Happy December! The final month of the year is here, and maybe you’re just now pulling out your Christmas decorations… unlike my house, where we had ours up on November 1st. As we wrap up another year of running, all the yearly “recaps” start rolling in: Spotify Wrapped, Strava Year in Review, and everything else that reminds us of the miles and memories we’ve collected. It is fun to look back, but it’s also important to remember that flipping the calendar from December to January doesn’t magically change anything about who we are as athletes.

 

The pressure to “start the year strong” or suddenly take on a January run streak (when you’ve never done one before!) can feel overwhelming. We start treating January like it’s somehow different from May. But whether this year went exactly as planned or was full of detours, don’t let that pressure push you into overdoing it just because the year resets. January is simply another month in your running journey. If you want to build new habits, start them now, on December 4th, and carry them forward month after month, not because social media says January matters more, but because you’re building a consistent lifestyle that lasts far beyond a calendar page.  

 

-Nick K

As winter approaches, many runners shift into the off-season. The holidays hit, kids are suddenly home for what feels like half the month, unexpected weather days pile on, and a lot of uncontrollable life stuff starts to wreak havoc on your routine. Even if you’re starting a spring training block, the pressure to “get every run in no matter what” can creep in fast, and that’s a mistake runners make all the time.

 

In the moment, a missed run or an adapted workout can feel disastrous. We’re runners: we’re type-A, we like checking the boxes, and we want to follow the plan exactly as written. One adjustment is usually fine, but when a few add up or when we get sick and start missing multiple days running suddenly feels harder and we start spiraling about our goals.

 

That’s when we need to zoom out. One imperfect week doesn’t define your training, just like one perfect week doesn’t make you marathon-ready. When you step back, you’ll see dozens of solid weeks you hardly remember, yet you fixate on the missed runs, the tough workouts, or the plan changes. But deep down, we all know better: your fitness comes from years of consistent training, not from a single week. Those tougher runs after a setback? Your fitness rebounds quickly. Long-term consistency and longevity, not perfection, are what make runners successful.

 

So the next time life gets hectic and you miss a few runs, whether it’s early in your block or during the taper, don’t spiral. Zoom out. These moments are tiny blips in your current plan and barely a dot in the context of your entire running history.

 

-Nick K Baltimore, MD

 

With a new month here, I wanted to share a solid Workout of the Month, one that’s perfect for the off-season, works for any race distance, and even fits nicely into a down week. It’s time-based, so everyone will cover different distances, and that’s completely fine. Before you start, warm up for at least 15 minutes (up to ~3 miles) depending on your weekly volume, and plan a similar cooldown.

 

Nothing fancy, no twists, no tricks, just a classic threshold session that’s both challenging and widely adaptable. The key, as we’ve talked about before in this newsletter, is staying in your true lactate threshold zone and not pushing into race-pace effort too early. When you finish, you should feel like you could do one more rep, even though you don’t need to.

 

That’s 24 minutes of LT work, with relatively short rests, so by the end of each rep it should feel uncomfortable, but still controlled and sustainable. If it’s your first time trying this workout, err on the slower side of your LT pace to make sure you’re getting the right stimulus. As you learn the feel of the effort, this quickly becomes one of those workouts you look forward to. And for more advanced runners or higher-volume weeks, adding a fourth rep is an option.

 

Workouts don’t have to be complicated. In fact, the simplest ones often build the strongest fitness foundations, while overly complex sessions can just create stress and inconsistency. Our job as coaches is to make the training clear so you can simply show up and do the work.

 

Give this one a try and let me know if you do. It’s one of my favorites.

 

-Nick K Baltimore, MD

What question do you want the Running Explained team to answer in next week's newsletter mailbag? You tell us! Is there another question you'd like us to answer in a future issue? Send us a note!

 

— JoJo

We asked, you answered and today's topic is “If I want to get faster at the marathon should I have training blocks where I race other distances as goal races?”

 

The marathon gets all the attention these days and for many runners, it’s the first thing friends ask about: “Have you run a marathon yet?” It might even be your favorite distance! But if your big goal is to get faster, only racing marathons can actually hold you back.

 

To be clear: run whatever races bring you joy. You don’t have to mix it up. But back-to-back marathon blocks often lead to stagnation. Marathon training is heavily aerobic, focused on marathon effort and threshold work, with speed sprinkled in as higher-volume reps. You spend most of the block in a state of cumulative fatigue not the best environment for developing pure speed or new gears.

 

Switching to a different race focus introduces a new training stimulus:

In short: chase the races that make you happy, but don’t underestimate how much variety can help you break through plateaus and bring new momentum into your next marathon block. Running different distances is a strategic move that makes you a stronger, more well-rounded runner.

 

-Nick K Baltimore, MD

Running the Boston Marathon this year? Want to be a part of a team that will support you whether your goal is to just experience Boston for the first time or chase a goal time?  Well Road to Race Day: Boston is for you. Road to Race Day: Boston is more than a training program; it’s a connected, coach-led community built to help you train smarter and race with confidence at The 2026 Boston Marathon.  This close-knit team of up to 20 runners and 3 coaches will support you through your training block.  To help you feel prepared with everything you could want to know about the Boston Marathon experience. 

 

Inside this 16-week program, you’ll get:

Program starts 29 December, but don't delay because spots are limited!  Click the banner above for more information or hit the button below to sign up now!

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