Cat built The Run Space during lockdown when 70 people signed up for a challenge she expected six to join. A former Army helicopter engineer, she now coaches runners worldwide with a data-led approach - but it's the unpredictable human side that keeps her in it.
This one gets into why most runners are stuck in a cycle of random races with no thread connecting them, what Cat actually looks at in someone's first few weeks of coaching, and an honest conversation about the pressure runners feel not to care about times.
🧩 What You'll Learn:
👉 Why Cat starts every athlete with a speed block - and what it reveals about their weaknesses
👉 How to use races as structured training tools rather than random side quests
👉 The honest conversation about when your goals outstrip your time availability
👉 Why improvement slows as you get better - and how to reframe what progress actually looks like
👉 The two things runners get wrong most: no periodisation and no patience
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👉 Cat on Instagram: @runspace_cat
👉 Tom: @runspace_tom
If you're a former athlete with unfinished goals and you want structure around your training, DM me on Instagram with the word EVERGREEN.
What is The Evergreen Athlete - By Finlay MacHugh?
Welcome to the Evergreen Athlete podcast...
This podcast is designed for people who used to live for sport but are now in a different place. They've recently focused on their careers and families and are unsure how to train athletically as they age. They have different stressors and problems. My name is Finlay MacHugh, and this is something that I have gone through myself to help people overcome every single day. If you're here, you likely have questions about how to train and live optimally. So this is what to expect...
What You’ll Get:
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Practical Toolkit: I'll share principles and learnings to help you train efficiently, effectively and productively.
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Expert Insights: In-depth discussions with leading coaches, health experts, and performance specialists.
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Experiences: Real-life learnings and mistakes from myself and my clients.
About Me (Your Host):
As of writing this in February 2025, I have been a strength and conditioning coach for 15 years, and I've coached at some level for 20 (Christ, that's scary). I'm the founder of Evergreen Athlete, an online coaching platform for those over 30s who want to regain their consistency and confidence to be their best version.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.