Newsletter: August 2025

Your monthly letter from Kayleigh.

Hey lovely runners,

This month has been all about small steps leading to big moments. My return to running journey has been progressing beautifully, starting small but building consistently. The absolute highlight? Summiting Ben Vrackie! Standing on that summit, feeling strong and grateful, reminded me exactly why we put ourselves through all of this.

It's very much the start of big things, but I'm being mindful not to overdo it (easier said than done, right?). Not long now until Golspie, and I can feel that familiar excitement building.

What's Inside This Month 📖

🧠 Mindset Shift — why celebration beats comparison every single time (especially during comeback phases when progress feels slower than you'd like)

🍯 Fuel Smart — honey is STILL the secret weapon (and the proof is in!). One athlete's breakthrough story plus how to use it effectively

🏆 Athlete Spotlight — 50k races, 18-mile breakthroughs, and the power of just showing up (celebrating all the wins from this brilliant month)

🧘‍♀️ Business Shoutout — Friday morning flows with Yoga with Emily (the perfect complement to your running routine)

⚖️ Workout of the Month — proprioception play and fun ways to improve your balance every day

💭 Coaching Corner — breaking the all-or-nothing perfectionist trap that's holding you back

📚 Book Rec — the psychology read that's changing how I coach confidence

Let's Go Linlithgow at the Beecraigs BYU Start Line

August's Highlights:

🏃🏻‍♀️Popped along to the Wildheart Runners social run. Whilst I didn't run, it was lovely being part of the group and walking a section of the West Highland Way. Sometimes showing up is just as important as the miles.

💪🏻Exciting New Chapter: I've started with Project Synergy — Callum is now coaching me with strength work and developing me as an athlete to unlock the next level. Yes, a coach absolutely needs a coach! This new chapter feels incredibly exciting.

🥇Massive shoutouts to my athletes this month. Two smashed 50k races, another did her longest ever training run (18 miles!), and there was a brilliant breakthrough with nutrition during a long effort. Guess what worked? HONEY! Just like I banged on about in last month's email. More on this below!

🌲Also loved seeing so many people out recce-ing the Beecraigs BYU route, and got to meet a bunch of the Let's Go Linlithgow group. The running community never fails to fill my heart.

🧘🏻‍♀️ I have to give a massive shoutout to Emily and her Friday morning Runners Yoga sessions online. As someone navigating comeback training, these sessions have been absolutely brilliant for keeping me moving, working on mobility, and honestly just starting Friday with the right mindset.

From the Blog

The 3-Layer Confidence System for Race Day

I just published this deep dive into building unshakeable race day confidence. It's not about positive thinking or fake-it-till-you-make-it — it's about creating a systematic approach to mental strength.

Key Takeaways:

• Layer 1: Physical preparation builds baseline confidence

• Layer 2: Mental rehearsal creates familiarity with challenge

• Layer 3: Identity work shifts from "I hope I can" to "I am someone who does"

• Downloadable Confidence File

👉 Read the full post here →

Coaching Corner:

"I'm brilliant at sticking to my training plan when everything's going well, but the moment I miss a session or have a bad run, I completely spiral and give up for weeks. How do I break this all-or-nothing pattern?"

Think of your training like brushing your teeth. If you forgot to brush them one morning, you wouldn't say "Well, that's my dental hygiene ruined forever!" and stop brushing for a month. You'd just brush them that evening and carry on.

Practical strategies:

• Have a 'minimum viable session' ready — if you can't do your planned 8-mile run, what about 20 minutes easy? Something is always better than nothing

• Create a comeback ritual — when you do miss sessions, have a specific way to restart (mine involves putting my running kit out the night before)

• Reframe "bad" runs — they're information, not failures. What can you learn?

Consistency trumps perfection every single time.

Your training plan should serve you, not stress you. Be kind to yourself.

Got a question for next month's Coaching Corner? Drop me a message — I love hearing from you

Ask Away

📚 Book of the Month:

The Confidence Code

 

I'm re-reading this gem and finding new applications for running and athletic confidence. The authors break down confidence into actionable components rather than treating it as some mysterious trait you either have or don't.

Key Takeaways for Runners:

• Confidence is built through taking action, not thinking about taking action

• "Confidence is the stuff that turns thoughts into action" — perfect for pre-race nerves

• Small, consistent challenges build confidence muscle (think progression runs)

• The connection between physical posture and mental confidence (yes, your running form affects your mindset!)

This pairs beautifully with mental training work. Confidence isn't about never having doubts — it's about running despite them.

Get a Copy

🏃‍♀️ Workout of the Month: Proprioception Play

What is proprioception? Simply put, it's your body's ability to sense where you are in space without looking. Think of it as your internal GPS — it's what helps you navigate stairs in the dark or catch yourself when you stumble on a trail.

For runners, good proprioception means better balance, fewer falls, quicker recovery from stumbles, and more efficient movement. Plus, it's absolutely crucial during comeback training (trust me on this one!).

