7 ways to keep running motivation high over Christmas

Running at Christmas: you either love it or you don’t. Are you a Christmas-morning sunrise runner? Or do you ease back into training sometime in January?

Christmas week can be the ultimate challenge to leisure runners with cold weather, rainy conditions, and dark days compounded by the never-ending to-do lists of a family Christmas. On the other hand, it can be the most magical time of year to run, with towns and villages lit up by Christmas lighting and every window you pass giving a glimpse of festive warmth.

Whatever your approach to Christmas running, let our guide to festive running motivation keep you moving!

Lower the bar

Sometimes just getting out of the door is the hardest part of a run. Once you’re out there, you remember why you love it! So lower the bar and set small goals that just get you started. Tell yourself “I only need to run for 5 minutes” and see where you go from there.

Set a mini challenge

Maybe you thrive on achieving goals with your running. Use that as motivation, but make the goal appropriate to this busy time of year. You could choose a short local loop and aim to cut the time it takes to run. Or pledge to tick off 4 runs a week. Whatever works for you – use the power of a challenge.

Track your data

Smart watch and app data can be a really rewarding way to see how far you’ve come (metaphorically and literally!) Keep an eye on your pace, mileage, and running duration stats over December to stop yourself from falling off the wagon.

Get social

This is a great time of year for meeting up with running buddies. Kill two birds with one stone by turning it into a social run, sharing news and catching up with other busy women. Or get a few runners together and make it something special – like a mini Christmas party…but with running!

Explore new route

Have you got time off over Christmas? Treat yourself to daylight runs and use the extra time to discover new places. Run a different route, or take the car to a brand new area and enjoy a mini adventure. Running somewhere new is great for your mental wellness and cognitive health, too.

Use intervals

This might sound counterintuitive, but sometimes choosing harder workouts can actually boost your motivation. Try it! Instead of your usual one-pace longer run, challenge yourself to do hill reps, sprint intervals, or a mile at 5K race pace. The adrenalin (and sense of achievement) will set of a sense of excitement and positive motivation.

Podcasts and playlists

Reframe Christmas running sessions as quality time to yourself. Listen to a playlist, catch up on a couple of podcasts, or make your way through a new audiobook. Running is the perfect workout for carving out some time to yourself at this busy time of year. Enjoy it!

Join us at the running4women Facebook page and share your Christmas running successes with women who understand your passion!

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