How to Stay Consistent With Running Training When Life Gets Busy

No Perfect Training Conditions, Just Consistency

Staying consistent with running training isn't always easy. Work, family, travel, fatigue and unexpected changes in life can quickly disrupt even the best training plan.

I was reminded of this recently while preparing for something that felt both exciting and slightly intimidating — my first 30km trail run.

Now, before anyone imagines me as some seasoned trail runner confidently hopping over rocks and hills every weekend… I should clarify: I still very much consider myself a newbie. I usually only do one or two trail races a year, so this was definitely a step up.

Going into it, I had a small goal in mind: finish in the top 10 of my category.

Mostly for fun, partly for motivation, and if I’m being completely honest — because I had a bet going with a colleague. Nothing like a little friendly competition to keep training interesting, right?

Building a Running Training Plan

Training was actually going pretty well at first.

After completing a road half marathon in early April, I adjusted my routine to better prepare for trail running. That meant adding more hill sessions, getting in some trail exposure, and continuing to build my aerobic base.

There was a plan, a structure, and for once, things felt relatively on track.

I’m not someone constantly chasing PBs or obsessing over numbers. Running, for me, has always been something more than that. It helps me clear my head, keeps me somewhat fit aerobically, and gives me a routine I genuinely enjoy amidst the chaos of everyday life.

At that point, consistency felt relatively easy.

Then life happened.

What Happens When Your Running Training Gets Interrupted?

About a month before race day, plans really just went out the window for a while.

Training became less about hitting every session perfectly and more about fitting in whatever I could. Some weeks, running barely happened — maybe just a short easy run squeezed into the day when time allowed. Gym sessions became less frequent too.

The carefully planned programme? Let’s just say it quietly exited the chat for a while.

At the time, it felt frustrating.

There’s always that little voice in your head wondering if you’re losing fitness or whether all the work you had put in before was slowly slipping away.

But looking back now, I realise I was simply doing the best I could during that period — and sometimes, that is enough.

Sometimes consistency doesn’t look impressive. Sometimes it just looks like doing what you can.

Eventually, things settled a little, and I managed to slowly return to some sort of rhythm.

Maybe two runs a week instead of my usual three or four.

Not ideal, but enough to feel like I was moving again.

Do You Lose Fitness When You Miss Running Sessions?

This was probably the biggest thing I took away from the experience.

When training gets interrupted, it's easy to feel like missing a few runs means all your previous work has been wasted.

But training isn't simply an all-or-nothing process.

The months of regular running I had completed before that period still mattered. The easy runs, hill sessions, aerobic work and general consistency had already helped build a base.

The goal wasn't to suddenly compensate for the missed sessions by cramming in more training.

Instead, I focused on getting back into a manageable routine.

Sometimes, doing two runs in a week is better than doing nothing because you're waiting for the perfect week to return to your usual three or four.

Race Day: Adjusting Your Running Goals

And before I knew it, race day had arrived.

Safe to say, my goals had changed quite a bit by then.

Gone was the “top 10” ambition.

The main objective became: finish in one piece, enjoy the experience, and just enjoy being out there for a few hours.

Also — very importantly — finish before midday because in this weather?? Absolutely not.

That said… the competitive side of me still held onto a tiny bit of hope about winning that bet.

Honestly, the race went far better than expected.

Considering how inconsistent the final stretch of training had been, I was genuinely surprised by how good I felt.

I managed to finish before midday, crossed the line in one piece (a huge win in itself), and somehow ended up finishing fourth in my category.

Now, full disclaimer — I was still about an hour away from the top three. Those runners were on another level entirely. Massive respect to them because wow.

What Consistent Running Training Taught Me

Looking back, I don’t think the race went well because I somehow crammed training in at the last minute.

If anything, this experience reminded me that what carried me through was probably the consistency from the months before — the regular runs, the boring easy miles, and simply showing up even when it wasn’t exciting.

The race wasn’t saved by perfect preparation. It was probably built on simply showing up, consistently, before life got busy.

I think we often wait for perfect conditions before starting something:

More time.

Less stress.

A better schedule.

More motivation.

But life is messy, and perfect timing rarely exists.

We've all heard the advice before — don't wait for perfect days, just stay consistent.

Funny enough, I say some version of this to my own patients all the time too.

Easy to say, harder to fully appreciate when life gets busy, training gets interrupted, or things simply don’t go to plan.

But I think this race was one of those moments where it finally clicked for me.

Consistency Matters in Running, Exercise and Rehabilitation

The same principle applies beyond running.

Whether you're training for a race, returning to exercise after an injury, or working through a rehabilitation programme, progress doesn't always happen during perfect weeks.

In physiotherapy and rehabilitation, people sometimes feel that they need to complete every exercise perfectly or follow their programme without missing a session.

Real life doesn't always work that way.

A good exercise or rehabilitation programme needs to be something you can realistically maintain alongside work, family, training and everything else going on in your life.

The important thing is finding a sustainable level of activity and gradually building from there.

Sometimes consistency means doing the full programme.

Sometimes it means doing a shorter session.

And sometimes, it simply means getting back to it after a difficult week.

Small Efforts Still Count

Whether it’s running, rehabilitation, exercise, or simply building a routine you care about, progress doesn’t always happen during the perfect weeks.

Sometimes, it just comes from showing up consistently — in whatever way you can.

Small efforts still count.

Small wins still count.

You don't need perfect training conditions to make progress.

You just need to keep showing up.

No perfect training conditions — just consistency.

—

Shern Yi, The Running Physio