Running During the Holidays: A Flexible Weekly Plan to Stay Consistent This Christmas
Practical, no-stress running frameworks for busy runners juggling family, travel, and festive treats – protect your momentum and start the new year strong.
We are properly into mid-December now, and if your week is anything like mine, it is a mix of family catch-ups, last-minute errands, maybe some travel, and a few extra treats along the way.
You probably still want to run, but the idea of sticking to a normal schedule feels unrealistic, and the thought of skipping everything until January feels worse.
I have been in this exact spot plenty of times. Last year, a family trip completely disrupted my usual running routine - it always does.
I could have written the week off, but instead I strung together a handful of short, low-pressure runs. Nothing heroic, just enough to keep the habit alive and ensure my Strava weekly mileage never says '0 km'.
The payoff was huge, I started the new year already feeling like a runner, rather than someone rebuilding from scratch.
That is the aim for the next couple of weeks; protect your consistency without adding pressure, and accept that the runs might be shorter, slower, or fewer than usual.
A 25-minute easy jog still counts, the goal is simply to finish the week feeling connected to your running, not guilty about not doing it.
A Few Guiding Principles for Holiday Weeks
These are the rules I come back to whenever life gets chaotic, which it inevitably does around this time of year.
Run by feel, not by numbers. If your watch is asking for paces that feel impossible after a late night or a large meal, just ignore it completely, and get some base miles in.
Short and frequent is better than long and missed. Three quick runs protect momentum far more than one ambitious session that never happens.
Build in proper rest days without apology, take at least two full off days this week, recovery is part of consistency.
You'll need to adjust things when your usual routine falls apart. Traveling? A hotel treadmill or a quick out-and-back is perfectly fine. Extra food or drinks? Expect heavier legs and dial the effort down.
There's no need for breakthrough workouts; these are not the weeks for speed or volume PRs. Save that energy for January.
Three Flexible Frameworks - Choose What Actually Fits
I have laid out three options based on how much time and energy you realistically have. Feel free to mix elements or tweak as the week unfolds.
This post is for subscribers only
Sign up now (it's free) to read the post and get access more high-quality content.
