Julian Goater has been competing in athletics, (and more latterly in duathlon and triathlon) at national and international level for over 30 years. After winning two English schools titles at 5k and cross-country, Julian went on to represent England and Great Britain in long distance track and cross-country events for 12 years. Highlights included winning the National Cross Country Championships by a record two minutes in 1981, gaining fourth place in the World Cross Country Championships in the same year, and winning a Commonwealth Games bronze medal at 10k in 1982. Julian has come within a few seconds of setting UK records at both 5k and 10k, and his times of 13.15 and 27.34 still rank in the UK's all-time top 10 times.

Moving over to duathlon and triathlon in the early 90s, Julian has enjoyed considerable success, winning UK national age group championships at both duathlon and triathlon, and winning gold and silver medals at the World Duathlon Championships in 2001 and 1998 respectively. (In addition to his running pedigree, Julian is a particularly strong and technically skilled cyclist.)

Throughout the course of his athletic career (over 35 years), Julian has been fortunate to have received some excellent coaching, and in 1997 he started to share the vast reservoir of knowledge he had built up with other athletes. Now a fully qualified Grade 4 athletics coach and fitness instructor, as well as being a qualified sports masseur, Julian's training consultancy works with distance runners and duathletes/triathletes of all standards.

In the autumn and summer school terms Julian is also heavily involved in developing athletics and cross country in Bracknell Forest schools as part of the Council's 'Young People in Sport' scheme.

Julian is assisted on the Feelgood days by Peter Barratt who is responsible for the videoing of the athletes ahead of the classroom analysis and discussions. Peter is also as an expert on running shoes and kit. Peter has worked throughout his career in positions within the sports trade, particularly with Asics, Ronhill and more latterly with Mizuno, and has built up an unrivalled knowledge of developments in running shoes and apparel, which he uses to help runners avoid injuries, train in maximum comfort and perform at their best. His aim is to give athletes a clear understanding of what is available, what is suitable for them, and what aspects of quality are worth paying extra for. Peter Barratt is a highly competent and vastly experienced middle and long distance runner. Specialising in the 3000m steeplechase, Peter has won two Southern Counties titles, come 3rd in the SCAA, and represented England.

Feelgood Factors is a personal fitness training consultancy designed to assist athletes of all abilities to meet their specific fitness and athletic goals. Julian Goater IS Feelgood Factors. When you choose to train with Feelgood Factors you will benefit personally from all the training and athletic experience Julian has gained over 30 years of international running and triathlon racing. Julian has worked with some of the best national and international coaches, and you can tap into this knowledge, plus his own success, by getting in touch with the Feelgood Factors consultancy.

With hard work and commitment you will improve, and you will succeed. But it's not all about hard work. Enjoyment is key, and Julian will show you how to make your training FUN, as well as effective.

The Feelgood Factors consultancy is based in the Surrey/Hampshire/Berkshire area, (although many clients travel from further afield), and Julian travels throughout the UK to hold private training days for individual running and triathlon clubs. There are three basic philosophies underpinning Feelgood Factors:

Face to face Training
Julian Goater fervently believes that coaching is most effective when the coach can see the athlete training. Only in exceptional circumstances will Julian agree to coach remotely. This is partly due to the importance he attaches to style and technique, and partly because he is skilled in adapting and fine-tuning his sessions whilst they are in progress, according to the performance and needs of the individual athlete at the time. This approach allows him to monitor and progress each individual's training, and give advice on running technique to the athlete, even when they are enjoying the camaraderie of training as part of a group. These face to face sessions can be 1:1, weekly group sessions, one day workshops or warm weather training camps (e.g. 7 - 14 days in the Canary Islands). The fundamental basis of face to face coaching is that Julian is able to give much more individual attention to each athlete, providing a motivational and confidence-building element to the training programme. This ensures an instant two-way feedback between Julian and the athlete, allowing optimal work levels and preventing any overtraining, injury or loss of confidence.

Non-elitist Training
The common factor between the members of Julian's 'non-elitist' training groups is that they are all people who enjoy their sport and want assistance in fulfilling their goals and staying injury free! Feelgood Factors provides coaching and motivation to individuals of all ages and abilities, with the emphasis on trying to make the training as much fun as possible. Julian's clients include school groups, newcomers to duathlon/triathlon and running, and aspiring club runners, as well as international athletes, triathletes and duathletes.

Integrated Holistic/Lifestyle Training
Julian Goater is a master at adapting coaching and training sessions to fit in with clients' lifestyles, i.e. arranging training sessions around work and family commitments. As part of his holistic approach Julian also provides advice and guidance on staying injury free, which include providing a sports massage service which can be used in both preventative and recuperative situations.