This year Braund is spending the festive season in Exeter with his wife, his three-year-old son and his extended family.
“This will be the first time my son will be old enough to know it’s Christmas,” he says. “I want to be there when he wakes up and opens his presents, so I’m getting up at the crack of dawn so I don’t miss anything.” Braund likes having those moments to himself to set him up for big, potentially emotive days; he even ran 15k on his wedding day.
Does Braund’s wife mind his early escapes? “She’s a dancer, so she knows how important fitness is, but we’ve been together for so long she doesn’t mind the running – she’s used to it. On Christmas morning she’ll be fast asleep.” Braund’s exercise regime won’t stop him from indulging at lunchtime, either – there’s no carb watching or scrimping here.
“Breakfast is scrambled eggs, smoked salmon and Buck’s fizz. We sit down mid afternoon with a traditional turkey dinner with red wine, snacks and a gin and tonic. But I don’t drink too much – I’m not hungover for my Boxing Day run.”
Craig Ainsworth’s family is another that have given up trying to coax their dad out of his rigorous Christmas Day exercise. The former Royal Marine Commando, who serving a tour in Afghanistan in 2011 before becoming a bodyguard for celebrities and high profile figures, has been known to run five kilometres, then complete circuit exercises that may consist of 500 push ups and 500 sit ups, before running another five kilometres, on Christmas Day. He will finish his routine by repeating positive manifestations.
“My family do jokingly try and tempt me with a bacon sarnie and a Buck’s fizz,” jokes Ainsworth, who took up boxing when he was 11 to boost his confidence, and has also written a book called The Discombobulated Alpha (£14.75, Amazon).
“But since I left the royal marines, everyone is just used to me being a bit wonderfully weird. They never want to join in. They think I’m a little bit crazy. Last year, I was in Colombia alone for Christmas, and I went for a long run in the mountains,” says Ainsworth. “The year before, I took a solo trip to Barcelona, running along the coast.
“Working out on Christmas Day is the gift I continue to give myself. It’s the investment in my mind, body, goals and dreams.”
For some, though, working out on Christmas Day is about bringing the family together.
Sarah Carter is a health and wellness expert residing in the UK. With a background in healthcare, she offers evidence-based advice on fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being, promoting healthier living for readers.
