Mile 20 Mindset Podcast Episode 022 - Featuring Katie Wilson

From Reluctant Runner to Marathoner: Katie’s Inspiring Journey

Introduction: Running is often seen as a solitary pursuit, but for Katie, it has been a journey of self-discovery and reclaiming her identity amidst the challenges of motherhood. In this episode of the Mile 20 Mindset podcast, hosted by Allen Maldonado, Katie shares her unique story of how she transitioned from being a supportive partner to a determined marathoner, inspiring listeners with her resilience and newfound passion for running.

Main Content:

1. **The Beginning of a Journey**  
Katie reflects on her early experiences with running, recalling fond memories of track and field day as a child. Although she was quick and won ribbons, she didn’t pursue athletics throughout school. After getting married and moving to Spokane, Washington, Katie found herself cheering on her husband as he trained for endurance races. Although she initially had no intention of participating, the energy of the events began to spark something within her.

2. **The Transition to Running**  
After having four children, Katie experienced a turning point in her life. She realized that she had lost sight of herself amidst the demands of motherhood and wanted to regain her physical and mental health. In 2021, she embarked on a transformative journey by participating in the 75 Hard program, which significantly improved her strength and mental toughness. This was the catalyst that pushed her to finally consider running seriously.

3. **Training for the Marathon**  
In early 2022, after losing around 50 to 60 pounds and feeling empowered, Katie decided to run her first marathon. With a goal set for the St. George Marathon in Utah, she began to train with the help of her Peloton bike and various training apps. Katie emphasized the importance of intentional training, noting that her previous attempts at half marathons felt like a blur due to the lack of focus and preparation. This time, she was committed to her goal and ready to embrace the challenge.

4. **Overcoming Challenges**  
Throughout her training, Katie faced numerous challenges, from balancing her time with four kids to dealing with the physical demands of training. She shared that the experience of training for a marathon has not only improved her physical health but has also been a journey of mental and emotional growth. She discovered the joy of running and the community that comes with it, which further fueled her determination.

Conclusion:  
Katie’s journey from a reluctant runner to a dedicated marathoner is a testament to the power of perseverance and self-discovery. Her story highlights that it’s never too late to pursue your passions and reclaim your identity, even amidst life’s challenges. For anyone considering taking up running or training for a marathon, Katie’s experience serves as an inspiring reminder that the journey is just as important as the destination.

Key Takeaways:
- It’s okay to start small; every runner has a unique journey.
- Personal transformation often comes from embracing challenges and setting goals.
- The support of a community and encouragement from loved ones can ignite your passion for running.

Tags: Running, Marathon Training, Personal Growth, Fitness Journey, Motherhood, Resilience, Health, Peloton, 75 Hard, St. George Marathon

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:04

Hey, what's up, y'all? It is your boy Alan Maldonado, your host for Mal20 Mindset. This is a running podcast for elite runners, novice runners, and those that love supporting the runners in their lives. I got an incredible runner. Um, she is a three-time marathoner in pursuit of her sub for Kenny Wilson. Welcome to the show. How are you doing today?

SPEAKER_07 0:25

I am good. I'm so good. Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_01 0:28

Nah, thank you. Thank you. I'm I'm I'm excited to dive into this conversation about running and your running journey. And the first question I have to ask is how did it all start? Where did it begin? Was it for physical weight loss, mental clarity? What was the why behind the why?

SPEAKER_07 0:46

Well, I was thinking about this in preparation for this, and I was thinking back to when I was a little girl. I remember doing track and field day, and I remember being pretty quick and coming home with ribbons. And then I remember playing basketball through junior high. And I remember during the training doing like the ladders, and I remember winning a lot. Like I was always kind of the first one done. So I was thinking, Yeah, I remember feeling like I was fast when I was a little girl, but then that ended. Like I didn't know. So that's so that was that was a face. That was just like a glimpse of the floor. That was a blip like when it was.

SPEAKER_02 1:24

That was a blip in the matrix.

SPEAKER_07 1:26

Can I count like can I count that as like running? I don't know. I just remember doing it when I was little and I was like pretty good at it. And then I didn't do anything. Like high school, college, like I was not athletic. I did not participate in anything. I cheered everyone else on. I I was always like, I was just very tall and thin, and I didn't care about fitness. I just ate whatever I wanted. So I didn't have any type of like understanding or history with fitness or nutrition or anything. And then I got married at 20, and by 22, my husband and I had moved from Utah to Spokane, Washington.

