Hi, I’m Alan, a very passionate running coach, nutritionist and marathoner. I ran my first marathon in 2003 in 3:41. In 2018 I was where you are now. My dream was to qualify for the London Marathon with a sub 3-hour marathon. My previous best was 3:25. I thought a sub 3-hour marathon might not be possible but I decided to commit to trying. That year, I ran 2:58 and by refining the skills I learnt then, I’ve since lowered that further to 2:45. I’ve been coaching runners since 2015, first at my local running club of which I am head coach and also one-to-one through my coaching business. I am qualified as a UK Athletics Level 2 Coach in Running Fitness and hold an Active IQ Level 4 Certificate in Nutrition Coaching.
First Time Marathoner or Seeking that elusive PB?
Run your best Race yet with my experience, Guidance and Support
- Transform your training
- Nail your nutrition
- Master your mindset
- Run faster
- Run stronger
- Be more confident
Push on from the middle of the pack to fulfill the potential you know you have, running faster or longer over race distances from 5k to ultra whilst finding the perfect balance of running in your day to day life.
Why wait? Are you happy plateauing where you are now or is it time to make that big performance improvement?
What is included?
- Initial assessment
- Bespoke TrainingPeaks plan
- Monthly video call (Transform)
- Whatsapp support
- Nutritional planning
- Strength program
- Pre-race planning
Are you passionate about running but struggling in one or more of these areas:
- Motivation
- Consistency
- Staying injury free
- Setting ambitious but realistic goals
- Finding a training plan that works for you
- Nutrition for life, training and races
- Having enough time for all the above
What do my clients say?
I really felt Alan had my back and was rooting for me! With Alan’s coaching and encouragement I recently completed my first ultra marathon - injury free and recovering well!
Angela (first time ultra marathoner)
Really pleased to run a personal best, eight attempts in, almost 17 years after my first marathon. It turns out preparation really is king and it’s been fantastic working with Alan at The Running Rules
Philip (PB in the marathon)
Gave me a structure and a more personalised set of sessions that HAD specific goals/reasons. If you have a specific target, or just want to improve, then I would highly recommend this coaching. I would not have achieved my target without it.
Benny (3:29 PB at Berlin marathon)
Don’t worry – it is difficult to do everything effectively on your own. Although I am a qualified running coach, I too have a coach of my own to help with some of these areas.
Having a coach takes the guesswork out of training. If you don’t have a lot of knowledge in running, strength work and nutrition then it can be time consuming and daunting trying to learn the most effective tools for your training.
And even if you do know your stuff in these areas, it is sometimes difficult to look at your own training objectively. Are you pushing yourself too hard or not enough?
One-to-one coaching is a two-way process. You know your dreams and fears better than anyone but by working with me directly we can work out the best way to help you achieve your goals whilst fitting in with your day to day life.
I will also help you stay motivated and consistent with your training. By meeting every month to discuss your progress, we can tweak the plan and solve any issues you may have. We can factor in holidays and busy times at work and at home.
And you don’t need to wait to the monthly call if anything arises. You can message me throughout the plan to ask any questions you may have.
Transform / CLASSIC
£99 / £69 per month
How does this compare? Cheaper than...
- Entry level running watch - £179
- Pair of your favourite running shoes - £159 upwards
- Berlin Marathon Entry - £170
- London hotel night before marathon - £200 upwards
Who should join
'one to one coaching'?
This coaching is for you if you are a keen runner but you’re not getting the results you feel you should be. If you are having any of the problems below then this is for you:
- You are comparitively slower at the race distance you are targetting than other distances
- You fade in the second half of races
- You struggle with nutrition around training and races
- You can’t get your pacing right in training and races
- You talk yourself out of sessions and races when things get tough
- You’re not sure if your training is right for you
- You find it hard to make time for training
- You have lots of other things going on your life but you still want to do well in running
What about Newer runners?
One to one coaching helps you to master your training and nutrition wherever you are on the journey. Why not try mastering it from your first attempt at a race distance?
Often when we are new to something, that is the time we need most accountability, guidance and to build up our knowledge. I could have saved a lot of time and failures early on by investing in a coach.
I'm already following a training plan
Is your training plan working for you? Does it help you with key components such as nutrition, mindset and strength work? Do you need fresh ideas and accountability?
There are plenty of free plans out there but they are very generic by design. They usually don't cover nutrition and mindset in any depth at all and sometimes they don't even tell you what intensity to run sessions at.
What if I am injured?
It really depends on the extent of the injury. Are you seeing a physio to help you with rehab? Are you able to run at all yet? Do you want to work on nutrition and mindset instead?
Some serious injuries can keep you out of running for some time. For these types of injuries I would encourage you to work with a physio first to get you back to running. However, you may want to work with me for nutrition and mindset. If you can run then managing the load is important and I can help with that. I’m very happy to discuss individually on a case by case basis - reach out to me at alan@therunningrules.com or book a call below.
I'm already running fast Races
If you’re already running fast times (e.g. qualified for London or Boston) then congratulations! 'Fast' is very subjective and individual though. You may have quite a bit more potential than you realise.
Have you maximised tools such as nutrition, mindset and strength as well as optimal training? Are you executing races perfectly or is there still some room for improvement? Having someone in your corner can help you shave those next few minutes off.
Again, if you are not sure, feel free to reach out to me.