Run coaching for over-thinkers

If you love running, but struggle with overthinking and over-feeling things: welcome!

Hello! I’m Jodi Brown: run coach, psychological therapist and personal trainer. I’m also crazy about running trails, ultramarathons and chasing adventures.

I’ve carefully created Side by Stride to help you work on both the physical and psychological aspects of your running performance and enjoyment. It’s built on a whole heap of evidence, knowledge, experience and insight from 20+ years in the health and wellbeing industry. It’s also built on lived experience: I too am a professional over-thinker.

Coaching is about working with you to unlock your potential and overcome barriers so you can do the things you love. There’s no short cut or secret, just clear plans based on evidence, accountability, consistency, and the optimal balance of support and challenge from me.

I offer my services both face-to-face (Oxfordshire) and online.

I work with all kinds of runners, of all ages and abilities, but mostly specialise in those who are looking to run ultras, or longer trail races.

I’m not one to feel sorry for myself, but sometimes I think we need to allow a bit of a pity-party to move through the emotions and try to turn something shit into something sparkly (can you see how hard I’m trying here…?) I should be out running - probably doing a 30k-ish easy adventure run somewhere green and lovely. No doubt soaked with sweat already, and wishing it were over, but still, I’d rather be out there -than here. At the start of the @pennine_barrier_ultra I felt a pain under my left foot which quickly spread to my big and 2nd toe as I climbed Pen y Gent. The pain faded in and out: sometimes sharp, sometimes burning, but always there. I took some of those tablets you’re not supposed to take on an ultra. I was desperate to get this race finished, and I did. I don’t know if it were the painkillers or adrenaline, but I even sped up in the last 10km. Seven weeks later, I can’t run. Well, I can, but each 5k run takes about 5 days recovery. That’s not cool. I’ve had an X-ray (clear) and seen a podiatrist. She’s suggested metatarsalgia. I’m doing exercises, stretches, taping, icing, resting (mostly) but it’s not improving. I don’t know if it’s fortuitous, but the last few weeks have been turned upside down by another diagnosis. I’ve got a growth in my thyroid that’s also in my central and lateral lymph nodes of my neck. I’m now awaiting surgery on 4th July for total thyroidectomy and neck dissection (sounds like a gross biology lesson?). I do wonder if this will help me take the time out that my foot needs. Whilst I’m mostly resting, I’m also doing strength, cross-training and throwing in a feel-better-5k which swiftly turns into a regrettable-5. Loads have it worse, I know. This isn’t new to me: I’ve been here before, but this time it feels so much more difficult to deal with. I’ve got a theory on that, but that’s for another post. To all those who are ill, injured, unable to do what you love: I’m here for you. To those who have been there a lot longer than me, I’m sending you massive hugs. It’s easy to have a rock solid mindset when it’s all working out. This is where respect for the process kicks in.
The Pennine Barrier Ultra 50 miler @pennine_barrier_ultra @gbultras Saturday 2nd May 2026 A few favourite pics from a brilliant adventure from Malham, up & around the Yorkshire Three Peaks and back again. Of course joined by my trusty sidekick @andy.tate.790. We started with Jason and managed to stick with him up Malham Cove until he disappeared into the cloud over Pen y Ghent! He also had a cracking race. We had a bit of everything in this race: low cloud, mist, drizzle, sun and a whole heap of fun. Lots of climbing, lots of technical, but also lots of lovely traily running. My fav. Really happy with how this race went. It felt like a pretty good balance between enjoying myself and taking time to really soak up the experience vs moments of pushing myself harder and racing towards the end of the 50 miles on tired legs. I ran some with Andy, and some solo. I smiled pretty much all time. 80.19km / 50 miles 2,831m elevation 14:54 duration How lucky are we to be able to do these things for fun? What's next?! #ultrarunner #PennineWay #farrunnersfaringdon #GBUltras #penninebarrierultra
