My First Marathon

146: Follow Your Curiosity: 30+ Marathons, Ultras, and Chasing Sub-3 w/ Casey Cline Oct 12, 2026 2340 Casey’s running story starts with summer camping trips, where she raced anyone who would line up and tried her hardest to beat the boys. Thirty-plus marathons later, she’s a landscape architect and run coach who credits curiosity for just about everything.We talk about how it took seven marathons to qualify for Boston, how canceled races during COVID nudged her toward her first 50K, and how ultra

145: Back Where It All Began: Running Sydney, the City That Became Home w/ Sandy Engler Oct 5, 2026 3096 When Sandy moved from Switzerland to Australia in 2020, she was quickly swept into the country's active, early-morning lifestyle, though running wasn't on her radar yet. That changed when the owner of her community gym dared her to try a 5K trial, and her competitive streak did the rest. A friend's nudge (and a little FOMO) got her signed up for the Cairns half marathon, which she ran alongside h

144: A Bad Race Doesn't Erase the Training: Unfinished Business w/ Steve Carrier Sep 28, 2026 3580 Steve Carrier spent decades lifting heavy and hated cardio for a long time. When COVID closed the gyms, he started hiking and kayaking with his wife, and after she mentioned a 5K she wanted to do, he decided to give running a try. That race never happened, but Steve fell in love with running anyway. A few months in, he found the Central Mass Striders through a Facebook group, and their Sunday lon

143: The Wall That Never Came: Running Her First Marathon on Her 40th Birthday w/ Aimee Jones Sep 21, 2026 2863 Aimee spent over a decade running half marathons, one a year, showing up and enjoying the distance without chasing a specific time. It started with a charity flyer that landed in her parents' mailbox when she was twenty one, tied to a disease for a cause she cares a lot about, and that was enough to get her to sign up for her first half marathon. She kept coming back to the distance year after ye

142: "This Is My Tribe": Marathons, History, and The Long Run w/ Martin Dugard Sep 14, 2026 3340 Martin Dugard has been running since the early 1970s, but it all traces back to one moment at eleven years old, watching Frank Shorter win the 1972 Olympic marathon and being so moved he ran straight outside in his jeans for four miles. From there it was 5Ks, 10Ks, and a half marathon at White Rock in Dallas, until a marathon started to feel like the obvious next step. Martin went on to become a

141: I Can Do Hard Things: Running New York in Her Uncle's Honor w/ Jay Wood Sep 7, 2026 3392 Jay spent years playing soccer and dabbled in other sports, but running itself was never her thing until she signed up for a local 5K in her off season as another way to move. That race quickly turned into a half marathon in DC, and crossing that finish line left her with one very unexpected thought: she could probably go further. So she set her sights on the New York City Marathon, and started t

140: It's Our Duty to Give Back: Ainsley's Angels and Finding Community w/ Hunter Pardue Aug 31, 2026 3729 Hunter didn't set out to become a runner. He joined his high school's cross country team on a whim (mostly because his friends were doing it) and discovered he loved being part of a group more than he loved the actual running. That pull toward community followed him through college, a couple years teaching in Korea, and eventually back to North Carolina, where a local run club led him to Ainsley'

139: A Joyful First Marathon: Running Chicago w/ Sierra Wehrenberg Aug 24, 2026 2731 Sierra grew up in a running family and found her own love for the sport through a middle school team in Georgia. She ran through high school and rediscovered it years later during a hard stretch in college, but just as she was building back toward a half marathon, her body threw her a curveball.A case of long COVID sent her heart rate soaring to 175 just from walking, and running immediately had

31: Survival Guide To Running Your First Marathon (Mini Episode) Aug 19, 2026 532 This one's for all my fall marathoners who are deep in training right now!! I'm pulling together my full survival guide for running your first marathon, five things I wish someone had told me before my own first one. We're talking fueling strategy (and why the back half of the race is where it really matters), why respecting your easy pace is about more than just your fitness, and why the bad run

138: "Fail Forward": Finding Strength Through a Marathon Gone Wrong w/ Barry Scruggs Aug 17, 2026 3454 Barry Scruggs came to running with his wife after some health struggles when they decided to make change happen together. It started with a Spartan race , and that single decision opened the door to a running life neither of them expected, eventually pulling them into Charlotte's trail and ultra running community and setting Barry on the path toward his first marathon.By the time race day arrived

