Three weird ways to break out of your post-holiday slump

Dealing with the post-festive slump (or a running rut at any time of year) can be challenging, and you may feel tempted to scream when people offer the same old helpful ideas (like preparing your running clothes the night before–even though it works!). Injecting these unique training sessions into your routine will bring a refreshing boost and keep you motivated.

Inviting a friend along will make any of these workouts doubly enjoyable—you might feel self-conscious at first, but you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how quickly time flies.

1.- Mystery route roulette

Turn your run into an adventure, letting chance guide your path. Write down a few of your favourite local running routes and distances on pieces of paper, throw them into a hat, and draw one before a run. The element of surprise will inject some excitement into your run while making the outing a unique exploration.

2.- Run-doku challenge

Combine the brain-teasing challenge of Sudoku with a fantastic fartlek workout. Before your run, solve a Sudoku puzzle (there are lots of beginner ones online). Choose one of the nine grids on the Sudoku puzzle to use as inspiration for your training session.

As you run, follow the Sudoku pattern and change your pace or focus based on the corresponding numbers. Sprint during “5” segments, jog during “2” segments, and so on. This creative twist adds a mental aspect to your run, making it a dynamic and entertaining challenge.

3.- Instagrammable running challenge

Tap into your creative side by turning your run into an Instagram scavenger hunt—bonus points if you can rope some friends into competing against you (or running with you). Set a goal to find and photograph specific items during your run—a red door, a street sign with your name on it, a specific model of car, a maple tree, a pickup truck with a snowplow on the front, someone wearing a pink hat, or even a friendly neighborhood cat.

Sharing your unique finds on social media can transform your run into a fun visual story to look back on for inspiration whenever you don’t feel like putting on your shoes.

posted Friday December 29th
by Keeley Milne