With Coach Alexa, Online Running Coach and in-person coaching in South Oxfordshire
Hi team. Coach Alexa here. We are in the week before Christmas now. Oh my goodness, how did that happen?
What Are Your Running Plans Over Christmas?
The question that I am asking a lot of the runners that I work with at the moment is this – what are your running plans over Christmas?
Would you like it to be a recovery or a down-load week? Would you like to have a little bit more training because you actually want to get out of the house a little bit? You might want to move a bit after all that festive, celebratory food.
So have a little think this week.
Matching Training to Your Social Schedule
There is no point, if you have got a really busy social schedule with lots of places to be, lots of visiting, and not a lot of time, in trying to stack a really hectic week of training on top of all of that.
Maybe just going out and having some runs to keep your physical health ticking over, and to keep your mental health in a good place, is exactly what you are going to need over Christmas week.
Perhaps New Year’s week is the more hectic one for you. Maybe you are trying to squeeze a little bit of work in here or there. So think about those two weeks together.
Thinking About Routine, Travel and Time
Think about what you are doing socially and travel-wise. What is happening to your routine? Where are you going to be?
Are you working? Have you actually got a bit more time around Christmas? Are you making the most of the Christmas Day or New Year’s Day parkruns, or are you not?
Have a think about what is realistic. Is it realistic to have a super high-mileage, tough week on Christmas week around all the other things you may or may not be doing?
When Christmas Is a Chance to Run More
For some of my runners, this is a fantastic time to get a bit more mileage in. The kids are at home, you do not have to do the school run, and maybe you have taken some time off work. Perhaps you are spending Christmas at home. Brilliant.
When Christmas Is a Time to Ease Off
For other people that I am working with, there is lots of travel, maybe a bit of extra stress and responsibility, and all of that sort of stuff. The kids are at home and they are younger, so you need to be at home more often.
So have a think and plan it out.
Work With Your Coach
If you have got a coach, work with them to find what works for you. If you have not, talk to myself or Kelvin and see if we can help.
Happy running.
