When you think of running, does your mind go straight to the speedy sprinters we see every four years at the Olympic Games, or perhaps even worse, back to school days and the dreaded cross country in the cold and rain?

That’s certainly how I used to feel. Running had to be fast and it was never meant to be fun. And if you weren’t winning races, getting personal bests or running marathons, you weren’t a “proper runner”.

But I’m going to let you into a secret: running doesn’t have to be about endless miles pounding the pavements, worrying about PBs or comparing yourself to other people. It can simply be about getting outside, moving your body, and reaping the benefits.

And that’s at the heart of my running coaching – Unhurried Running.

I’m Charlotte, I bunked off PE as a teenager and for many years assumed you had to be fast to be a runner. I’m not a natural runner, but it’s now how I spend most of my spare time.

For a long time though I struggled with running because I was stuck in a “not good enough” cycle. I would enter a race, go through all the training, then compare my results to everybody else’s and decide I wasn’t fast enough. I’d set myself an arbitrary time goal plucked out of thin air and feel disappointed when I didn’t achieve it. I’d sign up for longer distances without a proper training plan and get disheartened when it all felt really hard.

Because I focused on these things, I lost motivation once the races were over. Months, and sometimes years, would pass before I decided to run again – and each time it felt harder to start again.

In 2021 I moved to Oswestry and was inspired by the beautiful countryside to get out running again. This time, though, I was too busy immersing myself in the views and climbing the many hills of Oswestry and the surrounding villages to worry about how long my runs were taking.

As soon as I stopped caring about how fast I was running, who was running faster than me, or how far they were going, I realised I was enjoying it so much more. And because I was enjoying it, I wanted to run more. So, I did.

I joined a running club, RunChums, based in Four Crosses, and they asked me to train as a coach to help support other runners. In June 2025 I qualified as an England Athletics Coach in Running Fitness.

The problem came when I started looking for coaching to support my own running. Most running coaches are focused on helping people run faster and harder. I wanted a coach who would help me maintain my love of running, give me some structure so I could gradually run further without it feeling impossible, and provide a bit of accountability along the way.

So, I decided to offer the running coaching I wanted to receive to others who felt the same.

Unhurried Running coaching is about taking the pressure off. It’s about building a sustainable relationship with running that fits into real life – work, family, energy levels and changing seasons included. Progress still happens, but it happens quietly, steadily and on your own terms.

There’s no expectation to race, no pressure to hit a certain pace, and no judgement about where you’re starting from. I want you to feel confident, capable and comfortable calling yourself a runner – because you are a runner.

Unhurried Running coaching includes personalised plans that fit around your schedule, regular check-ins for encouragement and accountability, and plenty of cheerleading from me along the way. Running becomes something that supports your life, not something that competes with it.

For more information www.unhurriedrunning.co.uk