The Running Rules Podcast

Last week I gave a webinar on 'breaking down the marathon wall' where I talked about what 'the wall' is and how to avoid it through better planning and execution. As someone who has learnt the hard way, I don't want you to make the same mistakes as me and this webinar gave practical tips that you can use now to be more prepared than ever on race day. If you want a bulletproof b...

This is part 6 of a series following my journey from T1 diabetes diagnosis to my next marathon. February has by and large been a good month. I managed 2 x 18 mile runs - the furthest yet - and I've managed to mostly keep the sugars under control. Caution around a hamstring strain meant I missed a couple of sessions but recovered quickly and finished the month strong. Now I have to prepare for...

As we're into the middle of spring marathon training, what you do over the next month is going to be vital to your success in the marathon. Today I talk about my favourite marathon sessions and how to adapt different sessions so they are more fun and manageable. I also give some ways of working out what your marathon potential is from the workouts you are doing. Sign up for the free webinar &#...

Holidays will always disrupt your routine even if they are designed to give you a break from it. Today, I talk about how to view running differently in the context of your holiday to ensure you get the balance right but also so you can make the most of it. Sign up for the free webinar 'Break down the marathon wall' on Thursday 27th February at 12:30 at www.therunningrules.com/wall If you w...

This week marks 3 months since my T1 diabetes diagnosis and 3 months until Belfast marathon. We all have to deal with 'bumps in the road', some more serious than others. But our initial reactions can make way to different feelings as the dust settles and we try to get back to a routine. Our goals can shift a little too and that's ok. Today I focus on what I'm grateful for, some of...

This week the podcast is two years old! Thank you so much for your support! In today's episode I give new listeners a glimpse into my backstory as a runner and also give everyone a chance to reflect on their own running story and learn to reflect on tough challenges as points that moved you forward. From a first marathon experience at 20 to joining a club and becoming a coach 10 years ago to n...

This is part 5 of a series following my journey from T1 diabetes diagnosis to my next marathon. January is over! Long live February. The last week of training felt like a bit of a reality check but there were still some positives to take. Strength work has been coming along well and that adds some mental positivity as well as physical gains. After the disappointment of a curtailed long run, I'...

In today's episode I talk about managing injuries before they even occur. We never want to be out for long with an injury but having solutions in place before an injury occurs can make an injury so much easier to deal with. I explore why we should expect an injury at some point, how to prepare now for it and how to try and mitigate them with some good practices. Finally I look at how to make s...

This is a rather belated part 4 of a series following my journey from T1 diabetes diagnosis to my next marathon. 6 weeks have passed which have been very up and down. Today I cover the holiday period, a pleasing 5k run, time away, bad weather, sickness, returning to training and a storm! There are loads of takeaways for your marathon prep including how to navigate bumps in the road with training,...

Today's episode is a must for anyone taking on a marathon or a half marathon in spring. Fueling is one of the biggest improvements you can make to your race. I cover some easy to remember guidelines for intra race fueling a raft of different options to take on your run as well as the implications on logistics on race day. I also share how it has gone horribly wrong for me in the past when I ha...

Today's episode is a 101 (or 102?!) for marathon running covering all the basics to be successful from the start. However, it's also a great reminder for people doing their 2nd, 10th and 50th. I cover the main questions around getting started running and training for a marathon plus the basics of some topics we don't always think about but are critical to success. I also think back to my first mar...

You have great big running goals for 2025 but you get struck down with illness 5 days into the new year stopping you from getting that training in. You're not the only one! This week I reflect on how to reframe missed sessions due to sickness and bad weather and reassure you that you are not the only one missing out! If you want to improve in your next race and want personalised help in training,...

Today is episode 100 with my very own running coach and elite marathoner Jonny Mellor. Jonny is a 2:09 marathoner and 10th fastest Briton of all time. He was 2020 British marathon champion and the winner of the 2022 Manchester marathon. He has also been my coach for over 4 years. On this episode, we talk about Jonny's career, insights into how he races and trains for marathons, elite tips for ever...

