I am a sport and fitness journalist, author and running coach with a lifelong passion for being active, and for inspiring others to be so. Through my articles, books and coaching services, my aim is to help everyone discover their inner athlete! I have written three books on running - the bestselling women-specific Run for Life (now translated into 10 languages), Running Well - aimed at those already running - and Marathon & Half Marathon: From Start to Finish. I've also written a beginner-friendly guide to getting into Triathlon, and books on general fitness with a female slant including The Real Woman's Personal Trainer and Weights for Weight Loss. I also worked with the British Army to produce the Official British Army Fitness Guide for Guardian Books. I write regularly on running and fitness for many national newspapers and magazines, including The Guardian and Financial Times, and have a monthly column in Runner's World magazine.

Alongside my writing and coaching careers, I have appeared on BBC Breakfast, BBC Radio 4 and Radio London talking about topical fitness issues - I have also presented seminars at The Running Show and at the London Marathon's 'Meet the Experts' Weekend.

It's not all talk, though! To date, I have completed 15 marathons (best time 3 hours 22 minutes) and raced distances ranging from 3km on the track to the Himalayan 100 Mile Race and dozens of triathlons.