Course | February 2020 Couch To 5km

With the new year just around the corner we find that many people tend to be looking forward to fresh starts and new goals.

In our recent end of month giveaway we asked you to tell us what your 2020 training, fitness, competition, challenge, healthy lifestyle goals were and we were overjoyed by the responses. You guys have some seriously awesome plans for next year!

At Macclesfield Performance & Run Macclesfield we too, have some really exciting plans for 2020 and we are chomping at the bit to get them rolling in the new year. We are saving some of the bigger and newer things for another day but today we want to tell you that our ever popular “Couch To 5km” course will be kicking off in February and we can’t wait to see our new runners join us for this one!

Run Macclesfield have been leading couch to 5km courses now since 2014 and each course has been a huge success. With fitness and running newbies of all ages and each with different reasons to attend, our new runners have all progressed through the weekly sessions and gone on to achieve great running routines, some even taking part in running events and challenges.

As the years have gone by our coaches and run leaders experience in leading these courses has meant that we have created a unique and highly successful course designed to help even the weakest and slowest of new runners, transform into 5km superstars.

We’ve created a course for you!

Each individual not only builds up their running ability but they learn about their own running style and are educated on training from day one. Next year will be no exception and we have even added even more to our course for your enjoyment and to help you with your achievement.

Movement screening and biomechanical assessment with Run Macclesfield coach Emma and MP Sports Therapist Tom.

Once booked all attendees will be invited to our C25K introduction evening. You will get to meet your course leaders and others that have booked to start with you. Have an opportunity to ask questions, learn about the course and our facility, have help deciding what clothing/footwear you will need, meet with our in house sport therapist Tom and talk with him about any concerns you have and even have a biomechanical screening in preparation for your new 8 week running programme. We will help you set off on the right foot (pardon the pun) to ensure you get all you need from our C25Km course at Run Macclesfield.

What does the course involve?

Our C25km is a progressive 8 week course, under the tutelage of our UKA Leader in Running Fitness (LiRF) Richard. Who endeavours to offer you full support and programming during your learning period.

The support at our C25Km courses doesn’t stop with the bare bones of the session plans and weekly group runs. Your leader Rich is on hand throughout the 8 weeks to offer you all kinds of support and you even receive 8 weeks of “Core & Mobility” sessions to attend at Macclesfield Performance if you wish to as part of your course content amongst lots of other helpful hints and tips along the way - laying you the perfect foundations for your new found healthy hobby.

History has proven with all of our previous C25Km courses that by end of the course you'll be tackling the distance without a moment’s thought, a fully fledged and more than capable 5km runner!

Yes - YOU!

When & Where?

Your course content includes two coached runs a week, Monday and Wednesday evenings at 18:30. Meeting at Macclesfield Performance on Gunco Lane, Macclesfield, and a homework run to do in your own time. Don’t worry if you aren't able to attend every single session as we have plans in place to ensure you never fall behind.

Kicking off on Monday 24th February with your exclusive introduction evening and then run sessions officially starting on Monday 2nd March.

Over the last 5 years we've delivered 16 courses with over 260 course graduates. These runners have gone to achieve plenty more impressive milestones and goals with us. These include…

• Continuous weekly club running with Run Macclesfield.

• Involvement in other courses at Run Macclesfield & Macclesfield Performance

• Park Run participation.

• 10km obstacle courses and local events.

• Regular trail running.

• Half Marathons - both road and trail.

• Marathons - both road and trail.

• Regular gym attendance at Macclesfield Performance. 

• Fat loss, better health, new found self-confidence and improved physical fitness.

Join us for our incredible 2020 Couch To 5km course by booking your place now!

Testimonial | Client Cristy

I have always fancied myself as a mountain biker and a bit of an adventurer. I have big dreams and love a challenge.  

When my friend coerced me into signing up for the Joberg2C, a 9 day 900km mountain bike race across South Africa, I had little hesitation in signing up. It was absolutely aligned with my dreams.

Fast forward a few months to September 2018. I had an impending sense of dread: “what I was thinking?”. I had been trying to follow an extremely complicated online training plan, with little improvement. My approach (just ride & ride) was not working, and… winter was coming! I was frustrated, unfit, overweight and totally overwhelmed. Self-doubt becomes a slippery-slope!

