My First Marathon

By My First MarathonHealth & Fitness Fitness

My First Marathon episodes

January 28 21: Introducing the First Marathon Buddy Program! (Mini Episode)
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 how it’s structured to give you the right information at the right time instead of all at once.
Over the next few weeks, these Wednesday minis will pull tips directly from the First Marathon Buddy Program framework, but if you’re not training for your first marathon, don’t worry. I’ll be adapting each topic to include broader running advice and takeaways for runners who’ve been around the block a few times too. The goal is to make these episodes useful no matter where you’re at, while still keeping things approachable and human for newer runners.
Follow along with the show:
👣 Personal IG/TikTok: @tay.says / @taysays
🎙️ Podcast IG/TikTok: @myfirstmarathonpod
📺 YouTube: @MyFirstMarathonPodcast
🌐 Website & extras: myfirstmarathon.co & myfirstmarathon.co/resources
Join the waitlist for the First Marathon Buddy Program:
https://forms.gle/9CtXZF1Ygxr92TjM8
8 min
January 26 109: The Peloton-to-Marathon Pipeline and Proving Your Own Doubt Wrong w/ Rose Meadows
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 marathon she wasn’t fully prepared for, and eventually the realization that when 13.1 stopped feeling scary, maybe 26.2 was possible too.
In this episode, Rose walks through training for her first marathon at the Every Woman’s Marathon in Scottsdale, including self-doubt, fueling mistakes, rough long runs, unexpected heat, and the mental battle that defined her race. We talk about trusting training when your confidence wavers, leaning on community when things fall apart late in the race, and what it means to cross the finish line carrying proof that you’re capable of more than you ever thought. This is a story about rewriting your relationship with movement and learning, mile by mile, that your mind might be your strongest muscle.
Follow along with Rose on Instagram at @rosecmeadows!
Follow along with the show:
👣 Personal IG/TikTok: @tay.says / @taysays
🎙️ Podcast IG/TikTok: @myfirstmarathonpod
📺 YouTube: @MyFirstMarathonPodcast
🌐 Website & extras: myfirstmarathon.co & myfirstmarathon.co/resources
Book a free 1:1 Coaching Call with me! -> https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=37408473&appointmentType=85354440
53 min
January 19 108: The Privilege of Being Tired: Rebuilding a Healthy Relationship with Running w/ Lena Cords
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 eventually the marathon start line. We talk about learning how to fuel without fear, distance dysmorphia, bad long runs, trusting your body again, and why being tired from something you love can feel like a privilege instead of a punishment.
Follow along with the show:
Personal IG/TikTok: @tay.says / @taysays
Podcast IG/TikTok: @myfirstmarathonpod
YouTube: @MyFirstMarathonPodcast
Website & extras: myfirstmarathon.co & myfirstmarathon.co/resources
1 hr 13 min
January 14 20: You'll Hate Running Until You Don't (Mini Episode)
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 running on social media, the importance of patience and consistency, and why falling in love with running has way more to do with who it slowly turns you into than how good any single run feels. If you’re early in your journey and waiting for running to click, this one’s for you!
Follow along with the show:
👣 Personal IG/TikTok: @tay.says / @taysays
🎙️ Podcast IG/TikTok: @myfirstmarathonpod
📺 YouTube: @MyFirstMarathonPodcast
🌐 Website & extras: myfirstmarathon.co & myfirstmarathon.co/resources
Book a free 1:1 Coaching Call with me! -> https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=37408473&appointmentType=85354440
7 min
January 12 107: Slow, Smiling, and Still Strong: A Former College Athlete’s First Marathon w/ Gabby Averill
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 growing up, to signing up for a half marathon on a whim, to slowly building confidence through consistency, community, and letting go of pace expectations. Over the course of a few years, that approach led her to her first marathon at the Every Woman’s Marathon in Arizona, where she focused on fueling well, smiling often, and finishing strong without a time goal attached.
We talk about pace inclusivity, why slow and steady actually works, how community shaped her training and race day, and what it meant for her to cross the finish line feeling proud without tying her identity to one result. This is a conversation about rewriting what success in running can look like, especially for former athletes learning how to move without a coach or a clock.
Follow along with the show:
👣 Personal IG/TikTok: @tay.says / @taysays
🎙️ Podcast IG/TikTok: @myfirstmarathonpod
📺 YouTube: @MyFirstMarathonPodcast
🌐 Website & extras: myfirstmarathon.co & myfirstmarathon.co/resources
Book a free 1:1 Coaching Call with me!
https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=37408473&appointmentType=85354440
48 min
January 07 19: How To Set Your Next (or first) Marathon Goal (Mini Epsiode)
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 you’re feeling motivated one minute and overwhelmed the next after signing up for a marathon, this episode is for you.
Follow along with the show:
👣 Personal IG/TikTok: @tay.says / @taysays
🎙️ Podcast IG/TikTok: @myfirstmarathonpod
📺 YouTube: @MyFirstMarathonPodcast
🌐 Website & extras: myfirstmarathon.co & myfirstmarathon.co/resources
Book a free 1:1 Coaching Call with me!
https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=37408473&appointmentType=85354440
6 min
January 05 106: 26 Before 26: Trusting Yourself Back to Running w/ Kelly Waddleton
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, confidence, and eventually a bold goal of running 26 miles before turning 26.