What a year it has been for the podcast, my own running and all my clients! Thank you all so much for your support whether you are a podcast listener, coached by me or cheering me on from near or far. In my final solo episode of the year, I give some insight into how I break down the year and what learnings I take from it, showing that there are always ups and downs that we might miss if we don't...

Today's episode is a chance to listen to November's webinar on 'how to run your next marathon faster' by looking at the 4 biggest mistakes people make and how to avoid them. If you are interested in a live talk or webinar for your running group tailored to the topics you want to hear about, send me a message with your details through instagram or email me . If you want to improve in your next race...

This is part 3 of a series following my journey from T1 diabetes diagnosis to my next marathon. Today I ran my first proper race effort since diagnosis with a 5k blast at Victoria parkrun. I always think for everyone it is good to benchmark your progress and today was just about getting that first time on the board without any issues. That said, I think we always want a bit more so whilst I'm happ...

On today's episode, I break down what is happening when you get muscle cramps, what the potential causes are and how we can mitigate them. If you've run many marathons in the past, you'll probably be familiar with the sensation and there will be many people out there that swear by certain remedies for cramps. And whilst it's true that some of these things will help, there is a lot more going on th...

This is part 2 of a series following my journey from T1 diabetes diagnosis to my next marathon. This week I've been learning to let go of control by adding in some faster and longer running sessions that have had a mixed effect on my sugar levels. We've also managed a trip out to a restaurant where I had to guess the carbs and use a split approach to my insulin to try and cover it the best I can....

My guest today is Neil McCready - 2 times iron man finisher and world triathlon coach and founder of Elevate Triathlon Coaching. We cover all aspects of the sport including how to get started, what gear you need, what training might look like and what other skills you need to be successful. Neil has a wealth of knowledge in the sport and tells us how he built up his swimming from scratch and also...

This is part 1 of a new series following my journey from T1 diabetes diagnosis to (hopefully!) my next marathon. Following my diagnosis, I wanted to keep going as if nothing had happened but soon realised it might not be that easy. In the last week, I have taken a step back from training to really try to get on top of my nutrition and dosing at baseline and then start to reintroduce training back...

Today I talk to someone I regard as having been a key figure in my running success over the last 6 years. Joanne Patterson is a chartered physiotherapist and 3:29 marathoner originally from Belfast, now living in Sydney Australia. In this episode we talk about what the challenges were in Joanne's move to Australia, what strength training she would recommend for runners as a minimum and an insight...

Two weeks ago I got the biggest curveball in my running journey so far - a diagnosis for type 1 diabetes. Whilst it solves a lot of puzzles that had built up the last couple of months, day to day life just changed forever and what it means for my running is unclear yet. Today I share the story of what happened and what it means, how I found out and how I deal with it in the future. A massive thank...

What do you do when the the scope of your challenge changes halfway through? This could happen through illness or injury, qualifying times that get faster or maybe a 7th world major marathon gets added! Spoiler alert, if you hadn't been paying attention, Sydney marathon was added as the 7th world major a couple of weeks ago. Whilst it's obviously great for Sydney and Abbot, some people are upset a...

Stress is something we all have to deal with in different guises but it can be bad for your running and nutrition. This week I talk about sources of stress including running, why it is detrimental to our overall success and what we can do to overcome it or at least temper it. I'm very excited to announce that I'll be hosting a free webinar and Q+A on Thursday 21st November at 12:30 GMT on 'How to...

Something fundamental but often overlooked that helps me to perform in my own running is my support network - especially my inner circle. Louise and the kids are my biggest cheerleaders but I also have my coach Jonny Mellor, my Dad and brothers and am lucky to have lots of running friends, clients and podcast listeners that push me on too. In this episode, I explore why it's important to have a st...