Highlights
Obviously, my mini-research leave in New Zealand was a big 2025 highlight. I had a four month leave and spent two months in New Zealand, and two months at the University of Toronto’s Centre for Ethics. I gave a lot of talks and also did a lot of bike riding, the perfect combo, along with reading and writing at the beach.
Here’s a little montage of our Dunedin, NZ home.
Read On lambs and lions and research leave: Sam is checking in for March 2025 and Riding on the South Island and Exploring Dunedin: Cycling and Local Culture and Discover Otago’s Stunning Harbour Cycle Loop Trail and Sam, Sarah, and sketchy single track on the South Island. You can see a lot more photos of our adventures here.
Bloggers’ Backyard BBQ
Another 2025 highlight was the Bloggers’ BBQ in my backyard. You can read about it here, FIFI Bloggers August BBQ– it’s becoming a thing. We’ll likely do it again in August 2026. Stay tuned!
Spinning Wheels Relay
I also had fun taking part in the Spinning Wheels Relay, with occasional blogger and family member Susan Fullerton and Sarah, with Jeff along for support. Day 3, riding into Toronto, was pretty cool but I also loved the trumpet fanfare that greeted us coming into Stratford on Day 1. Oh, and the Waterloo to Guelph route was so much fun we’ve ridden sections of it again for pleasure. Waterloo friends, you’ve been warned. Next summer we’ll be biking your way for dinner and visits once we’ve got enough evening light.
Struggles
Symptoms that turned out to be connected to a badly behaving hiatal hernia were the bad health news of 2025, and that health news came with some fitness impacts. You can read about it here. Bah! But I’m powering through, adjusting my workouts and my daily routines. For now, things seem to be under control.
Workouts
Goal: 225/350
Reality: I hit the 225 goal back in July. I considered 400 as a stretch goal but I knew that stretch goal was a bridge too far. I declared my new goal to be 350, I flirted with 400 though and said I would try. See here and here. In the end, I made it to 391.
I sometimes debate counting or not counting the dog walks. If I didn’t count them I’d likely be closer to the goal of 225, but there’s no objective metric here. We count the things that help to motivate us. I count physio and dog walks because sometimes that’s the extra nudge I need to get out the door, or down on the mat.
Here are some of my final workouts of the year.
Kilometers Ridden
Goal: 2500 km
Reality: 1920 km
I’m still struggling with this one. The last year I rode more than 5000 km was 2020, thanks to Zwifting during the pandemic. For me to hit the big mileage numbers I really need cycling vacations and some long-distance, multi-day charity rides. I haven’t been doing as much of that the past few years but it fits in with my new fitness goals. Given the health struggle mentioned above, I’m going to aim at being a Zone 2, long distance kind of rider in 2026. See From beast to bunny? Sam is thinking about her fitness future and about changing the focus of her bike training. Wish me luck!
My 25 in 2025
Things I did do: Sit on a beach with a book (thanks New Zealand!), go canoe camping, a charity bike ride, swim laps in a pool, host a bloggers’ backyard BBQ, Big Island bike ride, try a new place to eat in Guelph, volunteer at in-person events, more vegan cooking, have new photos taken for 60 (but they’re work photos)
Almost: Read 24 books (I made it to 21), clean out one drawer a month (no, but I do lots of sorting and organizing), I planted things, but not morning glories or lupins…
Nope, not this year: Sail the Snipe, go bike packing, ride 100 km, ice cream ride at the farm, go dancing, fat biking, spa day, visit another Canadian province
Books Read
Goal: 20
Reality: 21
Here are some of my favorites.
ThreeGoodThings
I also completed a full year of daily gratitude posting. Here’s my post on World Gratitude Day. I’m not sure if I’m going to keep sharing my good things on social media, but it’s definitely I habit I’ll keep for 2026.