Are you a runner who overthinks? Does your brain tell you that you're not good enough, or ask why you're even bothering? Does your brain 'helpfully' suggest that everyone else is laughing at you, or that you're too slow / big / small / old / unfit / uncool to be a runner like everyone else? Yep… join the club: you most certainly are not alone. These thoughts are your internal commentary, that’s all: NOT the truth. I'm a passionate trail & ultra runner, coach, psychotherapist & personal trainer. I combine my experience and knowledge from all of these to offer you a package of running coaching like no other. I’ll help you become a better, happier & more confident runner through: * A personalised, progressive training plan; * Runner-specific strength workouts; * Mindset & psychological tools and resources drawn from ACT* & CBT*; * Loads of support, guidance & straight talk; * 1:1 calls & WhatsApp support. What kind of people do I work with? * Runners who want to enjoy running more, but feel crushed by negative & unhelpful thoughts; * Runners who struggle with emotional regulation & sticking to a plan; * Runners who keep putting off entering races or running with others because they don’t feel they belong; * Runners who care a lot, but sometimes too much. * Runners with BIG dreams who daren’t tell others as they might think they’re delusional. Comment “Let’s talk” below to get in touch & book a free, no-obligation exploratory chat with me. Change the story you pay attention to & see what you can achieve ✨ *ACT = Acceptance & Commitment Therapy
*CBT = Cognitive Behavioural Therapy #runnersmindset #ACTforrunners #sidebystride #trailmindset #ultramindset #runcoaching #sbsathlete
 *** This post was NOT written by AI & never will be! ***
@wildrunninguk ‘Way of the Dead’ A rather wonderful way to spend a day: running east to west across Dartmoor, from Trenchford Reservoir to Tavistock. Some of our run followed the Lych Way, an ancient route from Bellever to Lydford walked by medieval inhabitants of the local tenements to carry their dead to the nearest parish church for burial. Thankfully, our purpose was a lot happier and cheery. We enjoyed 45km of stunning views, open moorland, craggy tors, winding woodlands and of course the inevitable bogs. Thank you to my teamie @andy.tate.790 for the inspiration to do this event and for a lovely weekend exploring together.
Not every run feels great. Some days are just plain tough: everything feels wrong, hard and heavy. I had one of those days yesterday. One of the things I teach in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is to shift attention to what’s already there, rather than getting stuck in the story our mind is telling about the run, or something more self-critical. When we widen our attention, we often find small moments we would have otherwise missed — the rhythm of our feet, a quiet stretch of trail, a breath of fresh air, the sound of the birds, the warmth of the spring sun, the feeling of our body carrying us forward, the little beetle crossing your path, the friendly, “Hello” and smile from a fellow trail user. I had to do this yesterday: everything felt like hard work and my tummy felt a bit off. I was battling with thoughts about stopping, the disappointment of not feeling energetic and strong, the worry I wouldn’t achieve what I’d hoped…that’s where the spiral often starts. The run still might feel tough, but when we intentionally focus outwards, we make space for those moments. Our whole experience can shift when we learn to become more externally focussed (rather than internally to our to thoughts, bodily sensations and symptoms). Give it a go: what do you notice? 🐦 🐝 ☀️ 🌈 🌼 🦆 🐸🪲🐾🌿🐇 #ACTforrunners #runnersmindset #sidebystride
@missionfitnessuk challenge accepted! #bosuballworkout #ultrarunners
This is probably the race I should never have started. It was a potent mix of stubbornness, FOMO, optimism and denial that meant I rocked up to the start line of @arcofattritionbyutmb Arc 50 miler. My training has been great (nod to @ultra_coach_max here). I was well prepared, feeling strong, fit and capable. I was so excited to do this race. That was, until Monday and an unexpected visit to eye casualty where I was diagnosed with Optic Neuritis. Running with reduced vision in one eye is never ideal, and certainly not on a particularly gusty and wet day on the South West Coastal Path. But still, I clearly thought there’d be some kind of divine intervention and running a tough 50 