Running at Christmas: How to Train Without Burnout or Guilt
Christmas can do funny things to our running…
Some years you finally get a bit of space and think,
"Perfect. I’ll just run loads more and catch up on everything I missed."
Other years it feels like your training has been hijacked by:
kids off school, work dos, travel, family, tiredness, hormones, all of it.
Both are normal. And neither means you have to write off your progress.
In this email I want to walk you through two common Christmas scenarios and how to handle each one without burning out or beating yourself up.
1. When you suddenly have more time
You are off work. The diary looks clearer. Your brain goes straight to:
"If I just double my mileage for two weeks, I’ll start January ahead."
Here is the truth.
More time does not mean your body can suddenly handle unlimited training load. Your recovery capacity stays the same, even if your calendar is empty. Don’t be tempted to become a full time athlete for your holiday leave!
A calmer way to use that extra space:
Keep your usual number of runs
No need to add three extra long runs. Stick to your normal structure so your body is not shocked.
Upgrade quality, not quantity
Choose one key session to give a bit more attention to. For example:
● Focus on form in one hill or interval session
● Spend longer on the trails you usually have to rush
● Practise race fuelling on one longer easy run
Use bonus time for working on recovery habits
The stuff that quietly makes you a stronger runner:
● A proper warm up and cool down
● Five minutes of mobility after your run
● Cooking decent meals instead of grabbing snacks on repeat
● An afternoon nap instead of another “junk” run
Build in at least one real rest day
Even if you feel “fine”. You want to start January feeling rested, strong and mentally fresh, not cooked before training even ramps up.
2. When Christmas steals your training time
The flip side is when December hits and your plan suddenly feels impossible.
Kids are off, you are travelling, you are more tired, and runs keep getting bumped.
Cue the spiral:
"I am failing my plan. I have ruined my marathon / ultra already."
You are not failing. You are a real life runner with a real life body.
Here is how to navigate the weeks where everything feels “too much”.
Shrink, do not skip
If life is chaotic, you can:
● Turn 60 minutes into 30 minutes
● Cut down the number or length of intervals. Don’t skip your warm up or cool down though!
● Swap a run for a brisk walk with family. You still send a training signal without the extra stress.
Protect your “anchor” sessions
When time is tight, the aim is not to hit everything. It is to protect the pieces that matter most. For most runners that looks like:
● One key quality session (short intervals or hill reps)
● One longer easy run, even if it is shorter than usual
Let the rest be optional movement. That is still solid training.
Let sleep and food count as training
Late nights, extra sugar, alcohol and general life load all show up in your running. Sometimes the smartest “session” is:
● 30 minutes very easy
● Proper breakfast
● An earlier night
You do not lose all your fitness in one wobbly week. You gain more by staying well and happy than forcing perfect mileage.
The bigger picture
Your training is not made or broken by Christmas week.
What matters is the pattern you come back to in January:
● Are you mentally fried or ready to go?
● Is your body exhausted or quietly grateful you looked after it?
● Do you feel ashamed of “not doing enough”, or proud that you trained with your life instead of against it?
You are allowed to choose the gentler option and still call yourself a serious runner.
Click Enquire Now to see how we can help!
Faye.
UESCA Running Coach | Personal Trainer | Sports Massage Therapist