Try this simple test: stand on one foot with your eyes closed. How long can you hold it before wobbling or putting your other foot down? Under 10 seconds? There's room for improvement! 30+ seconds? You're doing brilliantly.

Fun Ways to Sneak It Into Everyday Life:

• Brush your teeth on one foot — switch legs halfway through

• Close your eyes during simple tasks — washing dishes, folding laundry

• Walk heel-to-toe down hallways, along kerblines or along logs you find on trail runs!

• Stand on one leg whilst waiting — at the kettle, in queues, during phone calls

• Wobble cushion work — if you have one, stand on it whilst doing other tasks

Warm-up and cool-down specific additions:

• Post-run balance holds — 30 seconds each leg after your cool down

• Eyes-closed marching — 20 steps with eyes shut

• Single-leg glute bridges — slow and controlled

The brilliant thing? You can do most of these anywhere, anytime. No gym required, just a few minutes of playful practice each day.

Focus on feeling grounded and connected to your body rather than fighting the wobbles. And have fun! 

I build in proprioception work to my athletes training. If you'd like to know more, why not book a free coaching discovery call with me? I'd love to hear your story!

🎉 Athlete Spotlight

This month has been absolutely brilliant for athlete achievements, and I'm bursting with pride!

Two of my athletes took on 50k races as part of their training this month, and both absolutely smashed them. The mental preparation we'd done around pacing, fuelling, and managing the inevitable tough patches paid off massively. One said, "I actually enjoyed the second half more than the first — that's never happened before!"

Another athlete completed her longest ever training run — 18 miles! What made this special wasn't just the distance, but how she approached it mentally. We'd worked on jeffing, and fuelling consistently, beating that previous mid-run slump! There's always so much joy radiating through these epic long run adventures!

Every single one of these achievements reminds me why I love this work. Your journeys inspire me daily 💫

🧠 Mindset Moment: Celebration Beats Comparison

Getting caught up in what everyone else is doing, especially during comeback phases when progress feels slower than you'd like?

Try this: Focus on celebrating your own wins instead of measuring against others. Every summit, every completed session, every moment you show up counts.

How to Apply It:

1. Daily wins practice — write down one thing you accomplished each day (however small)

2. Reframe comparison moments — when you notice yourself comparing, ask "what can I celebrate about my own journey right now?"

3. Progress photos — not just physical, but emotional and mental progress too

4. Share your wins — tell someone about your achievements, however small they feel

Real Example: Standing on Ben Vrackie this month, I could have focused on how I "should" be running more miles by now. Instead, I celebrated being there, feeling strong, and trusting my body. That shift in perspective made all the difference.

Your journey is unique. Celebrate it. 🥂

🥑 Nutrition Insight: Honey is STILL the Secret Weapon

One of my athletes had a breakthrough with nutrition during a long effort this week. Want to guess what worked? HONEY! Just like I raved about in last month's email.

Honey provides both glucose and fructose, giving you immediate energy plus sustained fuel. It's gentle on the stomach, natural, and actually tastes good when everything else feels too sweet or artificial. And a fraction of the price of energy gels!!

The proof: My athlete said, "I think I've cracked it! 100ml honey, 1/2 lemon and 1tsp salt, top up with water in a 500ml flask! No stomach issues!"

If you haven't tried honey as fuel yet, why not give it a go? And if you have tried it, I'd love to hear how it worked for you — drop me a message!

Sometimes the simple, natural solutions are the most effective ones.

Get the Recipe

What's Next?

📍I'm off on holiday again! This time to Italy! And without crutches!! Looking forward to exploring some Italian trails!

🏃🏻‍♀️ Linlithgow 10k! The only 10k race I've ran, and I've ran it twice now, and hoping this year will be the third time in a row. All being well with my return to running, I'll be there on the start line 💪🏻

🥇Loch Ness Marathon! This one is a special one for me, as it was my first marathon. And I have 2 athletes running it this year! I'm so excited to follow their adventure and achieve something incredible!

Ready to unlock your potential through mindset and smart fuelling?

 I'm currently working with a small group of runners who want to go beyond just logging miles. Together, we focus on building unshakeable mental strength, developing personalised fuelling strategies, and creating training approaches that work with your life, not against it.

Whether you're tackling your first race, coming back from injury, or ready to break through to the next level, I combine sports psychology principles with real-world running experience to help you perform with confidence.

What 1:1 coaching includes:

• Personalised mindset strategies for training and racing

• Fuelling plans that actually work for your body and goals

• Weekly calls and unlimited WhatsApp support

• Race day preparation that builds confidence, not anxiety

I have limited spaces available for September. If you're curious about working together, book a free call or send me a message on Instagram— I'd love to chat about your goals and see if we're a good fit.

Remember: even coaches need coaches. The best athletes invest in support that helps them grow.

Coaching Discovery Session

Book Now