Testimonials
Amy P
“A huge thank you to Leighton! Not only do I feel great and the strongest I have ever been but I have really enjoyed the journey.”
Amy started working with Leighton in 2022 after training haphazardly for several years, with no real focus or strategy in place. We collaboratively set some goals for Amy for the season and worked out a season plan taking into account key events. We then agreed a weekly training schedule which we felt was achievable and fitted around Amy’s other commitments. We made plenty of changes over the first few months as Amy got used to a structured training plan, including more regular rest weeks as fatigue built through tougher training blocks.
Amy made some really good gains in the first 6 months and was able to achieve 6 out of 8 of the goals we set collaboratively, including a 3rd place finish in her age group at the age group World Champs qualifier event in Bournemouth.
But what did Amy think about her progress?
Physically – The strongest I have ever been. I managed to increase my FTP, which was something I have been trying so hard to do but couldn’t shift it.
Swimming – I had a lack of awareness of how to improve but I am now feeling more confident with swimming and my technique is getting there.
Running – I only ever did high intensity running of intervals or hill reps but was introduced to the world of zone 2 which I hated at first but grew to enjoy and really felt the benefits of it.
Nutrition – Massive attitude change… I thought snacking on Sunday rides was for the weak! But I am now more aware of ensuring I am taking on what I need when doing longer periods of exercise and adding carbs to my drinks to allow me to complete harder workouts and recover quicker.
I expected that I was going to get stronger as I was going to be following a plan, rather than doing what I felt like on the day. What I didn’t realise was how that was going to look. I assumed just loads of high intensity and pain, but it really isn’t.
Not only do I feel great and the strongest I have ever been, but I have really enjoyed the journey. I also feel that I have gained so much knowledge into training and the benefits of VO2 max, endurance, threshold and pacing yourself (previously, I would smash through workouts Monday-Wednesday and then need to recover for the rest of the week).
I also thought heart rate training was for old people, but I stand corrected! A huge thank you for Leighton!
Bob K
“What really surprised me was how my attitude to training changed – There was more enjoyment to my running and I could see improvement quite quickly.”
Bob started working with Leighton after being frustrated with his running having plateaued. Bob was a pretty typical beginner runner, with some good experience of park runs and 10k local races where he had initially shown some good improvement however, his training lacked structure and he had inevitably plateaued with a 5k personal best of just over 30 minutes.
Bob had a busy lifestyle with lots of family and work commitments but we were able to work together to come up with a plan that would give him the structure and accountability he needed whilst allowing plenty of time for recovery and adaptation.
But what did Bob think about his progress?
As somebody who hasn’t been coached before I found the experience very beneficial. Specifically, it created an added focus to my training. In the past I have created my own training plans and found it easier to skip sessions or reduce the intensity. Whereas with Leighton’s plan I had specific goals and timed sessions that were a lot more structured than anything I have done previously. Knowing that somebody was monitoring my sessions and offering feedback was also a big factor – kept me motivated throughout.
The biggest change was the volume of zone 2 low heart rate endurance running. I have always focused on pace and distance without much attention to heart rate etc. I found my overall fitness improving and my ability to succeed in the interval sessions improved as the intensity increased. The importance of rest days was emphasised and vital in the plan too. The recovery sessions fitted around my lifestyle and enabled me to recover properly – something that in the past I haven’t factored in.
The biggest “A Ha” moment for me was when I began to enjoy the long low heart rate runs. I would look forward to 90 plus minutes of zone 2 running. So around 3 months into the plan I realised I was comfortable running for long periods of time with minimal aches and pains the day after. Early in the plan I found it difficult to keep my heart rate low, so I did take some convincing that the zone 2 running would help.
What really surprised me was how my attitude to training changed – There was more enjoyment to my running and I could see improvement quite quickly. I was expecting it to be a lot more grueling, but the varying sessions and gradual build up made it a lot more pleasant than I expected at the start!
My performance certainly improved over the period of time we worked together and I did enjoy the running with a structured plan. I arrived on event day feeling well prepared and confident of achieving my goals. My endurance running improved and my overall times for the longer distances were considerably better.
My main goal was the Great south 10 mile run – I took over ten minutes off my previous best time through working with Leighton over a 4 to 5 month period.