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MYALL Coaching We provide bespoke online coaching for runners of all abilities.

Exceed your potential with our personalised plans, expert nutrition advice and structured conditioning programs.

CAN SODIUM BICARBONATE MAKE YOU A FASTER 10K RUNNER? Sodium bicarbonate is traditionally associated with middle-distance...
03/11/2026

CAN SODIUM BICARBONATE MAKE YOU A FASTER 10K RUNNER?

Sodium bicarbonate is traditionally associated with middle-distance running and high-intensity exercise.

However, new research has investigated whether it can also improve 10km performance.

And the results are interesting.

The study

21 recreational female runners completed two 10km outdoor track time trials

On one occasion, they consumed sodium bicarbonate. On the other, a placebo.

The protocol involved:

* 0.3g per kg of body mass.
* Consumed 90 minutes before running.
* Alongside a carbohydrate-rich meal (1.5g/kg).

Findings

Average 10km times:

🔹 Placebo: 51:18
🔹 Sodium bicarbonate: 50:46

That’s an average improvement of 32 seconds (1.05%).

Interestingly, there was no significant difference in overall gastrointestinal symptom scores between conditions.

The menstrual cycle

The researchers matched both trials to the same phase of each participant’s menstrual cycle.

This helps reduce the likelihood that cycle-related differences influenced the comparison.

It’s encouraging to see female-specific physiological considerations being incorporated into sports performance research.

Why could this work

Sodium bicarbonate acts as an extracellular buffering agent.

During high-intensity exercise, hydrogen ions accumulate and contribute to fatigue.

Increasing blood bicarbonate availability can improve the body’s ability to buffer hydrogen ions, potentially helping athletes sustain high-intensity exercise.

How does this apply to runners?

The findings are promising, particularly given the intensity required to race 10km.

However, this was a relatively small study involving recreational female runners. We cannot assume the same improvements will occur in men, elite athletes or every individual.

Sodium bicarbonate can also cause gastrointestinal problems, so it’s certainly not something to experiment with for the first time on race day.

Takeaways

Sodium bicarbonate is an interesting evidence-based performance supplement with potential applications beyond middle-distance running.

Research: Aktitiz et al. (2026), International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism.

EVERY RACE HAS A PURPOSE. A race doesn’t always have to be about chasing a PB. Sometimes, the bigger picture matters mor...
27/10/2026

EVERY RACE HAS A PURPOSE.

A race doesn’t always have to be about chasing a PB. Sometimes, the bigger picture matters more.

This weekend, Jess and Tracy were in action at two fantastic European events, each with a clear objective.

🇮🇹 JESS | VENICE MARATHON | 5:27

After previously taking on ultra distances, we used Venice as an opportunity to bring the focus back to the marathon distance and establish a useful baseline ahead of Jess’s spring marathon build.

Jess crossed the finish line in 5:27, giving us a starting point to work from as we plan the next phase of training.

Now we can build towards the spring with a clearer picture of where she is and what we need to work on.

🇪🇸 TRACY | VALENCIA HALF MARATHON | 1:54:40

For Tracy, the focus was on enjoying a brilliant event and executing a controlled, evenly paced race.

She did exactly that, coming home in 1:54:40 with a well-managed performance.

Now we turn our attention towards developing her top-end speed over shorter distances, building another layer of fitness before deciding on the next targets.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Not every race has to be set up for a PB attempt. It’s about understanding what each race can teach us, knowing when to build and when to change direction, and making sure every phase has a purpose.

Jess and Tracy had different objectives this weekend, but both have given us something valuable to build on.

Well done to you both! 👏

The next phase starts here. 🏃‍♀️

Your training plan should fit your life, not the other way around.A training plan might look perfect on paper.Easy milea...
26/10/2026

Your training plan should fit your life, not the other way around.

A training plan might look perfect on paper.

Easy mileage, two quality sessions, the long run and strength work programmed into the week.

