My guest today is the inspirational Mary Slocum who won gold in the half marathon at the World Masters Championships in 2023 as well as winning the World marathon championships in London in 2022.

An Irish record holder in the marathon at F55 and F60 and half marathon at F60, we talk through Mary's early years of running before getting serious and very successful in recent years.

Mary is truly inspirational especially for masters runners and people coming to running later on in life and shows how determination and consistency can reap huge benefits.

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 is part 7 of a series following my preparation, training, nutrition and mindset for Manchester marathon 2024.

I also talk about the buzz about the Nike alphafly 3 and whether it's a good idea to think about changing shoes now or if it's a distraction from the real work that needs to take place.

Today I recap my first road race of 2024 - the Carlingford half marathon which I ran a couple of days previous. I was unsure coming into the race where my fitness was and also how conditions would play out on the day.

I also give tips for how to move on after a 'good' or 'bad' performance, what positives I took and what lessons could be learned. I also place the race in the context of the overall training cycle and long term goals and discuss how much value you should place on races and training.

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 is part 6 of a series following my preparation, training, nutrition and mindset for Manchester marathon 2024.

I talk about being uncertain of where my fitness is having not run a road race since July and a half marathon for a whole year. I'm concerned about the forecasted wind and trying to relieve the pressure on myself but also focusing on enjoying another race and making sure I get back to basics to prepare and also recover going into another hard week of training.

Today we look at one of the most commonly used drugs in the world - caffeine. I unpack what caffeine is and what its effects are, why it can help with endurance performance and some of the drawbacks of it. I also discuss how to consume it and whether it is ethically sound.

As with anything new, always test it out in training first and if you have any medical concerns, reach out to your doctor.

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 is part 5 of a series following my preparation, training, nutrition and mindset for Manchester marathon 2024.

This week, I talk about cumulative fatigue and how that makes you feel in marathon training, how to combat that with sleep and nutrition, what you can do to try to avoid 'nightmare' sessions and how I got on with 400mg of caffeine on my long progression run.

Today we go very high level and assess whether we are making the most of the present or are we putting things off either through regret that we didn't do them earlier or because we think a better time will present itself.

I suggest that there will never be a perfect time and if we are challenging ourselves, we will never feel 100% ready. By having clear priorities and making sure we spend most of out time towards them, we can fit in more than we think.

We also look at fear of failure, where that comes from and why other people really don't care as much as you think they do.

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 is part 4 of a series following my preparation, training, nutrition and mindset for Manchester marathon 2024.

This week, I talk about why running on travel days can be a bad idea, the power of getting runs done first thing, dialling back paces for hot weather and plotting routes on plotaroute.com.

It's the one year anniversary of the podcast! To celebrate, I'm giving away a free month of coaching to one person. All you have to do is send me a DM with 'FREEMONTH' on instagram @‌therunningrules. I'll be picking the winner on Friday the 16th February. Good luck!

Today I focus on the half marathon and talk about why it is an accessible, challenging and rewarding distance. I look at the training and nutrition that is involved, discuss how often you can race and how to break down and pace the half marathon.

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

It's the one year anniversary of the podcast! To celebrate, I'm giving away a free month of coaching to one person. All you have to do is send me a DM with 'FREEMONTH' on instagram @therunningrules. I'll be picking the winner on Friday the 16th February. Good luck!

Today's episode is a deep dive into marathon nutrition from a little bit of general nutrition to what to eat before (the carb load), during (gels, drinks, bars, electrolytes, caffeine) and after (recovery). We focus a lot on intra-race fueling, why it is important, how to do it and when to practise.

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