I had just started thinking that a cycling coach / trainer of sorts may be what I needed when I met Dom in her Cyclone class one Friday afternoon. I consider it a moment of divine intervention that our paths crossed and that I asked her if she knew of anyone who could help me to prepare for the event. That is how I ended up at Macclesfield Performance. At the risk of sounding dramatic, this was a turning point not only for my training, but emotionally and physically too.

It was very overwhelming for me (a “recreational cyclist”) to start a new training program with a completely different approach to anything that I had done before. I was strength training 2-3 times a week and following a bespoke cycling program that Natalie put together for me. The stress and chronic sense of failure I had endured while trying to follow the unmanageable online program disappeared as I started with their joined-up approach. They did the thinking and the planning, all I had to do was put in the time!

I was always dismissive about my status as a “Recreational Cyclist”, Dom and Nat made me feel like an “Elite” and were so committed to helping me smash my goals! Having this level of interest, care, support and, of course, challenge was something that I had not experienced before.

Encouragement for getting a squat right, or having a good Wattbike session, or improving on a Strava segment meant so much to me, at a time when I had been feeling so lost and low. Bit by bit, session by session, my strength, endurance and confidence grew. My countdown app to the event started to excite and no longer scare me.

In April I set off to South Africa to participate in the event. I was excited for it. I took a lot of confidence in the fact that my coaches were confident in me smashing it! Also, I had seen so much progress in my strength and endurance while on the program. Having cycled in snow, rain and mud (mostly on my own) I had built a good amount of mental resilience too. Somewhere along the way I started to believe in myself again.

The Joberg2C experience was incredible, and incredibly tough. Cyclists bikes and bodies take a massive hammering on the trails, some of which are very technical. 9 days and 65 odd hours in the saddle is significant, with little opportunity to recover in between. I was ready though. I can honestly say that I had been perfectly prepared for this kind of event!

Because of the strength training, I could keep form over hours on long smashing descents. Because of the bike sessions to specifically build endurance, I could get to the top of long climbs without my heart rate going out of control. Oh, there were plenty of them (a few days were in an area called “the valley of a 1000 hills”)!

I am deeply grateful to Dom and Nat for their help and thoughtful programming. I would never have managed this ambitious goal without them. As much as I loved the ride itself, it was the journey getting there that made it the so satisfying.

Course | Couch To 5km June 2019

Running can be a scary thought if you’ve never done it before. Where do you start? How much should you do? Where should you run?

There are so many questions that are sometimes off putting enough if your confidence is already a little low.

At Run Macclesfield & Macclesfield Performance we aim to take all the unknown away to make it as simple and as exciting as possible for you to lace those trainers up and get started! So we developed our Couch To 5km course.

What is the c25km course?

Our C25km is a progressive 8 week course, under the tutelage of our two UKA accredited Running Coaches, Emma & Natalie and a UKA Leader in Running Fitness (LiRF) Rich. Who endeavour to offer you full support and programming during your learning period. We have been leading Couch To 5km Courses in Macclesfield for 5 years and our excitement for getting newbie runners to that 5km marker never fades!

The support at our C25Km courses doesn’t stop with the bare bones of the session plans and weekly group runs. Your coaches and LiRf are on hand throughout the 8 weeks to offer you all kinds of support; ranging from advice on footwear, correct running form, warm up and cool down help, training tips and so much more. The course also includes 8 weeks of “core strength” sessions to attend if you wish as part of your course content amongst lots of other helpful hints and tips along the way - laying you the perfect foundations for your new found healthy hobby.

History has proven with all of our previous C25Km courses that by end of the course you'll be tackling the distance without a moment’s thought, a fully fledged and more than capable 5km runner!

Yes - YOU!

Your course content includes two coached runs a week, Monday and Wednesday evenings at 18:30. Meeting at Macclesfield Performance on Gunco Lane, Macclesfield, and a homework run to do in your own time. Don’t worry if you aren't able to attend every single session as we have plans in place to ensure you never fall behind.