137: Watching Someone Else's Finish Line: How a Stranger's Marathon Story Became Her Own w/ Abia Mallick Aug 3, 2026 3699 Abia Mallick never planned to run a marathon herself until she volunteered at the finish zone of the New York City Marathon, where a woman stopped by the fence near her to catch her breath and ended up sharing her story, a story that stuck with Abia so much she threw her own name into the marathon lottery, assuming she'd never get in.But spoiler alert: she did. Her training tested her more than s

30: Why I Program Speed Work (Mini Episode) Jul 29, 2026 286 I get this question all the time from my first-time marathoners: if I don't have a time goal, why do I need to do speed work? In this week's mini episode, I'm breaking down exactly why I still program speed work for athletes who aren't chasing a specific finish time, what it's actually teaching your body and mind, and how something as simple as picking up the pace at a colorful mailbox can prepar

135: "Anybody Could Do This": The Chicago Marathon, Take One w/ Sara Shimala Jul 27, 2026 3613 Sara played tennis all through high school, but running stayed casual for her, a mile here or there, until 2023, when she signed up for her first 5K and then got sidelined by a health complication for most of the year. By summer 2024 she was back on the trail outside Chicago, and after watching the para-athletes and half marathoners at a local race, she reached out to a charity for a Chicago Mara

134: "What If I Just Stopped": Hitting the Wall at Mile 12 and Finishing Anyway w/ Julie Satterthwaite Jul 20, 2026 3710 Julie grew up in a sports-obsessed family, her dad a longtime Broad Street runner, her brother a former D1 lacrosse player turned distance runner. She played soccer growing up, but sports also came with real anxiety for her, and by college she thought that part of her life was over. It wasn't until her senior year of college that she started easing back into running, and she found herself thinkin

29: How I'm Approaching Returning To Running (Mini Episodes Are Back!) Jul 15, 2026 843 I took a two month break from running dealing with personal issues we'll get into in this episode. These personal issues forced me to take 2 full months off of running for the first time in my running journey, and today we're breaking down what it's actually looked like to come back from that, not just physically, but mentally too. I'm walking you through the exact plan I built for myself, the mi

133: Finding Her People: How BAR Run Club Changed Everything w/ Rachel Howard Jul 13, 2026 3802 Besides the dreaded mile in high school PE class, running was fairly casual for Rachel for a long time until the stress of working front lines at a hospital during COVID turned it into a huge stress reliever for her. A few years later she set her sights on a half marathon, and after three tries and a few injuries, she finally got there. Shortly after, she found BAR Run Club, and being surrounded

132: The Race She Had to Run Twice: Redemption at the Eugene Marathon w/ Gina Loschiavo Jul 6, 2026 2817 Gina didn't grow up loving running. In fact, she hated it, right up until a spontaneous half marathon at Disneyland in 2017 changed her mind for good. After two kids and a long break from racing, she found her way back through a run club that pushed her further than she expected, and a new goal started forming in the back of her head: a marathon.She signed up for the Eugene Marathon and built a t

131: Slow and Steady, Keep to the Left: A Late Bloomer's First Marathon w/ Jude Harper Jun 29, 2026 3181 Jude didn't grow up as an athlete. She spent her childhood with a violin in her hands instead of running shoes, and didn't run her first step until she was 38. From there, the goals kept coming: a 5k, then an 8k, then a half marathon at 40 that she ran through a painful foot injury. After a decade away, she came back to the half at 49, and that race at Melbourne's MCG planted a seed she couldn't

130: "You Don't Have to Put a Period at the End of the Sentence": From Trauma to Trail Ultras w/ Mikaela Gomez Jun 22, 2026 3732 Mikaela Gomez is a mom of three, a Navy veteran, and somehow, until last July, not a runner at all. She found running through the unlikeliest of doors: a dark romance book rabbit hole on TikTok that led her to an ultra runner known as the Ghost Runner. What started as a way to move her body for her mental health turned into something much bigger once Mikaela started processing the loss of her fat

129: It Fell on My Actual Birthday: Why Maggie Finally Signed Up for Chicago w/ Maggie Lowenthal Jun 15, 2026 2801 Maggie Lowenthal grew up a gymnast and a sprinter, but spent most of her life convinced that long distance running just wasn't for her. She ran a couple of halves, got into HYROX, built a strength training foundation, but kept watching the Chicago Marathon from the sidelines every fall. She never planned to run it herself, but that changed when she realized the 2025 race would fall on her actual

