Podcasts · Health & Fitness

My First Marathon

My First Marathon

180 episodes

Join host Taylor as she sits down with runners from all walks of life to delve into their unforgettable first marathon experiences. From the nerves at the starting line to the euphoria of crossing the finish, each episode offers a candid look at the highs, lows, and unexpected twists of preparing for and conquering 26.2 miles for the first time. Whether you're a seasoned marathoner or just considering lacing up your running shoes for the first time, this podcast is your go-to source for motivation, inspiration, and real-life insights from those who've been there, done that. Tune in as we celebrate the triumphs, share the struggles, and uncover the lessons learned along the road to that unforgettable first marathon finish line. Follow along on TikTok and Instagram at @myfirstmarathonpod! Have feedback? We'd love to hear it! Reach out at myfirstmarathonpod@gmail.com. Ready to tell your story? Fill out the below form for your chance to be featured! MFM Request Form

Episodes page 1 of 4

  1. 32: Catching Up Before Taper! Life & Running Updates (Mini Episode)

    · 16 min · Episode 32 · Bonus

    I’m back with a Wednesday mini episode for the first time in a long time, and I’m catching up with you right after finishing my 20 miler for the Charlotte Marathon. I was supposed to be about eight months pregnant this…

  2. 148: There’s Never a Perfect Time: Training for a First Marathon With Three Young Kids w/ Morgan Berry

    · 1 h 06 min · Episode 148

    Morgan Berry spent her high school track days saying yes to whatever event her coach needed filled, but the marathon didn’t feel like hers until she watched her husband chase a Boston qualifier and find his running…

  3. 147: You Can’t Pour From an Empty Cup: Finding Something Just for Me w/ Jess O’Brien

    · 57 min · Episode 147

    Jess O’Brien became a mom at 18, and for years movement took a back seat to raising her son. Running didn’t stick the first time she tried it, but joining a CrossFit gym had built up her endurance, so when a Revel…

  4. 146: Follow Your Curiosity: 30+ Marathons, Ultras, and Chasing Sub-3 w/ Casey Cline

    · 39 min · Episode 146

    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…

  5. 145: Back Where It All Began: Running Sydney, the City That Became Home w/ Sandy Engler

    · 52 min · Episode 145

    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…

  6. 144: A Bad Race Doesn't Erase the Training: Unfinished Business w/ Steve Carrier

    · 1 h 00 min · Episode 144

    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…

  7. 143: The Wall That Never Came: Running Her First Marathon on Her 40th Birthday w/ Aimee Jones

    · 48 min · Episode 143

    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…

  8. 142: "This Is My Tribe": Marathons, History, and The Long Run w/ Martin Dugard

    · 56 min · Episode 142

    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…

  9. 141: I Can Do Hard Things: Running New York in Her Uncle's Honor w/ Jay Wood

    · 57 min · Episode 141

    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…

  10. 140: It's Our Duty to Give Back: Ainsley's Angels and Finding Community w/ Hunter Pardue

    · 1 h 02 min · Episode 140

    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…

  11. 139: A Joyful First Marathon: Running Chicago w/ Sierra Wehrenberg

    · 46 min · Episode 139

    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…

  12. 31: Survival Guide To Running Your First Marathon (Mini Episode)

    · 8:52 · Episode 31 · Bonus

    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.…

  13. 138: "Fail Forward": Finding Strength Through a Marathon Gone Wrong w/ Barry Scruggs

    · 58 min · Episode 138

    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…

  14. 137: Watching Someone Else's Finish Line: How a Stranger's Marathon Story Became Her Own w/ Abia Mallick

    · 1 h 02 min · Episode 137

    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…

  15. 30: Why I Program Speed Work (Mini Episode)

    · 4:46 · Episode 30 · Bonus

    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…

  16. 135: "Anybody Could Do This": The Chicago Marathon, Take One w/ Sara Shimala

    · 1 h 00 min · Episode 135

    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.…

  17. 134: "What If I Just Stopped": Hitting the Wall at Mile 12 and Finishing Anyway w/ Julie Satterthwaite

    · 1 h 02 min · Episode 134

    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…

  18. 29: How I'm Approaching Returning To Running (Mini Episodes Are Back!)

