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Essence Pilates

Discover a stronger, more toned, reinvigorated you at our pilates studio in Godalming, Surrey www.essencepilates.co.uk Most people have heard of Pilates.

It’s massively increased in popularity over the years, but why? Pilates is now a part of mainstream fitness in health clubs and studios across the globe. Many people use the exercises to achieve their fitness goals and to enhance their exercise regime. Since the 1990‘s the scientific community (Osteopaths, Physiotherapists etc) have recognised the contributions that Pilates exercises make to injur

y rehabilitation, giving this form of exercise huge awareness and credibility. The original exercises have been modified so they are suitable for all fitness levels and abilities.

10/05/2026

Girls weekend 💖

Really needed and appreciated this break and time with friends who’ve known me for more decades than I can remember 🤣 It was a weekend of ☀️ 🌊 🥂 🏃‍♀️ 🏰 🛀 (meant to be hot tub not bath) yummy food and lots of laughter and reminiscing. Nothing like old friends!

07/05/2026

Race recap part 2: much later than planned 😬

So coming through the half way line and still feeling good, heading back into town and enjoying the crowds. Once through town the route wiggles a lot in Hove. Leg was playing ball - phew. I largely forgot about it for the remainder of the race.

I got to a spot where I remembered my friends .m.bailey and in a previous year jumping up and down at me and just past here I spotted my family!! It was so great to see them. It was just the boost i needed at that time.

Head down & still feeling good. Taking water at every station. A gel every 5k. It was only when I got to 36km that i started to feel a bit fatigued. Not a crash like I’ve experienced before but struggling to hang onto pace.

I didn’t mind that i was a bit slower for a few kms because i was tracking well and my one goal was to not walk. I am a big advocate of walking if you need to, my problem in recent marathons has been my body thinks I’ve reached the end & I can’t pick my legs up again.

So I started counting up to 20 and back (that’s all my brain could manage!) on repeat. Just keep plodding on. Saw the fam again cheering! One km at a time - just tick them off! Finally the 40km mark.

Tried to pick it up again (semi successfully) but knew could make it. Body in so much pain but head more determined than ever.

Saw fam with 600m to go and kids cheering me on. Where’s the finish line? Couldn’t see it. Then eventually thank god! Crossed the line. Couldn’t move but so happy!

Super proud of just under a 3 min PB aged 47. But that marathon was so much more than the finish time. It will always be one of my proudest marathons as I’ve had so much going on in my personal life - really the start line was the goal. Although the finish line felt bloody good!!

A pint 🍻 with friends after was just lovely

Last week my Osteo Sam confirmed I had a small tear in my Achilles tendon so after 12 days rest & a treatment, it’s healing nicely & just doing some light miles now but am pain free again and just enjoying no real plan atm!

📷 Photo 1:

16/04/2026

Race recap Part 1: the start & the first half.

Usually I’m a little grumpy at the start of a marathon 🤣this is because I get sooo cold! im full of nerves & just want to get going but by the time I had faffed around with toilet queues & bag drop I was heading to the start before I knew it. It also often takes me 3-5k to warm up and feel alive but on Sunday I instantly got straight into the race which was a really nice feeling.

I have run Brighton twice before but never this new route although a lot of it is the same. However I remembered that you almost immediately turn onto a hill and my plan was to run that first hill fairly easy. It was quite congested but I was telling myself this was a good thing!

By about 3k space had opened up and I was feeling in a good rhythm. Paying closer attention to my watch & really keeping an eye on that pace. I felt great. I was amazed at how fresh I felt considering I really hadn’t slept well for about 3 nights. I wanted to bottle that feeling so I was constantly reminding myself to slow down.

During my final track session I had picked up a slight injury to my right Achilles and made it worse by over zealous foam rolling 😬. I had rested a lot in the week leading up to the race and had a sports massage. I had some paracetamol with me in case of emergency.

By 8km it was feeling uncomfortable and I started to feel worried. I thought about how good I felt but that this leg was potentially going to be a problem so I took 2 x paracetamol at 10km and decided to try & ignore it until they hit. Saw and which gave me a real boost!

Heading out towards the racecourse & still feeling good. My HR was 👍& I was literally smiling to myself. However on every corner I felt I had to almost hop round it & make the left leg take the pressure. This wasn’t really sustainable.

Coming back towards Brighton into town along the sea is one of my fav parts of this race. But this year we were hit by a savage head wind coming across the sea. It was hard going from 18-21km and the gusts of wind really knocked my rhythm but I managed to maintain.

21km the painkillers kicked in - phew! I was determined to plod on. TBC…

12/04/2026

The marathon of my dreams! 🙌
Soo happy to have been able to run that strong and finish with a new PB of 3.50.54 🔔

My family life has been so busy recently & so I didn’t really know what I could pull out the bag today. However I changed some things in my training (I’ll share them) & that’s the fittest I’ve ever felt across that distance.

Dream big and never give up! (Even if you are middle aged like me!)

Race report next week

09/04/2026

to my last marathon as in 3 days I take on Marathon No.8 !

