Hey! I’ve been inspired to write more. A lovely rest day at Bateman’s has encouraged me to try and spend more time sharing my thoughts with words and not just pictures.

Rudyard would be ashamed of how we choose to spend our hours, gawking at selfies and obsessing over the opinion of strangers.

I can’t talk, with my short vlogs which have become more sparse of late, with my imagination running dry. A believe a tonic of brief videos and more thought provoking articles will be my approach going forward.

The Coach Simon blog will be rather self indulgent and follow my own running and coaching journey. I’ll try to make them interesting, but I can’t promise they’ll have you running back for more.

To date I’m pleased with the progress on both fronts. Bewl 15 marked the conclusion of 5 training plans and the feedback has been very positive. What has delighted me the most is a change in mindset and enjoyment level for the runners I’ve worked with.

The results may not be have Team Orange leaping off the page just yet, but improvement takes time and consistency. I’m pleased that those who succeeded with their last plans have shown eagerness and determination to start a new one. Soon they’ll see the seconds and minutes disappearing from their race times.

The coaching platform continues to evolve and having my own website where runners can leave feedback and keep track of their upcoming schedule is very exciting for me.

In recent months I’ve produced some very satisfying race times and was proud of myself for landing the Improvers Award at the Alan Corke.

This is my 13th training plan and I’ve long since reached the point where improvement comes naturally. So finding new ways to get faster has been a challenge I’ve relished and one I’m excited to continue.

My passion for improvement borders on insanity sometimes, but I’m still as eager as ever to become stronger, fitter and have a more positive mindset.

This evening I’ve entered the Rye 10K Summer Series. I’ve been training specifically for a fast 10k and whilst I still have 5 weeks left on my plan, my ambitious goal means I should have a good chance of a new PB tonight. Watch this space.

It will be tough. Brutal at times. But I’ve learned down the years that good things come from hard work. So when my mind is screaming “Stop” I’ll be responding “shhhh Butt Munch” and I’ll battle on bravely.

Until tomorrow, with news of my PB attempt, thanks for reading.