Today's episode is a full recap of the Rome marathon and why it's a great one to consider for next spring!

I ran the marathon with my brothers Jonny and Phil who did amazingly well and we even had time for some sightseeing and people watching either side of the marathon.

I talk about how plans can go out of the window early on, how big iconic sights can keep you going and why the Rome marathon isn't as hilly as you probably think but running on cobbles is different to what you expect.

I also talk about the context of this race in terms of my build for Manchester marathon and how it's not ideal having a marathon before your target marathon.

Go to ⁠www.therunningrules.com/services⁠ to find out ways you can get help including a one to one race prep call.

Today's brilliant guest is Running Rules client Dawn Blain who recently ran 3:08 at Tokyo marathon, a 12 minute personal best qualifying her for the championship start at London marathon.

Dawn was previously on episode 70 of the podcast where we talked about her progression in the marathon from 4:04 to 3:29.

In this episode, we dig into the last couple of years building towards Tokyo marathon where we cover injury setbacks, stepping stone races and representing NI masters at the 2025 international XC.

Dawn shares her experience of the Tokyo marathon and the things we tweaked in training to level her up in the marathon.

To find out more about Dawn's fit treat company go to:

⁠https://www.instagram.com/thefittreatcompany/⁠

⁠https://www.facebook.com/thefittreatcompany⁠

Follow Dawn's running journey on TikTok at:

https://www.tiktok.com/@dawn_runs

If you want to improve in your next race and want personalised help in training, nutrition and mindset designed to get you faster, further and stronger straight away, message me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/therunningrules⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or see ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.therunningrules.com/coaching⁠

This week's episode focuses on the feelings we can get deep into a marathon training cycle when a session or race doesn't go to plan or we see others doing something different to us.

I step through 5 common mental pitfalls that I have mad and/or talk to clients and other runners about. I talk about how to overcome these so that you can get to the start line confident but not expectant.

Bookmark this episode if you feel the marathon training cycle is starting to take its toll or you are second guessing what you can achieve in the marathon.

Go to www.therunningrules.com/services to find out ways you can get help including a one to one race prep call.

Today's guest is the incredible Emily Bond @operationironwoman who will take on completing every UK Ironman race in a single season this year.

After major leg surgery in 2018 and years unable to run, Emily has worked her way back from her first 5km to now pursuing the ultimate endurance test which will make her the first woman to achieve the feat.

Emily was very kind to share her struggles and her aspirations and I know this will provide so much inspiration to listeners.

The series consists of 3 half and 2 full ironman race between June and September. You can follow and support Emily's journey at:

Email: [email protected]

GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/6660a1c97

Instagram: @operationironwoman

Today's episode is a special one as I bring in both my brothers Jonny and Phil to talk about how training has been going for Rome marathon and what the plan is for the weekend itself.

We cover why we are all drawn back to the marathon despite its challenges, tackling heat in marathons last year and even sibling rivalry.

We lay down what the aim is on race day, what happens if we split and where we might go for our next marathon together.

If you need more detailed advice and help planning your nutrition, mindset and race execution, you can learn at your own pace with the 'Master the marathon' course available at ⁠⁠www.therunningrules.com/master-the-marathon - join now to be involved in the spring 2026 community with extra Q+A sessions!

Today's episode covers all the basics you need to put a simple nutritional plan in place that covers all your bases and makes sure you are fuelling optimally for your running.

Even when you know about the importance of nutrition, staying on top of it effectively day in day out can be overwhelming and we can end up taking shortcuts or missing what is important.

Worse still, we can think we're doing everything right but by focusing on the wrong things, it can catch us out when we least expect it in terms of illness or injury.

This episode provides simple actionable steps to make sure you are on top of fuelling your running and staying healthy too.

Come to the free webinar 'Unlock your next marathon PB' by heading over to ⁠www.therunningrules.com/marathonpb⁠ to book your place. I'll be talking about the 4 reasons I see people not hit their goals and what you can do about it now at 12:30 on Thursday 19th February!

This week it is the 3rd birthday of the podcast! A massive thank you to everyone listening and supporting what I do!

This week I explore why we run through my own journey of someone who would avoid P.E. and games at school to this point where running is a massive part of my life.

When looking back I found that my 'why' changes from time to time but some core things unite all the phases of my running.

I also look at why it is important to know the reason you're doing it and how that can help you when the going gets tough in a workout or race.

Come to the free webinar 'Unlock your next marathon PB' by heading over to www.therunningrules.com/marathonpb to book your place. I'll be talking about the 4 reasons I see people not hit their goals and what you can do about it now at 12:30 on Thursday 19th February!

If you need more detailed advice and help planning your nutrition, you can learn at your own pace with the 'Master the marathon' course available at ⁠⁠www.therunningrules.com/master-the-marathon

There is so much of a general narrative around how you are past your best once you are in your forties and beyond. For non-elite marathoners which most of us are, I think this is simply untrue.

In this episode I look at why even some elites are still getting better into their forties and how our situation can be much more different.

I look at the progress that we can still make as recreational runners vs elites who have been at a high level for an incredibly long time and how I see people improving in their late fifties and into their sixties.

I also look at how the marathon is not simply a fitness test but a culmination of years of experience at controlling pacing, nutrition and mindset that actually means you have an edge over your younger self.

If you need more detailed advice and help planning your nutrition, you can learn at your own pace with the 'Master the marathon' course available at ⁠www.therunningrules.com/master-the-marathon

Today's episode is a guide to creating a marathon race fuelling plan. What do you need, why and how much? When are you going to have anything and how are you going to make it happen?

I step through fuelling and hydration and what you need to consider and practice now in your training so that you don't get caught out on race day.

Your plan doesn't need to be overly complicated but if you don't think it through in advance then you risk putting all that training to waste and not getting the outcome you hoped for.

If you need more detailed advice and help planning your nutrition, you can learn at your own pace with the 'Master the marathon' course available at www.therunningrules.com/master-the-marathon

Having confidence can be the difference between hitting your goals and missing them but it can be difficult for some of us to build our confidence.

It's also easy for confidence to get knocked by difficult sessions and races or even just by thinking we are stuck at a certain level.

Today's episode covers why confidence is important, how to build it in training and races and some examples of when confidence has pushed me forward or a lack of it has held me back.

I have a few slots still available for one to one coaching which takes the guesswork out of your training and racing. Find out more here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.therunningrules.com/coaching