An Honest Reflection - Great Eastern Run 2025

This year’s Great Eastern Run was my second half marathon. Last year I ran it in 2:00:06 and loved every minute of it. The weather was bright, the crowd was incredible, and my body felt strong from start to finish. It was one of those perfect race days that remind you why you run.

This year, I crossed the line in 1:57:09 — nearly a three-minute personal best. By the numbers, it was a clear success. But I didn’t feel the same sense of joy or pride that I expected. I wanted to break 1:55, maybe if I was having a good day maybe even get close to 1:52, and instead of feeling proud, I found myself picking apart what went wrong.

My period was due on race day, which brought back memories of the Hyrox race earlier this year where it started just before my heat began. I cried the night before, (damn hormones) and I carried that anxiety with me all weekend, worried it might happen again mid-race. Then to add to that my watch failed — it recorded the run, but the screen stayed black. I couldn’t see my pace or time, which left me running purely on feel.

Around mile three I spotted a veteran club runner I’d noticed in the start pen and decided to stick with him — seasoned club runners tend to hold a steady pace, I reasoned. It worked well until he stopped to use a portaloo, and suddenly I was on my own again, trying to guess if I was running too fast, too slow, or just right.

The middle miles felt manageable, but by mile ten my recently sprained ankle started to ache, followed by the same-side hamstring and the opposite-side lower back. The last three miles were a grind. I finished, but it was messy and uncomfortable and I knew I had slowed.

In the end, I achieved what I set out to do — a personal best and an uninjured finish. But it took so much more mental energy than I expected, for what seemed like a comparatively small return. Compared to last year’s race, which felt effortless and joyful, this one was bloody hard work.

Finding the positives. Looking back, I can see the quiet success in it. Last year showed me what my body could do when everything aligned. This year showed me what I could still do when nothing did. Progress doesn’t always feel good in the moment. Sometimes it feels gritty, uncertain, and heavy — but it’s still progress.

Last year I found the joy in running. This year I found the resilience.

The Power of Soft Lighting in Yoga – Sunday Stretch Sessions at Thrive Jiu-Jitsu

When you step into Sunday Stretch at Thrive Jiu-Jitsu, the first thing you’ll notice isn’t the music or the mats—it’s the light.

Soft, gentle, warm. It instantly tells your body, you can slow down now.

Lighting might seem like a small detail, but in yoga it shapes how we feel, move, and connect. The soft glow we use in Sunday Stretch sessions is a conscious choice—a way to help you unwind, tune in, and restore balance after a full week of training, work, or life.

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1. Soft Light Helps the Nervous System downregulate.

Jiu-jitsu, work, workouts, and the general buzz of life keep us in a state of alertness. Harsh lighting only adds to that stimulation.

Soft lighting does the opposite—it tells your body it’s safe to slow down.

Under warm, low light, the parasympathetic nervous system (the “rest and digest” state) activates. Muscles release tension, breathing deepens, and the whole system starts to recalibrate.

It’s the difference between surviving the week and recovering from it.

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2. It Encourages Interoception.

The soft lighting in class isn’t just for atmosphere—it’s an invitation.

When the light dims, your focus naturally shifts from the room around you to the space within you. You get a better understanding of what is happening inside your body. You stop comparing yourself to the person next to you and start listening to your own breath, your own edges, your own rhythm.

It’s where the real work of yoga happens—quietly, internally, and intentionally. When interoception is strong, you can tune into the body’s subtle signals, tension, comfort, fatigue, calm, stress or ease, which are quite often lost in the noise of life.

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3. It Creates Safety and Comfort

After a week of being “on”—whether on the mats, at work, or in life—soft lighting offers something rare: a sense of safety.

It’s grounding, private, and calming. There’s no spotlight, no pressure, no need to perform.

That sense of comfort allows your body to release more deeply into each pose and your mind to soften into presence.

It’s a physical and psychological exhale.

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4. It Sets the Tone for Recovery

Every element of Sunday Stretch is designed to help you reset—from the pacing of the flow to the mellow playlists to the lighting.

Soft light complements this by creating a relaxed, restorative atmosphere.

Whether you’re easing tight hips from jiu-jitsu, calming an overworked mind, or simply wanting to feel more human again, the low glow helps your body and mind find their way back to balance.

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5. It Eases the Transition Back to Stillness

The way we end practice matters just as much as how we begin it.

In the final moments of class—during Savasana—the soft lighting supports your nervous system to truly rest. It creates a gentle bridge between the focused stillness on the mat and the world waiting outside.

You leave not just stretched, but restored.

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In Short

Soft lighting isn’t decoration—it’s part of the practice.

It helps you downshift, find calm, and reconnect to yourself.

At Sunday Stretch Sessions at Thrive Jiu-Jitsu, we use soft light intentionally to create a space that feels safe, soothing, and deeply restorative—perfect for ending the week on a grounded note and starting the next one with clarity and calm.

Why you should get a personal trainer. And why I might be the best PT for you!

