About

Hi, I'm JM.

By day, I run JM&Co. Recruitment in Brackley. I've been helping people find the right roles, and businesses find the right people, since 1999. Outside of work, you'll usually find me in the pool, on the bike, or out on training runs around South Northamptonshire.

This site is a personal record of that side of life - the training, the races, the challenges and the stories behind them. It covers the good days, and the ones that didn't quite go to plan.

How it started...

It all started with a bike ride - quite a long one.

In September 2023, four of us cycled 676km from Montabaur in Germany home to Brackley, Montabaur's twin town. We rode 100km-plus days across three countries over four and a half days, spending more than 28 and a half hours in the saddle, and together we raised over £13,000 for Medical Detection Dogs, Do It For Defib and Katharine House Hospice.

The distance wasn't what made it hard. The hard part was the commitment it needed before, during and after the ride - the planning, the training, and the moments when stopping would have been far easier than carrying on.

What began as a one-off challenge soon became marathons, open water swimming and, before long, triathlon.

Not every race goes to plan...

Injury kept me out of the Paris Marathon in 2025.

 A few weeks later I lined up at IRONMAN 70.3 Alcúdia not expecting to run, but I did, and finished in 6:48:48.

I went back to Paris in April 2026 and finished in 3:44:36 (chip time), a new personal best. Injury then struck again ahead of Edinburgh. I don't like leaving things unfinished, so I may well return.

What keeps me going...

Having the next event in the diary is what gets me out of the door on the cold, dark mornings. 

Right now that means the Barcelona Marathon in March 2027, followed by a return to IRONMAN 70.3 Alcúdia in May 2027, where I'd like to improve on that 2025 time.

Same mindset, different miles...

Endurance sport and recruitment are very different worlds, but the same things make both work. Preparation, patience and consistency matter in each, and so does staying committed when things take longer than expected. Neither rewards shortcuts.

If you've found your way here from jmco.uk, welcome. If you've arrived from Strava or Instagram and happen to be looking for your next role, or for good people to join your team, I'd be glad to hear from you.

🏊 🚴 🏃 Follow along on Instagram @tri.harder.jm and on Strava, or visit jmco.uk