When Training Hasn’t Gone to Plan

With the West Highland Way Race now just a couple of months away, many runners find themselves in a familiar place.Training hasn’t quite gone how they hoped.Missed sessions. Disrupted consistency. Life getting in the way.And with that often comes a quiet pressure to catch up. To do more, and to fix things quickly.In this episode, Paul explores why that instinct can lead you further away from where you want to be… and how to approach this final phase of training with clarity, control, and purpose.In this episode:Why the “perfect training block” is largely a mythThe common trap of trying to cram fitness late in the buildA personal story from student life that reframes how to use limited time effectivelyHow to shift from “catching up” to “making the most of what you have”What actually matters in the final 6–8 weeks before race dayBuilding a simple, effective planStructuring your weeks around consistency rather than intensityThe role of the long run and why it should feel controlled, not exhaustingUsing back-to-back runs to build durability without overreachingWhy easy running needs to stay genuinely easyPractising fuelling so it becomes automatic on race dayLearning sustainable pacing through feel, not guessworkWhy recovery, sleep, and nutrition are part of the training processManaging life alongside trainingHandling periods of increased life stress, including moving house close to race dayUnderstanding total load, not just training loadProtecting sleep and creating intentional downtimeReducing decision fatigue by planning aheadAdjusting training without losing rhythmWhy arriving slightly undertrained but fresh is often better than overtrained and exhaustedReframing where you areLetting go of the idea that training needed to be perfectRecognising the experience and resilience you already haveLearning to respond, adapt, and move forward without overreactingA practical reflection to tryTake time to write down:Key experiences that show your resilienceMoments where you’ve handled difficulty wellStrengths you can rely on during the raceOften, the evidence you need is already there.Key messageYou can’t recreate missed training. But you can make smart decisions now.Consistency, control, and clarity in this final phase will take you further than trying to force what’s already gone.About the hostThe WHW Race Pod is hosted by Paul, a three-time winner of the West Highland Way Race, with deep experience of the race and a strong connection to its community.Race LinksWest Highland Way Racehttps://westhighlandwayrace.org/Instagram@whw_raceStay connectedYou can follow along and stay connected here:Substack: https://pyllon.substack.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/pyllonYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/pyllonWebsite: https://pyllonultra.com