January Reset for Endurance Athletes: Build Consistent Nutrition Habits for 2026
- Rebecca
- Jan 5
- 3 min read
January often feels like a fresh start. Training diaries are reset, motivation is high, and many endurance athletes, runners and triathletes are thinking about what they want to do differently this year.
It’s also the time when athletes try to change everything at once - training volume, nutrition, recovery, and routines - and quickly feel overwhelmed.
The most effective January resets aren’t about overhauling everything. They’re about understanding what last year actually looked like and using that information to build sustainable habits that will support training and performance throughout 2026.
Reflecting on the Year That Was
Before looking ahead, it’s worth taking an honest look at how the last year went in practice - not how you hoped it would go.
Ask yourself:
When did training feel well-fuelled and sustainable?
When did energy levels drop or recovery feel harder?
How did nutrition support long sessions, races, or matches?
Which habits stayed consistent when life became busy?
Where did things slip, and what was happening at the time?
This process isn’t about judging decisions or labelling them as good or bad. It’s about recognising patterns.
Most athletes already know what they should be doing. The challenge is understanding what actually happens in real life, particularly during busy or stressful periods.
Why Patterns Matter More Than Rules
Those patterns tell you far more than any generic nutrition or training rules ever could.
If fuelling fell away during busy weeks, the issue probably wasn’t a lack of knowledge.
If consistency dropped part-way through a training block, motivation likely wasn’t the limiting factor.
If recovery suffered, it’s often because the plan didn’t fit the wider context of your life.
This is where many endurance athletes get stuck. They assume they need more discipline, stricter plans, or better willpower - when in reality, they need structure, support, and strategies that work under pressure.
Sports nutrition support isn’t just about what to eat. It’s about making nutrition work alongside training, work, family, and stress - including the behaviour change required for habits to actually stick.
A Practical January Check-In: The Endurance Nutrition Bingo Card
One simple way to reflect in January is to identify which challenges showed up most often last year.
Use our Endurance Nutrition Bingo Card to help you. Which boxes can you tick off?
The square that you can't tick off, the one that feels hardest is usually the one worth paying attention to. That’s often where the biggest opportunity for progress lies.
What Actually Needs to Change in 2026?
As you look ahead, the most useful question isn’t “What should I do?” It’s “What needs to change for me to do it consistently?”
That might mean:
Planning nutrition around key training sessions, not just ideal weeks
Simplifying fuelling instead of making it more complex
Building routines that hold up during busy periods
Creating accountability rather than relying on motivation
Accepting that consistency matters more than perfection
Real progress comes from aligning intention with behaviour - not adding more rules.
Setting Goals That Are Worth Committing To
When setting goals for 2026, focus on choosing one or two small changes that move you in the right direction. For example:
Refuelling within an hour of training
Increasing carbohydrate intake to match training demands
Including protein at every meal
If you’re unsure where to start, use our bingo card to highlight the habit that would make the biggest difference for you.
Getting these foundations right early in the year makes consistency far easier as training loads increase.
Preparing for the Year Ahead
If you’re planning a marathon, ultramarathon, or simply want a more structured approach to endurance training in 2026, education and support can make a real difference.
Our marathon and ultramarathon nutrition courses are designed to help athletes not only understand what to do, but how to apply it consistently in real life - alongside work, training, and everything else.
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