Your Running Coach with GMacSpurr

What happens when illness or injury means you can't run?For runners, being unable to run isn't always just about missing training. You might start worrying about losing fitness, falling behind, missing your race, or never getting back to where you were.You might feel frustrated. Guilty for resting. Anxious about your fitness. Tempted to “just test it”. Or find yourself scrolling Strava and comparing your recovery to everyone else's running.And underneath all of that can be some much bigger stuff: identity, control, self-worth and trust.In this episode, I’m looking at the mental side of running injury and illness recovery — including why not being able to run can feel like a genuine loss, why runners struggle so much with uncertainty, the guilt of resting, the temptation to negotiate with your body, comparison, fear of losing fitness and what happens when running has become part of your identity.Most importantly, we'll explore the difference between asking:“Can I get away with running?”and:“What does my body actually need right now?”Because your body isn't failing you because it needs rest.Sometimes rest is the training.If you're currently injured, recovering from illness, worried about losing running fitness, or struggling with the emotional side of not being able to run, this episode is for you.Links:- The Club - because there's more to running than what's featured in Strava. Work on the mindset stuff that can make all the difference.- Re-write your running story with The Runner Identity Project (aka TRIP)- Curious about what coaching could do for you? Jump on a consultation call with Coach G- Break through what’s holding you back and unlock your next level with 1:1 Coaching- Join 31x31: 31-Day Self-Trust Challenge- If you like to listen to music on your run, grab your new fav running playlist here- If you are guessing what to eat before, during & after your run then look no further - grab this 3-part running fuel series.Let's stay in touch:Follow @gmacspurrcoaching on InstagramJoin the Your Running Coach by GMacSpurr community and keep the conversation goingwww.gmacspurr.com

The Runner You Are Becoming: Running Mindset & IdentityWhat if training for your next running goal isn't just about getting fitter? In this more personal episode, Gillian is sharing the running mindset and identity work she's doing as she trains for her first ultra marathon - and the four questions she's using to become the runner who can successfully complete that distance.We explore:Who do I have to become?What am I leaving behind?What if I stopped trying to prove I can do it?What decision can I make today from the identity of the runner I’m becoming?Because your next running goal may require more than a training plan. It may require you to change how you think, believe, trust yourself and respond when things don't go to plan.That's the work we do inside The Runner Identity Project - combining running mindset, belief and identity work with personalised training, fuelling and support to get you to the starting line race ready.You're not just training for a new distance. You're becoming a new version of yourself.Links:- The Club - because there's more to running than what's featured in Strava. Work on the mindset stuff that can make all the difference.- Re-write your running story with The Runner Identity Project (aka TRIP)- Curious about what coaching could do for you? Jump on a consultation call with Coach G- Break through what’s holding you back and unlock your next level with 1:1 Coaching- Join 31x31: 31-Day Self-Trust Challenge- If you like to listen to music on your run, grab your new fav running playlist here- If you are guessing what to eat before, during & after your run then look no further - grab this 3-part running fuel series.Let's stay in touch:Follow @gmacspurrcoaching on InstagramJoin the Your Running Coach by GMacSpurr community and keep the conversation goingwww.gmacspurr.com

Have you ever missed a run…and then somehow ended up not running for weeks?Maybe you missed one session because life got in the way, then another one slipped. And before you know it, you're telling yourself you've fallen off the wagon, lost all your fitness, or left it too long to start again. If that sounds familiar, this episode is for you.In this episode of Your Running Coach with GMacSpurr, running mindset coach Gillian looks at what actually happens when you stop running for a while, and why the missed runs themselves aren't usually the biggest problem.We'll talk about:Why missing one run can quickly turn into missing severalThe stories your brain creates after you've missed a runHow waiting for the "perfect" time to start again keeps you stuckWhy thinking about taking action can become a massive energy leakHow to stop making your return to running into a big dramatic comebackThree simple things you can do to get yourself moving againWhy your next run doesn't need to prove anythingHow to come back to running imperfectly, without guilt or punishmentIf you've ever found yourself thinking I'll start again on Monday, I've lost all my fitness, I've messed up this week's training, or what's the point now?, this episode will help you separate what's actually happened from the story your brain has created around it.Key Takeaway: Missing some runs doesn't mean you've fallen off the wagon. You don't need the perfect conditions to start again, you just need to take the next step.Resources Mentioned: The Club is a space for runners who want to work on the mental side of their running, build more trust in themselves, and stop overthinking every missed run, bad session or difficult week.Links:- The Club - because there's more to running than what's featured in Strava. Work on the mindset stuff that can make all the difference.- Re-write your running story with The Runner Identity Project (aka TRIP)- Curious about what coaching could do for you? Jump on a consultation call with Coach G- Break through what’s holding you back and unlock your next level with 1:1 Coaching- Join 31x31: 31-Day Self-Trust Challenge- If you like to listen to music on your run, grab your new fav running playlist here- If you are guessing what to eat before, during & after your run then look no further - grab this 3-part running fuel series.Let's stay in touch:Follow @gmacspurrcoaching on InstagramJoin the Your Running Coach by GMacSpurr community and keep the conversation goingwww.gmacspurr.com

