A missed session can quickly become a story about falling behind. Often it is simply evidence that this week changed. The useful decision is what to do next, not how to repay the calendar.

Do not double the next day by default

Putting two sessions together may remove a gap on paper while changing the demand and recovery built into the plan. RGN Training plans explicitly advise against doubling up after missed sessions. If several are missed, reassess the preparation and event date instead of compressing the work.

Open the full week in Training, look at the purpose of the missed session and the sessions still ahead, then decide which one matters now. The answer may be to continue with the next planned session, move one item, repeat a week, or rest. A general guide cannot choose for every plan and circumstance.

Name what interrupted the week

Was it a one-off appointment, an unrealistic timetable, illness, pain, caring, weather, travel or loss of interest? Different causes need different responses. A one-off clash may need no redesign. A recurring clash suggests the routine no longer fits. Symptoms or illness may require advice before returning.

Imagine missing a Tuesday easy run because work ran late, then reaching Thursday tired with a focused session planned. “Catch up” would mean running Wednesday and Thursday. A more useful response might be to let Tuesday go, check recovery on Thursday and continue only if the session still fits.

Keep the language factual

Try “I missed two sessions during a difficult week” instead of “I ruined the plan”. The first description leaves room for a decision. Record the reason if it will help you notice a pattern; you do not need to publish it.

One interrupted week does not have to become a new rule. Equally, repeating the same interruption is useful evidence that the goal, plan or support may need to change.

Your next step: look only at the next planned opportunity. Choose whether to continue, move, repeat or pause, and write one reason. If the timetable itself has stopped working, read When your routine no longer fits.