Meet heather
I met James 18 months ago when I was about to retire, and decided, on a whim to take up running, having not run anywhere since I was at school.
We had a great session using the gait analysis tool and, armed with a good pair of trainers, some tips on form and an outline plan, I bought a sports watch and started to run.
About 2 months later, having haphazardly run during the summer I was back, but this time with an Achilles injury.
James put together a sensible rehab programme for me. It was easy to follow, he kept a close eye on me with regular catch ups, both on line and in person. Importantly, he didn’t let me over train.
2 months after that I was starting to walk/run again. This time with a structured programme including strength training, which as James often reminds me is especially important for the more mature runner.
This, together with James’s coaching support, both online and in person has been fundamental in keeping me running, in all senses! James knows an excuse when he sees one which means that I train even on days when I don’t feel like it (and never regret it).
Initially when we talked about nutrition, I said I wasn’t interested. James didn’t push it but about a year in, I realised how important this was, not just for race days but every day and so that is now incorporated into my plan.
Being a beginner runner, the honest and open advice on everything from kit, to form, to nutrition has been invaluable. We can have an open, easy-going discussion and often a good laugh about what works and what doesn’t and adjust accordingly. Being part of his coaching group is great too because of all the additional experiences to draw on.
In the last 18 months, I have gone from 5k to 10k to Half Marathon and am now looking forward to some trail running events too and hopefully a marathon next year. James has taken me through the prep and training for all of these. I’ve had some fails but James helps me put them in perspective and move on
I'm never going to be the fastest runner, and I don’t want to be. I just want to enjoy running for years to come.