I moved to Canada from Scotland in 2014 at a time when I was very unfit and unhealthy. I did zero exercise and convinced myself that I was eating healthily (but I was lying to myself).  At that time I didn’t have the motivation or willpower to do anything about it; that all changed when I moved to Canada.

Even in the harsh Canadian winter, when it would be justifiable to hibernate, Torontonians are active. As I watched the runners braving the cold and snow, their faces didn’t look angry, annoyed, or frustrated – like I would have thought – instead they looked happy, relaxed, and as though they were enjoying themselves. WTF?!?

It had never before occurred to me that movement could be enjoyable. From that moment on I wanted to be a runner!

I decided that my New Year’s resolutions for 2015 would be to run a 5km race and eat healthily.  Like a lot of folks, I normally give up on resolutions by mid-January, but for some reason these stuck – I was so committed to my goals. I was clean eating every day, and despite the disgustingly cold Toronto winter weather, I would run after work three times a week.  I had no idea about paces, or run types, or that there was such a thing as the run/walk method. The world of running apps and GPS watches wasn’t even on my radar. I just ran. 

In the early weeks, I would be so exhausted after 5/10 minutes of running. My breathing was heavy and my face the colour of a tomato. I kept at it though, I believed it would get easier, and yes, over time it did.

By May of that year, I had completed my 5km race goal (sub 30 minutes), then several months later in September, I did a 10km race (sub 1 hour), and a half-marathon (2 hours 1 minute – dang you one minute!!) one month after that. I was hooked.

Fast forward to now, and I have run races from the 5km distance to marathons, I volunteer at races and race expos, I pace at races, and I’m often an instructor for a local run clinic.

---

DAILY MOVEMENT AND HEALTHY EATING HAVE BECOME SO MUCH MORE TO ME THAN WANTING TO BE FIT AND HEALTHY; THEY ARE MY WAY OF LIFE.

---

In 2018, I wanted to learn more, so once again I was back to creating a New Year’s resolution plan, and I made 2018 my year of self-development.  I knew running and nutrition was more to me now than just a hobby so I put in the work to become a certified marathon running coach (with the North American Academy of Sports Fitness Professionals) and Culinary Nutrition Expert (through the Academy of Culinary Nutrition).

I predominately wanted to do these qualifications to increase my own knowledge so that I could run better and have a deeper understanding of nutrition.  It wasn’t long before I realised I wanted to do more, I wanted to share my knowledge to help others – which is how I became Coach G.  

And that is where my story takes us to the present; I am a full-time online running and nutrition coach. I work 1-on-1 with a wide range of clients from newbie runners to veterans!

Running is so much more than putting one foot in front of the other. It’s ensuring that each step you take is getting you closer to achieving your dream. Not only that, it’s having fun, building your confidence, and feeling like you can take on the world! Sounds amazing, right?

The 1-on-1 online running and nutrition coaching I offer is 100% tailored to your running goals and dreams.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE HELPING CLIENTS ACHIEVE THEIR RUNNING AND NUTRITION GOALS – IT BRINGS ME SO MUCH JOY TO SEE THEM ABSOLUTELY CRUSH THEIR GOALS. CHECK OUT THESE TESTIMONIALS!

If you are new to running or have been struggling to get the results you’d hope for then let’s chat – I’d love to help you!

---

ONLINE RUNNING, NUTRITION & MINDSET COACHING

Is one of your goals this year to tackle a new running distance, or heck, even begin running? It can be hard going alone, I’ve been there with the uncertainty and having no clue if what I was reading online was correct or absolute BS. If you’d like to spend an hour chatting with me about coaching and whether working together to help you achieve your running goal might be right for you, then click on the link below to book yourself a completely free consultation call. I promise it’s not sales-y and you are not locked into anything, it’s 100% just a conversation around your running goals and what I could do to support you.