miler, partly in the dark, would be fine. It wasn’t. I started strong, and felt great. I got to the first checkpoint 30 mins ahead of my predicated time and set off feeling capable. Then the headache started - most likely from having to concentrate even harder than usual on the rocky, muddy, uneven path. People were tripping and slipping left right and centre. It was tough terrain, made tougher by the weather and footfall of the however many hundreds of earlier runners. With my headache came nausea, then a loss of balance, and incessant cramps up the front and backs of my legs. I stepped aside to let a runner pass by, and nearly fell over from loss of balance. This was the moment I knew my race was over. I had another 10km to get to the next checkpoint, and went through the usual cycle of emotions that a DNF brings. I can’t really say much more at this stage as this diagnosis is quite the shock. I don’t know how long it will last, why I’ve got it, or whether this is the start of more to come. I hope not. I’d love to come back and give this race another go. It’s my kind of terrain and challenge: I want it to be hard and I want to work hard. I don’t mind discomfort or a certain degree of suffering, but not when you know your health and safety are at stake. Well done @arcofattritionbyutmb for a cracking event. Thank you @ultra_coach_max for your impeccable coaching and for the support you’ve shown this week. And of course @andy.tate.790 my biggest supporter: love you 💕
A few honest reflections as I sit here doom scrolling: fully, consciously wasting my own time, getting annoyed & demoralised. Why do I ‘do’ Instagram? Why don’t I stop? Here’s my thoughts… #instagramreflections #doomscrolling
I’ve just started my endurance block ahead of @arcofattritionbyutmb, and I’ve been quickly reminded of my love for day 2 of back-to-back long runs. When I first did b2b long runs in training for @epona100ultra I was pleasantly surprised how much easier I found day 2, than day 1, and in turn, how much more I enjoyed it. If you’d have asked me (before b2b runs) how I’d imagined I’d feel, I’d have said: tired, pained, unmotivated, reluctant, uncomfortable, heavy, avoidant. I’ve surprised myself as my experience really couldn’t be further from the truth… On day 2s, I’ve been reminded of a few things: • We are so much more capable than we might think we are when running on tired legs. Once we push past that initial, “What the hell am I doing?”, we seem to adjust and adapt quickly. • I (personally) relax more on day 2: I lower my self-expectations, I give myself permission to slow down, and consequently have more fun. • I seem to find a better rhythm on day 2: again, with a slower pace, I relax, drop the tension, and then something amazing happens - because I do this, I actually run better, smoother and more efficiently. I’m constantly reminded how strong the body is. How it adapts to demands, and in turn, how our minds recalibrate to our growing strength, confidence & ability. Of course, it’s not always like this. We all have bad runs, bad days, injury, illness, exhaustion, stress, sadness, or simply those, “Can’t be arsed” days. At these times, it’s more about doing what we can, and being kind to ourselves. That might mean a reduced effort, distance, or nothing at all. That, in itself, is progress, as it reminds our nervous system that we’re safe. My advice is the next time you have a b2b long run: be aware of your thoughts and predictions before, during and after. Observe them - don’t obey them. Afterwards, take some time to consider whether they were true? What did you learn about yourself? Write these things down or make a voice note, so the next time you feel this way, you’ve got an emotional anchor to distance yourself between the thought and the reality. #endurancerunning #ultratraining #runcoach #endurancemindset
Should have been a nice chilled 30 minutes cross train sesh, but it would be rude not to try out the new kit in the gym. This is awesome. Much better than the treadmill (although that still very much has its place in my training with adjustable incline). I had so much fun, I ended up running on the Skillmill for 30 very sweaty minutes. Shhhh 🤫 don’t tell Coach or he’ll start programming me interval sessions on it. Thank you @missionfitnessuk for having the best equipment and kit, and for making it such a welcoming and supportive place to train. Best gym ever 💜