12 Months to Marathon

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Could the way you breathe be affecting your running performance, recovery, and sleep more than you realise?

In this episode of the 12 Months to Marathon Podcast, I'm joined by David "Jacko" Jackson, also known as The Breath Running Coach, to explore something most runners rarely think about — their breathing.

David's story is extraordinary. A former professional rugby player, his career ended following a traumatic brain injury. After a difficult recovery, he discovered the potential of breathwork, rebuilt his relationship with exercise, and went on to become a breathing coach, author of Breathe Smarter, Run Stronger, and take on the remarkable challenge of 100 consecutive ultramarathons.

But this conversation isn't just about extraordinary endurance challenges.

It's about what everyday runners, particularly those over 35, can learn about breathing, managing stress, and recovering better from training.

We discuss:

• David's traumatic brain injury and how it changed his life.
• Why breathing is often overlooked in running training.
• The importance of breathing rhythm, diaphragm function, and running efficiency.
• Nasal breathing versus mouth breathing — what runners should understand.
• How breathing techniques may help manage perceived effort during running.
• The relationship between breathing, the nervous system, HRV and recovery.
• Why everyday stress can affect your marathon training.
• Practical breathing exercises to try before running and before bed.
• What 100 consecutive ultramarathons taught David about fatigue, recovery and managing training load.
• Why recovery and sensible training progression become increasingly important as we get older.

David also shares two practical techniques you can try: a simple five-second inhale and five-second exhale routine before running, and quiet nasal breathing with humming exhales to help you relax after training or before sleep.

We also discuss why recovery isn't always about doing nothing, and how understanding your body's response to training can help you make better decisions.

The big takeaway?

Getting better at running isn't always about doing more.

Sometimes it's about understanding your body, managing your stress and giving yourself the opportunity to recover from the work you're already doing.

Whether you're training for your first marathon at 40, chasing a PB at 50 or simply hoping to keep running well for years to come, there's plenty to take away from this conversation.

Find David Jackson:

Instagram: @thebreathrunningcoach

Website and app: Pro Breathwork — including a free Foundations of Breathing course.

Book: Breathe Smarter, Run Stronger (Bloomsbury).

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the podcast, leave a review and share it with another runner.

Follow me on Instagram at @12monthstomarathon and join our free running community for the over 35s through the link in my bio.

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Are marathons really easy? And why does one comment about running cause so much outrage online?

In this episode of the 12 Months to Marathon Podcast, I'm discussing the reaction to Spencer Matthews' controversial comments about marathon running — and why I think the running community might be missing the bigger picture.

When Spencer suggested that completing a marathon is relatively easy compared with running one quickly, social media erupted. But was he actually dismissing slower runners, or was his message taken out of context?

For me, this raises two much bigger issues: the dangers of comparison and our increasing tendency to take everything personally online.

In this episode, I explore:

• What Spencer Matthews may have meant when he described marathons as easy.
• Why marathon difficulty is relative to the individual.
• How comparing ourselves with faster runners can undermine our achievements.
• Why calling yourself a "slow runner" can become a limiting belief.
• The difference between your running performance and your identity.
• Why there's absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to become faster.
• How social media outrage and running snobbery are affecting the running community.
• Why curiosity, consistency, and focusing on your own progress are far more productive than comparing yourself with others.

I also share some of my own experiences with comparison, including how I've sometimes struggled to appreciate my achievements despite running sub-three-hour marathons.

Your marathon time is information. It isn't a measure of your worth as a person.

Whether you run a three-hour marathon, a six-hour marathon or you're preparing for your very first 26.2 miles, your journey belongs to you.

We can disagree with somebody's opinion without turning it into a personal attack. And we can celebrate our own achievements without needing to diminish somebody else's.

Stop comparing yourself with everybody else. Start getting curious about what you're capable of.

Listen now, and if you enjoy the episode, please subscribe, leave a review and share it with another runner.

Follow me on Instagram: @12monthstomarathon

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We all know running is good for us. But does running always make us happy? What happens when something we love starts becoming another source of pressure?

In this episode of the 12 Months to Marathon Podcast, I'm joined by Pete Goldring, co-founder of Happystride and host of the Running Makes Me Happy podcast, for a conversation about running, mental health, community and finding enjoyment beyond PBs and race times.

Pete has been running for 17 years, completing everything from 5Ks to 100-mile ultramarathons. He's also a four-time sub-three-hour marathon runner, with a PB of 2:56. But his relationship with running has changed considerably over the years.

