Recently, I hit one of those “Are you kidding me?” stretches—work travel chaos, a sick kiddo, and more missed runs than I’d like to admit – especially with an impending marathon!!! At first, I panicked. Missing training days felt like I was watching all my hard work disappear. But once I took a breath, I started to see things differently.
Here’s what I learned:
· Training plans expect you to miss runs. Seriously. They’re built assuming you’re not a robot. If you hit 80% of your plan, you’re still crushing it. Life happens—and so does progress.
· Flexibility counts as fitness. Can’t run? Try bodyweight squats while your kid naps. Squeeze in a lunch walk. Do a 10-minute yoga flow while waiting for laundry. Movement is movement.
· It’s okay to rest. No, really. That day off isn’t you “failing.” It’s you being smart. Recovery is part of the plan—even when it wasn’t planned.
· Stress is not a workout. Beating yourself up doesn’t burn calories or build endurance. It just makes everything harder. WOOOOSAH, friend.
· You’re already doing great. Training through busy seasons, showing up when you can, and adapting on the fly? That’s strong. That’s impressive. That’s you.
So if you’re in a curveball season, take the detour, reroute, and keep going. You’re still on the path—just with a few more interesting landmarks.