Kelly Gazzard

🏃‍♀️ Belfast Half Marathon — DONE! 🏃‍♂️

A huge congratulations to ALL my amazing clients who took on the Belfast Half Marathon! 👏🏼 here is just a few .

Months of training, niggles, doubts, hard days and plenty of determination , and you got yourselves over that finish line. 💪🏼✅

So proud to have played a small part in helping you keep moving, recover and stay on track. 🙌🫶🏻
Stephen Hawe 2:20:57 Ward Park Runners
Paul Fitchie 1:31:24 Ward Park Runners
Mike Curran 1.36 & Lindsay Curran 2:17
Leanne Campbell 2:01:26 Coastal Runners
Nicola McClean 2:19
Alexander Watts 1:45 Ballydrain Harriers

🏃‍♀️ Your first half marathon? Try distracting your brain.

For some runners, the hardest part of a longer race isn’t necessarily the physical effort ,it’s what happens when the mind starts getting involved.

“How far have I got?”
“Can I actually do this?”
“Why am I feeling like this?”
“What if I can’t finish?”

When anxiety or negative thoughts start to take over, our attention can become increasingly focused on internal sensations, perceived threat and the possibility of failure. In sport, anxiety is associated with changes in attentional control and can affect how we process and respond to what’s happening around us.

That’s where purposeful distraction and grounding strategies can be useful.

Giving your brain something simple and neutral to focus on counting, spotting colours, noticing the crowd, finding signs, listening to music, or breaking the race into smaller sections can help shift attention back towards the present moment, rather than constantly monitoring how you feel or how much further you have to go.

Grounding and attention-shifting techniques are also recommended within NHS guidance for managing anxiety and overwhelming thoughts.

And importantly, this isn’t about ignoring pain or pushing through something that isn’t right.

It’s about giving yourself another tool when nerves, doubt or anxious thoughts start becoming louder than they need to be.

You don’t have to think about 21.1km.

Think about this mile.
This moment.
This step.

So I put together these 12 Distraction Missions one for each stage of a half marathon to give your brain something positive to focus on when the miles start feeling long.

Save it. Screenshot it. Use the ones that work for you. 🤍

And remember: distraction is a coping strategy, not a substitute for listening to your body. If symptoms are unusual, severe or concerning, stop and seek appropriate medical help.

RESTORE • STRENGTHEN • PERFORM
Kelly Gazzard | Sports Massage • Rehab Coach.

“Half Marathon runners — save this one! “🏃‍♀️❤️ EVIDENCE-BASED GUIDANCE
This advice is based on guidance from leading organisations including World Athletics, the British Dietetic Association, the International Olympic Committee and NHS running initiatives.

I hear it all the time ….. for various reasons

“From ‘I don’t know if I can do this’ to I DID IT! ❤️ ❤️

Sometimes we doubt ourselves so much that we forget what we’re actually capable of. And we all have moments like that.

But doubt doesn’t mean you can’t.
Keep going. Keep believing. Show up anyway.

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻Massive congrats to these 3 clients who completed The Great North Run on Sunday 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️🏃🏼‍♀️🏃🏻. 🏅❤️ Lyn Mutch Colin Mutch and David Morton

“Never give up “ 🫶🏻

One of the kindest souls I know ❤️

Victoria is one of those people who always gives 100% in everything she does. She’s constantly finding ways to support charities, help others and give back to our local community and she does it all with such a genuine and caring heart. 🥰

She is definitely one of my absolute favourites and I feel very lucky to have her as a client/friend . 💕

Before we say goodbye to July… 👏

A huge well done to every single one of my clients who stepped outside their comfort zone and completed an event this month there was so many !! Whether it was your first 5K, a marathon, triathlon, Hyrox, cycling event, or simply achieving a personal goal you’ve been working towards, you should be incredibly proud of yourselves.

Heres just a couple of the amazing achievements from July.