SPEAKER_04 2:08

Okay.

SPEAKER_07 2:09

And I think this is where I first was introduced to like endurance. So my husband was like, I think I want to do some 5K races. So we signed up for like this little series of 5K races, and that was never gonna be me.

SPEAKER_02 2:24

It was just You just support your husband.

SPEAKER_07 2:26

Are you the best supporter? And then next thing you know, he's like training for his Iron Man. And again, that escalated quick. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So he's like, he just he just dove into the endurance world. And again, like I think he talked me into like little 5k races on like Thanksgiving, you know, July. Uh that is like the little community.

SPEAKER_03 2:59

The turkey trots is the are the gateway drugs to marathons.

SPEAKER_07 3:05

So then it was like, okay, I I hate this. Like it's not that fun, but like it's three miles, it's fine. And then anyway, I just feel like for probably a decade, it was all just supporting him, watching him, cheering him on. I mean, there's nothing, nothing like the energy and an Iron Man. It it's like the craziest experience. So even being a supporter, I was like happy to do it.

SPEAKER_04 3:34

Right.

SPEAKER_07 3:34

Um then I don't know, started having kids. I have four kids, and when I was in the middle, congratulations. Thank you. It's the best. Yeah, it's the best.

SPEAKER_00 3:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 3:46

But after I had two, so I was in between the four.

SPEAKER_01 3:50

Right.

SPEAKER_07 3:51

I don't know why. I just thought, well, I'll try a half marathon. So this was in 2016. I did two half marathons that summer, but I didn't know what I was doing. It's honestly kind of a blur. I don't really remember them. I don't know my finish time. I know I was slow.

SPEAKER_00 4:07

I just, I just love like half of your the majority of your running journey is like this this blur in your head.

SPEAKER_07 4:15

Like from a half marathon. Yeah, my husband probably talked me into it, and I just agreed so that he'd be quiet and then just to say I did it, and then it was like, hey, can we not do this again? You know, like this is not me, this is you, this is your thing. Right, right, right, right. I don't know. So I mean I'm good with the signs. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I feel like I tell people I started running in 2022 because that's genuinely how I feel. Like anything before that, so like these couple halves in 2016, like I don't, I don't even really count it. I mean, you you don't even re you barely remember them. I know. I know. I have a medal, I but I didn't train right, like it wasn't intentional.

SPEAKER_02 5:04

You you know you were reluctantly running to in support of your your your your husband and your marriage. I get it.

SPEAKER_07 5:12

That is literally what it was. Oh get it. I've that that's like could be counted as history, but really, um, I had my fourth kid in 2019. And in 2020, I was like, okay, we're done. And after birthing four kids, I mean it was like every other year.

SPEAKER_02 5:32

That was the that marathon is completed.

SPEAKER_07 5:35

That is complete. I get to have my body back. Right. I'm done having babies. Um I think it's time for me to think about feeling better. You know, like physically, mentally, emotionally. That was kind of my moment of I kind of lost myself a little bit, I feel like during motherhood, because every ounce of everything I had went to them. And I kind of was like, well, what about me? So I gained a lot of weight. I was like 200 pounds, which for me growing up, I was teeny tiny.

SPEAKER_01 6:14

So I was like the metabolism was going crazy. You was eating everything.

SPEAKER_07 6:17

Everything was crazy. Yeah. So I was like 200 pounds, and in 2021. I'm sure you've heard of 75 hard. Have you?

SPEAKER_02 6:26

Mm-hmm. Yeah, yeah. I've done it a couple times. Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 6:28

Yeah, same. I just finished my fourth time actually, like a congratulate. Oh, yeah. I love it. This actually, this little tattoo right here is spade for because it literally changed my life.

SPEAKER_01 6:42

It's a it's a beautiful practice. I I I definitely love the 75 hearts sort of philosophy and just the routine and how it just gets you in and out of the gym, like in the gym, outside.

SPEAKER_07 6:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:54

It's so healthy for you. It's so healthy.

