DOB: 3/11/1973
Club: Team Blizard / Kingstone / Rotherham
PBs: 5k 17:31, 5m 29:24, 10k 36:41, 10m 63:53, 13.2m 81:08, Marathon 2:51:50

Fiona Davies is a well-known and respected club athlete on the racing circuit, having achieved a significant amount of success over an impressive range of distances, but is now confident of reaching even greater heights as part of Team Blizard’s racing team.

The V40 Kingstone AC & Rotherham athlete’s achievements include representing England in a gruelling 50k race in 2006, several sub-3 hour marathons, as well as a growing talent in shorter races, most notably over 5k and 10k, distances in which she has reduced her PB’s to 17:31 and 36:41.

The busy working mother of two is relishing the opportunities racing with Team Blizard’s team will present her with, namely one-to-one coaching from former elite GB international Dave Tune, training and racing to her individual heart rate zones to maximise her potential, as well as monthly physiotherapy sessions at the Blizard Physiotherapy clinic.

Crucially though, Fiona is looking forward to racing more in her new Lornah running kit and On Running shoes, all provided by Blizard Physiotherapy to ensure she is wearing the best gear available to boost her speed and efficiency come race day.

The prolific racer has already put in some excellent heart rate zone training sessions, following her recent lactate threshold test at the clinic, and says she is confident she will reap the dividends from her more structured, goal-centric training schedule.

“As a result of the lactate test, the pace of my recovery runs is much harder, but I am enjoying it, and am convinced my fitness will improve as a result of training to heart rate under Dave’s coaching,” she explained.

“Joining the racing team is a unique opportunity for me, and I have already experienced what a joy the On Clouds are to run in. They are light and comfortable, and, in a number of recent races, I found I was much lighter on my feet than in my old trainers.
‘I've worn them for most of my runs, and raced in them from everything from 800m track races to 16.5 mile long fast runs. They are supportive, cushioned, light and responsive and, best of all, you can put them on and forget about them, and know you can completely rely on having a good run in them.

“The new Lornah kit is an absolute joy to wear - it is made from the lightest materials, and is extremely comfortable to train and race in. I've only competed in a couple of events since receiving the kit, but have already had lots of comments about how lovely it is, the shorts in particular, and asking where they are from.

“I'm looking forward to wearing the colourful leggings, long sleeved top and the tracksuit when the cooler weather arrives. A self-confessed scruff when I arrive at races, I'm expecting my friends will not recognise me on first appearances! I'm looking forward to not only becoming a faster runner under Dave Tune's expert coaching, but a much smarter looking one too!”

Fiona is also grateful to have regular access to the clinic’s physiotherapy services, but is hoping she will only need to have general maintenance treatments, as she has been injury-free for years.

This factor could be partly attributed to her healthy approach to her work/life balance, health and nutrition, as well as the fact that she enjoys inspiring other runners to achieve their potential.

“I absolutely love feeling fit and trying really hard in training and racing, and find motivation instead of negativity from any setbacks I encounter, such as illness,” she explained. “I run the best I can for myself and for my club, and try to set a good example for my training group at all times.”

The energetic 41-year-old trains with her new Garmin Forerunner 225, which has its own inbuilt heart rate monitor, and her sessions can all be tracked on Strava, including her favourite session, which is a long run.
 
Not surprisingly, Fiona is aware of how important fuelling is for her running, and will be working closely with the guys at Blizard Physiotherapy on the nutrition side of her program, to ensure she is always ready for her next session.