I feel good - James Brown

There are many times when you are on an extensive training programme, when you can feel exhausted, frustrated and wonder why you are even bothering to try as the more you try, the worse it feels. I'm finding out that my own plan has challenged me in lots of ways especially in how it has made me feel but it seems like I have come out of the darkness and into the bright light of feeling fit and ready to run with confidence.

The 'C' word is the key here as there hasn't been much change in my overall fitness for the past few years but I have been able to affect my level of confidence so that I get two peaks a year which I can coincide with The Marathon des Sables and The Robin Hood Marathon.

If I could bottle this, I'd be a millionaire... the interesting thing is that recreating it in other people is actually a lot easier and the athlete's I am coaching are running with heightened confidence levels. I'll keep you posted with their achievements but I have high hopes for all of them.

Maybe that's where I am getting my inspiration right now as I now have to lead by example.