SPEAKER_07 6:56

I could go on and on about it. I'm sure. It's so it's so extremely healthy for you.

SPEAKER_01 7:03

Yes, reading the whole nine. Yeah, everything. No, it's great. It is, it is great.

SPEAKER_07 7:07

So that, yeah, that's like 2021. That's all I did. But again, I was like 200 pounds, what can I do? So I just rode my Peloton bike and then I walked outside every day. Right. Still no running, nothing. So I did that in 2021. Right. And then in 2022, I thought, okay, well, I because so anyway, I lost like 50, 60 pounds that year.

SPEAKER_01 7:32

Oh my God.

SPEAKER_07 7:34

And I just felt like so much stronger mentally, emotionally, physically. I was like, I can do hard things.

SPEAKER_01 7:40

Right.

SPEAKER_07 7:41

So so what's next? Like, what do I do? So it's the beginning of 2022, it's January. And I was like, I'm gonna run a marathon this year. That's gonna be my next big thing. And so I just signed up for one for that October.

SPEAKER_01 7:55

And which marathon was it?

SPEAKER_07 7:58

So it was St. George. So St. George, Utah Marathon. Okay. I've only done Utah running. I haven't ventured out.

SPEAKER_01 8:06

Okay, yeah. I'm only I'm only familiar with Sundance as I've been there, had a couple films. Films at Sundance Festival Film Festival.

SPEAKER_07 8:13

So you're Park City, so St. George, opposite end of the state, very southern Utah.

SPEAKER_02 8:19

Gotcha.

SPEAKER_07 8:20

Like 120 degrees in the summer. Really? It's it's your you're right on the I mean, Vegas is like less than two hours.

SPEAKER_01 8:29

Okay, so that make that that makes sense. Yeah, that makes sense. Okay. Okay, so so you sign up for this marathon list. Yeah. You are in in pursuit of rediscovering yourself after having four fantastic kids. Um first off, giving you your flowers to be able to do all of this while raising four kids. Bravo. Thank you. That really is a marathon.

SPEAKER_07 9:01

I don't think I don't think a lot of people know how hard that is.

SPEAKER_01 9:04

No, no, no. I I've adopted I've adopted two kids, I've helped raise countless, and I I I will be be frank in saying I don't personally have my own kids because I know how difficult it is to manage all of these things. So, yes, kudos. Thank you. The medals are all yours. And you get to this place where you want to run a marathon on top of all of that. You just lost 50 pounds. You are you have you're winning with yourself at this particular point. Talk about the training. Like, you know, you you mentioned that before you didn't really train, before you didn't really get involved. What what did you do? Because there's um, there's a lot of first-time um marathoners and also people that have never ran a marathon that is listening. What would you what would what would you suggest or how did you go about training for your marathon?

SPEAKER_07 10:02

Okay, so honestly, I'd had my Peloton bike, I had the app, and the app doesn't just do bikes, it does everything. I mean, there's meditation there, and this isn't, I mean, obviously I have no association with Peloton. I just they had a marathon training program.

SPEAKER_01 10:22

Okay.

SPEAKER_07 10:22

And it was with some of their running instructors who it it was a very beginner take you from nothing to crossing a finish line of 26.2. So I did that. I used it and I did everything that they said for four months. And I just was I am, and I think one of the reasons too, 75 Powered works so well for me is because I am super, super good at following a schedule and a plan and a checklist. I am like the best student of following directions. You you sound you sound like a great mother.

SPEAKER_03 10:59

You sound like a it has to be that way.

SPEAKER_07 11:04

So a system is I I believe so much in a system. And so whatever Peloton told me to do, I did it every week.

SPEAKER_01 11:12

And so so what did you learn about yourself in this training? As, you know, training for a marathon is nothing like and again, I I am commending you to be able to do this while raising four kids. Was it what was the most difficult part of training? Was it managing the schedule, like managing your time? Was it injuries? Like, what was the most difficult part of training that nobody really talks about? From a mother's perspective.

SPEAKER_07 11:41

Yeah, yeah. So luckily there were no injury. And I think because of the year prior, me kind of setting that standard of like, hey kids, it's me time now. I'm going outside for my walk. I'm going upstairs to ride. Like they already were used to me taking time for myself.