We discuss:

• Why running can improve our mental health without necessarily making us happy all the time.
• The pressure of chasing marathon PBs and knowing when we've pushed too far.
• Why ultrarunning offers a different experience from road racing.
• Social media, Strava, Garmin and becoming overly attached to running data.
• Why your running performance shouldn't define your identity.
• The story behind Happystride and its commitment to supporting mental health charities.
• How strength training is helping Pete rediscover his running potential in his 40s.
• The importance of community, consistency and celebrating every runner's achievements.
• Why finishing times matter less than we sometimes think.

We also share our remarkably similar marathon PBs, discuss the emotional comedown after achieving a major running goal, and explore whether we'd still run as much if nobody could see our results.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to run faster, achieve a PB or push your limits. But running should add something to your life, not become another way of measuring your worth.

Whether you're training for your first marathon, chasing a faster time or simply trying to rediscover your love of running, this episode is a reminder of why we started in the first place.

Follow Pete and Happystride:

• Instagram: @petegoldie
• Instagram: @happystride
• Podcast: Running Makes Me Happy

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Is it ever too late to start running? And what happens when you finally decide to put yourself first?

In this episode, I'm joined by Nicola Williams, founder of the Over 40s Running Club, who started running at 44 after years of struggling with her weight, confidence, and health.

What began as a decision to improve her health soon became something much bigger. Inspired by a close friend's terminal cancer diagnosis, Nicola went from struggling through the first minute of Couch to 5K to completing half marathons and building a supportive community for women discovering running later in life.

We discuss:

• Starting running in your 40s when you've never considered yourself a runner.
• Losing over three stone and rebuilding confidence.
• The emotional and mental health benefits of running.
• Why comparison, body image and social media can hold runners back.
• The value of community, particularly for women over 40.
• Why run-walk strategies are a perfectly valid way to complete a marathon.
• Finding time for yourself alongside work, family and everyday responsibilities.
• Why enjoying running matters more than impressing other people.

Nicola also shares her experiences with PMDD, the challenges of learning to like herself, and her plans to tackle the 2027 London Marathon using a run-walk strategy.

This is a conversation about much more than running. It's about confidence, perspective, community, and discovering what you're capable of at an age when some people believe their best years are behind them.

You don't need to be fast. You don't need to look like a runner. And you certainly don't need to have started in your twenties.

You just need somewhere to begin.

Follow Nicola on Instagram: @over40srunningclub

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What separates the mindset of a champion from a decision that goes too far? And can we admire an athlete's determination without agreeing with their actions?

In this episode of the 12 Months to Marathon Podcast, I'm exploring two controversial moments from the world of endurance sport that sparked fierce debate across social media.

First, the extraordinary determination of Tigst Assefa, who reportedly completed the final 2km of the Berlin Marathon despite suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon.

Then there's the HYROX competitor Joanna Wietrzyk, who continued racing after experiencing a serious bowel accident, going on to win her event and attracting widespread criticism online.

Both situations raise some uncomfortable but interesting questions about competitive mindset, personal responsibility, and the way we judge athletes.

In this episode, I discuss:

• The difference between determination and recklessness.
• Why elite athletes sometimes make decisions recreational runners shouldn't copy.
• What everyday runners can learn from a champion's mentality.
• Why understanding someone's mindset doesn't mean defending their actions.
• The importance of personal responsibility when other competitors are affected.
• Why social media criticism so often turns into personal attacks.
• How to separate an athlete's performance from their identity.

This isn't about encouraging runners to push through serious injuries or put other people at risk.

It's about recognising that we can disagree with someone's decisions, understand the competitive mentality behind them, and still treat them with respect.

Because there's a difference between criticising what somebody did and attacking who they are.

So where does the mindset of a champion end and madness begin?

Listen now and decide for yourself.

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What can happen when you start running simply because you need something for yourself, and then keep going for nearly two decades?

In this episode, I’m joined by Madhusmita Jena, aka The Small Runner (@thesmallrunner)  whose running journey began as a new mum in Dubai and has since included more than 40 marathons, seven Boston qualifying times, a 3:27 marathon PB, ultramarathons and a remarkable Guinness World Record.  Pasted text

Madhu shares the story behind running the Manchester Marathon in her mum’s sari and breaking the world record, why representing her South Asian heritage mattered, and the impact it has had on women around the world.