 Don’t Be Afraid to Work Out: How Personal Trainers Use the FITT Principle to Help You Succeed

If you’re new to working out, or returning after a long break, it’s totally normal to feel a bit overwhelmed. Maybe you’re worried it’s going to be too intense, too fast. Maybe you think you have to be fit before you even start. Or maybe you’ve seen workouts online that look extreme and thought, “That’s not for me.”

As a yoga teacher and personal trainer, I want you to know this: you don’t need to be fit to start training. You just need a trainer who knows how to meet you where you’re at—and guide you forward with purpose. That’s where the FITT principle comes in.

Whether your goal is to build strength, move with more ease, support your yoga practice, or just feel better in your body, a good trainer will use FITT to design a programme that’s right for you.

Let’s break it down.

What is the FITT Principle?

FITT stands for Frequency, Intensity, Time, and Type. These are the core variables of exercise prescription—the building blocks we use to shape a training plan that’s safe, effective, and tailored to your goals, lifestyle, and experience level.

It’s not a one-size-fits-all method. It’s a framework. A way to tweak and tailor workouts so they challenge you just enough—not too little, not too much.

Let’s look at each element in detail.

F – Frequency: How Often You Train

Frequency refers to how often you exercise in a week.

• For a beginner, that might mean 2–3 times per week to allow the body time to adapt.

• For someone building strength or improving mobility, it might gradually increase to 4–5 sessions, split across different muscle groups or movement focuses.

• If you’re combining yoga and personal training, frequency can be adjusted so that both support each other—e.g., strength training twice a week and yoga twice a week.

A personal trainer helps you figure out what’s realistic and sustainable. Not just what sounds impressive. Life is busy. Motivation ebbs and flows. That’s why frequency is always shaped around your schedule, recovery needs, and the kind of progress you want to see.

I – Intensity: How Hard You Work

Intensity is all about how much effort an exercise demands. This can be measured in different ways depending on the goal:

• For strength training, it might be the weight you lift or the resistance you use.

• For cardio or conditioning, it might be your heart rate or how breathless you feel.

• For mobility and rehab, it could relate to control, tempo, or how deeply you move into a position.

You might be thinking: But I’m not intense. I just want to move more and feel good. That’s perfect.

Intensity isn’t about “go hard or go home.” It’s about applying the right level of challenge for your body. A good trainer uses tools like RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion), heart rate, breathing cues, and your feedback to adjust intensity session by session.

That means no burpees on Day 1 unless you love burpees. (And if you do, you might be a rare breed.)

T – Time: How Long You Train

Time refers to the duration of your workout. This might range from:

• A 30-minute session focused on mobility and core strength.

• A 45–60 minute session targeting strength and conditioning.

• Or even short bursts of focused movement split across your day (great for beginners or busy schedules).

More time isn’t always better. A good trainer values quality over quantity. In fact, well-structured 30-minute sessions can be incredibly effective when designed with purpose.

We’ll look at your energy levels, your recovery needs, and your available time, and we’ll use that to shape sessions that fit your life—not take over it.

T – Type: What Kind of Exercise You Do

Type refers to the style or form of exercise used.

This is where your preferences, goals, and starting point really matter.

For example:

• Want to build strength? We might use bodyweight training, resistance bands, dumbbells, or kettlebells.

• Want to improve posture and reduce aches from sitting? We’ll include mobility work, functional movement patterns, and core stability.

• Already practice yoga? We’ll find ways to complement your practice, building strength in areas yoga may not target as effectively (like pulling movements or loaded squats).

• Nervous about jumping into a gym? We can train effectively at home, with minimal equipment and movements that feel safe and empowering.

A skilled trainer doesn’t just pick random exercises. They choose types of movement that are purposeful, accessible, and progressive—gently moving you closer to your goals.

Putting FITT Together: Why It Works

FITT isn’t just a checklist. It’s a method for:

• Avoiding injury by managing intensity and frequency.

• Staying consistent because the workouts fit your lifestyle.

• Making progress steadily without burning out or plateauing.

• Keeping your training aligned with your goals—whether that’s strength, mobility, endurance, or simply moving and feeling better.

Every client is different. That’s why personal training should feel personal. With the FITT framework, we can take the guesswork out of working out.

How I Use FITT with Clients

Here’s a real-world example of how this works:

Client A is a yoga student who wants to feel stronger in her Chaturanga and reduce lower back tension. She’s never lifted weights and is worried about injuring herself.

We start with:

• Frequency: 2 sessions a week (1 personal training, 1 yoga).

• Intensity: Low to moderate. We build a foundation with bodyweight exercises, light resistance bands, and controlled tempo work.

• Time: 60-minute sessions that feel focused and manageable.

• Type: Core strengthening, posterior chain activation (glutes & hamstrings), shoulder stability, and mobility drills.

As she gains strength and confidence, we’ll adapt FITT:

• Maybe increase frequency to 3 sessions.

• Gradually increase intensity using resistance.

• Keep the time similar, but progress the exercises.

• Shift toward more compound movements like squats, rows, and push-ups.

