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 she started working with a coach. Courteney also shares what fuels her now, what shoes she trusts, and how she’s balancing performance goals with the long game of staying injury-free and enjoying the process.

If you’ve ever struggled with pacing, nutrition, or motivation, this conversation is full of the real talk runners need.

Follow along with Courteney and the Fuel Goods team: @fuel_goods & @courteneylowe. 

Follow along with the show:
👣 Personal IG/TikTok: @tay.says / @taysays
🎙️ Podcast IG/TikTok: @myfirstmarathonpod
📺 YouTube: @MyFirstMarathonPodcast
🌐 Website & extras: myfirstmarathonpodcast.com & myfirstmarathonpodcast.com/exclusives

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 of the course, and the moment everything almost fell apart at mile 25.9. Whether you’ve run one marathon or none, this story will remind you why we keep showing up to the start line.

Follow along with Colin on TikTok at @ccbloodworth ! 

Follow along with the show:
👣 Personal IG/TikTok: @tay.says / @taysays
🎙️ Podcast IG/TikTok: @myfirstmarathonpod
📺 YouTube: @MyFirstMarathonPodcast
🌐 Website & extras: myfirstmarathonpodcast.com & myfirstmarathonpodcast.com/exclusives

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 @symoneskinner on Instagram! 

Follow along with the show:
👣 Personal IG/TikTok: @tay.says / @taysays
🎙️ Podcast IG/TikTok: @myfirstmarathonpod
📺 YouTube: @MyFirstMarathonPodcast
🌐 Website & extras: myfirstmarathonpodcast.com & myfirstmarathonpodcast.com/exclusives

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 MYFIRSTMARATHON for 20% off at rnwy.life

Follow along with Cam and RNWY at @RNWY.life on Instagram

Follow along with the show:
👣 Personal IG/TikTok: @tay.says / @taysays
🎙️ Podcast IG/TikTok: @myfirstmarathonpod
📺 YouTube: @MyFirstMarathonPodcast
🌐 Website & extras: myfirstmarathonpodcast.com & myfirstmarathonpodcast.com/exclusives

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 short, and why strength training (done right) is non-negotiable for long-term performance. 

Sean also explains how biomechanics, neurology, and even fascia all connect—and why your foot pain might actually be coming from your hips or even your neck. Whether you're a marathoner or just trying to stay healthy and injury-free, this episode is packed with eye-opening insights and actionable takeaways.

Links & Resources:
• Learn more about Aletheia Runs: https://www.aletheia.run/ or @aletheiarun on Instagram
• Follow Taylor on Instagram: @tay.says
• Follow the podcast: @myfirstmarathonpod

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 toeing the line soon, I hope this story reminds you that marathons don’t owe us anything... and yet, they somehow still give us so much.

Follow along with my personal journey at @tay.says! 

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. 

Follow along with Noah on Instagram and TikTok at @outrunaverage ! 

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 of her life. Still, that race gave her a mindset shift that she carries into every training cycle and coaching session today.

I was smiling the entire time we recorded this. Runners love to talk running—and this conversation was no exception. 

Follow along with Victoria at @trainsmartrunstrong on Instagram! 

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 good in this episode - check out the extended version on myfirstmarathonpodcast.com!

And follow along with Jared at @jaredbercera on Instagram!

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