My First Marathon

In this solo mini episode, I’m breaking down five injury-related mistakes I made during my third marathon training block—so you don’t have to. From rushing recovery to trusting the wrong training plan, I’m sharing what went wrong, what I’d do differently, and how I’m approaching things smarter this time around. Whether you’re training through an injury or trying to avoid one, this episode’s for you.

Stay tuned for the guide to go along with this episode at myfirstmarathon.co/resources

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Emily Bailey never saw herself as athletic. She played sports growing up but didn’t feel like she was naturally good at any of them. Over the years, she stayed active and even ran 5Ks for fun, but it wasn’t until 2022 that she started to take running more seriously. What started as a challenge with a cash prize turned into something much bigger.

In this episode, Emily shares how she trained for her first half marathon, navigated recurring injuries, and eventually signed up for her first full with a mindset of no regrets. We talk about what it l...

In this mini episode, I’m answering the most common questions I get from first-time marathoners. Whether you’re deep into training, thinking about signing up, or just trying to figure out where to begin, this is for you. I’m covering how long to train, what to eat on the run, how to pace yourself, and what actually matters on race day. These are real questions from real runners, with simple answers you can actually use.

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👣 Personal IG/TikTok: @tay.says / @taysays
🎙️ Podcast IG/TikTok: @myfirstmarathonpod
📺 YouTube: @MyFirstMarathonPodcast
🌐 Website & extras: my...

John Calabrese turned to running during one of the hardest seasons of his life. After a difficult divorce and a period of personal reflection, he signed up for a marathon as a way to process pain and find purpose. What started with solo training runs quickly evolved into a love for ultras, trails, and the weird, welcoming community that came with them.

In this episode, John opens up about how running helped him through grief, injury, and burnout, why returning to the sport was harder than starting, and what it means to reconnect with your "why" after life...

Theresa Dornburg didn’t follow a strict plan, hire a coach, or even hit a traditional long run before her first marathon. But she still made it to the Charlotte finish line—with a beer and tofu waiting for her at mile 22.

In this episode, Theresa shares how a restaurant job with unpredictable hours, a group of coworkers turned training partners, and some creative mileage made her marathon possible. We talk about managing injuries, running through the North Carolina heat, and what it’s like to chase a marathon while balancing 50-hour work weeks.

If you’ve ever...

Sarah had been running for 15 years, but it wasn’t until she hit a rough patch that she finally started running on her own terms. What began as a way to manage body image in high school eventually became a tool for structure, clarity, and self-trust.

In this episode, we talk about what it’s like to feel like a beginner after years of running, the spreadsheet saga behind her marathon training plan, and the mental spiral that hit her at mile 15. Sarah shares how navigating injury, PCOS, and self-doubt helped her rebuild confidence—on and off the course...

In this episode, I chat with Erin Azar (@immrsspacecadet) about what it took to go from quitting everything she started to training for—and finishing—her first marathon. Erin opens up about running postpartum, the mental battles that came with starting from zero, and how documenting her journey online helped her stay consistent when things got hard.

We talk about what it felt like to run in a body that didn’t feel like hers, how working with a coach changed her approach, and what it was like to train for a marathon during the early days of COVID...

Colin Fegeley joins the show to break down his first marathon experience—starting with a wake-up call at a routine doctor’s appointment and ending with a finish line under the Arc de Triomf in Barcelona. In just ten months, Colin went from casual 5Ks to completing a full marathon, but what makes his story stand out is the role community played every step of the way. From his high school cross country team to his long run training partners and family support, Colin shares how leaning on others helped him stay consistent, accountable, and motivated. We talk about what it’s...

In this episode, I chat with Courteney Lowe, co-founder of Fuel Goods, about her journey from professional cycling to her first marathon—and all the hard lessons learned along the way. Courteney opens up about what it was like to hit the wall at mile 18, how poor fueling nearly took her out of the race, and why that experience ended up inspiring the launch of Fuel Goods.

We cover everything from the mindset shift required to move from cycling to running, to the physical challenges of pacing and gut issues, to how her relationship with running changed when sh...

Colin spent a year training for his first marathon—navigating weight loss, injury recovery, and every mental hurdle that comes with starting from scratch. In this episode, he shares the full story of how he went from going through all the emotions watching the Chicago Marathon livestream to crossing the finish line at Hayward Field in Eugene. His transformation is equal parts inspiring, relatable, and deeply personal.

