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I created another illustration. This time, it's the famous Vienn Diagram!

The journey to UTA50 has just begun! I'm gradually building mileage, adding sprints at the end of sessions and getting used to running on tired legs.

Tonight's run was an easy 6km at a 6:25 pace, followed by sprints: 400m x 1 200m x 2 100m x 4

I'll keep track of my progress as I work on improving my speed.

It's not working harder. It's stepping back.

The answer isn't hidden. It's waiting for a moment of space, when the mind quietly connects what was already there. That's the brilliance of stepping away.

When it clicks, everything changes.

One realisation I had was that I want to create and share a “manual of me.” Something to help others understand how I work and how best to collaborate with me. So, I went ahead and drafted the first version.

The other realisation was about how our product teams operate in the context of our market. We can move faster. We should move faster. And we will.

Big day!

I did some sprints over the weekend to remind my body what explosive power feels like. Started with a 2 km warm-up, followed by some stretches and then did 6 x 100m sprints with 90 seconds of recovery in between.

The first couple were at about 80% effort to get the muscles firing, then I pushed hard for the rest. My best time was 18.4 seconds, which works out to a 3:04 pace.

This is already faster than the sprints I did on January 2, where my best was at a 3:23 pace.

Of course, 18 seconds isn't groundbreaking. Especially considering I used to run 100m in 12 seconds. But that was 20 years ago and I was 25 kg lighter!

Feeling excited to keep tracking my times. I'll aim to do the same for 200m and 400m next.

SkiErg all out, 500m in 1:46 😮‍💨 A good way to wrap up the day

Returning to the office with New Year energy, you spot two packages waiting on your desk.

A gourmet hamper and a bottle of fine wine spark instant excitement - this is your moment.

Then you see the label. The label says it all: not yours.

The year's first reality check. Fresh challenges are ahead in 2025. Let's go! 🚀

Afraid to look slow on a run? Remember, they don't know if you've run 1km or 50km. You could be an ultra runner and they're the ones not running.

Keep going. It's your pace, your progress,. your journey.

Created another illustration. Experimented with colours today.

Started with a rough idea. Then sketched out each element and put them all together.

Update (Jan 3): Ah, forgot about fog! Need to add it.

Concept:

The final version

First run of 2025 done ✅️

Apparently, there's a claim that "95% of adults over 30 will never sprint again" so I decided to do some sprints today - right after my 5km easy run. I knocked out 100m x 3 and the good news is - no muscles pulled! That feels like a solid start.

I reckon I'll start adding sprints to the end of all my easy runs to keep my muscles active and moving well.

P.S. Day 1 without sugar - so far, so good!

Just wrapped up my first gym session of 2025 and even snagged a badge for it in Garmin. Apparently, you can earn that kind of badge up to 250 times. Can't imagine anyone ever maxing that out!

Another illustration in the bag.

Yep, I know it's a bit messy and feels a little empty - but that's totally fine. Right now, it's all about getting into the rhythm of creating.

Quality isn't the goal yet. It'll come naturally as I keep practising.

Progress over perfection.

Cultivate and Cut

Happy New Year 2025!

The empty wall finally got its moment. Em, my wife, had a clear vision for where everything should go. I shared my thoughts too but let's just say they didn't make the cut. Fair enough.

Before

After

867km in 2024! That's about 17km a week on average - nice but time to step it up next year!

My first-ever illustration is ready! I really enjoyed the challenge of visualising a concept - it's harder than it sounds. And I've asked ChatGPT for feedback.

Leadershipis standing alone long enough for others to see the path forward.

ChatGPT feedback

This is a great start, and your illustration does a nice job of conveying the concept visually. Here's some feedback to make it even better:

Strengths

• Progression of Time: The "Day 1," "Day 30," and "Day 100" structure clearly shows the journey and gradual alignment of others to the leader's vision.
• Simplicity: The minimalistic stick figure style keeps the focus on the message without unnecessary distractions.
• Clarity of Message: The concept of persistence and leadership over time is easy to grasp.

Areas for Improvement

• Perspective & Visual Flow: The pathway leading to the flag could be more pronounced or evolve slightly over time (e.g., get brighter, wider, or clearer) to reinforce the idea of progress.
• Body Language: The stick figure's posture could subtly change to show confidence growing over time (e.g., arms outstretched or a firmer stance by Day 100).
• Background Variety: Consider adding a subtle background element (like hills or markers) to represent obstacles or progress.
• Engagement in Day 100: The figures saying "Oh, we see now!" are static; you could add small movements, like one of them starting to walk toward the flag, to enhance the sense of engagement.

Final Note The message lands well, and the simplicity is refreshing. With just a few tweaks, this could be even more impactful! Keep up the great work! 😊

I've always enjoyed using whiteboards and diagrams to visualise work but I've never tried creating cartoons - a whole different way of communicating. I always thought I didn't have it in me. The drawings would look terrible, and I'd just give up.

But I'm giving it another shot. Right now, it's not about quality; it's about quantity and improving, one step at a time.

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](https://x.com/nikitabier/status/1873498633536167953) While on a trip to Japan with my wife, we got talking about how much of what we do in life is shaped by movies - everything from beauty standards to how people are judged by their wealth, even to our ideas about who the "bad guys" in the world are.

Personally, I prefer sitting side-by-side. It feels more intimate and it's so much easier to share food that way. But it's funny how the default seating arrangement is almost always face-to-face.

Back from Balmoral! Spent some time walking the hills, followed by a swim - perfect weather for it.

I found a great hill to practise on for the UTA50 in May. It's 500m long with a 70m elevation gain. I did 3 reps today, which added up to 200m elevation.

Considering the UTA50 involves over 2km of elevation, I'm thinking a solid training session could be a 1km run plus 500m hill up and down x 10 times. That would work out to about 20km total with 700m elevation.

Definitely aiming to tackle this in March or April!

The first workout after a 4-week break and being sick - definitely felt the drop in fitness but the goal today was just to push through the Hyrox stations at around 70% effort.

Session Summary Total Time: 1h 2m Calories Burned: 730

Workout Breakdown

• 1km easy run
• SkiErg: 500m
• Sled Push: 180kg, 40m
• Sled Pull: 140kg, 40m
• Burpee Broad Jumps: 40m
• Rowing: 500m
• Farmer's Carry: 20kg x 2, 100m
• Lunges: 24kg, 20m
• Wall Balls: 7kg x 20
• 1km easy run

Happy to have completed it - just building back step by step!

Went for an "easy" 3km run today. After three weeks off - thanks to holidays, being sick, and enjoying way too many snacks in Japan - I've definitely lost some fitness. Oh, and I gained an extra 3kg of "holiday goodness."

The first few runs and workouts after a break always feel tough, like you'll never get back to where you were. But it's just temporary. I love the grind. Step by step, you get better than the week before.

Next up: UTA50 - an ultramarathon in the Blue Mountains this May. Time to focus on leg strength and hill training. Bring it on!

If you visit Japan, don't expect to find almond milk for your coffee or rubbish bins on every corner. But what you will find are plenty of adorable logos and cute instructions.