THE HOLIDAY RUNNING SERIES
By rabbitPRO Adam Kimble
With the holiday season underway, the end of the year can be a fun but challenging time for many runners. On one hand, it’s a festive and fun time of the year to run! On the other hand, it can often be a very busy and overwhelming time of the year where it seems like sticking to your routine is nearly impossible. Whether it’s work obligations, family life, or any of the other social events on your calendar, life presents every single one of us with challenges that make it hard to maintain our training status quo. As a professional ultrarunner and dad of a three-year-old and a one-year-old, running this time of the season has become even more challenging for me in recent years. As such, here are some tips that have proven effective me for to stay engaged despite a crazy holiday schedule:
1. Run or walk with a friend! It’s a tale as old as time. Put something on the calendar with someone else, and it will become a priority you won’t neglect. This isn’t a novel idea, but the truth is that it works!
2. Run early in the morning. Some of you may already be early risers, but many people are not. I’ve found tremendous value in getting in runs before my kids are awake. While it hurts to see the time on the clock when you wake up, there are few things better than getting your run done before your day officially begins! With colder fall temperatures upon us, I’ve been living in my Low Light Pocket Tightz (or the Low Light Speed Tights for women) and the Cocoon 2.0. They soften the blow of the cold mountain air in Lake Tahoe and help me ease into those early morning runs. And remember: it doesn’t have to be all or nothing! If you’re not a morning person, just try running before work one time this week and see what you think. Moderate changes tend to stick!
3. Find a local Turkey Trot or Holiday Run to sign up for! If you’re used to running marathons or ultras, this can be a refreshing change to the routine. Running shorter races is great for a number of reasons, not least of which include working on getting faster, testing your resilience with a different kind of challenge, and engaging with more of the running community. So, if you haven’t been to a holiday-themed race, I encourage you to try it out!
4. Shift your perspective. I’m a big fan of Stoicism, and one of the tenets of the philosophy is to focus on what you can control. Many things are outside of your control, but how you respond to any given situation is always within your control! Rather than lamenting your lack of time or missed workouts, instead emphasize your gratitude for every run you can fit in, even if they are shorter than usual. Some miles are always better than no miles!