Even more special, I got to run the Eugene Marathon alongside him. We talk about what it’s really like to share a race with someone for 26.2 miles, the highs and lows...

After battling postpartum depression and feeling at her lowest, Symone turned to the one thing that had always helped her cope—running. What started as a few shaky miles quickly became a goal to run a half marathon... which then escalated into training for the New York City Marathon. In just eight months, she went from zero movement to 26.2 miles, all while juggling mom life, shin splints, and mid-run FaceTimes. In this episode, Symone shares the highs, the lows, and the very real, very relatable journey of becoming a marathoner on her own terms.

Follow along with Symone at...

Cameron Schuler, founder of RNWY Nutrition, joins the show to share how a college bet led to his first (very undertrained) marathon—and eventually sparked the idea for a holistic fueling brand built for endurance athletes. We dive into his running journey from sprinter to sub-3 marathoner, what he learned from 10+ marathons, and how years working at Nike and Vital Proteins shaped his approach to performance and longevity.

We also talk about the gaps Cameron saw in sports nutrition, the origin of RNWY, and how he’s fueling for Boston with their soon-to-launch product.

🎧 Use code MYFIRST...

With my solo episode out this week where I dove into my recent injury, for my running nerds out there enjoy today's BONUS episode on injury prevention with Sean Roach, physical therapist, biomechanics expert, and founder of Aletheia Run—a company creating cutting-edge tech to help runners better understand and prevent injuries.

Sean shares his deeply personal and professional journey, from battling chronic running injuries to working with elite Nike athletes, and now developing wearable tools that offer real-time insights into running mechanics. We dig into why so many runners get injured, how traditional injury prevention methods fall sh...

In today’s solo episode, I’m breaking down every twist, turn, and tear of my third marathon—Eugene. This wasn’t the PR-chasing, hometown comeback I imagined. Instead, it became a crash course in running through injury, navigating self-doubt, and redefining what success looks like when everything doesn’t go according to plan. 

From failing training runs and working with PTs, to crossing the finish line in a wheelchair, this race tested me more than any before—but it also gave me the clearest picture yet of who I am as a runner. Whether you’re injured, training, or to...

After finding himself lost for an identity outside of his job, this runner had a realization that he needed to re-prioritize some of the areas in his own life, including taking care of his mental and physical health. This drive led him to running, which eventually led him to run his first and second half marathon and then eventually a full marathon.

We talk a lot about mental health in this episode as this runner was diagnosed with OCD, anxiety, and depression and really found running as a tool to help work through some of these complex emotions. 

Today’s runner is a physical therapist, run coach, and running content creator with over 20 years of experience. While her early love for running was more casual—fitting in between high-level tennis competitions—her journey eventually led her to chase the marathon distance.

Her first attempt? The 2020 New York City Marathon… and we all know how that turned out. After completing an entire training block, she had to make the tough call to defer. When she finally got to the start line in 2022, she was ready for her dream NYC moment—but instead, faced one of the hardest race days...

Today's runner's journey started in the hospital on Mother's Day where reality hit with his doctor telling him he needed to make an immediate change in his health. Since then he's lost 160 plus pounds, ran multiple Spartan races, an ultra marathon and eventually ran his first marathon and has no intentions of stopping there. 

We get into how much we're in our own ways and how proving to yourself over and over again that you can do hard things is what really pulls you out of that negative thought loop of thinking that you can't. There's so much g...

On this weeks episode, I get the mic turned on me on the Super Awesome You Podcast to tell my story! We talk about my journey to running, exploring the power of your words, community, and finding yourself through running. 

I hope you all enjoy getting to know me a bit more, and make sure you following along with Sam's show at @superawesomeyou on Instagram and Threads, and check out the show on Spotify using the link below! 

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2RCPEonAazK3lQlECpBwWQ?si=wUrIT4pfT0KhutvWHri3Zw

Today's runner went from watching the New York City Marathon on social media to running her own marathon at the Every Women's Marathon in a year.... so you could say she got the marathon bug! Her journey was no easy feat though. She had to overcome the challenges of being a slower runner, a mom of two and struggling with having confidence in her body. 

Throughout the process, she was able to shift that mindset entirely, learning to embrace where her pace was at and celebrate her body in ways that she hadn't before.

