The Unconventional Running Coach

Coming P1 at parkrun Don't worry I know that parkrun is a run not a race and I know that it is P1 and not coming first, after all I am an Event Director and someone with over 300 volunteers. At the same time there is still something nice about coming first at parkrun. In my first 200 (or so) parkruns my best finish position was 3rd place, once, I am now just shy of 400 parkruns and have 8 first place finishes. 6 of those have been at my local, 1 in 2022, 4 in 2023 (I wasn't even that fast), 1 in 2024 and then 1 in Scotland in 2025 and now 1 in Wales in 2026. Now the parkrun I did yesterday was tough. My time trial at my local was a 17:40, that was 3 weeks ago. Now training hasn't exactly gone perfectly since then but I don't feel I have lost much fitness in that time (even if I have gained some weight). The actual run: The event itself was very quiet and hidden away in the hills of South...

As a self-confessed "obsessive researcher" of running science, I eagerly awaited my copy of The Norwegian Method Applied by Dr Marius Bakken. My goal was to see how it complemented the Norwegian Singles approach by James Copeland (Sirpoc) that I’ve been implementing earlier this year. While both authors advocate for a similar threshold-driven strategy, Bakken’s deep dive into the physiological nuances has given me several "lightbulb moments." Here is how I am refining my own training—and my coaching—based on these new insights. 1. The Power of the 'Cut-Back' Week Bakken reinforces the necessity of recovery, but he also suggests that a "week" doesn't have to be seven days. I’ve realised I’ve been training quite close to my limit lately. To stay on the right side of the injury line, I am introducing structured cut-back periods. Instead of a full calendar week of rest, I’m experimenting with a "mini-taper" approach: Wednesday: Reduced...

I am covering January a little early because we have just had the last parkrun of January so it is a good time to asses my progress against my time based goals, even if the progress goals could be better judged at the end of the month. parkrun times are all I have to go with regards to outcome goals and I have progressed my post illness PB from 17:35 to 17:21. I should also note that the 17:21 was run with the start as my 1k and then 1 mile PBs and just hanging on... yeah not great to do the first km in 16 minute flat pace according to Strava. There has also been much more consistency with my parkrun times, they are trending downwards with my times getting consistently quicker. I really feel I have a big PB in my legs and just need the competition, weather and pacing to be right.  The above times set me up nicely for my target Half Marathon and mean my predicted finish time, in comparable conditions, would be sub 80.... something for me to wrap my head around as my current PB (on a...

I was hoping to do vlogs but it appears I am not very good at that, also it is usually good to have some exciting content to post... and well with me it is mostly the same each week. I ate meat, I ran slowly (except for parkrun) and I was building on being consistent.  And really being consistent is my goal for this year. I ideally would like to stay happy and healthy whilst getting some personal bests along the way, I don't know if I will do it but if I love the process it doesn't really matter.  So what are my goals, both outcome and process?  Run 3000 miles - ideally run, but if I get ill or injured then cross training might have to count.  Consistently strength train  Consistently work on my mental health and training.  Stick to a carnivore diet Continue to learn  Break my 5k PB (17:08)  and ideally run 16:43. The latter because parkrun stopwatch bingo says I only haven't finished in a time with 43 on the end!  Run a half marathon PB (1:2...

This is part of my reviewing historic episodes of marathon talk 10 year after they were released, in part to give me something to think about with running and because I always enjoyed listening to them and 10 years was a long time ago so I can enjoy them again.  It's only running. We must remember, especially as amateurs that it is only running and there is much more to life. Easy to say but can be hard to implement when you use it as such a driving force / purpose in your life. I dedicate so much time to researching and thinking about my training that I would struggle mentally if it were to be taken away from me.  Daft - extra physical activity as punishment. Should be encouraged and enjoyed. Physical activity is a gift not a punishment.  I agree with this, they discussed how in schools a lap round the field can be seen as a punishment. We should see physical activity as something to be enjoyed and loved and not something to traumatise people with. If you are forc...

Well this was a bit more of a step forward and is the performance I was looking for, ideally 9 seconds quicker would have been perfect but I still can't quite believe the streak I am on at the moment. This is a run I was really happy with. I set off at a solid pace and let the other 3 out front go off into the distance. Chris dropped slightly off the back of the other 2 and I had reeled him in by about 1.5k. By 5k I caught and passed Fin and Stuart but I know they are class runners and Fin was just using us to shelter from the wind.  I pushed hard after the turn around point, as per my visualisations, and knew Chris couldn't stick with the pace. Until last week I hadn't really beaten Chris when we were both trying and last week I ran the kick out of him and this week dropped him completely. At about 3k Fin kicked for home and I knew I couldn't go with him. I stuck with Stuart until 4.5k and then fought to stay as close to him as I could. It is actually the fastest he ha...