SPEAKER_02 12:04

Beautiful.

SPEAKER_07 12:04

Because of that year before. So then I think when I think that you know, looking back on that training, um, I think the hardest part was just when I leave and I go out for that long run. Cause during this time, I still have most of my kids at home. Like today, they're all at school. Right. But four years ago, when I'm needing to go out for my run and I've got two kids at home, it's like, well, I guess I'll just make laps around the neighborhood because I've got to check in on them. Right. You know, and then on the long runs on the weekend, I am exhausted. I am so tired. I can't even believe that I'm doing this. And when I walk in the door, I don't get to just sit down and stretch or go take a shout. I'm like, I need food. I fighting, fighting. She wants this, he wants this. Can I do this? Yes. And I and it's so overwhelming because you walk in and you're just like, I just ran 15 miles. Like, I just need a minute. But you just took two, three hours. Like, how do you get to take extra minutes when you've already taken it's hard.

SPEAKER_01 13:15

I I I I'm sure just just being overstimulated after running such a long distance and then coming in and just a jolt of energy happening. Yeah. No, I no, I listen, that's why I I continue to say I commend you to be able to train and manage, you know, four children at the same time. It's it's tough. Like that right there is is your Mal 20 miles right there.

SPEAKER_07 13:39

It's it's massive. Yeah. It's also cool though, because now here we are having, you know, put three years or whatever under us and they just expect it now. So now it's a lot easier because they're like, oh, mom's on a run.

unknown 13:54

Cool.

SPEAKER_01 13:54

Yeah, no, that's beautiful.

SPEAKER_07 13:56

If I come home and I'm sitting on the porch, exhausted, red faced, laying on the grass, or like bringing me water because they oh mom needs water.

SPEAKER_00 14:04

She just got home, you know. They just find your dead body on a long time.

SPEAKER_03 14:10

Yeah, literally. It's water time. It's water time. They just bring the water.

SPEAKER_01 14:15

I love okay. So let's talk about let's talk about race day. Let's talk about race day. You you again weren't this sort of gun hole runner uh from the jump. You've been sort of reluctant. So the sort of the race day sort of theatrics you're kind of used to with, you know, um, you know, supporting your husband. But this is different. You're now picking up the bib, and that little divide of going to the half marathon section, yeah, to the marathon section to get the bib is a is a is a difference. So talk take me to to race day, our race day weekend um with the expo leading up to the morning up.

SPEAKER_07 14:58

Yeah, I love this. So again, I have voices from Robin Arzone and Matt Wilpers. Like, I have their voices in my head, and they're like, don't buy anything new at the expo. Do what train in what you've been trained, like same nutrition, same shoes, same socks. So I'm like, again, stay the course. And then Robin, you know, she's having me for the last couple weeks visualize. So I've been sitting down and I've been literally visualizing the drive to the bus, getting on the bus, getting off, being at the start line, get imagining it probably being pretty cold, like the gun going off. Like I'm visualizing me crossing the finish line every moment. So I'm just doing my best and trusting the process, but I I'm doing pretty good. Um, I will say my husband was running it with me, but he'd only ran the marathon for his Iron Man like 10 years before. So this was his second marathon.

SPEAKER_05 16:03

Wow.

SPEAKER_07 16:03

And he didn't train. He's like, I'll be fine. And I'm like, You suck. Like, I've been training for four months, executing my training.

SPEAKER_03 16:15

Right, right, right, right.

SPEAKER_07 16:16

And he's like, You just gonna wake up and go.

unknown 16:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 16:20

I love it.

SPEAKER_01 16:20

Anyway, I love it.

SPEAKER_07 16:22

So um again, like going back to this, and this is something that I felt like would be important to share because I think that a plan and a system matters, but I also think it can get you into trouble because going into this marathon, I was like, this is my playlist. I will have this song for this hill, I will have this for this half marathon. This will be a good thing.

SPEAKER_01 16:50

Wow, I mean, you had it made out.

SPEAKER_07 16:52

I was like, oh, about mile 20, I'll probably be here, so I'll hit that wall, so I'll probably make this music. Like I depended on my playlist where my husband doesn't listen to anything.

SPEAKER_01 17:03

And I just raw dog in the marathon.