Follow along w...

Today's runner ran her first marathon in 2024 at the Philly Marathon in honor of her dad's life. Movement started for her as a softball player through high school and college where quite frankly, she was not a fan of running. After finding some joy in walking, she decided to take the jump to running and after running her first half marathon, she was completely hooked.

The passing of her father further fueled her journey as she went through the grieving process while training. This is really great story episode from someone who's been through a lot of trials...

Today's runner comes from the classic cross country runner to marathoner pipeline and walks us through her 10 year running journey leading up to the New York City Marathon in 2023. We talk about her experience with the 9 plus 1 program, her experience working with a coach for her first marathon, as well as the electricity of running the New York City Marathon in her home city.

For newer runners, she provides a great perspective on taking things slow in the beginning and how 26.2 miles is the same distance no matter how fast you finish it, but if you want to...

On today's episode, we're celebrating the one year anniversary of the My First Marathon Podcast by throwing it back to the very first episode of the show talking about MY first marathon. 

We've got a brand spankin' new website out now as well - check out myfirstmarathonpodcast.com for free resources, extended/bonus content, and more! 

We'll be back with regular episodes next week, make sure you're following along with the show at @myfirstmarathonpod on Instagram and TikTok. 

We're launching a website! March 9th myfirstmarathonpodcast.com will be live equipped with paywall bonus Q&A's + solo chats breaking down our guest episodes, extended episodes, free first marathon resources, and more. Make sure you're following @myfirstmarathonpod on Instagram and TikTok for updates! 

Today's runner is a fellow podcaster who recently ran his first marathon at the 2024 New York City Marathon. We dig into how his relationship with running started with an amazing high school cross country coach who helped him realize that running can truly be a space for peace in life. 

After 10 years of ru...

Today's runner has four marathons and five years of running under her belt, each with a different lesson learned. The biggest lessons she's learned over time is to continually be reevaluating your "why" when it comes to distance running because at the end of the day, the marathon distance owes you nothing and it's important to know why you're showing up for you. 

Lots of stories on this one from someone who's battled stomach issues, an IT band injury, and more, so if you're looking for an episode with plenty of marathon experiences with curveballs along the way, t...

Today we speak to a runner who's been able to use walking and running as a tool for sobriety. We talk about how after being in and out of rehabilitation centers for a few years, there was one consistent bright spot in her life, moving. It was time for processing, for routine and time to do something for herself. 

Eventually in her fifth year anniversary of being sober, she was able to pull lottery for Chicago and at that point now had the plan to run her first marathon. Her experience was one of resilience, strength and community. T...

Today's runner is normally on the other side of the mic telling inspiring stories of the everyday runner. So I was very fortunate to turn the tables and ask him some questions today!

We dive into how he went from training for a half marathon on a whim and initially hating running to running his first marathon and falling in love with endurance sports. After training for Boston and not having the race experience he hoped for, he turned to the triathlon sport where he found himself completely immersed and ended up competing in 8 Ironmans. 

He's b...

Today's runner has 110 marathons under his belt with a little under half of those being at the Boston Marathon. You may have seen him on TikTok, #slaying the day or passing on all the tips and tricks for running a marathon and how to find longevity in the sport. I love the running community for bringing runners like this to the show because he was truly such a joy to listen to.

To follow along with Mike, you can find him at @runboston47 on Instagram and @bman363 on TikTok! 

On today's episode we've got another runner whose marathon and training are fresh on her mind because she ran her first marathon just a few months ago in September of 2024. We go into a lot of detail of reframing her relationship with running, training for her first two halves and eventually training for her full. 

We also get into a lot of new runner tips and tricks as well as the importance of training your stomach so lot's of good topics on this one!

If you'd like to follow along with Paige, you can find her o...

On today's episode we've got a lifelong runner with 66 marathons and a wealth of knowledge under her. We're talking someone who's ran New York 27 times, Chicago seven times and Boston six times. 

We break down her journey to her first marathon in San Francisco where she was finding out what it meant to be a marathoner and got through a lot of the triumphs and low points of running multiple marathons in a year. I love this runner's perspective on making sure you adjust your goals and at the end of the day, make running fun. 

To...