Can you run fast without carbs? I certainly think so. 

Honestly my standard day involves 2 burger patties (homemade, 250g uncooked weight each) for breakfast at around 9am, if I am hungry then another patty between 10:30-11:30 and then my final meal, another 2 patties, around 1-2pm. It is normally beef but sometimes lamb, the middle meal will sometimes be swap for lamb chops but at the moment my life is around 1kg of burger patties day. Ah I should add they will be lightly or heavily salted to taste.

So this weekend just gone I grabbed another PB with 17:23 at my local event, crazy I hadn't run a sub 18 in 8 months at the start of November and now I am getting towards the low 17 minutes. As someone who always struggles with their weight I am still amazed at the progress I have made and have recently started wearing extra small clothes, not bad considering I used to be XXXL.  This weekend I have the joy of pacing one of my athletes at parkrun as I am racing a 10k on the Sunday. Annoyingly the weather forecast is changing from still and cold to warmer and windy but it will be the same conditions for everyone. I set my PB on this course last year and it is quick but on the prom so the wind will determine if I get a PB or not this year, all I can do is run my best race.  I approach all races with a positive mindset and I am in such good form that I could easily bag a PB and maybe a top 10 finish. My weight is in a great place and I have been sleeping well, and my diet is the c...

Another Saturday morning and another PB, another 2 seconds off. Honestly I was a little bit disappointed with this one. I felt that the conditions were a big improvement on recent weeks so was hoping for low 17:2x, perhaps I was being a little too optimistic. I mean looking at the results there were not many PBs, certainly up the front there were only 3 in the top 20. Again I got out kicked but myself and the other guy worked really well together. So now I have run under 17:30 and am 2 seconds away from entering the top 100 of all time. 

 So on Saturday, oh wait hang on it was a parkrun special, on Monday1st Jan I set a new parkrun PB of 17:31. Obviously I am self coached and things have been going really well recently. I am finding my stride, if we could just get good conditions at parkrun who knows what I might do. With some more consistent training I am hoping to get into 17:1x before we hit the summer course again and things slow down due to the grass, turns and the heat. Then next winter I want that 16:59!  This is my run over Christmas, on the morning of 11th / 11 my PB was 17:53 so I have knocked off 22 seconds in the last 6 weeks! I am the one on the left, this is at around 4.2k and it was feeling hard!

After all how often do you hear, "it isn't on Strava so it didn't happen"? Strava is automatically journaling, especially if you add extra notes but what about everything else you do? Journaling can be a powerful tool for athletes seeking to improve their performance. When used strategically, it can enhance self-awareness, boost motivation, and optimize your training routine. Here's a science-based approach to journaling for athletic success: 1. Track Progress and Performance: Log workouts: Record details like exercise type, duration, intensity, and perceived exertion. This allows you to track progress, identify weaknesses, and adjust your training accordingly. Monitor sleep and recovery: Log sleep duration and quality, along with recovery practices like stretching or meditation. This helps you optimize your recovery routine and identify potential factors impacting performance. Performance insights: Reflect on how you felt duri...

 

My Score : 9/10 Key Area's Covered : Confidence and Race preparation TLDR : Cracking book on confidence and how to build it with lots of practical applications to lots of sports. Can be used by all abilities for a better mindset and to improve race day performance.  The Confident Mind: A Battle-Tested Guide to Unshakable Performance by Dr. Nate Zinsser - A Review Pros: Actionable insights: Dr. Zinsser's background working with high-performance individuals in the military and sports world shines through. The book is packed with practical exercises, tools, and techniques that readers can readily apply to their own lives, regardless of their field or background. Easy to relisten / read to. I have the book on audio and paper and have been through it multiple times to pick up  extra info and actions to take.  Science-backed foundation: The book is grounded in research on psychology, neuroscience, and physiology, providing a credible and solid foundation for the prese...

Hi I am Gary. I am starting this blog / website in order to try and help more people and in the long run maybe make some money out of running coach as I do love the sport. As this blog and website builds up I imagine this post will either be updated or become obsolete. A quick summary of my running time line as an adult, something I am putting together for a YouTube Video anyway!!! As a child I ran a bit in the cross country team when I was 11, this is nothing like the US system and although I was ok I was far from a great runner.  As a young adult I became obese and was generally around 18 stone as a base line.  I developed a foot condition called Ledderhose disease which meant I used a walking stick for a few years until I was successfully treated, touch wood it is in remission.  In 2013 I try parkrun with times of around 33 to 29 minutes , if I remember correctly the 29 minutes was an error with results processing and I never actually ran sub 30.  End of 2014 I...