128: You Owe It to Yourself to Try: Training for a Marathon She Almost Didn't Start w/ Alyssa Newman Jun 8, 2026 3673 Alyssa didn't grow up as a runner. After graduating college in 2023, she found herself with free time and a Planet Fitness membership, and slowly worked her way from the weight machines to the treadmill to a half marathon finish line. A run club and a few convincing friends later, she was signed up for her first marathon, telling herself that if she'd already done 13.1, she might as well see what

127: Go Stupid Slow: Finding Running, Community, and Her People in the Ultra World w/ Keneshia Raymond Jun 1, 2026 3477 Keneshia came to running the way a lot of us do, not because she set out to become a runner, but because she needed somewhere to put everything she was carrying. A former dancer and professional roller skater, she found herself battling depression after adopting two teenagers and needed something that could get her out of her own head. A local Mother's Day 5K with her mom was the answer, and once

126: Scarier Than a 50K: A Trail Runner's First Road Marathon w/ Jon Hwang May 26, 2026 4029 Jon Hwang came to running the way a lot of us do, sideways and by accident. A 5K with coworkers turned into a half marathon, and then a rough year in 2017 where a relationship ended and his mom was diagnosed with cancer solidified running as the thing that got him through each day.By the time Jon signed up for the San Francisco Marathon, he had already met his wife through Spartan racing, tackle

28: How To Not Panic Running In The Summer (Mini Epsiode) May 20, 2026 301 If you've stepped outside for a run lately and thought "why does this feel so much harder than it did two months ago," this one's for you. Summer running is humbling, and if you're in the middle of a training block right now, it can feel like everything is going backwards. It's not. You're just doing the hardest training of your cycle in the hardest time of year to do it.In this Wednesday mini ep

125: $10 Walmart Shoes to Marathon Finisher: Running the Austin Marathon w/ Ashley Bree May 18, 2026 2566 Ashley never considered herself a runner. As a kid she dabbled in sports, hated cross country, and didn't think twice about it. It wasn't until her early thirties, going through a divorce and looking for somewhere to put all that energy, that she laced up a pair of $10 Walmart shoes and headed out onto the country roads behind her house with nothing but cheap earbuds and an Eminem playlist. She h

124: 4:30 AM, No Bib, No Crowd: Running the Anniversary of Her Surgery w/ Carly Schrom May 11, 2026 3214 Carly Schrom grew up in a running family and carried the sport all the way through college, where she also quietly battled years of stomach issues that nobody could explain. What eventually got diagnosed as Crohn's disease derailed her senior season, and just when she thought she was finally turning a corner after graduation, a routine scan revealed something scarier waiting on the other side.Wha

27: What If Removing the Goal Got You the Result? (Mini Episode) May 6, 2026 745 I just got back from my honeymoon in Portugal, ran a half marathon a week later, and somehow walked away with a two minute PR. In this mini episode, I'm breaking down what this training block actually looked like, why I made the call to drop my sub-two goal weeks before race day, how a heat wave, a wedding, and a week of zero running in Portugal accidentally became the best thing that could have

123: The Last Song on the Playlist: Grief, Sobriety, and 42K w/ Jose Martinez May 4, 2026 3660 Jose Martinez has always had a complicated relationship with running. Growing up in Vancouver, it was something he returned to in waves, usually when life got messy and he needed somewhere to put it. When 2021 took his cousin and then his father, Jose found himself somewhere he didn't quite recognize. It wasn't until he and his wife started talking about making a change that he gave himself a rea

122: Throwback Episode: Ariel Greenstein Apr 27, 2026 3212 Hey friends! I'm officially off getting married and soaking up every second of it. I'll be back with brand new episodes on May 4th, but in the meantime I'm bringing back one of your all-time favorite episodes for you to enjoy. Thanks for all the love and support. It means everything. Now let's get into it!Ariel Greenstein didn’t grow up as an athlete. She didn’t fall in love with running early. A

121: Throwback Episode: Gabby Averill's First Marathon Story Apr 20, 2026 2894 Hey friends! I'm officially off getting married and soaking up every second of it. I'll be back with brand new episodes on May 4th, but in the meantime I'm bringing back one of your all-time favorite episodes for you to enjoy. Thanks for all the love and support. It means everything. Now let's get into it!Gabby’s running journey didn’t start with a finish line goal or a desire to be fast. It star