On today's episode, we talked to someone who running hasn't left alone since 2020. After having the itch to give it a go in 2020 and having the race canceled to trying to sign up again a couple of years later and getting COVID, the odds were stacked against her to run her first marathon. 

But running kept coming up and in 2023, she got the opportunity to run her first marathon in New York City. We get into topics of fueling challenges and the mental battle of training for your first marathon, as well as experiencing racing as a slower r...

This runner is someone I've personally followed for a while and I think brings such a joy to the running community. In 2020, she found herself searching for new ways to prove herself wrong and push beyond her limits, which eventually led her to run three DIY races in the span of two years. It started with a DIY half, then a DIY full, and then finally, a DIY Ironman. 

We break down the mental battle of these races and how those experiences helped shape the future of her running. We also get into topics of coaching and when t...

On today's episode we talk to an ultra runner who started running over 20 years ago in middle school but because of a delivery job at Jimmy John's actually ended up getting away from running for a while and dove headfirst into the biking world. After bike racing for a year he decided he wanted to get back into running and tackled the challenge of completing his first marathon. 

From there, we get into how this road eventually led to ultras and how the mental toughness aspect of running in ultras where the change can really happen in yourself. 

On today's episode, we talk to a runner with eight marathons and 13 years of running under her belt. We get into how she's heavily involved in the Cape Cod marathon community as both a runner and announcer, and also break down the differences between running your local marathons versus running world majors as she chases her six stars. 

Julianna is SO engaging to listen to and has a lot of experience to work with, don't forget to listen to her podcast (Runnah Pod) and follow along with her journey on Instagram at @jellyanna_runs! 

Today's runner is a dad marathoner and run-streaker with 10 years in between his first and second marathon. We dive into a lot of detail about training for the Philly Marathon last year where he PR'd his marathon time by nearly two hours as well as how consistency through his run streak has really allowed him to show up better for his family and for himself. 

We go in a little shoe tangent at the end, so if you're a shoe fanatic, make sure you stick around for that. We also talked about Bobby's awesome running playlist that we w...

In today's episode, we got to talk to the queen of Chicago running, whose first marathon and several marathons since then have been at THE Chicago Marathon. I seriously would have sat and chatted about every race with this runner, but since she's ran quite a few, we talked about a few of her race experiences, some tips and tricks she's learned along the way and how running has changed over time. 

After all, runners like to yap about running and that's what this episode is. 

To follow along with Cynthia, you can find her at @cy...

Thirteen months ago, this runner was plagued by addiction and was at the lowest point in his life where he had started thinking that life was no longer worth living. He thankfully reached a point where he found resources to recovery and along the way found that movement could be something that he could direct his energy into rather than putting it towards something harmful. 

From there it was a whirlwind of races and experiences where he kept proving to himself that he could do hard things that that life was worth sticking around for. Now he has t...

If you're curious what it takes to train for three full Ironmans, this is the episode for you! This runner started running pretty young and eventually found her way into the triathlon world that she ended up falling in love with. 

Her first marathon experience was actually a training run leading up to her first full Ironman, and for both of those races she experienced the trap we're all familiar with with setting the bar a little too high for her first experience and coming out a little too quick. The positive though is that she's been able t...

On today's episode we talk to a runner, physical therapist, run coach and social media influencer about the changes from her first marathon to her second. We dive into what a lot of us experience going from number one to number two, that you just don't know what you don't know. Because this runner has a unique experience being in the physical therapy world, we also talk about injury prevention, shoes, fuel and more. 

To follow along with Lisa, you can find her at @dr.lisa.dpt on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube! 

It's been 9 months since I filmed my last solo episode breaking down how I trained from couch to marathon in 11 months. On today's  episode we're bringing the solo show back to break down the last 9 months of training since my first marathon and all of the things that have changed since all leading up to marathon #2! 

We get into having to train your stomach to take in fuel, how following a professional plan impacted training, and eventually broke down race day for my second marathon. 

To follow along with me and the show, follow @tay.says and...

Today's guest joins us all the way from Australia! We dive into her first year of running and how she truly was able to prove to herself in that time frame that ANYONE can do hard things. We talk about how her relationship with running changed drastically - from not enjoying it one bit to eventually MISSING her long runs as she got closer to race day. 

We also talk about the absolute electricity of the running community and how showing up to an expo and seeing how many crazy people are out here accomplishing the same things y...