Over the last 5 years we've delivered 15 courses with over 250 course graduates. These runners have gone to achieve plenty more impressive milestones and goals with us. These include…

• Continuous weekly club running with Run Macclesfield.

• Involvement in other courses at Run Macclesfield & Macclesfield Performance

• Park Run participation.

• 10km obstacle courses and local events.

• Regular trail running.

• Half Marathons - both road and trail.

• Marathons - both road and trail.

• Regular gym attendance at Macclesfield Performance. 

• Fat loss, better health, new found self-confidence and improved physical fitness.

We are immensely proud of all our runners and to help new runners go from strength to strength is one of our favorite things to do.

Check out some of these testimonials.

+ Jules thinks....

C25Km with Run Macclesfield was a fantastic opportunity and experience. The coaches were extremely knowledgeable, they kept an eye on your running form so they could advise you how best to improve or tweak things. The warm ups and cool downs were fantastic and the course worked! Never in a million years did I think I would be able to run 5 kilometers, now I'm doing it regularly! Most importantly... I'm enjoying doing it.

+ Rory says...

For years I tried to run 5km but I always ended up walking bits. The Run Macclesfield C25KM helped me crack how it was done and build it up. It has also been a great way to meet lots of fab people in Macclesfield.

+ Julia has found...

Joining Couch To 5km with Run Macclesfield has been a personal game changer for me. I really enjoyed the training sessions they were incredibly professional, very friendly and lots of fun. The coaches are so inclusive and so encouraging. I can now run 5km without stopping and even get up a few cheeky hills. I have continued to attend the club nights and also run with a few other of the couchers who I met on the course. Running is my new passion!

+ Jayne feels...

For me it was great value for money 16 coached sessions. I still have Emma's advice in my head running now. the longevity of it - I'm still running now where as friends following an app have given up and I get to run with a great bunch of people each week.

Testimonial | Client Dawn

PART ONE…. 2017

ONCE UPON A TIME I was a Runner……. in 2009 I  ran one of the popular 5k Race for Life cancer research events, from there I joined my local running club, ran 3 times a week and decided that running was my sport, I completed 3 marathons between 2011 and 2014, various half marathons, 10ks and 5ks etc, I didn’t do any other sport, just running.

In 2013 I was introduced to Dom via my husband, who happened to work at the same location in Gunco Lane,  at first I wasn’t interested, thinking that Macclesfield Performance (then DS Lifestyle & Fitness) was just another gym, I’ve never been a gym person, but the words “we can help with her PB’s” caught my interest, I was always looking at how I could gain PB’s every time I raced, I had become quite obsessed, so I gave it a go and joined Dom’s Pro X PT course, had some nutrition coaching with Dom, trained hard and planned to PB at the Wilmslow Half Marathon in March 2015, I was ready to smash that PB…… happy ending right? NO! ….far from it!

This race ended for me at mile 12, one mile before the end, I don’t remember much about it but around mile 10, I knew I was overdoing it, ignoring the signs I pushed on, after all I was on for a great PB!, next minute I’m on the floor surrounded by paramedics and ambulanced off the course, what followed was 3 months of extensive tests, tears, anger and a gradual realisation of what on earth was I doing? I had lost the joy of running, I had become so obsessed with pace that I lost all reality on what was achievable but more important why? I wasn’t winning anything, what did it matter and why was I in that situation?… it was at that point that a cloud lifted and I realised that I wasn’t enjoying running after all, it had become something all encompassing and I couldn’t see the wood for the trees.

So… what happened next?

Well Dom said “why not come and learn some new skills, get your confidence back” and so it began, a new chapter in my life, I started strength training once a week and ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT! What I found was that the stronger I got, the less running I needed to do and I was a better stronger faster runner! Who knew? I stopped wearing my running gadgets and got my joy of running back, what a relief. Approx. 12 months later I bought a hybrid bike, having never cycled since childhood except for the odd ride here and there and found that my new strength made cycling easy and enjoyable… I was delighted and started cycling regularly, and even cycled the coast 2 coast on a cycling holiday.  By this point I had turned 50 and decided in my 50th year to have a go at a Triathlon, I had been a swimmer in my teenage years, so why not have a go?