120: He Ran Because She Couldn't: Running the Houston Marathon w/ Ryan Trask Apr 13, 2026 3467 Ryan Trask has always been a runner at heart, even when life kept pulling him away from it. From getting cut from his middle school basketball team and stumbling into cross country, to running through job loss, a pandemic, and the chaos of raising four kids, running has been the thing he keeps coming back to. So when he decided it was finally time to run a marathon before 40, it felt less like a

119: The Worst Day of My Life: Running a First Marathon That Didn’t Go to Plan w/ Ilana Dunn Apr 6, 2026 3745 Ilana Dunn didn’t grow up a runner. In fact, she was the person who walked the mile and avoided it whenever she could. But after accidentally getting into treadmill classes, discovering run-walk intervals, and slowly building up, she found herself chasing something she once thought was impossible: the marathon. What followed wasn’t a perfect training block. It was injuries, setbacks, and figuring

118: Don’t Quit on a Bad Day: A Marathon Journey Through Pain and Persistence w/ Cass Robinson Mar 30, 2026 3885 Cass Robinson’s path to her first marathon was anything but straightforward. Growing up with undiagnosed Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, she spent years dealing with injuries, pain, and being told nothing was wrong. Running came in waves throughout her life, but it eventually became the place where she could process everything she had been through and start taking back control.In this episode, she shares

26: Mindset and Running w/ Nick Savin (Mini Episode) Mar 25, 2026 1913 This week’s mini episode brings back coach Nick Savin for a conversation that goes way beyond splits, paces, and perfect training plans. Instead, it’s all about mindset and the role it plays in how we show up for our training, especially when things don’t go the way we expected. From missed runs to tough workouts, Nick breaks down why those moments aren’t failures at all, but actually part of the

117: Why Not Me?: The Road To 45 Marathons w/ Krissy Murphy Mar 23, 2026 3338 Krissy Murphy didn’t grow up as an athlete. She started running in her early 20s with a Couch to 5K plan, thinking it might be a one-time thing. But somewhere between a spontaneous 10K, a Disney half marathon, and a first marathon in Richmond, something shifted and she realized she belonged in this world. What started as a way to move her body turned into a long-term relationship with the maratho

116: Starting Over: From Career-Ending Surgery to a First Marathon w/ Maya Struhar Mar 16, 2026 2847 After a hip surgery at 17 ended her competitive dance career, Maya Struhar spent years away from structured movement. Running wasn’t part of the plan until a St. Patrick’s Day 5K with coworkers pulled her back in. One race turned into a 10K, then a half marathon, and before long Maya found herself training for her first marathon at Grandma’s in Duluth. Along the way she discovered a runner’s high

25: How To Dial In Your Fuel Strategy (Mini Episode) Mar 11, 2026 387 Fueling is one of the most common questions that comes up for first-time marathoners, and it can feel overwhelming when you’re not sure where to start. In this mini episode, we break fueling down into three simple steps: choosing a texture you can tolerate, testing it on lower-risk runs, and dialing in a strategy that works for your long runs and race day. We also talk through the differences bet

115: How Hard Could It Be?: From Spectating London to Running Chicago w/ Holly Kabler Mar 9, 2026 2898 Holly Kabler spent years cheering for her husband at marathons, convinced running just wasn’t for her. But after spectating the London Marathon and asking the question “how hard could it be?”, she decided to find out for herself. What started with Peloton treadmill classes and a spontaneous half marathon turned into a full training cycle and a start line at the Chicago Marathon.In this episode, H

24: How Your First Marathon Changes You (Mini Episode) Mar 4, 2026 267 Anyone can run a marathon, but running a marathon is not just a race. In this episode, I break down how that committing to training for your first marathon builds discipline, resilience, perspective, and a quiet confidence that carries into the rest of your life. You start showing up differently at work. You stop tying your entire identity to your job. You realize it is not selfish to prioritize

114: From Ballet to the Marathon: Reclaiming Movement at 42 w/ Kristine Owen Wood Mar 2, 2026 3969 Kristine Owen Wood grew up in the world of elite ballet, where movement was disciplined, aesthetic, and high pressure from a young age. After earning a spot in Alberta Ballet and ultimately stepping away for the sake of her health, she had to rebuild her relationship with her body from the ground up. Running started quietly, as something private and unstructured, before slowly becoming the place

