With Manchester, Boston, London and Belfast all happening this month, I look at what the taper period is, why it is important and the strange things that can happen during the taper! I also offer 7 ways to navigate through the taper period.

For the free 5 step guide to a faster marathon, visit www.therunningrules.com/faster-marathon

For more information on coaching services designed to get you faster, further and stronger straight away, see ⁠www.therunningrules.com/coaching⁠ or book a free consultation via the website.

To see the full study by Barry Smyth and co at UCD mentioned in the episode, go to https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2021.735220/full

There are lots of different race distances out there and they can suit different people at different times. But what is great about each distance? What should you concentrate on next and can you rope your friends and family into running too? Find out how and some more of my ups and downs in this week's episode!

For the free 5 step guide to a faster marathon, visit www.therunningrules.com/faster-marathon

For more information on coaching services designed to get you faster, further and stronger straight away, see www.therunningrules.com/coaching or book a free consultation via the website.

We might track lots of metrics when we are running but which of these are important and what should we take notice of and when? I delve into pace, heart rate and effort level and discuss how each can be useful in a different scenario and how they should all come together to give you a better picture of your running.

For the free 5 step guide to a faster marathon, visit www.therunningrules.com/faster-marathon

For more information on coaching services designed to get you faster, further and stronger straight away, see www.therunningrules.com/coaching or book a free consultation via the website.

To coincide with the start of my 21 day March marathon mastery challenge which focuses on nutrition, mindset and execution for your upcoming spring marathon, this is a deep dive into what you need to know and should look out for in energy gels. I go into what gels are made of and some of the marketing / scientific terms you might see. Then strip it all back to the things that really matter.

If you'd like to get help with a fueling plan for your marathon then it's not too late to join the challenge at www.therunningrules.com/march

For the free 5 step guide to a faster marathon, visit www.therunningrules.com/faster-marathon

For more information on coaching services designed to get you faster, further and stronger straight away, see www.therunningrules.com/coaching or book a free consultation via the website.

Straight off the back of Carlingford half marathon at the weekend, I break down how the race went for me and talk about whether racing a half marathon is a good idea in the build up to a marathon with some tips to get the best out of your race.

For the free 5 step guide to a faster marathon, visit www.therunningrules.com/faster-marathon

For more information on coaching services designed to get you faster, further and stronger straight away, see www.therunningrules.com/coaching or book a free consultation via the website.

Following my trip away with the kids, I talk about how to prepare, pack, and time your runs on holiday taking into consideration unfamiliar surroundings and weather. If you would like the 'Runner's packing list' courtesy of my wife Louise (www.instagram.com/prettylittledocs), just email me or DM me the word 'PACKING' and I'll send it through.

To get the free marathon guides, nutrition guides and pacing calculators mentioned, please visit www.therunningrules.com/freebies.

For more information on coaching services designed to get you faster, further and stronger straight away, see www.therunningrules.com/coaching or book a free consultation via the website.

I walk through each of the 10 marathons I've run from the Belfast marathon in 2003 to London marathon in 2022, pulling out the lessons I've learnt from each one and distilling them down to 5 areas: training, nutrition, mindset, pacing and preparation.

You'll see how in the marathon, it's possible to get good days after a not so good training cycle, bad days after a great training cycle and sometimes, everything lines up for a great performance.

To get the free marathon guides, nutrition guides and pacing calculators mentioned, please visit www.therunningrules.com/freebies.

For more information on coaching services designed to get you faster, further and stronger straight away, see www.therunningrules.com/coaching or book a free consultation via the website.

In this episode, I introduce myself so you can get a flavour of my background, what has influenced me and how some of the things I've been through might help in your running journey. I'd love to know if any of my story resonates with you.

To get the free marathon guides, nutrition guides and pacing calculators mentioned, please visit www.therunningrules.com/freebies.

For more information on coaching services designed to get you faster, further and stronger straight away, see www.therunningrules.com/coaching or book a free consultation via the website.

In the very first episode, I (your host Alan Ladd) discuss whether there are really any 'rules' for running or just good principles and I cover the four pillars that are vital for your success as a runner: training, nutrition, mindset and execution.

To get the free marathon guides, nutrition guides and pacing calculators mentioned, please visit www.therunningrules.com/freebies.

For more information on coaching services designed to get you faster, further and stronger straight away, see www.therunningrules.com/coaching or book a free consultation via the website.