Thank you Amy for illustrating how impactful just 1 marathon can be in a person’s life! She writes,
“Fifteen years ago, I stumbled across the Marathon Training Academy while dreaming of running my first marathon. After finishing my years playing college tennis, I had graduated and moved on to a desk job, and I was determined to find a way to stay in shape. I had tried the 5K and 10K distances and had my eyes set on jumping to the full marathon next.
Listening to Angie and Trevor’s podcast — and using their beginner’s training plan — gave me a crash course on what long-distance running was all about, and I’m so thankful I had them as a resource! I made it through that first (trail) marathon and set my goal on pursuing a road marathon the next year. That following spring, I qualified for the Boston Marathon — and what started as a “run a marathon” bucket list goal spiraled into a journey better than I ever could have dreamed: adventures to new places, meeting new friends, and being part of an incredible community.
From then on, marathoning “grew” with me — as a first-time mom (flashback to my guest post on burnout in 2013!), and as our family grew by three more kids, through moving a few times, and navigating career changes. That’s the beauty of long-distance running — it’s a lifetime sport! As the seasons of your life change, running goals can adapt right along with you.
The running world itself has changed since I first discovered it in 2010 — now with more emphasis on fueling strategies, carbon-plated race shoes, and how mainstream long-distance running has become. I’ve loved watching so many others get “bit” by the marathon bug and start their journey, just like I did!
My own journey started with the goal to just run one marathon… then it became “just run Boston and I’ll be done.” Then: “okay, maybe I’ll run one between each baby.” Then it was to break 3 hours… and now, I’m chasing sub-2:50 for my 21st full at Grandma’s Marathon. There is so much power in stacking consistent training blocks and building a solid foundation over the years. I didn’t always see or feel the progress — especially when my kids were really little — but there’s magic in putting in the work and finding joy in the process.
Thank you, Angie and Trevor, for serving the running world so well for the past 15 years — and continuing to inspire runners like me today!”
-Amy Will @sherunsbyfaith
