What if i want to run + lose weight in 2026?
Here’s what we recommend 👇
we all have competing goals for the new year
Want to train for a race AND lose body fat in 2026?
The good news is that you can absolutely do both… But you can’t do them at the same time.
Most women try to:
increase mileage
build speed
drop calories
and lose body fat
... all in the same season → which tanks performance, recovery, hormones, and progress.
Your 2026 goals need a strategy, not chaos.
we need to periodize, and we need to start now
Your body changes when you stop forcing competing priorities.
If you want to train for a race in 2026, but do so in a body you feel confident in, we have to start with aesthetics before we approach the performance piece. Mostly because you can’t fuel for a race before you understand your maintenance lifestyle requirements.
Here’s the roadmap that works every time:
Starting with Maintenance
→ Fat Loss
→ Race Prep
→ Recovery
→ Build
phase 1: maintenance
This is where we start the year to build your foundation. This foundation is what will make or break your other goals, so we start with the basics.
Timeline = December - March
What your maintenance lifestyle needs to look like:
Caloric intake high enough to support recovery
Weight fluctuations within 2-5 lbs consistently
Strength training 3-4x/wk
Base running (5-15 miles/wk)
Fix any sleep, hydration, or stress issues
Nail macro minimums + intra-workout fueling habits
phase 2: fat loss
Once we feel confident that you’ve nailed maintenance and are showing progress in consistency, we move toward a short, intentional, and controlled fat loss phase in March.
Timeline = March - June
Conservative to moderate caloric deficit
Goal rate of loss = 0.5-1 lb per week, maximum
Keep protein high (0.7-1g per lb body weight)
Keep strength training 3x weekly
Running stays EASY + low intensity
Increase overall steps
No long runs to avoid full glycogen depletion
Goal: Drop 5-10 lbs while maintaining 5-15 miles weekly.
phase 3: race prep
We will calculate your new maintenance calories after finishing the cut, based on your activity level during the cut.
As we increase calories, we will gradually increase activity, allowing for minimal fat regain while you consume more carbs.
Timeline = June - October
Calories → back to maintenance + a slight surplus on your running days (aka performance maintenance)
Carbs → HIGH for performance (4-6g per kg bodyweight)
Strength → maintain 3x weekly (2 upper + 1 lower)
Running → speed, tempo, long run progression
You can’t PR under-fueled. You race best when you’re FED.
phase 4: race + recovery
With this periodization plan, we want to aim for a race between the months of September-November.
During our race + recovery phase, our goals are pretty simple:
Successful taper phase + carb load
Race + hit a new PR (obviously)
Refuel with 1 full week off tracking food (intuitive eating)
1 week of complete rest
2 weeks completely off running, can restart light strength training 1 week post-race (individually dependent)
Stabilize hormones, stress, sleep
We need to let your body rebound so the next phase actually works.
Timeline = September - November
phase 5: rebuild
This is where you fully recover and start working again on body recomposition changes.
Timeline = November - February
Eating in a slight surplus
Progressive overload in the gym + increasing strength training to 4x weekly
Lower running volume (5-10 miles weekly)
Our goal before we repeat the cycle is to build muscle → eat more food → easier fat loss in the next year.
This phase is slept on… but it’s where the magic happens.
The takeaway
When you cycle your seasons intentionally, you get:
Better race times
Visible physique changes
Ability to eat more food
Predictable progress
No burnout
No “forever stuck” phase
Because you stopped fighting to do it all at once, and actually focused on each goal with 100% effort.
If 2026 is your year to get faster + leaner, we recommend you join us for Base Camp to learn maintenance + fat loss, then join our July Performance Cohort to prep for race day.
Your goals deserve structure. Not guesswork. That’s where we come in to help.
