Case Studies
On this page, you'll find a selection of case studies of athletes Bob has had the privilege to coach. The athletes you’ll read about here are of varying ages, with different running experiences and goals.
Emma, female athlete, mid-30s
A long-term coaching relationship and plan have seen Emma, who was relatively inexperienced at the outset, become a seasoned endurance runner. Her first few marathons had their significant successes; but also, as is usually the case for this very demanding distance, there have been some challenges including a niggling injury. She has learned and matured exponentially as a runner through these experiences (eg her race-pacing skills are exemplary!). It is to Emma’s significant credit that she has steadily improved her performances year-on-year at various distances: marathon, half-marathon, 5k and parkrun!
Sam, male athlete, mid-20s
Sam had only recently taken up running as his core sport when he started with Bob. His research into the science and art of running enabled him to contribute significantly to the training programmes which Bob co-designed with him. His goal focus, meticulous attention to detail and hard work have enabled him, with Bob’s support, to record Personal Best performances at marathon (including a sub-3-hour achievement), half marathon, 10k, 5k, parkrun and the mile! He worked with Bob to coach three 10k squads and has now also qualified as a coach.
Claire, female athlete, mid-40s
Claire had only recently started running, having completed a Couch to 5k programme before starting down the coaching route by joining her running club’s 10k Squad which Bob initiated and led. The Squad had a 10-week programme, and personal support as needed, to work towards a target 10k race. She subsequently started on a coaching relationship with Bob which has led to PBs at half marathon, 10k and parkrun. Bob also guided her to complete successfully her first marathon. Bob also supported her on the running dimension of her triathlon ambitions which culminated in a magnificent Half Ironman performance.
Gustavo, male athlete, early-50s
Gustavo first became involved with Bob when he joined the club’s 10k Squad programme; at the end of the 10-week programme, Bob paced him at the 10k target race to a Personal Best. He then signed up to do a 23k trail race in the Alps; he asked Bob to help him to develop as a long-distance trail runner so that he could both complete and enjoy this new challenge. Bob’s advice and support over a 6-month period, including arranging a series of in-person group trail runs, and the athlete’s meticulous and determined training, resulted in him completing the 23k mountain race with the biggest smile!
Hannah, female athlete, mid-20s
Shortly before starting with Bob, Hannah, a high-performing athlete had begun struggling with an injury. Bob recommended she see an osteopath who diagnosed the problem and started her on a long-term process of not only fixing the problem but also developing so that the injury was less likely to occur. Bob worked with Hannah and the osteopath through this difficult period to gradually get her back to running and to form, a process which took the best part of a year. The outcome was that the following year she delivered PBs at half marathon, 10k and 5 miles, and she ran her first competitive 10,000m on track to become the 67th fastest woman in the year across the entire United Kingdom.
David, male athlete, early-40s
David has had a coaching relationship with Bob for a number of years. He’s a keen runner and active with his running club; however, a demanding job means he’s selective about the races for which he will train, just focusing on a few target races each year and deliberately avoiding the marathon bandwagon (although he is often out keenly supporting club mates at marathon races!). His focus has resulted in his improving his performance steadily at a number of distances including delivering Personal Bests at half marathon, 10 miles, 10k and 5k.
Sammie, female athlete, early-30s
It’s fair to say that Sammie was not a runner when she was introduced to Bob; she didn’t enjoy running. But she likes challenges (big ones!) and had signed up for a 50k trail ultra-marathon and wanted a coach to help her get to the start uninjured and to complete it. A six-month programme of steadily increasing her running mileage, including a 20-mile race in filthy weather conditions, resulted in her successfully completing the trail ultra-marathon (in a great time, although she had no goal for time). She has continued to work with Bob to complete another 50k ultra-marathon (including some dreadful boggy mileage) and a multi-stage ultra-marathon in Nepal.