darrenmorganpt

The Forth Valley Cake Guys take on the Bun Run 🏃🏻‍♂️🧁
This still counts as marathon training, right? 😅

This is my client Ellie.

She’d already put in the hard work herself, hours on the StairMaster, every single day.

When we started, she told me she had no idea how to add strength training, and didn’t have the confidence to work her way around the gym on her own.

So we built her a simple, structured plan she actually understood, and I kept her accountable week to week. No random workouts, no guessing.

Fast forward and she’s stronger, fitter, and, the bit I’m proudest of, she now walks into the gym on her own and trains herself. Something she never thought she’d say.

Making sure I don’t just post the good stuff.

I went into yesterday genuinely confident a big PB was on the way. It’s the first time I’ve come through a full training block with no injuries stopping me for half of it.

this is my fourth half, and I felt miles more prepared, fuelling, what to wear, and knowing the course from running it last year.

Then the race started. I felt crowded, so I went off plan and pushed above race pace. Felt great, until it didn’t. No excuses, just a big ego check for me 🫠

I didn’t have it in me. The legs couldn’t carry that pace, I cramped up, slowed down and suffered.
But we got it done. Back to the drawing board, buzzing to run twice this distance next year 🤣

Scottish Half Marathon

The hard work is done.

The taper just clears the fatigue so you can actually use it. Back off the volume, keep the runs frequent, hold a little intensity, and turn up fresh.
That’s it. Trust the plan and enjoy the race you earned.
Chasing a half or full soon? Tell me which one you’re running.
hybridtraining personaltrainer stirlingpt

Almost everyone starts with a “what if.” I get it. I’ve been there too.

What if it’s too hard? What if I’m too unfit? What if I can’t keep up? What if I don’t know what I’m doing? What if I don’t belong?

Here’s the thing nobody tells you. You don’t get fit before you walk in. You get fit because you walked in. You don’t need to already keep up, because everything gets scaled to you. And you’re not the only one who’s nervous. Every person in that last photo felt exactly the same on day one.

The doubt doesn’t mean stop. Usually it means you’re right at the doorway.
So don’t wait until you feel ready. Come as you are, unfit, unsure, nervous, and let me coach you through the rest. You’ll be shocked how quickly “what if I don’t belong” turns into “these are my people.”

If any of those “what ifs” have been holding you back, drop me a DM with ‘START’ and let’s get you going.

Keep it simple 🫡

Do hard things on purpose.
Now, I’m not trying to Goggins you here this isn’t about suffering for the sake of it.

But feeling uncomfortable isn’t a bad thing. It’s actually the whole point.
There’s a part of your brain that gets stronger every time you do something you don’t really want to do, the run you’re dreading, the early alarm, the last hard set when you’re already tired. The bit you want to quit? That’s the bit that counts.

And it’s not just about training. People who keep choosing the hard thing stay sharper, feel better, and even live longer. There are people in their 80s with brains like someone half their age because they spent a lifetime doing hard things instead of easy ones according to some studies.
So this week, pick one hard thing and do it. Then do it again.
Discomfort isn’t something to get through. It’s the whole point.
👊
This one’s as much for me as it is for all of yous. Save it for the days you need a nudge.

Life on easy mode for the week, raring to go again 🫡