Triathlon coaching for busy people with big goals
You've got work, family and a race you really care about. I'll build your training and fuelling around your real life, so you get to the start line fit, healthy and confident, without training taking over.
10+ years coaching triathletes · World age-group qualifier · Mum of two who trains for Ironman too
Discover what YOU'RE capable of…
Qualified & affiliated
Open to everyone
Nutrition
£75 / month
Fuel your training, feel like yourself again. You don't have to be a BLOC athlete.
Healthy, sustainable habits, with no crash diets
Macros set for you and built around your training
Habit tracking, so you can see your progress
Break old habits and become the person you want to be
Most popular
Coached
£150 / month
A plan built for you, with a coach keeping an eye on it.
Personal plan in TrainingPeaks, built around your work, family and shifts
Structured sessions that sync to your Garmin, Zwift or watch
Weekly review, and changes when life gets in the way
Race planning and race-day strategy
Coached by Gemma or Darren
Coached by Gemma
Performance
£215 / month
Training and nutrition joined up, with Gemma as your coach.
Everything in Coached
Everything in Nutrition: habits, macros and tracking
Fuelling planned for your key sessions and race day
Support with body composition and weight loss, done sustainably
1. Free call
20 minutes on your goals, your week and what you need.
2. Get set up
A quick health form, then we connect on TrainingPeaks.
3. Train and fuel
Your plan lands on your watch. I review and adjust every week.
The team
Training camps, race days and a team behind you
Coaching is one to one, but you're never on your own. Our athletes train together on camps, cheer each other on in the group chat and race all over the world.
Free guide
Nervous about open water?
Get my free Open Water Confidence Guide: a step-by-step plan from pool drills this winter to a calm race-day swim.
Why open water feels scary, and how to train it
5 steps for your first cold-water swims
What to do if panic hits on race day
You'll also get occasional training tips. Unsubscribe any time.
Your coaches
Real coaches who race too
We know what it takes to fit training around a job, a family and the odd setback, because we do it ourselves.
Gemma Dobson
Head Coach, Team BLOC
I started with run-walk at parkrun and went on to race Ironman around the world, earn my GB age-group kit and qualify for the World Championships. I was told I'd never make Worlds; I qualified that same year.
I've cycled Land's End to John o' Groats in 9 days and swum Ullswater and Coniston end to end. After pneumonia and a shoulder injury in 2026 I rebuilt from almost nothing, and I'm now training for IRONMAN Les Sables d'Olonne in June 2027. I coach the way I train: around real life, with purpose, and without breaking yourself.
IRONMAN Certified Coach · PN Level 1 Nutrition Coach · L3 Personal Trainer · Pre & Post-Natal ExerciseFollow my training on Instagram at @gemma.tri.life and the team at @bloc_triathlon_coaching
Darren
Senior Coach, Team BLOC
I'm a Senior Safety Engineer in the South West and a former Royal Navy nuclear engineer. The Navy introduced me to triathlon 15 years ago, and I'm still one of the lead coaches for Royal Navy Triathlon, coaching everyone from complete novices to elite athletes on camps at home and abroad.
I've ridden the 2020 Tour de France route in the same time frame as the pros, Everested Mont Ventoux and raced the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in 2022. As a dad to a young daughter, I know training time is precious, so I make every session count, whether you're building to your first sprint or chasing an Ironman PB. And never forgetting why we do it: because we enjoy it!
British Triathlon Level 2 Coach · Lead Coach, Royal Navy Triathlon · IRONMAN 70.3 Worlds 2022
Athletes
What our athletes say
Parents, professionals and first-timers who wanted to get it right, and enjoy it.
“Gemma totally understands that kids, family commitments and work commitments all impact on both how and when I can train, and has never complained when I've missed the odd training session. Life has been a bit of a rollercoaster for the last 2 and a half years, but with 5 months to go until my Ironman debut, amazingly we're still on track to complete what we initially set out to do. That is all down to the hard work, patience, adaptability and flexibility of Gemma. There's no coach I'd rather have.”
Kevin, Southampton · first Ironman
“I want to say a huge THANK YOU for helping me get here. I know that my ask of you was not easy for many reasons and I'm just so impressed and thankful for your coaching and getting me not just to the finish line but also getting me there happy and feeling good throughout. I truly enjoyed the training and the race and that was very important to me, above any time or anything else.”
Bethany, New York · first IRONMAN 70.3
“Under Darren's tutelage, guidance and support I gradually improved in all areas, most notably swimming. I now really look forward to my pool sessions, which is something I've not done in the past. I've also signed up for a half Ironman event next year, something I never thought I would ever be doing in my lifetime.”
Mark · coached by Darren, back from a torn quad
★★★★★
“Have been training with Gemma for a few years. Brilliant personal structured plans with good feedback.”
Verified reviewer, Reviews.io
★★★★★
“The BLOC team has exceeded my expectations, guiding me to achieve more than I ever thought possible.”
Verified reviewer, Reviews.io
Got a goal for 2027? Let's talk about how to get you there.
Gemma Dobson, Head Coach · [email protected] · Instagram @gemma.tri.life · @bloc_triathlon_coaching · Hampshire, UK