It’s 10 years since I came up with the idea of working for myself, as a Running Coach. I was away in the Alps, doing a lot of running in the mountains and wondering what it would be like to live and work there offering training camps and running retreats. I’d already been coaching as a volunteer at my local club and quickly realised I enjoyed that far more than my actual day job!

Over the next 2 years I built up private coaching work alongside my long running career as an IT/Tech Project Manager (Delivery Manager/Scrum Master/get stuff done person/effluent umbrella…!) and also spent my evenings and weekends studying for a nutrition qualification and to become a Sports Massage Therapist. In March 2017 left my last office job and stepped into the world of self employment and the roller coaster of running my own business.

The Highlights;

The joy that doing a job you truly love and find really rewarding can’t really be properly described. I get so much out of helping people achieve their running dreams and goals; from fast times, big events through to staying healthy and fit for their kids, or into later life. Plus I get paid to chat to people about running, what could be better?!

The relationships I’ve built with runners and patients. I’ve always worked well one to one; and being able to build trusting relationships with those I work with is key to doing the best job I can for them, and helping them to achieve their goals. The more I know a person the better job I can do to support them; much like how I tried to work in IT/Tech. One to one chats and wider conversations around them as a whole human allowed me to do both jobs so much better.

Changing lives. I had real self doubt hit when I first typed that, but I really do think it’s true. From a runner in their 40s who moved from having two significant health conditions related to inactivity and stress to being fit, active, healthy and able to keep up with young children and play sports with them; to a sports massage patient who’d had 30 years of fairly severe abdominal pain after a hysterectomy that I was able to resolve with scar tissue work over a few sessions.

Of course being able to manage my own time and diary means I’ve also been able to welcome a dog into the home too. Which is something I’ve wanted to do since becoming an adult. She’s the best friend, career coach and training partner!

What have I learnt?

My own way of doing sales and marketing. Those of you who know me even just a little will probably guess this isn’t my strong point. But I’ve learnt that when you have confidence in yourself, the skills you bring and how what you do can help people I’ve been able to find that “just” talking with care and enthusiasm about what I do and with kindness and respect towards the person I’m speaking to is the approach that works for me!

That I am adaptable and strong. If the pandemic taught me anything it was the huge value of self employment; you can change what you do and how you do it on a dime! For someone who works hands on in a clinic setting for part of my work it was a massive challenge to change tack and manage the inevitable financial challenges. But I’ve grown a very successful online running coaching business out of it and I was so pleased and proud that all of my sports massage clients were champing at the bit to book back in when they could.

I can “follow my nose”. I’ve been doing this job for over twice as long as any other IT/Tech job I’ve had in the past and it’s because it’s never the same. I have gradually changed my direction over the years, focusing in on what I enjoy more; the places, the ways of working and the people I enjoy working with the most. (I’ve not yet set up those Alpine running retreats though!)

What’s next?

Talking of following my nose I’ve started training for a new qualification this month. It’s in an area that crops up so much in conversation with both my runners and patients and I firmly believe can really help people lead more spacious, aware and satisfying lives. It’s certainly helped me to

Watch this space!