XMAS RUN CHALLENGE

I cannot fathom the idea of trying to squeeze in a workout on Christmas day. From the time I wake up to the time I go to bed at night, I will be with family.

I plan on getting 7-10 miles in before anyone else wakes up. Not that hard to fathom.

Making it a point to get up at 5 am on a holiday after being up until 2 am the night before (midnight Christmas Eve mass) sounds seriously counterproductive considering the importance of rest/sleep in terms of fitness. Of course if you have the luxury of getting to bed earlier by all means.

In any case, shorting myself on sleep just to make time for a workout on a day that I've always viewed as being more about the kids and family than anything else doesn't sit well with me.

Is it difficult being so much better than everyone else?

Better than everyone else? No. I posted in this thread because I see a lot of people falling into extremely regimented eating and workout habits, sometimes taking it to a level that constitutes an unhealthy obsession. And part of getting fit/healthy is emotional. Accepting, acknowledging, and even enjoying that sometimes, breaking schedule, taking a day off, can be just as important in reaching goals as the work you put in. Sara I'm sure understands that. You see it during the holidays every year. People who are trying to lose weight panic about the fact that they can't control what's being served to them on holiday feasts. One day doesn't matter. People need to know, understand, and get comfortable with that.

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I cannot fathom the idea of trying to squeeze in a workout on Christmas day. From the time I wake up to the time I go to bed at night, I will be with family.

I plan on getting 7-10 miles in before anyone else wakes up. Not that hard to fathom.

Making it a point to get up at 5 am on a holiday after being up until 2 am the night before (midnight Christmas Eve mass) sounds seriously counterproductive considering the importance of rest/sleep in terms of fitness. Of course if you have the luxury of getting to bed earlier by all means.

In any case, shorting myself on sleep just to make time for a workout on a day that I've always viewed as being more about the kids and family than anything else doesn't sit well with me.

Is it difficult being so much better than everyone else?

Better than everyone else? No. I posted in this thread because I see a lot of people falling into extremely regimented eating and workout habits, sometimes taking it to a level that constitutes an unhealthy obsession. And part of getting fit/healthy is emotional. Accepting, acknowledging, and even enjoying that sometimes, breaking schedule, taking a day off, can be just as important in reaching goals as the work you put in. Sara I'm sure understands that. You see it during the holidays every year. People who are trying to lose weight panic about the fact that they can't control what's being served to them on holiday feasts. One day doesn't matter. People need to know, understand, and get comfortable with that.

Thanks for your concern. I apologize for my harsh earlier words. I do agree that rest days are important, and that people need to learn to not be obsessive with their working out, however Christmas is also Wednesday, and Wednesday isn't a rest day on my training plan

I run because I like it, not to lose weight. As I said earlier, I am really looking forward to my Christmas morning run (and yes its 12 miles, but 12 miles isn't a long run for me). I envision snow and peace and quiet. I look forward to running through the woods. Then I am looking forward to going home, taking a hot shower, and making my mom a fabulous Christmas breakfast.

I cannot fathom the idea of trying to squeeze in a workout on Christmas day. From the time I wake up to the time I go to bed at night, I will be with family.

I plan on getting 7-10 miles in before anyone else wakes up. Not that hard to fathom.

Making it a point to get up at 5 am on a holiday after being up until 2 am the night before (midnight Christmas Eve mass) sounds seriously counterproductive considering the importance of rest/sleep in terms of fitness. Of course if you have the luxury of getting to bed earlier by all means.

In any case, shorting myself on sleep just to make time for a workout on a day that I've always viewed as being more about the kids and family than anything else doesn't sit well with me.

Is it difficult being so much better than everyone else?

Better than everyone else? No. I posted in this thread because I see a lot of people falling into extremely regimented eating and workout habits, sometimes taking it to a level that constitutes an unhealthy obsession. And part of getting fit/healthy is emotional. Accepting, acknowledging, and even enjoying that sometimes, breaking schedule, taking a day off, can be just as important in reaching goals as the work you put in. Sara I'm sure understands that. You see it during the holidays every year. People who are trying to lose weight panic about the fact that they can't control what's being served to them on holiday feasts. One day doesn't matter. People need to know, understand, and get comfortable with that.

Thanks for your concern. I apologize for my harsh earlier words. I do agree that rest days are important, and that people need to learn to not be obsessive with their working out, however Christmas is also Wednesday, and Wednesday isn't a rest day on my training plan

I run because I like it, not to lose weight. As I said earlier, I am really looking forward to my Christmas morning run (and yes its 12 miles, but 12 miles isn't a long run for me). I envision snow and peace and quiet. I look forward to running through the woods. Then I am looking forward to going home, taking a hot shower, and making my mom a fabulous Christmas breakfast.

It's cool No offense taken. I just get overly concerned about people in general taking it to an unhealthy/obsessive level and I feel the need to try to do something about it. Currently I'm on a weird oddball workout regimen that has me following a 2 day a week schedule. When I first started, I added more stuff in because I didn't feel two days a week was enough, but then I decided to try to stick to the program and I started seeing predictable, linear gains from workout to workout.

I hope to...if the weather isn't too awful. I don't have a great selection of cold weather gear. So, if it is colder than about 25° F, no run for me.

I'm planning on running 8k that afternoon, while the turkey is in the oven and everyone (ie - hubby and the kids) are playing their new toys and ignoring me.


Worked well last year. :drinker: The kids didn't even realize I was gone until I got back, ahah!

It's Christmas afternoon and I hope you all are having a fabulous day. I walked with my children last night for about an hour as we admired the holiday lights in a neighborhood here renowned for their holiday decorations. Came home, had dinner and did the gift thing. Then my son headed back to his home in Tempe, my girls' friends headed to their respective homes, and my girls went to bed. I played with my new computer for awhile, then also went off to dreamland. The three of us all got up about the same time this morning and as they dressed to go to their father's house, I dressed for the park. I did the Week 3 Day 1 of c25k... sort of. I did, as I anticipated, struggle through the 3 minute run and had to slow to a walk on the first one (which may sound kind of wussy to all you long time runners, but it sure didn't feel wussy to my lungs - LOLOL). After I got home from that, I leashed up the dogs, and we walked for about 45 minutes, rather slowly because one is old, one is fat, and I'm both. But it was a great walk on an absolutely gorgeous day.

I wish all of you a day filled with the love of family and friends and the laughter and joy of great memories in the making! Merry Christmas if you celebrate the holiday. And Happy December 25th, to everybody else!

:happy: :drinker: :happy:

Phew! Just short of 3mi, but did a short warm-up, then several hill charges (delightfully long steep hill on road @ bottom of our driveway :-)

And it was 9 degrees F out, "feeling" like -5 today. Wearing polypro under my sweats + gloves was perfectly sufficient. Provided the streets are sanded, there's really no reason not to go out in cold weather.

Enjoyed a 6 mile run with my husband this morning after opening presents with the teenage children and before 3:00 dinner with the family. It was a gift in itself as we rarely get the chance to run together. He is faster than I am and he took this as an opportunity to pace me for a good run when I wasn't feeling very motivated. Great Christmas run!

Dang! I was in for 4 miles, but hurt my hip at church on Christmas Eve and now I am couch bound! THIS SUCKS. I got my daughter new roller blades for Christmas in hopes that we could go to the park and I would run more and she would roller blade, no way that is happening now. This sucks.