SPEAKER_07 17:06

He just, he can't, he can't. Like he just anyway, so I I was so planned and I was so structured, and I was like, this is what I'm gonna do and this is how it's gonna be. Well, marathons humble you because all that pretty much goes out the door, right?

SPEAKER_01 17:23

Like, so so let's let's all right, so let's talk about the race. And before the get before we get there, before we get there, we talk about race morning. Now you you visualize these things, you've got this playlist curated. You get to race day, the morning of it is cold. It is where you have to you know layer out. It's a a huge corral all over the place. Yeah. So when you get to your corral and that gun goes off, it's no more, no longer a visualization. It is the actual reality that you're living. And you start your first few steps into this marathon. What are the thoughts going through your head?

SPEAKER_07 18:01

I remember thinking gratitude. Like, I can't believe I'm here. I am so grateful to be in this moment. The sunrise, thousands of people, and I've got like my my you know, I got my playlist going, and I'm like just soaking it in. Like it still gives me chills to think about because it's like I I can't believe I'm really here doing this. It was just gratitude, you know? Wow.

SPEAKER_01 18:28

Wow. So let's go ahead and get into the nitty-gritty. Let's get into the Battle 20 mindset, let's get into where the wall happens, let's get into where I like to coin as the bully from fifth grade, and he has a backpack full of your trauma in it, and he smacks you in the face with that backpack. Yeah. Which how was it? And what were those thoughts?

SPEAKER_07 18:50

I feel like I was positive, I was strong, I hadn't let anything mentally like creep in until 16. Um, and it wasn't even bad at what at 16. It was just I remember that was the first moment of like I still have ten more. Like I'm kind of hurting and I still have 10. But I'm okay. And so I think 16 through 20, I just kind of powered through.

SPEAKER_06 19:25

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_07 19:25

And I don't I don't know if it's a good thing to tell beginners about the wall or not. Because on the one hand, I feel like if we don't know about it, do we do we or or are we just anticipating it so then it makes it worse?

SPEAKER_01 19:38

I don't know. I'll say this. I've I've I've helped 15 people run their first marathon. And sort of my how I how I do it is that I run with them up until now 20. And then that's when I leave them. Just because I feel that it is a it is a spiritual sort of connection with yourself that you have. It's not the wall is just a uh it's a it's you and whatever you're not sort of dealing with at that particular time, whatever it is, whether it's from 10 years ago or five years ago, because your it's your mind is trying to do everything in its power to tell you to stop. So it'll go down these lists, it'll go down these things. Yeah, whatever it takes. So I think it's important I think it's actually, you know, important for runners to know so they can embrace themselves and know that that's coming. Because a lot of times that is that is your more diff most difficult part of the race. It is.

SPEAKER_07 20:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:39

You know, so and I think it's it it adds value to when you cross the finish line. So you get to mile 16 does, yeah. Through mile 20. You're you're fighting through this wall. Now, did you get over the wall or did you carry the wall to the finish line?

SPEAKER_07 20:54

I will tell you the biggest mistake I made on this marathon, and it was that I took one gel at mile six, and then I never found another one.

SPEAKER_05 21:05

Wait.

SPEAKER_01 21:06

Wait, wait, what do you mean you never found one? You didn't you didn't bring you didn't bring no gels, you didn't bring that. I didn't. I was like every eight station, every eight station, I'll just get them.

SPEAKER_07 21:16

But you know, they're not at every eight station. They're only at a certain and I didn't really remember which ones it was. So let me just tell you that I ran my first marathon on one gel and a lot of water in Gatorade. It was big mistake.

SPEAKER_01 21:33

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So I could I could see at the end it getting a little tough. So after that Mal 20, what did you do to to persevere and what what were the thoughts?

SPEAKER_07 21:42

I I walked, which just defeated any mental control that I felt like I had because I felt like I let myself down. Because going into it, I thought just as long as you don't walk. So I just set up. All these expectations for me, right? And all of this like planning and executing. And then as that began to unravel about mile 20, to me, my mind just went, You're so weak. Like you failed.

SPEAKER_01 22:13

Wow.

SPEAKER_07 22:14

I just took it so hard.

SPEAKER_01 22:16

And I'm curious, where is said husband at? Is he already, is he gone? Are he's like he's past me.

