Ben Lewis Run Coaching

Athlete Review of the Month: thanks, Sarah! 🫡

Well done to Joanne H, one of my FV55 Squad, on her ~50-second Parkrun PB last Saturday as part of a late base phase Time Trial. She first reached out after having some injury issues and problems with the Runna preparation for her last marathon. The focus is now in Berlin Marathon, and she is getting into some great shape for it.

Really chuffed for Sam S, who finally broke his 5k PB last Saturday at Hillsborough parkrun (18:09). Sam is a local (and popular) PT and is great to work with, as is his wife Shawna. Sam first reached out ahead of his Great North Run in 2024, where he ran a PB there, smashed his 10k PB and also ran an Ultra. But we did not quite crack the 5k.

He rejoined the Squad in April with a view to focusing on that distance this Summer and it has paid off. The focus now shifts to the 10k in the Autumn, although I do think a few more 5k attempts on a flatter, faster course might just turn that 18 into a 17 ...? Something to discuss in the next few days.

Well done, Sam! Train, don't strain? ;-)

The Sub-17 Dream!

Massive congrats to Alex J (Jenko) for his 16:45 and second place at the Northern Track League 5k yesterday. One major goal this Summer was to break 17 minutes, and after he recently ran 17:01 at Loxley Lash, we were confident he could do it. But could he do it in 25 degrees in Kirklees? Of course he could - by 14 seconds! (Big shout-out to Ryan G for pacing him too!)

I remember looking at Jenko's lab test profile when we first started working together and knew he had a lot of potential. But he really struggled with injury early on and it was massively holding him back. At one point we slowed his easy runs down to around 7mins/km or slower (at the time he was a 37-minute 10k runner!) to allow him to build the capacity to match his 'natural' engine and nail down some new movement patterns in the process. Every runner is a (moving) puzzle and needs their own solutions!

Since then his improvement has been outstanding and he has steadily risen through the ranks of the incredibly competitive HRRC Men's Team.

What is more, many people have noticed the smoothness of his stride (watch the guy in the white shirt in the video) that he has developed and often reach out to me saying: 'I want to run like Jenko' or 'Can you make me run like Jenko? ' So he has been a real ambassador for my coaching, the 'Squad' and particularly his club HRRC.

It has been a hell of a couple of years, as he outlines in the attached review. And his often precise feedback on all the small details we work so hard on has made me a much better coach too. Thanks, Jenko: couldn't be happier for you!

What's next? A well-deserved break, I think ... but watch this space for the future!

'Chapeau' to Joe H, another runner using their holidays in France to jump into a race: this time the Saint Augustin 10k (54:15). It was a family affair too with Zara and Dale jumping in. It apparently was - and I quote the original French for authenticity - 'trop chaud pour les Anglais!' (28 degrees) Good prep for the coming 10k races in the Autumn though, Joe!

Well done to Luke M, finishing 4th (and 3rd in category) at the Hopwood Trot 5.5 mile race on Wednesday - a 'C' race as part of his build-up to the Manchester Half in the Autumn.

Congrats to Dan S for a solid PB of 9:29.8 in his 3k Time Trial at Trafford Open on Tuesday night.

Running good. Flying better. Well done, Kal! Sub-23 next for sure.

PBs all around yesterday at the York 10k! Inspired by all of your progress over these past months.

Women:
Molly B: 69:06 on her debut 10k :D
Ellie W: 54:21 (PB by over a minute)

The Pen*stone Lads:
Stefan B-G: 50:15 (one-minute PB)
Stephen B-G: PB and sub-49