23: How To Nail Weeks 10-15 Of Marathon Training (Mini Episode) Feb 25, 2026 358 In this week’s Wednesday mini episode, I’m walking through Phase Two of the First Marathon Buddy program and breaking down what actually matters during weeks 10 to 15 of a 20 week marathon training plan. This phase isn’t about testing your fitness or grading every long run. It’s about treating those miles like practice, experimenting and refining your fueling, protecting recovery as fatigue build

113: Chicago 2025 and Finding Family with Team to End AIDS w/ Annie Rasmussen Feb 23, 2026 3721 Annie thought about running a marathon for nearly ten years before finally lining up at the Chicago Marathon in 2025. After withdrawing from the race the year before due to injury, she rebuilt from the ground up, committed to strength training, and found something even bigger than a finish time through Team to End AIDS. What started as a comeback became a summer of long runs on the lakefront, new

112: Remission Miles: From Crohn’s Diagnosis to a Cowtown Marathon Finish w/ Norah St Peter Feb 16, 2026 3664 Norah St Peter never saw herself as an athlete. She grew up in the performing arts, ran cross country in high school but didn’t connect with it, and later spent years very sick before finally being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. Once she reached remission, movement became something to celebrate. Rock climbing led to running, running led to a half marathon, and not long after crossing that finish

111: Introducing The First Marathon Buddy Program Feb 9, 2026 450 What started as a love for reading first marathon race recaps turned into two years of collecting runner stories, and eventually into seeing the first marathon experience from the other side through coaching and helping my mom train for her first. Somewhere in all of that, a pattern became impossible to ignore.I share the thinking behind the First Marathon Buddy Program, why it’s meant to walk al

22: How To Nail Your First 5 Weeks Of Marathon Training (Mini Episode) Feb 4, 2026 510 In this week’s Wednesday mini episode, I’m walking through Phase One of the First Marathon Buddy program and breaking down what actually matters during the first five weeks of a 20 week marathon training plan. This phase isn’t about crushing workouts or proving anything. It’s about setting expectations, learning how to read your plan without panicking, building a routine that fits your life, and

110: Running Towards Gratitude: How a Busy Mom Found Her First Marathon w/ Nancy Pauley Feb 2, 2026 3433 Nancy never thought of herself as a runner. She was the kid who hated playing outside, grew up believing only “people chased by bears” ran, and spent most of her adult life focused on raising six kids. Running didn’t enter her life until her late 30s, when life got heavy and she started running down the country roads near her home just to clear her head. What began as a mental reset slowly turned

21: Introducing the First Marathon Buddy Program! (Mini Episode) Jan 28, 2026 451 This Wednesday mini episode kicks off a new short series built around something I’ve been quietly working on for the last few months: the First Marathon Buddy Program. It’s a 20-week companion meant to sit alongside your training plan and make marathon training feel less overwhelming, less isolating, and a lot more doable. In this episode, I walk through what the program is, why it exists, and ho

109: The Peloton-to-Marathon Pipeline and Proving Your Own Doubt Wrong w/ Rose Meadows Jan 26, 2026 3134 Rose never saw herself as a marathon runner. Growing up, movement felt punitive, something she was forced into rather than chose for herself. In her twenties, that complicated relationship with exercise and food followed her, until consistency, Peloton, and a shift toward body-positive movement slowly changed the way she saw fitness. What started as cycling turned into running, then a half marath

108: The Privilege of Being Tired: Rebuilding a Healthy Relationship with Running w/ Lena Cords Jan 19, 2026 4351 Lena Cords' first marathon came after years of rebuilding her relationship with movement. After a childhood spent as a competitive swimmer, Lena moved through seasons of overexercising, underfueling, injury, and anorexia recovery that forced her to step away from running entirely.In this episode, Lena shares how she slowly found her way back through walking, 5Ks, trail races, half marathons, and

20: You'll Hate Running Until You Don't (Mini Episode) Jan 14, 2026 403 This week’s Wednesday mini episode is one I really wish someone had told me back when I was first trying to get into running: You're going to hate running until the day you don't. In this episode, I talk through my own start and stop relationship with running, why I hated it for years, and what finally changed when I stopped trying to prove something on every run. We get into the glamorization of

