Not a natural runner – I only really started in 2018 after giving up the will to live whilst stuck in traffic
on the way to the gym again.
I came to Jemma in 2022. I’d run a few half marathons and a marathon prior to this but was a one trick pony all running at one pace, too fast to be slow, too slow to be fast. I’d been looking at coaches online for a while, but none had really felt right. When I contacted Jemma she said let’s chat and see if we’ll work for each other – this filled me with confidence as she got that we needed to gel for this to work. In that first call I knew Jemma and I would work well together – she appeared to be programmed in the same structured way I was, got that I wasn’t a professional runner but that I wanted to take this seriously and improve.
I think goal one was a half marathon in the September, but due to a fractured ankle, 3 months into our coaching journey it didn’t happen, and while I paused coaching during recovery Jemma checked in for updates regularly and really helped me to understand that coming back too quickly would be more damaging long term.
When I text Jemma in September ‘22 (at this point I still wasn’t running) and said “do you think 100k this time next year is feasible” she was super supportive and so in October starting back from zero running we built towards it. Even when I said I also want to go for a fast 10k in April ‘23 she wasn’t fazed. I have learnt so much about myself as a runner during my time with Jemma, I am capable of far more than I imagined and honestly this applies to my life beyond running too!
Jemma has changed the way I think about my training and while I am going off plan for the rest of the year, I know I will taking away many good habits, most notably strength and mobility! Thank you, Jemma, for not only making me a better runner – I am sure that 51min 10k and the pre-midnight finish on the 100k would not have been possible without you, but also for being the voice of reason when I wasn’t listening to my body – its equally important for your coach to enforce a rest day sometimes.
I look forward to working with you on the next stupid goal in the future!