But what happens when work gets busy, sleep suffers or your legs haven’t recovered as expected?

This is where the difference between following a plan and being coached becomes important.

Your training needs to reflect more than your target race time. It needs to account for your training history, current fitness, recovery, lifestyle and the demands of the weeks ahead.

Sometimes that means progressing the workload. Sometimes it means adjusting a session, moving a run or holding your mileage steady for another week.

That isn’t a lack of commitment. It’s making decisions based on what will help you train consistently over the long term.

At MYALL, the aim isn’t to cram as much training as possible into every week. It’s to build the right training for the individual and adapt it as circumstances change.

Because the best plan isn’t necessarily the one that looks hardest on paper. It’s the one that helps you make consistent progress.

How often does your training plan need to change to fit around real life?

Chicago to Chester: 2 Marathon’s, 2 PB’sRecently, we’ve had Mike take on the streets of Chicago and Matt tackle the Ches...
21/10/2026

Chicago to Chester: 2 Marathon’s, 2 PB’s

Recently, we’ve had Mike take on the streets of Chicago and Matt tackle the Chester Marathon, with both showing exactly what consistent training and a well-managed approach can achieve when race day arrives.

🇺🇸 MIKE | CHICAGO MARATHON | 3:52:57 PB

Mike headed to Chicago to complete his third World Marathon Major, starting strongly and putting himself on course for a huge personal best.

Despite battling cramping in the second half, he dug deep, managed the challenges and crossed the finish line in 3:52:57, setting a new marathon PB!

A fantastic achievement, particularly given how he had to adapt when things didn’t go entirely to plan. There’s plenty more to come from Mike, and we’re excited to see what he can achieve next.

🏅 MATT | CHESTER MARATHON | 3:46:11

For Matt, Chester marked a huge milestone: his first ever marathon!

Despite a disrupted build-up, Matt delivered a strong performance to finish in 3:46:11. Getting to the start line prepared, adapting to the challenges along the way and executing a race over 26.2 miles is no small feat, especially when preparation hasn’t been straightforward.

It’s a brilliant platform to build from as we focus on recovering fully, rebuilding fitness and working towards the next set of goals.

The work behind the results

Marathon training is about much more than simply accumulating miles. It’s about building fitness progressively, managing training load, adapting when life gets in the way and arriving on the start line ready to perform.

That’s what we work on together through MYALL coaching: creating an individualised plan, adjusting training to suit the athlete and keeping the bigger picture in mind when challenges arise.

Mike and Matt have both shown real determination, and these results give us plenty to build on.

Well done, lads. You should both be proud of what you’ve achieved! 👏

Want to work towards your own running goals? Drop me a message to find out more about MYALL coaching.

A harder training week isn’t automatically a better training week.One of the biggest challenges in distance running is f...
20/10/2026

A harder training week isn’t automatically a better training week.

One of the biggest challenges in distance running is finding the balance between doing enough training to improve and doing so much that you struggle to absorb it.

It’s tempting to add another interval session, push every easy run a little quicker or increase mileage because you want to see progress.

But training only delivers its full benefit when you can recover and consistently complete the work that matters.

When I assess a runner’s training, I’m looking beyond individual sessions.

I’m considering:

1) How their weekly mileage has developed.

2) Whether easy running is genuinely supporting recovery.

3) How demanding sessions fit together across the week.

4) Whether they’re getting enough Protein, energy and carbohydrate to support their training.

5) How well they’re sleeping and responding to the workload.

Sometimes the best next step is more training. Sometimes it’s better distribution, improved fuelling or a period of consolidation.

The right decision depends on the athlete, their training history and what they’re currently able to tolerate.

Progress isn’t about making every week harder. It’s about building a workload you can adapt to and sustain.

What’s the biggest challenge in your training at the moment: scheduling it all in, recovering between sessions or knowing what to do next?

A bit more about the person behind MYALL.I’m James, I’ve spent more than 20 years running competitively, and the last 13...
19/10/2026

A bit more about the person behind MYALL.