Do you constantly feel like you should be doing more with your running? Maybe you hit every run on your training plan, but it still doesn't feel enough. Maybe you achieve a personal best, complete a marathon, or finally become consistent with your training... only to immediately focus on the next goal.If so, this episode is for you.In this episode of Your Running Coach with GMacSpurr, running mindset coach Gillian, explores the hidden reason so many runners feel trapped in a cycle of constantly needing to improve. You'll discover why the urge to run more, achieve more, and be more may have less to do with your running performance and more to do with the beliefs driving your behaviour.We'll talk about:Why doing more never seems to feel like enoughThe mindset trap of constantly moving the goalpostsHow runners become addicted to evidence of progressWhy confidence built on achievements is often fragileThe connection between self-worth and running performanceHow to stay ambitious without tying your value to your resultsA healthier way to pursue running goals and personal growthIf you've ever struggled with perfectionism, comparison, all-or-nothing thinking, feeling behind in your training, or believing you should be further ahead than you are, this episode will help you see your running - and yourself - from a completely different perspective.Key Takeaway: You can want more from your running without believing you need more in order to be enough.Resources Mentioned: The Summer Consistency Reset designed to help runners stay consistent through summer without guilt, pressure, or all-or-nothing thinking.Links:- The Club - because there's more to running than what's featured in Strava. Work on the mindset stuff that can make all the difference.- Re-write your running story with The Runner Identity Project (aka TRIP)- Curious about what coaching could do for you? Jump on a consultation call with Coach G- Break through what’s holding you back and unlock your next level with 1:1 Coaching- Join 31x31: 31-Day Self-Trust Challenge- If you like to listen to music on your run, grab your new fav running playlist here- If you are guessing what to eat before, during & after your run then look no further - grab this 3-part running fuel series.Let's stay in touch:Follow @gmacspurrcoaching on InstagramJoin the Your Running Coach by GMacSpurr community and keep the conversation goingwww.gmacspurr.com

In this episode of Your Running Coach with GMacSpurr, Gillian explores why trying to “catch up” after missed training sessions is often making your running feel harder, more stressful, and less enjoyable than it needs to be.If you've ever missed a few runs and immediately felt guilty, panicked, or convinced yourself you needed to cram extra miles into your week to get back on track, you're not alone. Coach G unpacks the psychology behind catch-up mode, why so many runners interpret missed sessions as proof they're failing, and how the pressure to be perfect can quietly sabotage consistency.Through personal experiences, mindset coaching, and powerful reflections, you'll learn why the real challenge often isn't the missed training itself, but what those missed runs make you believe about yourself. This episode dives into self-trust, all-or-nothing thinking, perfectionism, and the emotional patterns that keep runners stuck in cycles of guilt, overcorrection, and burnout.With journal prompts like "What does being behind make me believe about myself?" and "What am I actually afraid a missed week means?", this conversation will help you build a healthier, more sustainable relationship with your training. Because confidence isn't built by catching up - it's built by learning how to return when life doesn't go to plan.Links:- The Club - because there's more to running than what's featured in Strava. Work on the mindset stuff that can make all the difference.- Re-write your running story with The Runner Identity Project (aka TRIP)- Curious about what coaching could do for you? Jump on a consultation call with Coach G- Break through what’s holding you back and unlock your next level with 1:1 Coaching- Join 31x31: 31-Day Self-Trust Challenge- If you like to listen to music on your run, grab your new fav running playlist here- If you are guessing what to eat before, during & after your run then look no further - grab this 3-part running fuel series.Let's stay in touch:Follow @gmacspurrcoaching on InstagramJoin the Your Running Coach by GMacSpurr community and keep the conversation goingwww.gmacspurr.com