A week before the event in September 2016 I bought a road bike, and entered the North West Super Sprint Triathlon, having absolutely no idea what I was doing and no specific triathlon training except for what I was doing with Dom, guess what…. I CAME 2nd!! Losing out by just 23 seconds to the winner who was 20 years younger! I had so much fun and realised that this was indeed my sport!

Fast forward to 2017 and joining Louis’s conditioning course, a specific triathlon training plan designed by Dom and I tried my hand at 3 Triathlons, my first one in Open water didn’t go to plan but I finished, picked myself up and tried again, the next one in Birmingham and I came 5th overall but more importantly I hit my goals, so I was very happy with progress,  then my 3rd one in August, the North West Super Sprint and I WON by a huge margin of 1 min 50 secs over 2nd place, (she was half my age!), and a huge 8% improvement on the 2016 race, I felt amazing in this race, very strong, in control and paced it well and a realisation that I’m not just taking part anymore, I’m competing! Something Dom had to explain to me!

During my 2017 training season I bench marked my cycling progress and tested myself periodically, in the first 6 months of 2017 I gained a massive 30% improvement in my speed strength over a set 12 mile hilly course… absolutely incredible, you could hear my whoop whoop as I smashed through the session feeling fantastic. Oh and that PB I was hankering for when I was “just a runner” came during the triathlon specific training plan phase, beating my 5k PB by a massive 45 seconds!

So the happy ending I was looking for all those years ago… finally I found what I was looking for and had no idea when starting out on the strength training programme that it would lead to this, they say every cloud has a silver lining and it’s certainly true here, I cannot thank Dom enough for her incredible coaching ability, her motivation, her dedication to my cause and her mentoring skills, she picked me up and shook me down and slowly but gently coached me into believing.  

I continue to build on my strength and conditioning, finally I am stronger, faster, fitter, happier and healthier than I’ve ever been, I’ve had no injuries ..absolutely none…I cannot stress enough how much strength training with Dom has enabled me to stay injury free, and amazingly I’m not flogging my guts out training at every opportunity, I take plenty of rest and recovery, it’s not all encompassing, it’s a passion.  On top of this I completely believe in Dom, she is such an inspirational person to be around, it’s infectious and I continue to look forward to my sessions with excitement.

I am now planning my 2018 season…bring it on!

THANK YOU DOM and Macclesfield Performance, you are incredible!

PART 2 – 2018

Well when I said bring on 2018… I didn’t expect such an incredible year ending with qualifying for GB in the Aquabike European Championships in Romania 2019!!

OMG… how did that happen?

I continued my strength training with Dom every week and we started planning my 2018 season, this included my first ever sportive in March – the Cheshire Cat Sportive (short route) and my longest bike ride to date which was 50 miles. I felt great and managed a negative split, finishing the 2nd half faster than the first half. I loved that event so I booked on a few more for the rest of the year.

Then we started planning for my first Open Water Sprint Triathlon in Whitchurch, Shropshire on 16th June. Dom programmed me for the whole race (not just strength) but the swimming, cycling and running elements and got me at peak fitness, I was ready!

The open water (500m) went exactly to plan, I felt strong and paced it well, into Transition 1 and jumped out of my wetsuit onto my bike. It was a 20km hilly course and I gave it my all, cycling past many competitors, as I came into Transition 2, I heard “2nd lady is in”.

I wondered who they were talking about and it was ME!!

OMG really? So I had just a 3 mile run to get through, that was really tough, I wanted to hold onto my position and I did. I won a huge trophy for 2nd place overall and a trophy for 1st in age group which is the prize I was after, what a bonus… what a start to the season!

I then settled down and started planning my second race of the season, this time a Relay Sprint Triathlon in Salford, Manchester in July with the incredibly talented and inspirational Maddie Pawsey and Natalie Duncombe. I couldn’t wait to share the race with these 2 super strong ladies, I had the bike leg on this occasion, however the weather was awful, it was throwing it down and extremely windy with 50mph gusts. Hardly cycling weather and we were up against mixed teams.  Maddie got us off to a very fast start absolutely nailing the swim, I then cycled my fastest ever 20k, desperate not to let my teammates down and handed over to Nat who nailed the run and brought us home to a 3rd place win!