That’s FITT in action—flexible, empowering, and tailored.

Final Thoughts: You’re Not “Too Unfit” to Start

If you’ve been putting off personal training because you feel like you’re not fit enough, strong enough, or ready enough… please let me try to put you at ease

The right personal trainer will meet you where you are, not where Instagram thinks you should be. And with tools like the FITT principle, they’ll make sure your training is manageable, motivating, and meaningful.

You don’t have to do it alone. You just have to start—and we’ll take it from there, step by step.

Yoga after work at The Cresset

Yoga After Work at The Cresset: Why Thursday Evenings in Bretton Are the Best Reset You Didn’t Know You Needed

If you’re based in Peterborough and find yourself exhausted by Thursday evening—ten tabs open in your head, body tense from a desk or car seat all day—you’re not alone.

That’s exactly why I started teaching my Thursday evening yoga class at 6 pm at The Cresset in Bretton.

It’s not just “another yoga class.” It’s your midweek exhale. A space to switch off, stretch out, and feel like yourself again—before the weekend rush kicks in.

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🌿 Why Yoga After Work Just Hits Different

1. Shake Off the Day

Whether you’ve been sitting at a desk, standing on your feet, or wrangling kids all day, your body is carrying it.

This class helps release that tension with simple, effective movements. We start slowly—think deep breathing, gentle stretches, and neck and shoulder release.

2. Move with Purpose

We build into strength-based postures, dynamic flows, and mindful movement to shake off mental fog and help your body feel energised—without overdoing it.

3. A Moment for You

This isn’t a class about perfection. It’s about presence. We move, we breathe, we sometimes laugh—and we all leave a little lighter.

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📍 Why The Cresset in Bretton Is Ideal

If you live or work near Bretton, Westwood, Longthorpe, or even central Peterborough, The Cresset is perfectly located.

• Easy parking

• Spacious Studio 3

• Affordable drop-in price (£10 or 5 classes for £30)

• Just bring yourself (and maybe a mat if you have one—spares available too!)

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💬 Who Comes to This Class?

• Office workers who need to unwind & unknot

• Busy parents who want one hour just for them

• Locals who don’t love the gym but want to move more

• Yoga newbies and seasoned movers alike

You don’t need to be flexible. You just need to show up. Seriously.

Relaxation tips - Sharing the best of Yoga for International Yoga Day

It has been extensively indicated that relaxation techniques should form a necessary part of injury rehabilitation [1]. Despite this these techniques still seem to slip under the radar.  Being guided on how to relax does not seem to have the same ubiquity or value as, for example, having our bones set or being instructed through physiotherapy, yet downregulating the sympathetic nervous system is directly linked to lowering cortisol (stress hormone) levels, and promoting healing and good general health.

I write this short piece as a Yoga teacher, as an injured recreational athlete, but first and foremost as a person hoping to help others understand relaxation so that they may improve their experience.

How can you get the most from relaxation?

Do it more often.

Relaxation can be described as a deliberate cessation of activity that results in a lowered heart rate and blood pressure putting the individual into the parasympathetic state [1].  Whilst we can take deliberate actions to lengthen our breath to facilitate this, it is important to articulate that the effort expended towards relaxation should be towards the frequency of trying rather than during relaxation itself. Let me explain why.

When learning a new skill, processes which are not yet automated claim most attention and activity. We are given instructions about how to position our bodies, relax our muscles and breathe in a way to re-focus the mind away from thoughts, to do lists or intense emotions that could disrupt relaxation. But since relaxation is the cessation of activity, it will be necessary to repeat these actions multiple times so that brain function and activity is not required to perform them. Relaxation needs to be practiced regularly for it to become an acquired skill. That is when it can be thoroughly enjoyed and when the greatest benefits can be obtained.

Learn to Observe.

Learn to observe when you feel muscles releasing tension instead of trying to force the action. You may have heard the saying “just try to relax, it will make you feel better”? Trying to relax is not only implying action instead of cessation (above), but it is also subjective; a person has an emotional attachment to the result of being relaxed because of the benefit of feeling better.  However, allowing relaxation to happen simply requires observation from the individual. Learning to observe and be objective, disconnecting from the wants and needs of any benefit often has better results than trying too hard.

I hold my hand up and admit that I have an over-active, often self-destructive mind and for many years, relaxation was, at most, a five-minute slice of my day where I would do anything but relax! I created solutions for my problems, decided my dinner plans, and drafted my best emails for many years. But as I learned more, and repeated it without expectation, relaxation eventually started to happen. If this is you too – Do not worry! Keep practicing, keep observing.
Begin relaxing.

If you would like a guided breathing and relaxation follow along please see the video on my homepage using the button below.

Love Gemma x

This piece was inspired by the following study and my wish to share something invaluable for international Yoga day.

[1] Walker,N. & Heaney, C. (2013). Relaxation techniques in sport injury
rehabilitation. In: Arvinen-Barrow, M. & Walker, N. (eds). The Psychology
of Sport Injury and Rehabilitation (pp.86-102). London: Routledge.