In this episode, Kelly walks through her full journey to the Philadelphia Marathon, from rebuilding consistency, navigating injury and nausea, trusting her body without a rigid training plan, and leaning on family, faith, and self belief when things got hard. We talk about hitting the wall, redefining success on race day, and what it means to carry every past version of yourself across the finish line. If you’ve ever thought “maybe one day I’ll run a marathon” but weren’t sure you were capable, this one might feel uncomfortably relatable in the best way.

Follow along with Kelly on Instagram at @kellysproductions !

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

Book a free 1:1 Coaching Call with me:
https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=37408473&appointmentType=85354440

39 min
December 29, 2025 105: When Peak Week Breaks You: Dropping to the Half and Coming Back for 26.2 w/ Andie Becker
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” quickly turned into half marathons, run clubs, and eventually signing up for a full marathon in her home state of Oregon. But when peak week hit, her body said no. She made the tough call to drop down to the half in Eugene, trusting her fitness and listening to what her body needed, even if it wasn’t the original plan.

In this conversation, Andie walks through the decision to start over, what she changed the second time around, and how community carried her all the way to the start line of the Marine Corps Marathon. We talk about balancing training with real life, learning when to listen to your body, and what it feels like to finish your first marathon on a day that doesn’t go according to plan, but still counts in every way that matters.

Follow along with Andie on Instagram and Tiktok at @anderbecks!

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

Book a free 1:1 Coaching Call with me! -> https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=37408473&appointmentType=85354440

56 min
December 24, 2025 18: Guided Body Scan For Your Next Long Run (Mini Episode)
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 to feel grounded, steady, and reminded that forward is still forward.

Follow along with the show:
Personal IG/TikTok: @tay.says / @taysays
Podcast IG/TikTok: @myfirstmarathonpod
YouTube: @MyFirstMarathonPodcast
Website & extras: myfirstmarathon.co & myfirstmarathon.co/resources

Book a free 1:1 Coaching Call with me! -> https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=37408473&appointmentType=85354440
6 min
December 22, 2025 104: Running Without Rushing: A Joy-First Marathon Journey w/ Ariel Greenstein
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 Chicago Marathon.

In this conversation, Ariel walks us through what it looks like to take your time with the sport. She shares how releasing pace and time expectations helped her actually enjoy running, how documenting her slower-paced journey online helped other runners feel seen, and why community, strength training, and consistency mattered far more than rushing to the next distance. We talk about training with a run group, navigating the mental side of marathon prep, handling tough long runs, and what it was like to race 26.2 miles through her home city with zero pressure beyond finishing and having fun.

This episode is a reminder that anybody can go the distance, that there is no timeline you need to follow, and that running can be something you build slowly, joyfully, and on your own terms.

Follow along with Ariel at @arielgreenstein_ on Instagram and TikTok!

Follow along with the show:
Personal IG/TikTok: @tay.says / @taysays
Podcast IG/TikTok: @myfirstmarathonpod
YouTube: @MyFirstMarathonPodcast
Website & extras: myfirstmarathon.co & myfirstmarathon.co/resources

Book a free 1:1 Coaching Call with me! -> https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=37408473&appointmentType=85354440

54 min