Sonia O’Sullivan: Christmas Day is incomplete without a run

No matter what part of the world you’re in, Christmas Day falls on a Friday this year, so beginning that time of year when you can hardly remember which day of the week it is from one day to the next.

The day of the week is very important for athletes, especially those looking ahead to the Rio Olympics next summer. Their weekly routine will be ingrained in their minds and it can be hard to break out of it – especially when things are going well.

I’m a lot more flexible with my routine these days. Even so, Friday is usually a nice easy day, and I’m sure for most athletes the end of the week is the preferred day to have Christmas fall on. You can put in that big session on the Tuesday, followed by a midweek long steady run on the Wednesday, then another bonus session on Thursday.

Friday is sometimes a day that athletes like to take off anyway, or else the day for an easy recovery run. This makes it just perfect to get out for some training and fresh air and build up an appetite ahead of the Christmas feast.

This is also the one time of year when diets and intensity can be ignored, because relaxing with friends and family is the priority. Still, it can be hard to get out the door and escape, even just for an hour or so of gentle exercise. There is so much going on around the place, everyone excited to see what lies beneath the Christmas tree. You don’t want to miss anything while out on a run, but you also know this one run will give you so much energy for the rest of the day.

Training schedule

Looking back now I can recall most of my Christmas Day runs; where I was, and how important that run was, depending on the year. I can remember the very first Christmas Day I went for a run. It was 1985, and I was just beginning to take my running a bit more seriously. So I realised it was important to maintain fitness and stick to my training schedule.

I was at home in Cobh, and after having a very big Christmas lunch with my grandparents, I couldn’t sit still any longer and headed off out for a three-mile run. There wasn’t a soul to be seen on the Tay Road and even though I was running on a very full stomach, I felt satisfied afterwards, happy that I had put some balance in my day.

The idea had just stuck in my head that I had to run on Christmas Day: it was a Wednesday, and I usually had a road run midweek anyway. So I felt I had to stick to the plan even though I had to sneak out the door while everyone was dozing off for a little afternoon lap.

Puddles

While at Villanova, my Christmas Day run was on a snowy morning, on the one lane of the running track that was ploughed clear of the ice and snow. While in London, it was on a mild morning in Richmond Park, in amongst the deer. And, in 1994, I can recall a Christmas Day run splashing through the puddles of the Teddington cricket field. It was after this when I decided I had to get away in winter to Australia.

Everything changed when I first spent Christmas Day in Australia. Blue skies and sunshine isn’t exactly the kind of weather that lends itself to eating big turkey roasts and sitting in by the fire. In the mid 1990s, when I first arrived in Australia, very little interrupted the training routine. So the day revolved around getting the training run out of the way early on, and one year there was also a second run in the evening. Physically I could probably have let this run go, but mentally it had to be done.

I also recall that 1998 was the last year that I was at home for Christmas Day. It was a stormy day although it didn’t stop me taking on the iconic lap of Spike Island in Cobh, about 14 miles of running.

I always believe if you start on a loop run, no matter how far, it’s so much easier to complete the lap than to run out and back on the same road. The wind and rain was howling that day, branches were falling off trees, and you begin to think maybe you might be a little bit mad. The only other living thing I saw on that run were two lads windsurfing out the back of the island.

All through those years I always wanted to join in with The GOAL Mile, held every Christmas Day in Dublin, and which has spread throughout Ireland in recent years. It seemed like such a great way to start the day and share the Christmas spirit with like-minded people who know how satisfying it can be to get out for the daily run, even on Christmas Day.

Be active

It’s so much more accepted now to partake in exercise on Christmas Day, and there are so many great charity events, such as The GOAL Mile, that encourage people to get outside and be active, even for just an hour or so.

Christmas is a time for giving and by giving a little bit of your day to a charity or an activity near you this Christmas Day you will be amazed at how much you get back and the satisfaction you will feel throughout the day.

There is still no GOAL mile near me in Melbourne, although I am planning to join in the local Parkrun, which has put on an extra run on Christmas Day. I hope to run the first mile as fast as I can, then race back home to organise dinner and see what’s under the Christmas tree.