Ultramarathons & Coaching Outdoors with Anna-Marie Watson

In this episode, Dr Jen Sherman is joined by Anna-Marie Watson. Anna-Marie was an officer in the British Army for 9 years and completed three operational tours. An experienced Expedition Leader, she is no stranger to extreme and hostile environments. Anna-Marie has two passions, ultramarathons and coaching. Prior to Covid, Anna-Marie regularly achieved podium positions in the Ultra-marathon world tour series and Marathon des Sables. When not running, Anna-Marie is also a successful coach to both business leaders and athletes. Her area of specialism is coaching outdoors and in 2020 she co-authored a chapter on ‘Eco-coaching’ for the ‘Coaches Handbook’. In this episode Jen and Anna-Marie discuss: Her journey into competing in Ultramarathons The physical, mental and emotional facets of preparing and completing an Ultramarathon Her identity as an athlete and how this has been impacted by the pandemic Fear of failure The dark side of being passionate and driven-at what point does it become harmful to our wellbeing? Her journey into coaching What is coaching? How the outdoor space supports coaching How she applies coaching principles to running The importance of values Anna-Marie Watson Bio: Happiest outdoors Anna-Marie is a certified Performance Coach and Coach Supervisor who loves to escape the confines of four walls and take conversations into nature. Former British Army Officer, she has worked in challenging environments from snowy Arctic tundra to hot and sandy deserts though currently resides within the rolling countryside of Wiltshire. She has an insatiable curiosity about the world and is a self-certified learning junkie with a Post Graduate Certificate in Applied Coaching from the University of Derby and a Master’s in Teaching from the University of Sydney; amongst other psychological and psychometric-based coaching tools. Alongside her passion for performance and coaching, Anna-Marie has a severe ultra-running habit. She loves racing overseas and pre-COVID-19 regularly achieved podium positions on the international Ultra-Trail World Tour series, Marathon des Sables and other crazy long-distance events. Anna-Marie is on a mission to encourage a different approach to work where our natural environment is valued and integrated into the business world. To connect with Anna-Marie: Website: www.rfmcoaching.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/awatson4/ Twitter: @rfmcoaching Instagram: @rfmcoaching Anna-Marie’s podcast series on coaching outdoors can be found on the following website: https://coaching-outdoors.com/