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Eric was bow-hunting in 2021 when he got his first white-tailed dear! Ecstatic, he tried to haul the deer from that spot to his car which was about a half-mile, but quickly realized he didn’t have the strength and stamina to get it there. After getting some help from a friend and getting out, he realized something needed to change if he wanted to retrieve the animals he hunts successfully. So naturally, he started running. After doing some shorter runs like a 5k, Eric read an ultrarunning book called “Endure” by Cameron Hanes. That’s when he knew he wanted to run an ultramarathon. Listen to today’s episode to hear the story of Eric’s first Marathon and ultimately the training and story of Eric’s first 50k ultramarathon.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background 04:08 Eric's Running Journey Begins 08:12 From 5K to Marathon 15:35 Training for the Marathon 26:45 Signing Up for the 50K 28:32 Training Through Winter 28:59 Introduction and Eric's Running Background 37:03 Eric's Experience Running a 50K Race 45:44 Eric's Mental and Emotional State at the Finish Line 48:40 Post-Race Recovery and Future Goals 57:31 Advice for New Runners Considering a 50K Race

Check out the “My First Marathon” podcast for more inspiring stories of ordinary people running their first marathon.

Many of you aspiring ultra runners will be running some shorter races before running your first ultra, especially half-marathons and full marathons. This episode is for those people.

Taylor Sayles, host of the “My First Marathon” podcast joined me and told me all about her training and the story of her first few half-marathons and her first ever marathon. Taylor started running because she was feeling stagnant in life and needed a new goal to work towards. So she started running a few miles 2 days a week, and progressed from there. She tells the story of her first few half-marathons, one of which was a trail half that had her feet bleeding through her shoes by the end! But that didn’t stop her from running her first marathon a few months later.

Listen to today’s episode to hear how Taylor trained for and ran her first marathon, the setbacks she encountered, and what it took for her to get to the finish line.

Follow the “My First Marathon” podcast on Instagram and check out Taylor Sayles on Strava to see what her training looks like.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Taylor's Running Background

04:36 Training Routine and Running in Different Seasons

08:23 Transition from Rock Climbing to Running

12:50 Training for the First 10K Race

15:28 Running the First Half Marathon

21:40 Training for the Marathon and Traveling

24:06 Running Two Half Marathons in Between

25:04 Traveling to South America

43:26 Preparing for the Marathon: Nerves and Logistics

46:54 The Importance of a Nutrition Plan

48:01 Carrying a Hydration Pack for Peace of Mind

48:58 The Night Before: Getting Everything Ready

53:28 The Start Line and Setting Goals

57:08 Mental Challenges and Halfway Point Realizations

59:08 Struggles and Spectators

01:02:08 The Finish Line and Post-Race Reflections

01:08:21 Starting a Podcast to Share Marathon Stories

01:09:35 Continuing the Marathon Journey: Signing Up for the Next Race

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Dianna and Steve are a couple that runs ultramarathons… and they’re in their 70s!

Josh Law (from 5 episodes ago) started running and so did some of his siblings. Naturally, Dianna as their mom didn’t want to miss out on all the fun! She showed up as support to a few of her kids’ 5k races, and her daughter asked her if she wanted to run too. She agreed, and the next 5k Dianna, Steve, and all of her kids ran it together. What a special event! After that she was hooked, and even felt like God was pushing her to keep running. Steve, Dianna’s husband, was a bit slower to get hooked. But Steve was all about pushing himself and the adventure of running. After he did rim-to-rim for his 65th birthday with his son and daughter, he was also hooked on endurance running. Listen to today’s episode about how Josh invited Dianna and Steve to run their first ultra and the story of their first 50k ultramarathon.

Other topics include training in your 60s/70s, training on the road for an ultramarathon, running a marathon, running a 12 and 24 hour timed race, running brings mental and physical health, the personal growth and satisfaction that comes from running ultramarathons, running as a family, and more.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

05:36 Consistent Training and Exercise

08:04 Starting Running and Finding Joy

23:32 Discovering Races and Locations

28:00 Night Running and Unique Experiences

30:54 Introduction and Background

32:07 The Story of the 50K Race

34:35 Challenges Faced During the Race

36:52 The Benefits of Pickle Juice Shots

39:10 The Mental and Emotional Triumph of Crossing the Finish Line

46:04 Training for the 50K Race

50:07 The Experience of a Timed Race

51:58 The 12-Hour Timed Race Experience

56:34 The Mental and Physical Challenges of a Timed Race

59:18 Advice for New Ultra Runners

01:02:36 Conclusion and Final Thoughts