My role within Barnes Fitness is to head up the Sports Events in terms of route planning, course suitability and safety.
I've always loved being outdoors and on the move, and I spent many an hour as a boy on my mountain bike, either whizzing around Swinley Forest, near Bracknell, or on my paper round.
Riding — and sometimes falling off! — in the forest taught me how to handle my bike, while school day mornings helped build my speed as I rushed around delivering papers before a quick breakfast and speedy cycle to school. By the time I was a teenager, I could cover significant distances — I completed a 50-mile cycle ride at just 13 in under 3 hours (for the mathematicians that's an average of 16.6mph)!!
I also enjoyed football, but that went on the back burner when I discovered running and I completed my first half-marathon in 1hr27mins in 2004. I'm now officially a sub-3hr marathoner and also a GB age group duathlete.
My coaching qualifications include UK Athletics Leadership in Running Fitness, and am working towards British Triathlon Local Technical Officer award.
Before joining Barnes Fitness, I was working in the construction industry as a financial analyst.
I am always seeking different Sporting Events to take part in and my challenge for 2014 is the Haute Route Alps - a 7-day amateur road cycling, covering over 750km, 20 legendary mountain cols, 20,000m+ vertical ascent (the equivalent of cycling more than twice from sea level to the summit of Everest) from Geneva to Nice.
Ian’s Sporting Achievements
2013:
- ITU World Standard Distance Duathlon Championships, Ottawa, Canada
- Land’s End to John O’Groats cycle challenge (865 miles in eight days) – which I planned from bottom to top!
2012:
- ITU World Standard Distance Duathlon Championships, Nancy, France
- London Marathon — PB 2hrs57mins
2011:
- London Marathon — 3hrs26mins, dressed as a priest!
2010:
- Gosport Half Marathon — PB 1hr16mins
2009:
- Snowdon 10 mile Mountain Race — 1hr29mins (World Fell Race Qualifier)
katie gumbrell | reading
Ellie's circuit training sessions are awesome. I run to keep fit and circuit training complements it perfectly. I work harder than I ever thought I could, but to my own limits, with Ellie encouraging me all the way. I can't believe what I can lift, let alone exercise with! You're a magician!