The Evergreen Athlete - By Finlay MacHugh

022 - Side Quests, Speed Work and the Boring Bit Nobody Wants to Do - Cat from The Run Space

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 — 👉 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.

021 - How Coaches Secretly Help You Become More Consistent

Evergreen Athlete Podcast | Episode 21: How Coaches Secretly Help You Become More Consistent Ever wondered what actually goes on behind the scenes when a coach helps someone stick with their training? In this episode, Finlay goes under the hood and reveals the exact strategies coaches use to build long-term consistency — and, crucially, how you can apply many of them yourself if you're going it alone. Born from a conversation with the Evergreen Athlete coaching group, this is a practical, no-fluff breakdown of the foundations that keep people showing up — from uncovering your real motivation, to building a scorecard that keeps you honest, to understanding where self-coaching hits its limits. Whether you're working with a coach or flying solo, this episode will change how you think about consistency. 🧩 What You'll Learn: 👉 Why understanding your emotional "why" matters more than your goals  👉 How to identify your personal values — and spot when training conflicts with them  👉 The right order to set success targets, barriers, and life-change outcomes  👉 Which metrics to track (subjective and objective) and how often to revisit them  👉 How to use AI tools to build a personalised plan — and where they fall short  👉 Why personalised plans work through motivation theory (relatedness, autonomy, competency)  👉 A simple 1–10 scorecard method to gamify your progress and stay motivated  👉 The things coaches do that are genuinely hard to replicate on your own: spotting patterns, active listening, and reading between the lines  👉 Why AI can't yet replace the depth of a real coaching relationship — If you used to live for sport and the itch to compete hasn't gone away — but niggles, work and family keep tripping you up — I coach people just like you. We'll get you training with purpose again, manage the sore bits, and build steady progress that brings your confidence back. Keen to know more? Flick me a DM with "EVERGREEN" on Instagram @finlay.evergreen.athlete and we'll have a chat about the next intake. Cheers, Finlay

020 - How to Plan Your Next 6 Months Of Training

How to Plan Your Next 6 Months Of Training If you’ve got a race or event on the calendar and you want to give yourself the best possible chance of performing well, this episode is for you. Most people jump straight into the details - exercises, sets, reps, splits, sessions. But that’s not where good coaching starts. In this episode, I break down the bigger picture of how to actually plan your training so you build towards an event with purpose, stay on track when life gets messy, and arrive feeling like you gave it a proper shot. 🧩 What You’ll Learn: Why good training plans start with the calendar, not the exercises  How to think about training in phases so you’re not trying to improve everything at once  The difference between general work and specific work - and why both matter  The key levers that actually drive adaptation and progress  How to build towards an event so you peak at the right time This is a more practical look at the process behind strong performances - whether you’re training for Hyrox, a 5K, a half marathon, or anything else that matters to you. Before you head off, a quick word. If you used to live for sport and the itch to compete hasn’t gone away - but niggles, work and family keep tripping you up - I coach people just like you. We’ll get you training with purpose again, manage the sore bits, and build steady progress that brings your confidence back. Keen to know more? Flick me a DM with “EVERGREEN” on Instagram @finlay.evergreen.athlete and we’ll have a chat about the next intake. Cheers,  Finlay

019 - What can runners do to reduce injuries and run more? Live Q&A with Cat from the Run Space

Ep 019 - Live Q&A with Cat from the Run Space - What can runners do to reduce injuries and run more? I was invited to speak at Run Space with Cat, and this episode is the full conversation. We talked about why so many committed runners plateau, why niggles keep circling back, and what actually moves the needle if you want to run faster in your 30s and 40s without constantly flirting with injury. 🧩 What You’ll Learn: 👉 Why managing your training is more important than smashing sessions 👉 The biggest mistake ambitious runners make when they want to improve 👉 How scepticism can actually protect your progress 👉 Why speed training is injury prevention If you’re an ex-athlete who still cares about performance, this will hit. — If this episode struck a chord and you’re serious about making progress again, come and find me on Instagram. [https://www.instagram.com/finlay.evergreen.athlete/] I work with former athletes who’ve got unfinished goals and want to overcome injuries and rebuild real confidence in their bodies. Send me a DM with the word EVERGREEN, and we’ll have a proper conversation about where you’re at and what the next step looks like.

018 - How to train like a pro (when you're not one) - With Joel Harries

Training Like a Professional Amateur I sat down with Joel Harries to talk about what it actually means to train like a pro… when you’re not one. Joel works with rugby players who have jobs, families and limited time - but still want to see how good they can be. This is about standards, mindset and doing the right things - repeatedly. 🧩 What You’ll Learn: 👉 Why “professional amateur” is a mindset, not a playing level. 👉 The difference between chasing 1% gains and nailing the 80%. 👉 How to think about injury if you actually want to improve. 👉 Why most people are overwhelmed by information - and underwhelmed by progress. 👉 How to be ruthless with your time when you’ve only got five hours a week. There’s a lot in here about boredom, basics and being honest with yourself. If you used to love sports, still care about your performance, but don’t have pro-level time - this will land. — 👉 Joel's YouTube Channel [https://www.youtube.com/@Thestrengthsolution] 👉 Joel's Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/joelharries.strengthsolution/] If you’re a former athlete with unfinished goals and you want structure around your training, send me a DM on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/finlay.evergreen.athlete/] with the word EVERGREEN. We’ll have a proper conversation about where you’re at and what real progress could look like for you.