Send us Fan Mail

You missed training. You got sick. Something flared up. Life got in the way.

Now the plan you imagined is not the plan you are actually living — and the question becomes: is your race still salvageable, or did the setback change everything?

In this episode, Coach Justin and Coach Katie talk through how endurance athletes should adjust after illness, injury, missed workouts, or disrupted training. More importantly, they explain why trying to “make up” lost training is often the fastest way to turn one setback into a bigger problem.

What You’ll Learn:
Why missed training does not automatically mean your race is ruined
The mistake athletes make when they try to cram lost workouts back into the plan
How to return to training without rushing intensity or volume
When to adjust the plan, when to adjust expectations, and when to stay patient

Timestamps:
00:00 — Why this episode matters
03:28 — Katie’s illness and the reality of interrupted training
08:07 — The emotional side of setbacks and lost expectations
13:10 — Why making up missed training usually backfires
17:12 — Patience, gratitude, and reframing the setback
23:02 — Handling the uncertainty of return-to-training
30:35 — Why injury and illness prevention is never guaranteed
34:51 — What to do after a short-term setback
38:13 — Returning day by day instead of forcing the plan
44:12 — Why movement comes before structured training
54:23 — How timing affects the cost of missed training
01:06:23 — Why race day is not decided by a perfect training block

For coaching inquiries:

Coach Katie → https://fuel2run.com

Coach Justin → https://tabularasaracing.com

Podcast Email → theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com