107: Slow, Smiling, and Still Strong: A Former College Athlete’s First Marathon w/ Gabby Averill Jan 12, 2026 2869 Gabby’s running journey didn’t start with a finish line goal or a desire to be fast. It started after stepping away from Division I college sports, when the structure she’d built her identity around suddenly disappeared and movement no longer had a clear purpose.In this episode, Gabby walks us through what it looked like to relearn running on her own terms. From seeing running as punishment growi

19: How To Set Your Next (or first) Marathon Goal (Mini Epsiode) Jan 7, 2026 356 It’s a New Year mini episode and we’re talking marathon goal setting! In this episode, I break down why time goals are not the only goals that matter and how relying on a single goal can set yourself up for failure.We walk through a simple three-layer approach to marathon goals: outcome goals, process goals, and the personal why that actually carries you through the long runs and hard weeks. If y

106: 26 Before 26: Trusting Yourself Back to Running w/ Kelly Waddleton Jan 5, 2026 2336 Kelly Waddleton never thought she was a runner. She was the slowest kid on the team, hated conditioning, and fully stepped away from running in college. Years later, during a tough mental health season and a moment where she needed something solid to hold onto, running quietly found its way back in. What started as a scary decision to sign up for a half marathon with her dad turned into momentum,

105: When Peak Week Breaks You: Dropping to the Half and Coming Back for 26.2 w/ Andie Becker Dec 29, 2025 3308 This week Andie Becker is sharing a story that will feel painfully familiar to anyone who’s ever made it deep into a training block only to have everything fall apart right at the worst moment.Andie didn’t grow up a runner. She found running later, first as something to do during lockdown, then as a way to feel more connected to her body and her community. What started as “just running for fun” qu

18: Guided Body Scan For Your Next Long Run (Mini Episode) Dec 24, 2025 307 This Wednesday mini episode is for those long runs where your mind starts wandering, the miles feel heavier, and everything turns into pace math and quiet spirals. I'm guiding you through a simple body scan you can use while you’re running to check in from head to toe, soften unnecessary tension, and come back to the moment you’re actually in. It’s a gentle reset you can return to anytime you need

104: Running Without Rushing: A Joy-First Marathon Journey w/ Ariel Greenstein Dec 22, 2025 3216 Ariel Greenstein didn’t grow up as an athlete. She didn’t fall in love with running early. And for a long time, movement just wasn’t part of her life. But in her early 30s, something shifted. What started as Broadway-themed Peloton classes during the pandemic slowly turned into outdoor runs, then half marathons, and eventually a very intentional, very patient build toward her first marathon at the

17: My Top 3 Winter Running Hacks (Mini Episode) Dec 17, 2025 246 This week’s Wednesday mini episode is all about making winter running a little more bearable. I’m breaking down my top three cold weather running tips that I’ve been sharing in my December daily running tip series, from keeping your hands and feet warm, to starting your run slightly cold on purpose, to fueling earlier than you think when temps drop.I also share a simple bonus tip that makes a huge

103: Running as Resistance: Health Battles, Healing, and a First Marathon w/ Heather Anderson Dec 15, 2025 4298 Heather Anderson’s running journey didn’t start with a training plan or a finish-time goal. It started with survival. From growing up running with her mom, to using running as a lifeline through trauma, chronic illness, surgery, and multiple injuries, Heather’s first marathon was built on years of resilience. In this episode, she shares how running became an act of resistance against everything tr

16: BE TOO MUCH (Mini Episode) Dec 10, 2025 493 This week’s mini episode dives into something a little different: the power of being too much. I grew up hearing that phrase constantly and spent years trying to shrink myself so no one would think I cared too much or tried too hard. But running marathons, hosting this show, and setting big goals flipped that script for me. Today I’m sharing how embracing that “too much” energy has pushed me towar

102: Carried by Community: Fundraising, Representation, and a First NYC Marathon w/ Karina Chiqui Dec 8, 2025 4111 This week, I’m chatting with Karina Chiqui, whose first marathon story is layered with community, culture, and a whole lot of heart. Karina started running at 12 after getting cut from her middle school soccer team, which led her into a lifelong relationship with distance running and eventually a collegiate career she accidentally signed up for. After graduation she moved across the country, rebui

