Wow, I can’t even believe it myself. I let four weeks pass without documenting anything for my 2026 weekly journal. That wasn’t ideal, but on the other hand, I wasn’t squandering my time away—I was living my life to the fullest. Here is a long-overdue life update. Spanning from September 21st to October 18th, these past four weeks coincided with China’s longest holiday season, where the Mid-Autumn Festival leads right into National Day. I think I got carried away by the holiday vibe and completely derailed my weekly routine of reviewing life’s ups and downs. Still, despite not journaling as diligently as I usually do, I had a wonderful time.

A Major Milestone: The Guangzhou Marathon Calling

My daily routine has shifted quite a bit recently due to some big changes. First of all, I got selected for the Guangzhou Marathon after three years of applying without luck!

If you’re wondering why it’s so hard to enter: in China, the demand for major events far exceeds capacity, so spots are allocated through a fair lottery system. I was absolutely thrilled because I set a goal back in 2025 to run one full marathon every year, and Guangzhou is a massive national event.

Since the race is set for December 20th, I immediately launched a 13-week marathon training plan starting September 21st. Preparing for a marathon means logging significantly more mileage. It sounds simple, but it’s tough in practice. Even though I run regularly, training to complete 42.195 km in 13 weeks requires a huge time commitment, which threatened to disrupt my overall fitness schedule. To adapt, I scaled back some strength training and cycling to prioritize running. I’m happy to report that I’ve successfully adjusted to this new rhythm and feel increasingly comfortable increasing my mileage each week.

Rising at 5:00 A.M.

Alongside marathon prep, I also tweaked my morning routine. Wanting more dedicated time for writing, I moved my alarm 30 minutes earlier. I now wake up at 5:00 a.m. To my surprise, the transition wasn’t nearly as challenging as I anticipated—my body barely felt the difference!

Apart from these lifestyle adjustments, I enjoyed a very relaxing holiday season. I caught up with old friends, recharged, and finally finished a show I’d been wanting to watch. Life felt peaceful and sweet.

Navigating the Lows: Persistent Pain

Naturally, there were a few low notes amidst the good days. No honest life update would be complete without talking about the physical struggles, too. My back has been hurting since late August. The pain comes and goes and never seems to fully heal, especially after the long runs required by my training log.

It gets frustrating—waking up in pain, going to bed in pain, feeling it while walking, and trying to ignore it while training. Not knowing when it will fully recover is tough, but stopping isn’t really an option right now when I need to build weekly mileage. Balancing physical recovery with training expansion has definitely been a struggle.

An Unexpected Vulnerability: Attractiveness, Aging, and Self-Worth

Another low note stems from an unexpected conversation about attractiveness. It’s funny how a routine life update can suddenly turn into a deep dive into my insecurities. During the holidays, I went to a party with a longtime guy friend. At one point, we got to chatting about people in our social circle and sharing our perspectives on attractiveness. He compared me to a mutual female friend and mentioned that he found her more attractive than me.

To be clear, he isn’t my type, and there’s no mutual romantic interest between us. Yet, his comment still stung because I’ve always considered myself more attractive than her. It triggered a sore spot—a fleeting fear that perhaps I’ll never meet someone who views me as uniquely attractive above everyone else.

Logically, I know love and attraction are subjective. But hearing someone whose opinion I valued judge my attractiveness as lower than someone else’s hurt my feelings. It served as a stark reminder of the anxieties surrounding aging and losing one’s appeal to the outside world.

The emotions were surprisingly complex. It wasn’t really about the comment itself, but rather how it unleashed a wave of pessimistic thoughts regarding love, aging, and self-worth—topics I didn’t even realize I still cared about. In that moment, those thoughts washed over me like cold, deep ocean water.

I know my friend wasn’t trying to be rude or hurtful; we’ve been close friends for years and were just sharing candid thoughts. Deep down, I suppose I had always assumed he viewed me as an attractive woman too.

Life Update: Staying Grateful and Grounded

Anyway, that was just a small detour in an otherwise fulfilling month. I hope you enjoyed this quick life update. Life has been kind to me, and I have no real complaints. Most of the time, I remain confident in my worth and value.

Thank you for reading! I’d love to hear how your life has been treating you lately—feel free to share your thoughts.