The holidays bring plenty of temptation. It’s also the time of year when the clocks get turned back and it starts to get dark earlier.
As a runner, it can be hard to stay focused throughout the holiday season and the winter months. Let’s look at a few great tips to help you stay on track with your running this holiday season.
7 Tips to Keep Running Strong During the Holiday Season
1. Proper Planning
One of the easiest ways to lose focus is to fail to plan. With proper planning, you’ll set yourself up for success.
Look at your schedule every week and plan ahead. It’s best to schedule your runs about a week ahead of time.
2. Stick to Your Routine
Even with the time change and darkness setting in sooner, it’s best to stick to your routine as much as possible. While there may be days your routine has to change, the more often you can stick to it, the better off you’ll be.
3. Make Adjustments Now
Maybe you know the routine you currently have for running will get interrupted when the holidays start. If you typically run at night and you don’t want to run when it’s dark, make changes now.
Instead of waiting until the time changes or the holiday temptations are here, adjust your routine now. With a few weeks before Thanksgiving and prime holiday season hit, it’s a good time to establish a new running routine.
4. Mix Up Your Running
Sometimes, as a runner, you need something different to look forward to. Maybe there’s a trail you’ve really wanted to run or an obstacle course race coming up. Mixing up your running can help you focus during the holiday season.
5. Buddy Up
Running alone isn’t as fun as running with a friend. With a buddy to run with, you’ll have accountability, too. You’re less likely to skip out if you know you’ll be leaving a friend hanging.
6. Focus on Maintaining
The New Year will be here soon enough. You’ll likely set some amazing goals for 2021. Right now, the goal should be to maintain your current fitness level.
The holiday season can be a difficult time to achieve new goals. Instead of shooting for the stars, work on maintaining your current running level. When the New Year arrives, you can kick things into a higher gear.
7. Find a Race
It’s hard to find a race offering in-person participation right now, but there are plenty of upcoming virtual running events. Races give you a reason to train and a reason to run.
There are plenty of great races coming up between Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year. A competitive race might be just what you need to push you through the holiday season this year.
It’s not easy to stay focused as a runner during the holiday season. You’ll have extra distractions making it harder to get out and run. Use the seven tips above to help you create a plan for running this holiday season.
