I am Head of Endurance at Vale of York Athletic Community and responsible for overseeing coach and athlete development, along with all junior and senior endurance training programs. I hold an England Athletics Event Group Endurance Performance Coaching Qualification and have been a licensed EA Athletics Coach for over twelve years. I also serve as the Head of Track and Field Coaching for the University of York Athletics Club and am a V.02 certified Distance Running Coach.
I’ve been running and competing in endurance events for fifty years now. Yes I am that old! My experience of endurance sport began as a schoolboy cross country runner who ran middle distance on the track and dabbled with a variety of field events. I stepped away from competitive running as a teenager to pursue my love of music, but my sporting passions resurfaced at the age of 20 when I took up competitive road cycling, inspired by watching ANC Halfords’ 1987 Tour de France debut on Channel 4. I soon found my niche in cyclocross, a tough winter sport similar to cross-country running for cyclists, where my running background gave me an advantage on courses with plenty of unrideable sections.
I continued to run recreationally in various events around Manchester in the 1990s including the 56-mile Bullock Smithy Hike and some tough local road and trail races. There was a great training group of lunchtime runners at my workplace in Cheshire and monthly self-organised handicap races kept me in touch with faster running. I enjoyed running hard in the handicap races, and with a decent aerobic base from lots of football and cycling, I was able to knock out a 15:14 for 3 miles at my peak on a diet of 200 miles a week on the bike and three games of football with minimal running.
Workplace running groups have been important to me throughout my life and in Milton Keynes when I worked for the Open University I created a series of short films about the Open University Running Club (OURC), parkrun, and the London 2012 Olympics.
In 2011, a diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes prompted me to return to serious running to manage my condition and a misguided bid to ‘beat the disease’. This challenge rekindled my competitive spirit, leading me to connect with an incredibly supportive online community of Type 1 athletes and join their online Zwift bike racing team.
I was still a better runner than cyclist though, so I joined a local running club, Selby Striders, in 2012 when I moved to Yorkshire, and then founded Vale of York Athletic Community in 2020 to create more opportunities for my daughter and other young people to take part in athletics after COVID.
Now, at 59, I feel fitter than ever and I and enjoy competing regionally and internationally as a Masters athlete for the camaraderie as much as the competition.
Coaching Philosophy
My own coaching philosophy has been influenced by my own coach as a child — I was lucky to have an excellent coach at school — and also by my experience of a number of sports and my career as a university lecturer.
As a former academic, my coaching approach is primarily evidence-based modified by my extensive practical experience. My training plans should be treated as flexible guides, not rigid prescriptions, underpinned by a coaching philosophy built upon four pillars:
Consistency: At its most fundamental this means showing up for training and competition. My training plans are gradual and progressive, in both intensity and duration, ensuring effective adaptation and minimising risk of injury.
Variation: To stimulate ongoing physiological adaptation and prevent plateaus, training needs to be varied and enjoyable. This means variation in distance, intensity, topology, and terrain. I am also a strong advocate for off-road running and cross-training to cultivate well-rounded fitness.
Athleticism: Developing fundamental athletic qualities—agility, balance, coordination, speed, strength, and power—is paramount at Vale of York. This is not just strength and conditioning, it is athleticism. Sustainable endurance performance relies on a strong foundation of well-rounded athleticism. My coaching emphasises all-round fitness akin to a decathlete as well as tailored strength and conditioning components for endurance athletes. Examples include sprinting and plyometrics for enhanced running economy, targeted core work for improved stability, and mobility drills to increase range of motion and reduce injury risk. I run a weekly circuit class covering all these elements and more.
Community: A supportive training and competitive community is essential for success. It provides invaluable encouragement, fosters accountability, and cultivates a strong sense of belonging. At Vale of York, we nurture a culture of camaraderie and mutual support through group sessions and opportunities for athletes to connect socially. Our community ethos celebrates participation and personal progress more than competitive outcomes. Teamwork, persistence, and giving back to your club and fellow teammates are the personal qualities I admire the most.
Broader Community Commitment
Beyond direct athlete coaching, I am committed to the broader development and well-being of the athletics community. My roles with UK Athletics as a Safeguarding Educator and with England Athletics as the Regional Chair for Yorkshire and Humberside underscore my dedication to creating a safe, ethical, and inclusive environment for athletes of all ages. Furthermore, as a Trustee and Chair of the Athletics Committee at Vale of York, I contribute to the strategic direction of our club.
My overriding goal is to empower athletes to achieve their individual aspirations while nurturing a lifelong love for athletics and running. I want athletes to reach their full potential, not just as athletes, but as well-rounded individuals.
I utilise various online planning and analysis tools, including VDOT, Intervals.icu, and Runalyze, to help athletes structure and learn from their training.
Connect with Ian
Drop me an email at ian@valeofyork.org to book a slot to discuss anything related to your training for events from 800 metres to ultramarathons.
