Balancing Running and Training During the Holidays
Tis the season! As Thanksgiving week and November comes to a close, sights are set on the holidays: parties, food, time off from work, friends, family, and… a training schedule that can get seriously messed up over the course of the month.
As someone who has always started their spring marathon training in December (and as a coach who starts the majority of her training cycles for clients around the same time), I totally understand the stress and anxiety that comes along with a disruption in routine and lots of outside factors that can get in the way of training.
As I write this, I never want to seem like a Scrooge—but holiday festivities mean that your training time can be cut short, you may feel sluggish after attending parties, your eating habits may be out of whack and you may feel unwell on your runs - and all of this is temporary and will not, I repeat, will not, completely derail your running journey! The key is to find balance and manage your own expectations when it comes to holiday season training.
Even though I work in fitness and have access to gym equipment and classes before or after I teach, the holidays are always very stressful for me when it comes to working out. Since I am usually teaching in the morning, I oftentimes have to get up very early to run before work, or risk feeling guilty about making my family wait while I run or lift (or both) after classes. I know that my training will likely be adjusted drastically during the holidays—I’ll have to cut runs short,
I’ll probably be eating things I normally don’t eat so may feel a little—for lack of better words—bleh—on my runs, and if the weather outside isn’t great, I’ll have to deal with holiday hours at gyms. Full disclosure, as someone who thrives on routine and control over my own training schedule, this is a nightmare for me and something I have been working on accepting for the entirety of my adult life. So hopefully by finding some ways to adjust and accept, we can conquer the holiday running stress together.
STEP ONE: BE FLEXIBLE WITH YOUR TRAINING SCHEDULE!
My first rule as a coach, no matter what the season, is to give yourself grace and be flexible with your training. I like to remind my runners that none of us are full-time, sponsored runners by profession, so it is so important to be flexible with your training schedule week by week (side note: this is another reason why working with a coach is important because we can help you work around life events and provide guidance on weeks during which your routine is off).
Remember that the holiday season is short, and it is totally okay to take an extra rest day, to move your long runs and workouts around, and to run based on time instead of distance. Do you only have an hour before your apple pies need to come out of the oven? Cut your planned six mile run to a 25 minute out and back—this is also a fun way to trick your mind into running differently if you’re feeling bored of doing the same mileage over and over again!
STEP TWO: BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF!
One thing about runners: we often think we can do it all! Have a work holiday party and still convinced you can get up early and bang out a twenty-mile run the next day? Plan ahead and adjust your training. Even if you’re able to get up early, you’re likely going to be tired, possibly hungover or feeling off from eating savory and sugary treats, and all of this can lead to you getting sick or injured if you’re training while underfueled. Be realistic about what you can and can’t do during this time. Block off small chunks of time in which you know you can get some movement in, but don’t plan on hitting the training hard on weeks where you have a lot of social events or you’re traveling.
STEP THREE: WORK WITH WHAT YOU’VE GOT!
When planning busy weeks or holiday travel, do your research before and look ahead to how you can feel your best with what you’re working with. If you’re going to be out of town, find some local gyms that accept drop ins, see if your hotel has a gym or treadmill, plan some safe and easily accessible running routes, and make a log of some bodyweight workouts to do if running short on time or space. Make sure you’re hydrating and bringing some healthy snacks and electrolytes to help counteract the dehydrating effects of travel, yummy holiday food, and alcohol. And last but certainly not least—if you’re moving, you’re still making gains! Don’t forget that going on walks with family and friends, skiing, hiking, swimming, chasing after younger nieces and nephews—all of this counts as movement! And if you’re going somewhere a little more chill? Consider it a “down” week and treat it as recovery! Enjoy the time off.
STEP THREE: BE OKAY WITH AND ACCEPTING OF THESE CHANGES!
While having to cut a run short or move your training around may seem like the end of the world, it truly isn’t. When looking at your training for the week, identify some important workouts and prioritize what you can realistically accomplish during the week(s). For example, if you’re supposed to run ten miles with 6 miles of tempo work in the middle, cut the cooldown down a bit for time. Or if you’re supposed to do a lower body strength workout but only have the equipment or space to do something bodyweight, add in a couple more reps or focus more on the movements that mimic what you would have done with weights. Finally—if you’re planning on doing activities that could contribute to your overall training load (i.e. skiing, snowboard, hiking, skiing), remember to build that into your plan so you’re not overtraining.
Remember, running and training isn’t going anywhere, and at the end of the day, you’re going to remember the memories of the season way more than you’ll remember a long run that you didn’t even particularly enjoy because you’re feeling a little off. Enjoy the magic of December, indulge in all the treats, and give yourself permission to be flexible and adjust. You work hard all year—rest, relaxation, and self-care is just as important as logging miles.
Xo