Then for my last race of the season – the Ellesmere, Shropshire Open Water Lake Sprint Triathlon on 16th September.  Again Dom programmed me for the whole race.  

However...2 weeks out from race day I went to see Dom about upgrading to Half Ironman distance a whopping 2000m swim and 83k bike ride (up from 750m/20k bike) (note here that I’d never swam that far in one go before) because the Aquabike European championship dates had been released and the criteria was to come within 120% of the Age Group winner of the race for swim/bike at half ironman distance.
I reckoned why not have a go, I’ve nothing to lose so we collectively decided I should go for it and see what happens.
Well, the risk paid off and now just 2 years after having a go at a Super Sprint Triathlon I am a GB qualifier for Aquabike European championships. To say I’m excited is an understatement, I never knew I had this ability.

Dom has never doubted my ability, she has programmed me right from the start, making it very specific and personal to me, I’ve never been injured, I’ve just got stronger and stronger and I’ve not once got bored or questioned any of it.  

I completely believed in the programming, following it to the letter. I cannot believe that 4 years ago when I chose the path to strength training that it would lead me to this, being inspired by Natalie’s achievements I never thought that one day it would be me, although this is what I dreamed of…

Dreams can come true, hard work, dedication, passion and an incredible strength coach, Dom knows her stuff, knows her client and personalises everything to fit in with my ability, lifestyle, goals and dreams. I’ve got a fantastic team around me who believe in me, what a combination! I’m soooo excited about 2019 and the journey I’m on. I can’t thank Dom and Macclesfield Performance, the friends I’ve made who share the same passions, all are an inspiration, its an absolute privilege.

Bring on 2019! Who knows what will happen but whatever happens I’m totally committed and focused and will give it my all.

Testimonial | Client Amy

I had just been asked by my beautiful size 6 friend to be a bridesmaid at her wedding. Standing next to 5 other beautiful ladies who wore dress size 10 on a bad day… in my head I was a large size 14,  in reality I was a large size 16 and had been getting larger slowly for the past few years.

In the past I had reached a small size 12 by over exercising and limiting my food intake,  but this method was failing me and the thought of being the fat bridesmaid filled me with dread!

MP Coach Dom and I talked about past diets and current eating habits. I kept food diaries and Dom even went through my cupboards & fridge and even took me round Tesco’s.  This was not to reprimand, shame or catch me “cheating”,  it was to understand my relationship with food and this formed the beginning of my re-education.  Dom helped me to see that food isn’t something to feel bad or guilty about,   it isn’t to be used as a treat after a bad day at work,  or to be restricted to weekends and it isn’t something to stress about.  Food should work for me, not against me!

Dom has never told me what I can or can’t eat,  but rather given me guidelines and helped me to understand what food does to my body and this has allowed me to learn how to be the healthy.  I have re-found my love for cooking,  previously telling Dom that I found cooking “too time consuming” and therefore “couldn’t possibly fit it into my day”.  I still eat chocolate and drink wine,  but not everyday and in a conscious way, I certainly do not feel deprived or “on a diet”.  My food bills are lower and my food waste at the end of the week negligible in comparison.  My body just feels better,  I can train harder and for longer,  I am far less tired and fed up and my food based guilt has reduced too.

I eventually started seeing Dom for nutrition once a month,  to keep things on track,  there was no quick fix and the good habits slide every now and again, but knowing the basics of good nutrition has allowed me to keep control over my eating and bring things back in check without panicking.

Fitness has not been as much of an issue for me as I have always been active.

No class or PT has ever been the same at Macclesfield Performance, the exercises are explained and supervised to a high standard.  At the end of each class you go away smiling with a feeling of achievement.  The other people at MP are all friendly and because we share the same overall goals we therefore share in everybody’s achievements along the way.  

Looking back there have been several moments when I have been thankful that I found MP.

I was not the fat bridesmaid at my friend’s wedding,  I bought a size 10 pair of jeans,  my belly doesn’t jiggle when I run. I stood next to 10 other skinny girls in bikinis and felt ok.  I fit all the small clothes in my wardrobe, most importantly I can look at photos of myself and see me instead of seeing my fat!