In this week’s guided run, Adam explores one of the biggest obstacles to enjoying running, losing weight and building confidence: comparison.

Whether it’s comparing yourself to faster runners on Strava, fitter people on social media or the person you wish you were six months ago, comparison has a habit of stealing the joy from the progress you’re already making.

Across this guided run, Adam shares personal stories from his own running journey, relatable client experiences and practical coaching advice to help you stop chasing somebody else’s version of success and start appreciating your own.

In this episode you’ll learn:

🏃 Running

• Why easy runs should feel easy
• How comparison quietly ruins the enjoyment of running
• Why your watch should be a tool, not your boss
• How to stop obsessing over pace and Strava
• Why consistency will always beat intensity
• The importance of running your race, not somebody else’s

🍽️ Nutrition

• Why social media has made nutrition more confusing than ever
• The problem with comparing your diet to other people’s
• How whole foods and higher-protein meals help reduce hunger
• Why Adam relies so heavily on his slow cooker
• How to build a way of eating that fits around real life
• Why simple, repeatable habits beat perfect meal plans

🧠 Mindset

• Why you’re becoming a different person, not just a fitter one
• How comparison affects confidence in every area of life
• The power of identity and keeping promises to yourself
• Why one bad day, one missed run or one takeaway changes very little
• The “bricklayer” analogy that explains why small actions repeated consistently lead to extraordinary results
• Why the only person worth comparing yourself to is the person you were yesterday

Throughout the episode, Adam reminds you that fitness isn’t about proving yourself to other people. It’s about quietly becoming the sort of person who keeps showing up, one run, one meal and one decision at a time.

Key takeaway:

“Comparison changes the story, not the reality. Run your own race, trust your own journey, and let consistency do the rest.” 

Whether it’s a missed week of training, a holiday, an injury or simply life getting in the way, it’s easy to feel like all your hard work has disappeared. But the reality is very different.

Using personal experiences, relatable stories and practical coaching advice, Adam explains why your body, mind and habits remember far more than you think, and why getting back into a routine is often much easier than starting for the first time.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• Why you’re never truly back at square one
• How experience accelerates your progress after a setback
• Why fitness comes back quicker than you think
• The importance of dropping the “all or nothing” mindset
• Why one missed run or one unhealthy meal changes very little
• How to recover mentally after holidays, illness or busy periods
• The “next good decision” approach to getting back on track
• Why consistency is built through patterns, not perfection
• How running changes your identity far beyond pace and distance
• Why setbacks are part of the journey, not the end of it

Packed with stories, humour and practical advice, this episode is a reminder that progress isn’t about never taking a step backwards—it’s about always finding your way forwards again.

Key takeaway: You’re not starting from scratch. You’re starting with experience, and that’s one of the greatest advantages you can have.

Recorded during a heatwave, this episode covers why running in hot weather feels harder than normal, why your heart rate is often higher in the heat, and why slower paces don’t mean you’ve suddenly lost fitness.

Along the way, Adam shares stories from his own running journey, including how running helped him through a difficult period during COVID, the mistake he made of turning every run into a race, and how learning to slow down ultimately made him fitter, faster and helped him enjoy running again.

The episode also explores:

• Why consistency beats motivation every time
• The importance of easy running
• Why the runs you nearly skip often matter most
• How to stop obsessing over pace and heart rate
• Why most diets fail and what to focus on instead
• The role of protein, whole foods and simple nutrition
• How running and nutrition work together for long-term fat loss
• Why confidence is built through evidence, not motivation
• The danger of constantly moving the goalposts
• How to reconnect with your deeper reason for running
• Why you’re probably making more progress than you realise

Through storytelling, coaching lessons, practical advice and a few laughs along the way, this episode is designed to feel like you’re out running with the rest of the Consistency Club community, wherever you happen to be.

The main takeaway?

You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to keep showing up.

Adam talks about the tendency to constantly move the goalposts, how social media fuels comparison, and why many people spend so much time chasing the next milestone that they forget to appreciate how far they’ve already come.

