You've probably all heard of the saying that "if you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got".  Well, that was very much my feeling at the end of 2018.  I'd enjoyed most of the triathlons and running that I'd done and it was all fairly steady.  However, I'd really suffered in the heat of the 2018 London Marathon and ended up having quite a tough second half of that run.  I finished in well over four hours, which wasn't what I'd trained 16 weeks for!  Overall, I felt that my training routine had stagnated and that I needed some fresh ideas.  For that reason I decided to send Mike an email and make an investment in having some coaching.

Working with Mike was a great experience.  There were seven key things that I got out of Mike's coaching:

1.  Firstly, it was great to not have to plan any sessions or think "what training shall I do tomorrow?".  Everything was planned out for me.  Even better, it was available in an online training plan which I could view on my laptop and my mobile.  All of my training activities got uploaded and recorded on that site too.  Believe it or not, having a varied and interesting and different training plan made a massive difference.  I would just look at the plan and, if it described a hill session, then I'd go to the road that Mike has prescribed and just do the training.  Simples!

2.  The training was really well structured.  Without Mike's plans I would definitely have overtrained at times.  Mike's plan had much more variety than the training that I would usually do, which made training more enjoyable.  Okay, there was more hill running but that was a weakness of my previous training.

3.  It was very motivating to have some new ideas for how to train.  For example, I did quite a few sessions where I ran for 40 or 50 minutes and then did a relaxed 5k Parkrun and then did a gentle run home.  There were lots of other sessions which were very new to me.  These really achieved my goal of freshening up my training.

4.  Every week Mike and I would meet for 30 minutes on FaceTime to talk through how the last week had gone and to discuss the next week's plan. Mike then fitted the plan around my work and social commitments.  On one occasion Mike advised me to get a slight calf strain looked at by a physio, which was excellent advice.  Without that advice, I'd probably have tried to just back off on the hard training for a while, do some stretching and hope that the pain would go away.  In hindsight, I think that would have been a false economy and have ended up with me getting frustrated.  A small investment in a visit to a physio meant that I was back training one week later.

5.  Mike gave me some excellent ideas for thoughts while running. This meant that when I did the 2019 London Marathon I had a mental plan for every section of the run.  I also had a mental strategy for pushing through the last six miles.  I still use these 'running thoughts' when I run today.

6.  For swimming, Mike gave me some excellent swim sessions to do.  These make trips to the swimming pool much more enjoyable and productive.  Rather than jump out after 35 - 40 minutes, I now find that I can do a 60 minute session without getting too bored.  Mike also helped me get more confident at sea swimming.

7.  Lastly, the results.  Well, my training for the London Marathon 2019 was much more enjoyable.  The Marathon itself was just the most enjoyable experience of 2019.  I finished having really enjoyed the run and having paced it just like the books say you should.  Even though I didn't wear a watch and ran more on ‘feel’, I finished comfortably under four hours.  Mike and I then worked on a Half Ironman event which, despite poor weather on the day, went really well.  All of the hill sessions that Mike had made me do really paid off and I was able to run all two laps of a very hilly and muddy course.

So, overall it was a great decision to work with Mike in 2019.  It has definitely changed how I train and increased the enjoyment that I get from training.  I'm not going to win any medals or stand on any podiums but Mike's coaching has made me appreciate the privilege of being fit and healthy.  It has made me rediscover the joy of just going out and run, swim or cycle.  For me, it is my 'good medicine'.

Anon.