What’s your realistic training week?

Dawn’s running journey began with a run around the block after having three children in five years.

She went on to complete the Manchester Marathon, building through shorter distances while managing family life, fatigue, and the demands of training.

One useful lesson from her story is that your running needs a workable place in your week.

It’s easy to plan sessions around the version of your life where everything goes smoothly.

Then a meeting overruns, someone needs a lift, or you’ve had a terrible night’s sleep, and the plan starts to unravel.

Try looking at your diary before deciding what your training week should contain.

Which slots can you reliably protect? Where have you allowed time for recovery? What could you move if something changes?

A routine you can repeat gives you something solid to build on. Over time, those weeks can take you much further than you initially imagined.

What’s the biggest challenge in your diary this week, and how are you making room for your running around it?