Christmas and the holiday season can really play havoc with your running routine, motivation, and training. We’ve put together some bite sized tips to help you survive as a runner this season whilst still enjoying the festivities. They will reduce stress levels and give you a chance to escape into the outdoors.
It all starts to go wrong from the middle of November nowadays. The adverts start on the telly, Mariah Carey singing down the radio, and the shops are full of every temptation under the sun. The social calendar gets very busy, and combined with wet weather, cold temperatures and short days, I think many of us question our dedication to running in the festive season. So, should we just hang up our trainers for the time being, and start again in the new year when motivation is high, resolutions are shiny and new, and the shops are telling us all the benefits of starting the new year as a new you with a health kick? ABSOLUTELY NOT. I think one of the most important messages I can try and convey at this time of the year, is that one missed run, one extra chocolate, one too many glasses of fizz, doesn’t mean we should throw all plans away.
Getting out for 2 miles of a 5-mile run is better than NO run. Running twice a week of a planned 4 times, is better than nothing. Going out for a walk for 40minutes on a running plan, is better than not getting out at all. Don’t let the guilt of not being perfect get in the way of still salvaging a decent month of activity. What tricks can we use to try to stay motivated?
1 – Be realistic
If you know you are cooking Christmas dinner for 14 relatives, its probably not very feasible to plan a 20-mile run that morning, so accept there will be things you can’t do, and plan for quieter days, or shorter workouts when you will likely be short of time.
2 – Make running social
If you want to have a festive send off with your friends, why not see who fancies a run, or even a walk, rather than just a typical meal?
3 – Set small targets
Adjust your goals for the time of the year. If you over achieve them, great! Aim for just 1 mile, or just 10 minutes, and often you will find that once you are out, its easier to do a bit more.
4 – Use a gym
Many gyms offer pay as you go passes, so if you are really fed up of the weather or you run out of daylight, head to the gym and make use of the treadmills, or cross trainers.
5 – Dress appropriately
This may sound obvious, but I hate being cold, and I don’t mind running with a pack, so for me its far easier to get me out the door if I am overdressed for my run, knowing that within 5 minutes il be overheating and taking a layer off, rather than starting cold when I simply don’t want to leave the house. (Check out our tips on how to dress for winter running) Similarly, when you wake up, if you put your running/gym gear on straight away, the chance you will actually end up doing something is exponentially higher than trying to convince yourself to change later on.
6 – Motivation through media
Nowadays on YouTube and even on some TV channels, there are exercise along videos for all levels. Gone are the days where exercise videos were just the domain of the ankle warmer, leotard wearing amongst us. If the outside just feels too daunting, look up a Joe Wicks video or similar, and you can do a decent workout without leaving the living room. Many are under 10 minutes, so even the busiest person can usually find time in their schedule.
7 – Download a great audio book
Even if you aren’t a fan of listening to music while you run (I’m on the fence, it has a place in running for sure, but I also love the increased connection to my surroundings by running music free). Downloading an audio book has the advantage that if you want to find out what happens next, you can’t just read the next chapter at bedtime. Audio books to me are much more like having human company on a run, and you can usually still hear your surroundings.
8 – Don’t feel guilty
This time of year, it’s very easy to get caught in a cycle of excess, then guilt and regret, which sometimes leads to more excess. Rather than say you won’t have any chocolate/wine/cheese/insert your own guilty pleasure here, accept that you probably will, but if you can, aim for moderation. It is hard, but if you have had a blow out meal, rather than saying ‘well that’s the whole diet ruined’, accept it was one excessive meal, and move on.
9 – Set a medium term goal
And finally, of course, give yourself a motivation boost by signing up to a Run the Wild event!! There’s nothing like having an event to plan and look forward to that will tip your motivation in the favour of heading out the door for a brief run on the trails.
Conclusion
Remember it might not go all to plan, but changing your approach and setting smaller achievable goals will really help, plus don’t forget we’re all getting through this together so don’t forget to reach out and share your challenges over the Christmas period. We’ve got this!
