I am 43, I have had knee surgery, and after years away from regular blogging I am back with a goal too big to hide in a drawer: an Ironman in Italy in 2027. I am writing it publicly for one reason — to remove the comfortable option of backing out.
This is not about merely reaching the finish line. I want to rebuild properly, intelligently and with respect for my health. And because a goal without a number can become vague, I am making mine clear: I will aim to break 10 hours. That is an ambitious direction, not a guaranteed result. The real value of this project will be in the process.
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Why now?
Time has been on my mind more than usual. Maybe it is a midlife crisis; maybe it is simply a wake-up call. I can see my children growing. I can also see my own body changing. There was a time when I could get up, leave the house and run all day. Now I keep hearing: “You are not that age any more.” I do not accept that as the end of the conversation.
Age is not an enemy I need to fight in desperation. It is information: recovery matters, strength matters, consistency matters, and random bursts of training carry a higher price. That is precisely why Ironman 2027 is not a rebellion against the calendar. It is a deliberate project.
From the sofa to a sub-three marathon
In 2013, I got off the sofa and decided to run a marathon for my 30th birthday. The Polish Marathon Crown followed, and then the #Crushing3 project. I worked towards it for five years and broke three hours in Manchester. The finish-line image shows 2:55:33 — not only a result, but proof that one large goal can be built from thousands of ordinary days.
At the time, it felt like a culmination. Later I realised it was closer to a prologue. That same fire pushed me towards my first triathlons and eventually towards the full-distance idea.
The injury stopped the running, not the story
Then came pain, injury and meniscus surgery. I spent a year without running, gained about 12 kilograms and added roughly 10 centimetres to my waist. There was frustration, helplessness and depression. I replaced my clothes with larger sizes, and the difficult mornings taught me humility very quickly.
I do not want to pretend the comeback was a straight line. It was not. I returned in 2024 at around 78 kilograms. At the end of August 2025, I began putting my daily habits back in order. I am now around 69 kilograms with an 88-centimetre waist, and my energy is steadily returning. Those numbers are not a medal; they are a starting point and a reminder of what consistency can change.
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Ironman Italy 2027: a specific target
My target is an Ironman in Italy in 2027. I do not want to scrape through simply to say I finished, and I do not want to throw myself at the distance to prove something to my age. I want to reach the start healthy, prepared and fully aware of the work that brought me there.
I am aiming to break 10 hours at Ironman in 2027. Save it. Take a screenshot. I will remember it — and I will work towards it.
Ten hours feels like a number from another scale right now. Good. A large goal should force me to be patient, not reckless. Every training session, night of sleep, recovery day, equipment choice and decision to back off will belong to the same puzzle.
More than a finish: I want the best shape of my life
The clock is not the only thing that matters. I want to look and feel as though I am in the best shape of my life. I want to build a body that can handle the swim, bike and marathon, but also everyday life. Health is not an optional extra in this plan. It is the foundation.
In March 2026, I ran my first half marathon in several years with a genuine time target. The finish felt wonderful despite a problem with the shoe. The On Cloudboom Strike helped me deliver that performance; I have written separately about how the Cloudboom Strike performed over the half-marathon distance. That race did not answer every question, but it sent an important signal: I can commit to a process again and carry it to the finish.
A project without the Instagram filter
I am launching TheSor Ironman 2027 and I will document the journey as it really happens: the breakthroughs, setbacks, sound decisions and mistakes. I will not pretend that every session is transformative or that motivation is always waiting beside the bed. I am interested in the truth of a long process.
This is my first personal post after years away from regular blogging, and it opens a new chapter. I will collect every stage on the Road to Ironman 2027 page: training, benchmark races, equipment, data, difficult moments and lessons.
No turning back
I know it will be difficult. I also know that this is exactly why it matters. If you are returning to fitness after injury, a long break, or simply a period when everything else had to come first, tell me what you are working towards. Our routes may be different, but we do not have to walk them alone.
Ironman 2027. Target: under 10 hours. The process starts now.