September was supposed to be the month to complete 100 kilometers of running, but I ended up closing at 54. Travel first broke the rhythm, and when I returned, a short spell of flu made it harder to get back on track. Looking at the log, I see that there were too many zero days spread through the month, which eventually made the gap impossible to close. Even though I had some longer runs in the later weeks, including a ten-kilometer stretch, the missed days meant the overall count stayed much lower than planned. It is a reminder that consistency counts more than single efforts, and once the pattern breaks, recovery takes time.
The goal of 100 kilometers was not unrealistic because in previous months I have crossed similar marks, but circumstances made September different. Travel disrupts sleep and routine, which affects the body more than I expect. Running after long flights or irregular meals always feels heavier, as if the legs need extra time to find rhythm again. Just when I had started adjusting back, the flu set in and kept me off the track. Even a short break for illness slows everything down because the body needs energy for recovery before it can handle distance. These interruptions stack up quickly, and the mileage gap grows without much warning.
I noticed that the cumulative distance chart reflected the slowdown clearly. Early in the month I had some promising runs, but the middle weeks flattened out with too many consecutive zero entries. The momentum only returned in the last stretch, where I managed consistent three to ten kilometer runs. Still, the late push was not enough to cover what had already been lost. This shows that chasing numbers only at the end of the month rarely works, because endurance does not build that way. Each skipped day accumulates, and a concentrated effort at the end cannot easily replace steady daily work.
There is also the mental side of missing a target. I felt a slight pressure each day I did not run, knowing that the total was falling behind. That pressure sometimes makes the return harder because it turns a simple workout into a task framed by numbers. Yet the number itself is less important than the fact that I continued to run despite setbacks. The body still held up for longer runs after rest, and that is proof of baseline fitness. The experience also made it clearer that training goals need flexibility, especially when external factors like illness intervene.
Finishing the month at 54 kilometers is less than half of what I had aimed for, but it is not wasted effort. It gives me a marker of where I am when circumstances break routine. It also leaves a lesson about adjusting goals when reality changes instead of holding on rigidly to targets. The next month will likely need a fresh plan, built not around chasing a lost milestone but on regaining consistency. Missing the 100 kilometers is a setback, but it is also part of the longer rhythm of running, where progress is measured over months and years, not a single cycle.