    · 14 min · Episode 29 · Bonus

    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…

  19. 133: Finding Her People: How BAR Run Club Changed Everything w/ Rachel Howard

    · 1 h 03 min · Episode 133

    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…

  20. 132: The Race She Had to Run Twice: Redemption at the Eugene Marathon w/ Gina Loschiavo

    · 47 min · Episode 132

    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…

  21. 131: Slow and Steady, Keep to the Left: A Late Bloomer's First Marathon w/ Jude Harper

    · 53 min · Episode 131

    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…

  22. 130: "You Don't Have to Put a Period at the End of the Sentence": From Trauma to Trail Ultras w/ Mikaela Gomez

    · 1 h 02 min · Episode 130

    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…

  23. 129: It Fell on My Actual Birthday: Why Maggie Finally Signed Up for Chicago w/ Maggie Lowenthal

    · 47 min · Episode 129

    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,…

  24. 128: You Owe It to Yourself to Try: Training for a Marathon She Almost Didn't Start w/ Alyssa Newman

    · 1 h 01 min · Episode 128

    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…

  25. 127: Go Stupid Slow: Finding Running, Community, and Her People in the Ultra World w/ Keneshia Raymond

    · 58 min · Episode 127

    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…

  26. 126: Scarier Than a 50K: A Trail Runner's First Road Marathon w/ Jon Hwang

    · 1 h 07 min · Episode 126

    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…

  27. 28: How To Not Panic Running In The Summer (Mini Epsiode)

    · 5:01 · Episode 28 · Bonus

    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…

  28. 125: $10 Walmart Shoes to Marathon Finisher: Running the Austin Marathon w/ Ashley Bree

    · 43 min · Episode 125

    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…

  29. 124: 4:30 AM, No Bib, No Crowd: Running the Anniversary of Her Surgery w/ Carly Schrom

    · 54 min · Episode 124

    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…

  30. 27: What If Removing the Goal Got You the Result? (Mini Episode)

    · 12 min · Episode 27 · Bonus

    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…

  31. 123: The Last Song on the Playlist: Grief, Sobriety, and 42K w/ Jose Martinez

    · 1 h 01 min · Episode 123

    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…

  32. 122: Throwback Episode: Ariel Greenstein

    · 54 min · Episode 122

    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…

  33. 121: Throwback Episode: Gabby Averill's First Marathon Story

    · 48 min · Episode 121

    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…

  34. 120: He Ran Because She Couldn't: Running the Houston Marathon w/ Ryan Trask

    · 58 min · Episode 120

    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…

  35. 119: The Worst Day of My Life: Running a First Marathon That Didn’t Go to Plan w/ Ilana Dunn

    · 1 h 02 min · Episode 119

    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…

  36. 118: Don’t Quit on a Bad Day: A Marathon Journey Through Pain and Persistence w/ Cass Robinson

    · 1 h 05 min · Episode 118

    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…

  37. 26: Mindset and Running w/ Nick Savin (Mini Episode)

    · 32 min · Episode 26 · Bonus

    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…

  38. 117: Why Not Me?: The Road To 45 Marathons w/ Krissy Murphy

    · 56 min · Episode 117

    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…

  39. 116: Starting Over: From Career-Ending Surgery to a First Marathon w/ Maya Struhar

    · 47 min · Episode 116

    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…

  40. 25: How To Dial In Your Fuel Strategy (Mini Episode)

    · 6:27 · Episode 25 · Bonus

    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…

  41. 115: How Hard Could It Be?: From Spectating London to Running Chicago w/ Holly Kabler

    · 48 min · Episode 115

    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…

  42. 24: How Your First Marathon Changes You (Mini Episode)

    · 4:27 · Episode 24 · Bonus

    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…

  43. 114: From Ballet to the Marathon: Reclaiming Movement at 42 w/ Kristine Owen Wood

    · 1 h 06 min · Episode 114

    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…

  44. 23: How To Nail Weeks 10-15 Of Marathon Training (Mini Episode)

    · 5:58 · Episode 23 · Bonus

    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…

  45. 113: Chicago 2025 and Finding Family with Team to End AIDS w/ Annie Rasmussen

    · 1 h 02 min · Episode 113

    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,…

  46. 112: Remission Miles: From Crohn’s Diagnosis to a Cowtown Marathon Finish w/ Norah St Peter

    · 1 h 01 min · Episode 112

    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…

  47. 111: Introducing The First Marathon Buddy Program

    · 7:30 · Episode 111

    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…

  48. 22: How To Nail Your First 5 Weeks Of Marathon Training (Mini Episode)

    · 8:30 · Episode 22 · Bonus

    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…

  49. 110: Running Towards Gratitude: How a Busy Mom Found Her First Marathon w/ Nancy Pauley

    · 57 min · Episode 110

    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…

  50. 21: Introducing the First Marathon Buddy Program! (Mini Episode)

    · 7:31 · Episode 21 · Bonus

    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…

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