When athletes don’t follow the plan: what to do
Measure plan compliance, understand why it is not being followed and adjust training instead of insisting on the same thing.
A plan that isn't followed isn't a good plan, however good it looks on paper. When an athlete misses sessions or does them very differently, the problem is rarely just willpower.
Measure compliance
Compare each planned session with what was actually done: duration, distance or load. A colour system helps you see it at a glance: green if it was done, yellow if it fell short, red if it was way off or skipped.
Look for the pattern
- The same days always fail: the plan doesn't fit their schedule.
- Long sessions come up short: not enough time, or the volume is too much.
- Intervals are run faster than planned: the paces are out of date.
- Easy days get skipped: maybe they don't understand what they're for.
Adjust
Ask before judging. Often the solution is to move sessions, shorten them or update thresholds.
Sometimes falling short is exactly the right call. Compliance data is information, not a grade.