I’m James, I’ve spent more than 20 years running competitively, and the last 13 years helping other runners improve.

My own running has taken me to a 15:23 5 km, a 32:24 10 km and, this year, the opportunity to represent England Masters over 10 km.

Alongside my own training, I’ve spent 13 years coaching runners with different backgrounds, abilities and ambitions.

I’m also a qualified MNU nutritionist, with a degree in Sport and Exercise Science.

MYALL brings those experiences together through individualised running coaching, strength and conditioning, and performance nutrition.

Because improving as a runner involves more than following a training plan. It means understanding how to build fitness, manage training load, develop strength, fuel properly and arrive at races ready to perform.

I work with runners who want to get more from their training, whether that’s chasing a 5 km PB, preparing for a marathon or simply becoming a more consistent runner.

I’ll be sharing more practical advice, lessons from my own training, client progress and insights into what actually helps runners improve.

If you’re working towards a running goal at the moment, I’d be interested to hear what you’re aiming for.

10min tempo 2 x 4//2 x 3//2 x 2 (90)I really did not run that one very intelligently. The tempo was fine for both effort...
13/10/2026

10min tempo 2 x 4//2 x 3//2 x 2 (90)

I really did not run that one very intelligently. The tempo was fine for both effort and pace, it was helped with a tailwind for the first half.

Stupidly, I went straight to 3:15/km on the 4’s most of which was into a headwind. I should have run these at threshold and progressed the reps on.

The 3’s were ok, but they were helped with the tailwind. I was feeling the effort in my legs at this point and realised a pick up on the 2’s was going to be a struggle.

I tried to lift the pace but into the headwind and with not a lot in my legs, I couldn’t speed up.

Good to get a hard effort in and it seems like the illness has gone.

10min: 3:36/km
4min: 3:15//3:16/km
3min: 3:14//3:16/km
2min: 3:11//3:17/km

Clients fly around Manchester half.This weekend saw 6 MYALL athletes take to the streets of Manchester for the half mara...
05/10/2026

Clients fly around Manchester half.

This weekend saw 6 MYALL athletes take to the streets of Manchester for the half marathon.

First up we had Tommy who came home in 1:25:40. A really solid performance as he builds fitness.

Next was Simon who after a challenging start of the year runs his second Pb after his 5k, taking 51seconds off, running 1:27:19

Kevin unfortunately picked up an illness in the week of the race. Despite this, he still run a really strong 1:31:44

Richard run fantastic personal-best, besting the sub 2hour barrier with 1:59:15.

Anna took a whopping 9 minutes off her Pb time from last year. She run a really controlled race and came home in 2:06:02

Jade also unfortunately picked up illness and so decided to enjoy the incredible atmosphere in Manchester, finishing with 2:34:08

Absolutely amazing everyone, I’m so proud of you all.

If you are struggling with your training or want to improve your personal best than comment RUNNER bellow.

We had MYALL Athletes in action at the Knutsford 10km and the 2 Valley’sFirst up we had Jess taking on the 2 valleys tra...
30/09/2026

We had MYALL Athletes in action at the Knutsford 10km and the 2 Valley’s

First up we had Jess taking on the 2 valleys trail race, this is a very hilly 22km event. Jess ran a really strong 3 hours 10minutes and was even able to pick up the pace over the last few miles.

Over in a very windy Knutsford we had Jack, Vicky, Victoria and Eileen running the 10km. Typically a flat and fast course, however, this year there was a very strong wind most of the way round.

Jack crossed the line in 39:37, a strong run in some tough conditions and with a lot more to come.

Next home was Vicky who ran a brilliant Pb of 57:41 this was 8minutes and 23seconds faster than she ran last year.

Victoria ran 1:12:06 having come back from an injury earlier in the year and building her running back up. Great run

Finally battling with a cold Eileen ran 1:08:45, a really strong performance after a few weeks of illness.

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