Ricky McClean - what a way to cross the finish line with his gorgeous daughter Maisie 🫶🏻 on his first 70.3 finishing 6hr 42min on a really hilly and windy bike & run course , well done Ricky

Stefanie Eisenstadt - I just love this one 🩷, she has the smile that would lighten any room and her determination is nothing short of incredible !!

Judith Boyd and Mark Halus these 2 are going from strength to strength . Sea to Sky Mark - 53:15
Judith - 57:07
Both PBs of over 4 mins 💪

Always so proud to be part of your journey ..

Rehab Coach - Clis Secret 👑 RESTORE • STRENGTHEN • PERFORM
I help women rebuild their bodies through evidence-based rehab, strength training and personalised online coaching so they can move without fear, train with confidence and feel strong again. 💪.

Comparison steals joy. Focus on your progress, celebrate your wins, and remember that taking time for yourself isn’t selfish—it’s essential. The strongest investment you’ll ever make is in yourself. *
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What a weekend for my clients 💪🏃‍♀️🏅

Before we head into another busy weekend of events for my clients, let’s take a moment to look back at last weekend and celebrate some incredible achievements.

A massive well done to the many clients of mine who took part in the Comber 10K last Friday, hosted by Ballydrain Harriers. I had the privilege of cheering every single one of you on, but here are just a few highlights from the evening:

🏆 David McNeilly – Newcastle Athletic Club who won his age category. Amazing achievement! 🙌

👟 Mervyn Julie Kinney – Coastal Runners, who not only offered me the chance to run the final 3K for him but also offered me his trainers as he went past! 😂

👏 Judith Boyd– Scrabo Striders Running Club, who I was delighted to cheer on and see .

❤️ Alison Stocks – This smile says a thousand words. Seeing your joy genuinely warmed my heart.

🔥 Paul Fitchie– Ward Park Runners, delivering another fantastic performance as always.

🎂 Justin Clegg– Core Fitness, putting in the miles ahead of his birthday this week!

☀️ Alexander Watts – Ballydrain Harriers , keeping us updated on the glorious weather that was heading our way. 😎

Saturday morning then brought a host of my clients to Ards Blair Mayne Leisure Centre for their first taste of HYROX Relay competition.

🩷 A special mention to my gorgeous client Victoria Tor, proudly showcasing not only my merch but her strength .

💪 And to Connor Mcnamara, alongside his lovely wife Nicola, who finally managed to convince him to give it a go! Well done both of you and everyone one of my clients who took part .

🌍 A huge shoutout to my bestie, Shannon Clegg.

Last weekend Shannon competed at Hyrox World Championships in Stockholm and, despite becoming very unwell in the days leading up to the event, she still stepped onto that start line and finished.✅

I know Shannon is incredibly disappointed with how things unfolded and feels she wasn’t able to perform at her best. But for me, this is the very definition of resilience. When many people would have pulled out, she showed up, dug deep, and got the job done. That takes courage, determination, and a mindset that refuses to give in. I’m unbelievably proud of you, Shannon , truly ❤️

And finally, I’ve saved the best until last…

Anyone who has had the pleasure of meeting Marion Erskine in the clinic will know exactly what I mean when I say she’s my wee Scottish 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 character! 😂

Marion started as a client but has become a very dear friend. She’s one of my biggest supporters, although she’s also not afraid to tell me off when needed! 🤣

This weekend I had the opportunity to watch her compete in one of her vintage cars at the Classic trials held at Ballywalter Estate and hosted by the Ulster Vintage Car Club. Seeing her out there doing what she loves.

Watching my clients achieve goals, challenge themselves, try new things and simply enjoy being active is one of the most rewarding parts of what I do.

Whether you’re running a 10K, tackling your first HYROX, competing on the world stage, or racing vintage cars around an estate, I’m proud of every single one of you. ❤️

Here’s to another fantastic weekend ahead! 🙌