Jen Skinner Fitness

Over the years I've had a love-hate relationship with running. As a youth, I loved gym class, but not so much the running. It wasn't until my mid twenties when running started to have some appeal. I was doing a bootcamp class that did a timed mile once a month, a few months in I was suffering from mild shin splints and had to sit out of the run, and I missed it! I couldn't believe it, running some how became fun.

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I can't say that from that moment on I was a consistent runner, because that's not how life works. It wasn't until a few years later, when I was living in New Zealand, that I decided I wanted to challenge myself to run a half marathon. So I did some research and made up a plan. I actually signed up for 2 half marathons, 8 weeks apart, I really got into my training. Race day came and I ended up limping across the finish line. Seems my self-made training plan wasn't as good as it should have been. 

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Since then I have gone through phases of running and training for 5ks, 10ks, half marathons and trail runs, but it wasn't until I decided to train for a full marathon that I worked with my first running coach, and boy, was that eye opening! Having someone tailor my plan, looking at my runs and other workouts and make adjustments has I went, had me make it through the training without any injuries. Unfortunately, I got the flu days before race day, so my marathon dreams didn't happen. 

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After seeing the difference a great coach can make, I completed United Endurance Sports Coaching Academy's Running Coach program. Using science backed methods, I have a passion for helping beginner runners train for whatever goal they have in a way that suits their goals and lifestyle, focusing on injury prevention.