I first approached Richard to discuss the mental side of my running. Although I was a competitive club athlete, I often struggled with pre-race nerves, negative comparisons with other runners and being overly critical of my own performances. Too much of my focus was on things outside my control rather than on preparing to run well.
Richard helped me develop a more structured and positive approach. We worked on focusing on what I could control, managing negative self-talk and developing routines that allowed me to arrive at races calmer and more focused. Over time I became less concerned about who else was racing, more confident in my own preparation and better able to perform when it mattered.
What started as work on the mental side of running gradually developed into a broader approach to improving performance. Following Richard's recommendation, I worked with a sports nutritionist to improve my diet and fuelling. Although that was only for a few months, I still refer to the food diaries and recipes we developed whenever my eating habits start to drift.
Strength and conditioning also became a key part of my training. I began working with a personal trainer specialising in running performance and continue to do so today. To make this easier, I converted my garage into a gym, removing the friction of travelling to a commercial gym and making strength work a consistent part of my routine.
The changes have been reflected in my performances. Since working with Richard, I have achieved personal bests across a range of distances, including 4:50 for the mile, 4:25 for 1500m, 16:44 for 5km and 15:59 for 5000m on the track. I have also enjoyed success in county and master’s competition, earning podium places, age-group awards and contributing to medal-winning teams.
The benefits have extended beyond race results. I enjoy my running more, recover better from setbacks and have a much more balanced perspective on training and competition. This was particularly important when I suffered an Achilles injury in 2025. The combination of strength work, patience and a gradual return to running allowed me to make a full recovery and reinforced many of the lessons I had learned earlier.
I am now looking to work with Richard again to help refocus both my physical training and mental approach. The work we did together gave me tools that continue to influence how I train, race and deal with the inevitable challenges that come with being a competitive runner.
Some of Jon’s results since this work took place:
