to come! Thank you.
Thank you, Kevin. I really appreciate your words.
If this helps you keep moving forward with clarity and confidence, then it’s done its job. I’m excited to see where your consistency takes you next. Although of course, I have an idea!
Very useful and thought-provoking.
I found myself nodding as I read as you reminded me of what I knew but needed to revisit as well as offering new food for thought.
2025 has been a year or ups and downs for me, mentally and physically, and as you’ve said many times, sometimes you have to step back and consider what’s been good and what’s been less so and what to take from that, reset, and then move forward with a ‘toolbox’ that is right for you.
2026 A races for me will be London My Way and the Great North Run, and I have no doubt I will finish strong in both under your guidance.
Thank you so much for sharing this Abi, it really means a lot.
I’m glad the post resonated, and even more glad it helped you reconnect with things you already knew deep down. That’s often the real work, isn’t it — not learning everything from scratch, but revisiting, reframing, and choosing what still serves you.
2025 asked a lot of you, mentally and physically, and you met every one of those challenges with honesty and persistence. Stepping back, taking stock, and rebuilding your toolbox isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s exactly how long-term progress is made.
And I absolutely love the clarity of your 2026 goals. London My Way and the Great North Run are such powerful choices for you, and you’re going into them with a stronger foundation than you realise. I have no doubt you’ll finish both with the strength, confidence, and pride you’ve earned.
We’ll build the year around what you need. Nothing generic, nothing forced and you’ll arrive at those start lines ready.
So much to think about and be inspired here. I really noticed a massive positive shift mentally recently and your quotes say it all. Looking forward to 2026!
Thank you Annabel.
It’s amazing what happens when the mental side starts to shift, isn’t it? You’ve clearly done a lot of internal work recently, and it shows in the way you’re talking about things with more clarity and confidence.
I’m really glad the quotes landed for you. Sometimes it’s just the right words at the right moment that help everything click into place.
Here’s to carrying that momentum into 2026, you’re setting yourself up for a strong year.