16: How A Coach Guided Me Through Injury w/ Victoria (Train Smart Run Strong) (Mini Episode) Dec 3, 2025 1442 This mini episode looks back at the first few weeks of working with my coach, Victoria from Train Smart Run Strong, when I showed up unsure, uncomfortable, and trying to figure out if my body could handle another marathon. We walk through how she approached my situation, the way she separates normal training fatigue from true red-flag pain, and why building a pain free foundation matters more than

101: New Beginnings at 53: Her First Marathon After Beating Cancer w/ Sheila Molony Dec 1, 2025 3686 Sheila started running at 53 with nothing but a Couch to 5K app and a feeling that something in her life needed to change. What she didn’t know then was that running would carry her through one of the hardest chapters of her life. After a breast cancer diagnosis, surgery, radiation, and chemo, she rebuilt her strength mile by mile until she found herself standing on the start line of her first mar

15: 3 Benefits of Running a Marathon on Your Period (Mini Episode) Nov 26, 2025 497 A couple weeks ago I shared a post about starting my period the day before my marathon, and the response from female runners was huge. So many of you had questions about how it went, what I researched beforehand, and whether running a marathon on day two of your cycle is actually doable. In this mini episode I walk through what the experience was really like and dig into the research I did leading

100: MY 5th Marathon (Solo Episode - HAPPY 100 EPISODES!!) Nov 24, 2025 1531 This week I am breaking down my fifth marathon and closing the chapter on what has been one of the most chaotic, emotional, and growth filled years of running I have ever had. Richmond came together after an injury filled spring, a party pace summer, and zero plans to race again in 2025. Then an unexpected opportunity popped up, three weeks of prep began, and suddenly I was lining up for a maratho

14: Expect Training to Never Go Perfectly (Mini Episode) Nov 12, 2025 331 Getting sick a week out from a marathon used to send me into full panic mode. But after five marathons, I’ve learned that training never goes perfectly, and it doesn’t have to. In this episode, I’m sharing how my mindset has shifted over time, why one missed or modified run won’t ruin your race, and the three questions I ask myself anytime things go off plan during training.Follow along with the s

99: A Quarter, a Timex, and a Lifetime of Miles: 34 Years of Running Lessons w/ Stephanie Dyer Nov 10, 2025 3304 When Stephanie Dyer started running 34 years ago, it wasn’t love at first sight. As a former tennis player, running felt like punishment. But surrounded by the energy of Marathon Monday at Boston College, she gave it another chance and found a lifelong passion.In this episode, Stephanie shares how her first marathon grew into decades of lessons about patience, simplicity, and self-trust. From trai

98: MY 4th Marathon - Chicago Marathon Recap Nov 3, 2025 1798 In this episode, I’m sharing my side of the 2025 Chicago Marathon story. This was my fourth marathon and the one I ran alongside my mom for her first. After missing out on the lottery, I joined the American Cancer Society charity team and used this race as a way to rebuild my confidence after a tough experience in Eugene. I talk about the highs, the setbacks, and what it was like pacing my mom thr

13: Progress Doesn’t Have to Be Measured by Time (But It Can Be) (Mini Episode) Oct 29, 2025 353 In this week’s mini episode, I’m tackling a question that came my way recently: “What’s the point of running a race if you’re not measuring progress by time?” After four marathons, I’ve learned that progress isn’t always about pace or PRs. It can show up in the way you fuel, how you handle the tough miles, or how you keep your mindset strong when things don’t go to plan.If you’re training for your

97: Lottery to Finish Line: Becoming a Marathoner in Chicago w/ Monique Sayles Oct 27, 2025 4849 Last fall, my mom and I ran a half marathon together in North Carolina, the first time she’d really laced up again in years. Not long after, I sent her a text about the Chicago Marathon lottery and told her to throw her name in just to see what happens. She wasn’t convinced, but she humored me. Months later, she opened her inbox to find an email that started with one word: “Congratulations.”That m

12: Tips on Post-Marathon Recovery (Mini Episode) Oct 22, 2025 848 This week’s mini episode is all about post-marathon recovery, and I’m speaking from experience. Fresh off the Chicago Marathon, I’m breaking down what I’ve learned across four marathons about how to actually recover well (and what not to do after your first one). From the “marathon flu” to why you should never stop moving right after you cross the finish line, we’re covering it all. Plus, my one h

