Coach Simon Blog: Progress is Never Linear

It's a strange part of the season. The big Spring races are now behind us, the temperature has ramped up, and for many of us our big goals for 2025...

Roller Coaster of Emotions as a Running Coach

I'll start this post by sharing the achievements of the team over the weekend. At Brighton Marathon on Sunday there were PBs for Jack Matthews (3:34) and Sam Evans 3:26)....

My Lucky Half Marathon

Is there such thing as a lucky race? Well if you refer to the famous quote from South African Golfer Gary Player, then yes. He said, "The harder I practice,...

Drummers, Smiles and High 5s

As the big races approach I am learning the anxieties that come with being a running coach. Especially in 2025 as this year I have a larger team of runners...

Self Compassion

We are all guilty of being our own worst critics. But when it comes to your running that needs to stop. If you're getting out the front door and running,...

Hills Reps

We all love hills right? I remember training for the 2018 Hastings Half Marathon when my fitness was particularly poor. I only ever ran on the seafront and the minute...

Go Hard in Sessions

If you're looking to make gains and improve your times across distances ranging from 5k up to half marathon, then the really important sessions are intervals. These can vary depending...

Train at Goal Pace

When I trained for my first marathon, Bournemouth 2018, I was a little disgruntled at the pace of my long runs. A wise head, or whom I assumed was knowledgeable...

Run Tall

Probably the single most important running form tip you can focus on is to Run Tall!! I'm guilty of slouching myself and as someone that has spent the majority of...

Run Relaxed

Day 5 of my tip streak and I headed down to Hastings parkrun in my latest pair of running shoes. Slightly concerning this is the 4th pair I have purchased...

10 Minutes Warm Up Run

10 minutes. That is not a long time. Considerably shorter than the time you are likely to be racing or running intervals in the forthcoming session. Ideally we'd always do...

A Pouring of PBs in the Drizzle

The Barry Richards 10K has always been a favourite of mine. My times down the years have ranged from 1:04:32 (yes it was a best effort) to 40:50, so it's...

Rest Days

I'll keep this one brief today as whilst there isn't a great deal of explaining to do, this running tip is very important. Rest Days. We all need them. And...

Train in Groups

When I first started my own running journey I spent 12 months training on my own. It wasn't until I completed my first half marathon and joined my local club...

Run The Trails

I have a lot of silly ideas. Some of them better than others. Some last minutes, some days, some even months. But I'll always give them a try and you...

Race to the Stones and Beyond!!

I've always been open about my lack of Ultra Running experience, as a participant and a coach, but I've been given the opportunity by several in the team to learn...

Wrong Turn Cost Sam his 50k PB

Let's start with Sam Davies and the Serpent Trail 50k. That's a long way. Twice the distance some of us tackled at Bewl on Sunday and still Sam was able...

Ultra Success for Determined Anna

Often as a coach I'm confident of a runner’s success heading into an event based on the training they've done. This weekend could not have been further from that truth....

PBs Galore in Spring 5K

I'm a little speechless. Not ideal at the start of a blog post. I understand now why I was so excited about this race, I couldn't have dreamt a better...

Team Orange overcame adversity to smash London Marathon

Running a marathon is tough. But I think trying to help a team of runners prepare for a marathon is possibly even more challenging. You might agree come the end...

Team Orange at Hastings Half Marathon

This blog should be one of pure positivity but the last few weeks have been a grind for me personally. My refusal to rest has led to a cold developing...