When Life Derails the Plan (and That's Okay)

Let me be the first to say: this past week was not what I had planned.

I had my Dopey Challenge Week 2 training schedule locked in, a low-GI meal plan ready to prep, and a fridge full of ambition. But life had other ideas.

It started with an unexpected illness in one of our dogs—never something you’re ready for, emotionally or logistically. Before I could catch my breath, we were also hit with the heartbreaking news of a death in the family. That meant a midweek funeral and visitation, three hours away, followed by a weekend spent with loved ones—where the “training plan” was more about emotional endurance than physical mileage.

And as if the universe wanted to add a side dish of chaos, we finally had a weather window to tackle the landscaping. So I traded running shoes for gardening gloves and somehow ended the weekend with more dirt on my face than actual progress on the yard.

Needless to say, meal prep did not happen. By Tuesday, I was eating cheese cubes and popcorn like they were a food group. I felt scattered, emotionally drained, and honestly like I was losing my mind trying to juggle everything.

But here’s the truth I’m learning along this Dopey journey: consistency doesn’t mean perfection. Life will get messy. Plans will fall apart. What matters is that we find our way back.

So this week? I'm getting back to the grind. I'm meal prepping. I'm running. I'm doing the things that ground me—not because last week didn’t count, but because it did. Because life happens, and we keep going.

Whether you're training for your first 5K or the full Dopey, give yourself grace. You’re human. You're doing your best. And sometimes, the hardest part of the journey is just showing back up.

So here is to week 3 and a better week. (a bonus I did create a meal prep and work out plan)

Dopey Week 3.pdf

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Let’s keep showing up—together.