Using personal experiences, client stories and relatable analogies, this episode covers:

• Why achieving goals doesn’t always create lasting satisfaction
• The danger of constantly moving the goalposts
• How social media fuels comparison and dissatisfaction
• Why the journey matters more than the finish line
• The importance of recognising progress beyond pace and weight loss
• How running teaches patience and long-term thinking
• Why enjoyment is critical for consistency
• The difference between pursuing improvement and chasing perfection
• How fitness gradually changes identity and self-belief
• Why looking backwards occasionally can be just as valuable as looking forwards

This episode is a reminder that while ambition and goals are important, it’s equally important to acknowledge your progress and appreciate the person you’re becoming along the way.

Adam talks about why so many people wait until they feel more confident before joining a gym, entering a race or committing to a healthier lifestyle, and why that approach often keeps people stuck for years.

Using personal experiences, coaching stories and relatable analogies, this episode covers:

• Why confidence is built, not found
• The difference between confidence and evidence
• How running gradually changes self-belief
• Why overthinking destroys progress
• The fear of joining run clubs, gyms and races
• Why action creates confidence more reliably than waiting for motivation
• The importance of trusting the process
• How small wins accumulate over time
• Why most people are capable of far more than they realise
• The identity shifts that happen through consistent running and fitness habits

This episode is a reminder that confidence rarely arrives before you begin. More often, it’s the result of repeatedly showing up, keeping promises to yourself and collecting evidence that you’re capable of more than you think.

Adam talks about all-or-nothing thinking, perfectionism and the emotional side of setbacks, explaining why so many people believe they’re failing when in reality they’re simply experiencing normal life.

Using personal experiences, coaching stories and relatable analogies, this episode covers:

• Why people constantly feel like they need to “start again”
• The problem with all-or-nothing thinking
• Why perfectionism often destroys consistency
• How social media creates unrealistic expectations
• Why missing one run or having one bad meal means very little
• The importance of momentum over motivation
• How shame keeps people stuck
• Why flexibility matters more than perfection
• The difference between setbacks and stopping completely
• Why focusing on the next good decision changes everything

This episode is a reminder that progress rarely comes from perfect weeks. It usually comes from imperfect weeks where you continue anyway.

Adam talks about motivation, procrastination and the mental battle that happens before most runs, especially on busy, stressful or low-energy days. Using personal experiences, relatable stories and coaching examples, this episode explores why consistency is built less through motivation and more through habits, identity and reducing friction.

This episode covers:

• Why motivation is unreliable
• The mental battle before difficult runs
• Why the runs you nearly skip often matter most
• How habits and routines reduce decision fatigue
• The link between running and confidence
• Why people wrongly label themselves as “quitters”
• How identity changes through repeated actions
• Why comfort can hold people back from progress
• The difference between listening to your body and listening to excuses
• How action creates motivation more reliably than waiting for motivation

Through stories from Adam’s own running journey and common client struggles, this episode is a reminder that consistency isn’t about always feeling motivated - it’s about continuing to show up when motivation disappears.

Adam talks about why runners become emotionally attached to numbers like pace, heart rate and distance, and how those numbers can sometimes tell a very misleading story when taken out of context.

Using personal experiences, relatable stories and coaching examples, this episode covers:

• Why one bad run doesn’t mean you’ve lost fitness
• The emotional side of running and performance
• Why pace isn’t the only measure of progress
• How stress, sleep, weather and recovery affect your runs
• The mistake of attaching self-worth to data and numbers
• Why runners constantly move the goalposts on themselves
• How confidence and identity gradually change through consistency
• Why small wins matter more than people realise
• The importance of zooming out and looking at long-term progress

This episode is a reminder that progress in running rarely happens in a straight line, and that you’re probably doing far better than you think - you’re just too close to your own journey to always see it.

