Heading Into 40 Stronger Than Ever

Hi all -

It’s been quite a year. I’ve shared some of the tougher moments here before, but there’s something I’ve been fairly quiet about that I wanted to take a moment to share.

Over the past year, I’ve been focused on getting back into shape. I was never in poor health, but earlier in life I played multiple sports and staying fit came naturally. That changed in September 2012, when I had foot surgery to replace the ligament in the arch of my left foot. After that, things were never quite the same. Running—once my go-to—was no longer an option, and maintaining fitness became something I wasn’t sure how to approach anymore.

I’ve never been much of a gym person, and lifting heavy weights to bulk up wasn’t what I was looking for. Last March, I decided to try a different approach and started using two workout apps—Sworkit and Adrian James’ 6-Pack Abs. I focused heavily on upper-body and core strength, with the added goal of improving my golf swing speed. I stayed consistent with those workouts from March through December 2025 and got into solid shape.

By late December, though, I felt like I had hit a plateau. I wasn’t seeing much improvement in energy or appearance, and then I caught a pretty rough cold that sidelined me for about three weeks. Once I started feeling better, I decided to switch things up and found a calisthenics app called Better Me.

Better Me is a full-body strength and stretching program, and it has been no joke. For 28 days, I committed to a challenging 25-minute daily workout that pushed just about every muscle. Even now, four weeks in, the workouts are still tough—but in a good way. I no longer wake up dreading my workouts, and even when I caught another cold recently, I stuck with the plan.

As I approach my 40th birthday this August, I can confidently say I’m in the best shape I’ve been in since my early 20s. Over the next year, I plan to keep building on this momentum—continuing with Better Me and adding more targeted training to further improve my swing speed.

I’m also hoping to find a few local golf tournaments to compete in and really see where my game stands—and whether I can take it to the next level.

I don’t know exactly what the next year will bring, but I do know I’m committed to being the best version of myself, no matter what else is going on.

I'll get back to the golf posts soon, but wanted to post this, just in case anyone else is in the same boat I was.

Til next time. Fairways and green y'all.