We also talk about fitting serious training around motherhood and working as a SEND teacher, how her approach to running has changed in her 40s, strength training, nutrition and recovery, what went wrong at her first Boston Marathon, and why she still has unfinished business with both Boston and the ultra distances.

From a woman who describes herself as the shy child who lacked confidence to a world-record-holding marathon runner, this is a brilliant example of just how much running can change you.

And Madhu isn't finished yet — 50 marathons by 50 and a 100-mile race are still on the list.

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You can have the perfect training plan, hit every long run and do all the right sessions — but are you actually fuelling your body to cope with it?

In this episode, I’m joined by Australian dietitian and marathon runner Bec Bennett, who specialises in nutrition and fuelling for female runners over 40. Bec also shares her own powerful experience of unintentionally under-fuelling during marathon training, eventually developing a tibial stress fracture and being diagnosed with Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S). 

We discuss why runners can easily underestimate how much food they need, carbohydrates and endurance performance, fuelling long runs, training your gut for race day, weight loss during marathon training, protein and recovery, nutrition for women over 40, supplements, blood testing, bone health and exactly how Bec approaches her marathon nutrition.

We also tackle the idea of “race weight” and why getting lighter isn't necessarily the route to becoming a better runner.

Whether you're preparing for your first marathon or trying to improve your next one, this episode is a practical look at something runners often overlook:

You don't just have to train for the work. You have to fuel the work.

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What happens when running stops being about getting faster and starts becoming about something much bigger?

In this episode, I’m joined by James Thomas,  better known on Instagram as @instafudgie — for a refreshingly honest conversation about running, mental health, body confidence, social media and learning to enjoy the sport without constantly chasing the next PB. 

James shares how a workplace bet first got him running, how he went from nearly 16 stone to becoming a sub-40 10K runner, and why eventually chasing faster times began to make his hobby feel like a second job.

We talk about the mental-health benefits of running, the pressure created by running social media, body confidence, the rising cost of the sport, marathon majors, why comparison can rob us of our achievements, and why James believes the running community needs more ordinary people sharing authentic experiences.

We also get into his eight marathons, his love of half marathons, running and raving, Guinness, and why, even if Instagram, medals, and PBs disappeared tomorrow, he’d still run.

A conversation about remembering why we started running in the first place.

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At 48, Ryan Fenix thought his opportunity to run a marathon might have passed him by.

He'd been a casual runner for years, juggling work, family life and three children in Manila. He'd even told himself that marathon running was a young man's game.

Then he entered the 2026 Sydney Marathon. 

In this episode of the 12 Months to Marathon Podcast, Ryan joins me to talk about going from wondering whether he was physically capable of running 26.2 miles to crossing the finish line in 5:14, 16 minutes faster than his original target and with a negative split.

We talk about training through the heat, humidity and torrential rain of the Philippines, fitting marathon training around a busy family and working life, the 4am alarm clocks, learning to fuel properly and the doubts that come with preparing for your first marathon.

Ryan also explains why completing the training gave him genuine confidence on the start line, how he avoided the infamous marathon 'wall', and why he was actually getting stronger towards the end of the race while others around him were fading.

This is an episode for anybody in their 40s, 50s or beyond who's looked at a marathon and wondered:

“Have I left it too late?”

Ryan's answer is simple: it's more than possible, but you have to be prepared to do the work.

🎧 Listen now to Episode 112 of the 12 Months to Marathon Podcast.

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As runners, we track everything: pace, heart rate, HRV, VO2 max, sleep, mileage, and recovery.

But how often do we actually look at what's happening inside the body?

In this episode of the 12 Months to Marathon Podcast, I share the results of a comprehensive blood test I recently had in Poland and look at what they might tell us about running, performance, recovery and health as we get older.

At 49, my results included a biological age estimate of 41.9, testosterone above the laboratory's reference range, good vitamin D and blood sugar markers, alongside a few areas such as LDL cholesterol and thyroid markers that are worth keeping an eye on.

We discuss testosterone and the older runner, whether more testosterone actually means better performance, cholesterol and cardiovascular health, vitamin D and bone health, blood sugar and carbohydrates, thyroid function, supplements, recovery, and why being a fit runner doesn't automatically mean every health marker will be perfect.

Most importantly, this isn't about becoming obsessed with blood tests or chasing the perfect numbers.

It's about understanding the difference between fitness and health — and using data as information rather than allowing it to define you.

Because for runners over 35, the goal isn't simply to run faster now.

It's to build a body that can keep running for decades to come.

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