Twixmas. It's that odd, flat time between Christmas and the New Year celebrations. It's a time when it can be difficult for a runner to maintain motivation to train at a satisfying level.

You have survived the month-long 'Black Friday' shopping madness. Christmas is over, and the in-laws have gone. The kids are already getting bored, but school is still a long way off. What's a dedicated runner supposed to do in the circumstances?

The first thing to do is to put the family and others first. It's not all about you and your obsession with putting one foot in front of the other! And please, no boast posts about how hard you trained on Christmas Day. Strava kudos can wait for another day!

Keep it light, but take your opportunities. You won't lose any endurance fitness if you miss a few sessions. You might even notice a boost when you return, as the rest will have allowed minor niggles to repair and the body to generally recharge, ready to go again.

There's no need to panic. According to one study published in the US National Library of Medicine: "Endurance performance can be maintained for up to 15 weeks when training frequency is reduced to as little as two sessions per week or when exercise volume is reduced by 33-66% (as low as 13-26 minutes per session), as long as exercise intensity (exercising heart rate) is maintained."

So a few extra days off around Christmas and New Year won't do much, if any, damage to your overall fitness. And the benefits to overall wellness, mental health and domestic harmony are not to be underestimated.

runABC Coach Alan Newman recommends two or three sessions a week, paying attention to form and pace to maintain intensity. One session could be a visit to your local parkrun; one could be a hill session – click on the links for ideas. Or why not try the Mona Fartlek for an intense 20-minute session – as we explained here.

Make it fun, keep ticking over, and your body will thank you in 2026...

Photo courtesy of the Run Pompey Santa Run