So this was my fastest marathon but it wasn’t a perfect delivery. I decided at the last minute to run with the 3.45 pacers but I should have heard the red flag 🚩 when they said they had never paced a marathon before. I should have just paced myself. They went off too fast but I stuck with them, thinking they must know the course but the problem is even just a few km/s too fast at the beginning will bite you in the arse later. They were tracking a 3.39 hrs marathon until mile 20 where I started to die a death! Ultimately this is not their fault but mine, I know how to pace myself and should have been more careful. I didn’t write about it at the time as I felt a bit bad doing so as pacers are only human. They were clearly great runners and worried about people not getting in in time. However a 6 minute difference is significant across that distance and if you haven’t trained to race that pace - it’s unlikely you’ll hold it for the full distance.

Even so, 20 miles is the furthest I’ve ever got before hitting a wall and my nutrition was 👌 I’d had a good sleep & managed to hang on enough to pull a small PB but had I kept a check on those early miles better I may well have got further before tanking.

I think we all expect to hang on for dear life through those last few KMs but for this next marathon I am not so focused on a finish time but more delivering a better / more even 1st/2nd half. I’ll be shouting only one thing to myself in the first 10km.

DONT GO OFF TOO FAST !!

Brighton is a really hard marathon to pace as it’s hilly in the first half. In the past I haven’t paid attention to my watch enough. I’ve run to feel but when involved in the excitement and the wave pace, you can get swept along too fast without realising. I have switched from miles to KMs and will be keeping a closer 👁️ on it!

I’ll be happy whatever my finish time- this one is about fun for me. I want to enjoy the crowds, the Vibe (Hove always brings it!). I’m proud to be able to take part as life has been crazy recently. I think I’m ready now :) just 3 more sleeps!

26/03/2026

Hello friends 👋
Apologies for being utterly rubbish at posting recently! Life has been very busy as my Mum moved into a care home a couple of months ago. She is now living nearer me which is great but I haven’t had much time to post - also with general life - kids, work, business etc !

I’m running the Brighton marathon in 2.5 weeks. So far it’s been a great training block. I’ve changed ALOT of my training this time so we’ll see what happens on the day. Not stressing about a finish time. Sounds strange but actually have a goal of getting to the start line! It would have been easy to dip out of this one as training hasn’t been top priority.

That said as always running has been my constant and given me clarity and headspace during a difficult time.

I’m enjoying catching up on everyone’s news!

📷 after my 6k on the track today

05/01/2026

Happy NY all. Bit late with this post but wishing you all the very best for 2026. Here are my 2025 running highlights:

* Best new experience- 2 hr pacer at the London landmarks half marathon
* Best city run - Paris along the Seine with Isla
* Best achievement - a new half marathon PB at the Battersea Park half with RunThrough
* Best forest run - 7k in the hills at the Devils Punch bowl also with Isla
* Best view - Cap de Formentor Pollenca - what a hill!! 🥵
* Best beach run - New Forest with friends 🥰
* Best short distance - 5k and 🥉 lady at the Hype Park 5/10k with RunThrough
* Best Parkrun - just before Christmas for Hollys birthday 🥳🎄

Total KM’s: 1,676kms my biggest year for mileage ever.

Where 2025 was a very challenging year at times. Running is and always will be my constant. I managed to stay injury free and ran over 35% extra miles than the previous 2 years.

This week I start training for Brighton. I hope I can remain injury free 🤞I have been neglecting strength training recently so need to sort that!

20/12/2025

It’s been a while! Celebrating birthday 🎉 and so glad I got out of bed for that one as it was a beautiful frosty morning - finished🥉 female. Quite slippy in places but my Xmas trainers just about hung on!

Anyone super organised for Christmas ?? I am so behind 😱Today is my day to crack on. Have a great weekend all ❤️🎄

28/11/2025

Hazel 🥰

Settling in really well and the whole fam loving her. I forgot just how amazing having a dog in the house is (I’m pretty tired though - nighttime’s have been slightly wakeful 😝) but she’s worth it 😍

27/09/2025

🥉 lady today in for the

As good a run as I could have hoped for based on my fitness levels! Didn’t quite have the stamina from the start to hang onto the 22.30 pacer but could see him the whole way & marvellous decision for the pacers to be luminous!!. Thanks to all the lovely runners I met on the start line and during the run and congrats to these 2 fab ladies ➡️ who took 🥇 and 🥈2nd place lady only started running in April - wow!

My strava scraped in at goal pace (22.58 🎯 22.59) but chip is 23.11 & we go with that 👍

Thanks for another really enjoyable event 💙

Hope you all have a brilliant weekend!

04/09/2025

📸 Some summer favs ☀️ 🏖️ 🍸

And just like that its all over 😭

Back to school this week - Isla (Y11), Seb (Y9) and George (Y6) I’ll miss them - except for the food & lift requests 😂

Back to a full schedule of classes from next week 👍

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Godalming
GU71HW

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+447811200069

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http://www.essencepilates.co.uk/

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