Adam talks about his whole-food and high-protein approach to nutrition, why he dislikes aggressive calorie restriction, and how years of dieting culture have left many people stuck in a cycle of restriction, cravings and guilt.

Using relatable stories, client examples and real-life analogies, this episode explores:

• Why most diets fail long term
• The problem with relying purely on willpower
• How ultra-processed foods affect hunger and cravings
• Why protein and whole foods help control appetite naturally
• The relationship between blood sugar, insulin and hunger
• Why slow cookers and simple meals make consistency easier
• The importance of convenience in healthy eating
• Why increasing movement is often more sustainable than endlessly reducing calories
• How running changes your relationship with food
• Why consistency matters more than perfection with nutrition

Adam also shares stories from his own journey and clients he’s worked with who believed they had “no discipline,” when in reality their bodies were simply fighting back against overly restrictive dieting.

This episode is a reminder that healthy living shouldn’t feel like punishment, and that long-term progress usually comes from creating a lifestyle your body can actually sustain.

Adam talks about the “3K wall” feeling that many beginner and experienced runners experience, where breathing feels awkward, legs feel heavy and your brain starts trying to convince you to stop before you’ve even properly settled into the run.

Using personal stories, client examples and relatable analogies, this episode covers:

• Why the start of runs often feels harder than expected
• The mistake of panicking during uncomfortable runs
• Why beginner runners misinterpret discomfort as failure
• How slow running improves enjoyment and consistency
• The psychological side of running and self-belief
• Why enjoyment matters more than people realise
• How running gradually changes identity and confidence
• Why patience is one of the most important running skills
• The connection between resilience, fitness and mental health

This episode is a reminder that difficult starts are completely normal, and that often the best part of the run comes after the point where most people would’ve stopped.

This episode explores the deeper reasons people start running in the first place, from improving mental health and confidence to losing weight, proving something to themselves or simply trying to feel better again.

Adam discusses:

• Why comparison steals enjoyment from running
• The emotional pressure people attach to pace, weight and performance
• Why social media makes runners feel behind
• The difference between consistency and perfection
• How running gradually changes identity and confidence
• Why most people are doing far better than they think
• The problem with all-or-nothing thinking
• Why confidence is built through repeated action
• How small consistent habits completely change lives over time

Using personal stories, client examples and relatable analogies, this episode is a reminder that progress in running and fitness is rarely linear, and that the people who succeed long term are usually the ones who simply stop quitting after difficult weeks.

This episode dives into why easy running often feels uncomfortable mentally, why so many runners become obsessed with pace and data, and how slowing down is usually the missing piece for improving consistency, fitness and enjoyment long term.

Adam shares personal experiences from his own running journey, including how he became obsessed with pace and constantly trying to prove his fitness, before eventually discovering that slower, conversational running actually made him fitter and helped him enjoy running far more.

This episode covers:

• Why easy running feels “wrong” for most people
• The problem with treating every run like a test
• How social media and fitness culture affect runners mentally
• Why consistency matters more than intensity
• The mental health benefits of easy running
• How running can become a form of escapism and stress relief
• Why most people overcomplicate fitness progress
• The importance of patience in building endurance
• Why fitness is built quietly in the background over time

This episode is a reminder that not every run needs to leave you exhausted to be effective. Sometimes the runs that feel “too easy” are actually the ones building the strongest foundations.

Adam shares his own personal story of how running became an escape during a difficult period of his life whilst living in Preston during COVID, and how constantly treating every run like a race nearly made him fall out of love with it completely.

This episode covers:

• Why most beginner runners think they’re failing
• The mistake of running every session too hard
• How slowing down actually improved consistency and fitness
• Why easy running works
• The mental health benefits of running
• Why consistency matters more than perfection
• The problem with all-or-nothing dieting
• Appetite, hunger and running
• Why fitness is built quietly over time
• How running changes your identity and confidence

This episode is a reminder that you do not need to destroy yourself every run to make progress. Sometimes the biggest improvements happen when you stop trying to prove your fitness and simply focus on showing up consistently.