96: Erin Phifer returns to the show: Maple gels, run walk strategy, and a Berlin finish through the Gate Oct 20, 2025 4040 Our podcast editor, Erin Phifer, is back for her second episode to recap her wild ride at the 2025 Berlin Marathon. What started as a race that just happened to fit her work schedule turned into her hottest, hardest, and most meaningful marathon yet.Erin opens up about juggling a foot injury, getting certified as a run coach mid-training, and learning when to trust herself instead of an app. She s

11: Making the Most of Your Long Runs – Why the Hard Runs Matter (Mini Episode) Oct 8, 2025 428 Long runs are about more than just building mileage. In this mini episode, we’re breaking down how to use your long runs as dress rehearsals for race day—from testing your fueling and pre-run meals to figuring out your outfit and mental strategy. We’re also talking about why the hardest, most frustrating runs often end up being the ones that matter most when it comes to marathon day.Follow along w

95: Why the Race Isn’t the Point: Loving the Training More Than the Medal w/ Steven Salefske Oct 6, 2025 3267 This week’s episode dives into a runner who has been logging miles for nearly three decades, from high school cross country to Navy decks to marathon training on a treadmill in the middle of the ocean. Steven shares what hooked him on running early on, how his first marathon came together through a Groupon deal and a deployment timeline, and why the joy of running has always come from the training

10: We're Talkin' Race Strategy (Mini Episode) Oct 2, 2025 522 On this weeks episode, we're breaking down common race strategies for you fall marathoners gearing up for race day! As always, I recommend consulting with a coach or experienced running to develop the perfect strategy for you. Follow along with the show: 👣 Personal IG/TikTok: @tay.says / @taysays 🎙️ Podcast IG/TikTok: @myfirstmarathonpod 📺 YouTube: @MyFirstMarathonPodcast 🌐 Website & extras: m

94: Losing, Returning, and Finding Strength in the Marathon w/ Myka Laukea Sep 29, 2025 3283 Myka’s road to 26.2 came with plenty of detours. After years of stopping and starting, she found her stride again on the Raleigh greenways and signed up for the Tobacco Road Marathon. Her training leaned heavy on mileage, peaking at 60 miles a week with little recovery or fueling, which left her constantly tired and wondering if that was just part of marathon prep.Race day brought its own challeng

9: Battling The Taper Crazies (Mini Episode) Sep 24, 2025 506 This week’s mini episode is all about taper. Fresh off my 20-mile peak run, I share what taper has felt like across my marathons - from the taper crazies to finally learning to enjoy it.We talk about why taper feels so strange, how to keep yourself busy without overdoing it, and why this is the perfect time to rest, reset, and thank your support system before race day.Follow along with the show: 👣

93: Postpartum to Pittsburgh: Running for Herself w/ Rebecca Simonic Sep 22, 2025 3580 What does it take to go from postpartum depression and doomscrolling on the couch to crossing the finish line of your first marathon? For Rebecca Simonic, it all started with a TikTok edit of the New York City Marathon that sparked something she couldn’t ignore. She set her sights on 26.2 and never looked back.In this episode, Rebecca opens up about the messy, emotional, and rewarding journey of t

8: My Mental Health Journey (Mini Episode) Sep 17, 2025 949 In honor of Suicide Prevention Month, I’m sharing my story of how the pressure of sports turned into anxiety, burnout, and depression, and how running eventually helped me find my way forward again. It wasn’t an overnight change, but step by step I started to rebuild my confidence and sense of purpose. If you’re going through something similar, I want you to know you’re not alone, and there is alw

92: Poison Ivy to Philly: Leaving the Past at the Finish Line w/ Asher Brummel Sep 15, 2025 2807 Asher didn’t grow up playing sports and definitely didn’t picture himself as a marathoner. His running story started in a pretty unusual way: after a poison ivy rash left him restless, he laced up a pair of basketball shoes and went out for a mile. That quick decision snowballed into signing up for the Philadelphia Marathon just 17 weeks later. What followed was a crash course in marathon training

91: From 90 Seconds to American Record: The Reinvention of Keira D’Amato Sep 8, 2025 4090 Keira D’Amato’s running journey is a true comeback story. After almost a decade away from the sport, she started again as a new mom who could barely run 90 seconds and started her slow build back. That patient rebuild gave her a new perspective on running and eventually carried her from her first marathon in Missoula to breaking the American record.In this episode, Keira talks about what it meant

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