Training plans look neat on paper. Real life does not always behave that politely.

In this episode of Distance Dr Daily, I talk through what to do when you are following a marathon, half marathon, triathlon or running plan and suddenly things change: you feel run down, you get sick, or an injury starts to niggle.

The big question is usually: do you catch up on missed sessions, swap things around, take a break, or just jump back into the plan?

I break this down into three common scenarios: fatigue or feeling run down, illness, and injury. We talk about when it may make sense to swap a session, when to reduce intensity, when to rest, and when symptoms mean you should stop and seek medical advice. I also cover why suspected bone stress injury is different, why altered gait matters, and why jumping straight back into hard sessions after a flare-up can backfire.

The goal is not to follow the plan perfectly. The goal is to make smart decisions so your body can actually adapt to the training.

In this episode:

• What to do if you wake up exhausted on interval day
• When to swap, reduce or skip a session
• Why you usually should not “catch up” missed runs
• How to modify training when you are sick
• How to return after time off or altered training
• How to think about pain during running
• When injury symptoms need medical advice
• Why your plan needs to bend before your body breaks

This is a practical episode for runners and triathletes who want to keep training moving without forcing the plan at all costs.