By: Jodi Jordan
Let’s get real. This season is insanity. Our kids are home, there are parties and happy hours galore, temptations to the nines, less sleep, and even fewer hours of daylight. Whether you are running a marathon or a 5K, training can be challenging during the holidays. Here are a few things I have learned over the years. I hope that they serve you, as they have served me!
- Have a schedule! Make a plan for the week and stick to it. Tell your partner, tell your kids, prep your dog.
- Have an accountability buddy. I rarely miss a workout if I know I have a friend waiting for me in a vacant parking lot.
- Go EARLY! Yes, it is cold and dark, but knocking out a workout first thing in the morning will free your brain for the rest of the day. There are plenty of running groups in DFW so don’t run solo. If you do run solo, make sure you follow proper safety precautions.
- If you miss a day, don’t throw in the towel. Pick right back up where you left off. Missing a day will not sabotage your goal race. Missing a week will.
- Limit alcohol and food that will derail the next morning’s workout. I don’t mean to be a Grinch, but a hangover and food coma make for a challenging 6 am long run. I also throw away junk food and sweets that are sent home. No sense in looking at something that doesn’t serve us.
- Establish boundaries with family and friends. Many people will not understand the preparation that is necessary to achieve your goals and they don’t need to! Practice saying “No thank you”. I promise you will be glad you did on race day.
- You don’t have to attend every holiday gathering. Pick the ones that are the most important to you and don’t be afraid to say “no” to the ones that aren’t.