There’s a strange stretch of days every year that runners know all too well: December 26 through January 1. The holidays are kind of over, and life hasn’t fully restarted. Your work email is quiet, your group chats are slower than usual, and the motivation to do anything structured feels optional. Welcome to the Dark Hole Time.
This week also tends to split Houston runners into two camps. If you’re training for the Chevron Houston Marathon, you’re likely tapering and mentally negotiating with your training plan. The work is done, this is about staying loose, trusting the process, and not spiraling because an easy run felt weird. For everyone else, there’s a different kind of freedom. No looming race, no countdown clock, just miles that exist for their own sake. Both approaches are valid, and both benefit from not forcing anything during a week that already feels a little untethered.
Houston’s weather, of course, does its own thing. This holiday season has seemed to feel more like early summer rather than winter, with humid mornings and temps creeping into the 80s. It’s not exactly cozy, but it’s manageable if you adjust your expectations. Start early, slow it down, and embrace the fact that sweat is part of the deal. And when the cold front finally rolls in around the end December, it feels earned.
If you’re not training for a race, this is the perfect time to break your routine. Drive somewhere you normally wouldn’t bother with. Try Terry Hershey Park instead of your usual loop. Hit the White Oak Bayou Trail and turn around whenever you feel like it. The point isn’t distance or pace, it’s remembering why you like running in the first place. If you need some ideas of different places to run outside the loop, check out our top routes.
Social runs also hit differently this week. Many local groups still meet, but the vibe is looser and more forgiving. No one’s judging late arrivals or questionable footwear choices. Post-run coffee turns into post-run “we’re still standing here talking for 45 minutes.”
And if running feels like a chore right now? That’s allowed too. Walk the loop at Memorial. Cross-train at the gym because it’s mysteriously empty. Stretch. Sleep. The Dark Hole Time is not a test of discipline, it’s a reset button.
Finally, don’t rush the “new year, new runner” energy. January 1 will come soon enough, along with packed trails, aggressive resolutions, and race calendars filling up fast. This in-between week is yours. Run a little less. Laugh at the weirdness of it all.
By the time January 2 hits, you’ll be glad you didn’t try to force anything, and your legs will be, too.
