Training wrap-up: why it might be best to ease into 2025
It's tempting to end one year or start the next on a big push in training, but taking on a lighter load could be the smartest move for you
As one year comes to a close and the other is about to start, you might have an urge to put in a big effort in training. Perhaps you have a milestone you want to hit before the end of the year, or maybe you’re hoping to do a monster workout to ring in 2025. Whatever the case, this might sound like a good and fun plan, but it could lead to injury—the worst start imaginable to a new year of training. Taking it easy is not necessarily the most fun option, but here’s why you might want to consider doing so as you move into the new year.
Training streak
You might be riding a sizeable training streak into the end of the year. Maybe you’ve been running every day for months or perhaps you haven’t missed a day of working out since June. Regardless of the streak you’re on, it’s worth thinking about if it’s really worth carrying it into 2025.
You’ve potentially been at this for the majority of the year, and although you might not feel it, your body could be in need of some rest and recovery time. Now is the perfect opportunity to give your body that break. It doesn’t have to be long—a week or two of relaxation will do you a lot of good, and you’ll feel refreshed and ready to get back to action when you make your return.
Mileage goal
You might not have a streak going, but you could have a year-end mileage goal you’re aiming to hit before midnight on the 31st. Again, we know that you’ve been working hard to reach that point in your training, but if you’re not reasonably close to hitting the goal, don’t force it. Sure, it would be fun to drop a 30-kilometre run on New Year’s Eve and reach your mileage goal on the final day of 2024, but that could result in injury. Think about what’s best for your body and your training—an arbitrary goal or appropriate rest?
Monster training
A lot of triathletes like to kick the year off with a big training day. Some people like to tackle the extremely impressive 100 reps of 100m in the pool, others like to run a hard time trial, and the list goes on. We sound like a broken record here, but while this is fun, it’s not always the best idea. You’re not used to huge training sessions, and putting your body through one with no build to it will likely end in you getting hurt. You can do a workout on New Year’s Day, but don’t feel obligated to make it a big one.