Today's episode is half race review of the GRC Coastal 5k and half my thoughts on the pros and cons of running races.

With 9 weeks left to New York marathon, the 5k race on Friday past is likely to be my penultimate tune up race before the big day as we're now getting into the big work of the marathon cycle.

I share my thoughts going into the race and how it panned out and where it leaves me for the next block of training.

It also got me thinking about how there is a fine line between racing enough and too much and the pros and cons of doing a race. I give you a rundown of what to think about and how to plan your races.

If you want to improve in your marathon this autumn, check out my course 26.2 days to master the marathon at ⁠⁠⁠www.therunningrules.com/master-the-marathon

This November I will be taking on New York marathon as part of the Puma Project3. I was very fortunate to even get a place in New York nevermind be a part of this exciting programme.

In today's episode I reveal how it's taken me 7 years to get to New York with some of the ups and downs on the way.

I give an overview of what's in store with the Puma Project3, what I'm excited for and the things I'll need to optimise for New York.

And as always, I'll be talking about how this can relate to your own marathon journey and share some of the takeaways I've had in the early part of this marathon cycle.

If you want to improve in your marathon this autumn, check out my course 26.2 days to master the marathon at ⁠⁠www.therunningrules.com/master-the-marathon

Today I talk all about parkrunning with guest Linda Harley.

Linda is closing in on 400 parkruns and has run over 100 different parkruns including all the Northern Ireland parkruns at various times (new ones are continually added).

Linda also writes a brilliant blog of all her experiences and details of the parkruns at www.dancingatlunacy.com

We discuss milestones and different parkrun challenges as well as how to get involved as a volunteer and what to know about if you are going to a new parkrun.

If you need help and accountability with your own training for your next race along with personalised guidance in nutrition and mindset, message me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/therunningrules⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or see ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.therunningrules.com/coaching

Today's episode is a race recap from the Mallusk 5 mile road race. The course is infamous with 550 feet of ascent, mostly in the first two miles up the Sealstown road.

Races like this help to give you a different focus rather than fixating on pace and they can also offer up something different to your training.

I talk about how to objectively assess a non A-goal race and also how racing on your back doorstep with a strong team around you can help push you on.

If you need help and accountability with your own training for your next race along with personalised guidance in nutrition and mindset, message me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/therunningrules⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or see ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.therunningrules.com/coaching

Protein is quite high up on the list of nutritionally important things for runners to think about yet it's possibly something that gets a little forgotten about.

As runners we might think that protein is simply something that bodybuilders need to worry about but it is important for everyone and especially for anyone physically active.

In this episode I explain what protein is, why it is an important consideration for runners as well as some practical tips on how much is optimal and where to get it from.

To get 10% off protein powder go to www.awesomesupplements.co.uk and use the code LADD10

If you need help and accountability with your own training for your next race along with personalised guidance in nutrition and mindset, message me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/therunningrules⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or see ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.therunningrules.com/coaching

Today's episode is for anyone who feels their training feels a bit harder than it should which includes me right now! If you aren't struggling right now then bookmark this for a time when you are.

Sometimes we know what the issue is but it can seem overwhelming or sometimes we simply don't know. We can end up doing too much or not enough but it depends on the reasons for the dip.

This episode gives you a framework of questions to answer yourself to be able to analyse what is going on and how you can change things up to help get you back to where you want to be.

If you need help and accountability with your own training for your next race along with personalised guidance in nutrition and mindset, message me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/therunningrules⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or see ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.therunningrules.com/coaching

Today's episode is a deep dive into how I dealt with and tried to figure out my type 1 diabetes diagnosis to be able to run a marathon personal best 6 months later.

Like a lot of things in life and marathon running, T1D is very individual but there were steps I took and principles I followed to try to simplify the challenge and give myself the best chance of success.

And this extends to any challenge that we are up against. This podcast explores how mindset is key but also having a plan and being flexible can get you to where you want to go.

If you need help and accountability with your own training for your next race along with personalised guidance in nutrition and mindset, message me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/therunningrules⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or see ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.therunningrules.com/coaching

Today's guest Andrew McCrea ran his marathon best of 2:44 at this year’s scorching London marathon as part of the Puma Project3 group.

We talk about his progression in the marathon from a debut of 4 hours to consistently breaking 3 and also what it was like to be treated like an elite by Puma as part of their Project3 group.

He has paced the Belfast marathon twice and we talk about how the mindset and experience is slightly different when helping others.

Andrew is also a qualified running coach and you can find out more about him and his business as ‘The Grow Running Coach’ at his website and instagram:

https://www.thegrowrunningcoach.com/

https://www.instagram.com/andrew_mccrea/

https://www.instagram.com/thegrowrunningcoach/

My 'Master the marathon' course is now available at ⁠www.therunningrules.com/master-the-marathon⁠ (IG link in bio).