SPEAKER_03 22:22

So is that is that is that messing with you as well? It's like it is.

SPEAKER_07 22:26

I'm pissed. Because I was ahead of him for a while.

SPEAKER_04 22:31

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_07 22:31

And then he just ends up passing me. And then we kind of do this back and forth. And then he and then I start walking and he's calling me, where are you? I'm like, I'm walking and I'm mad. Like I'm mad. I'm defeated. I'm I'm pissed at myself because mentally I've just started walking and now I'm just mad. And now he's up ahead. And everything that I had visualized and planned and executed wasn't working. And my legs hurt like hell. Like I was dying of pain. And I'm ha I've had one gel, but everybody said, just stick to what you did for nutrition. So everybody's voice in my head like, don't start eating things that you aren't used to because then you might start throwing up and then you might get sick. So I'm seeing the fruit and I'm seeing no gels, but I don't dare take any because everyone said that it could make me sick.

SPEAKER_03 23:28

Right. Wow.

SPEAKER_07 23:29

So you're through mile 21 and 20, and it's just a walk run, walk run. And just that mental like, and I feel like for me, once I started walking, I just I lost it.

SPEAKER_01 23:44

Wow.

SPEAKER_07 23:44

I knew I wasn't gonna pull out. It was just how do I get to this freaking finish line? Wow. You know, like I was just so miserable.

SPEAKER_01 23:54

So my next question, and listen, I've I've been there and in every I've ran 14 marathons, and every race is different. Every challenge in in the race is different, whether it's mental, physical, or spiritual. Chicago, uh I've mentioned before on the pod, is where I lost my headphones at Mal like 12, and it was not a happy ride after that.

SPEAKER_07 24:15

That's pretty brutal.

SPEAKER_03 24:16

It was for me. I know that would be brutal. It was not a happy ride. Oh, yeah. I was walking, I was pouting, I was stomping up the marathon. I was seven years old. I was like, I was I was I reverted all the way back to a job, literally.

SPEAKER_07 24:33

Um I think that's I could relate to that because I get into town and it's like the last four or five miles, and I am I'm just what you described. Everyone, everyone's like cheering now. There's more people. I don't care.

unknown 24:48

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_07 24:48

I'm like, screw all of you. You have no idea what I'm experiencing right now. Like it didn't matter.

SPEAKER_01 24:57

I apologize almost every other episode to whoever fan, it was a fan in Chicago that recognized me from one of my TV shows, and I must have responded back crazy to this man, to this man. He was like, Oh, yo, that's man from such and so I was like, man, I ain't got time for that shit.

SPEAKER_07 25:14

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 25:14

Exactly.

SPEAKER_07 25:16

They're like, Oh, do you want to be misted with water? No, get out of my way. Like, I hate everyone and everything right now. Yes. Like my playlist didn't come through for me. I was like, screw the music. I just was so miserable. I don't know. It was honestly really terrible.

SPEAKER_01 25:35

So, so my next question is how did it feel when you finally crossed the finish line?

SPEAKER_07 25:45

I remember seeing the shoot, and I remember some advice once someone had said take out the headphones and hear it and like absorb that shoot, right? And so I did. Took them off, put them away, took some big deep breaths, and I just really tried to like make that shift of like, Katie, this is your finish line of your first marathon, and you don't know if you'll ever do one again. But look at this. Like, yeah, and I just, I just like you said, it was um, I I lost my mom a few years ago, and so Oh, sorry about that. Again, it and it was like feel her, absorb this, like she's with you. So, like my first tattoo that I ever got says, keep going, it's of her handwriting. So I'm hearing her, keep going, like you did it, you know. So I'm crossing the finish line, my husband's waiting. Of course, I fall apart. I'm I will say this when I crossed that finish line, I thought it would be this really overwhelming emotional like because of success and gratitude, and like I just did this, this is unreal. And it wasn't, it was thank God that's over. Truly, and and it kind of bummed me out, like honestly, for a couple weeks, maybe a month after, I feel like I was in a pretty negative headspace because I was so bummed that it wasn't a more positive experience for me. But again, I think it's because of the expectations that I put from the beginning. And I think I needed to be a little more open to change, to pivoting, to it's just being a little more gentle with yourself.

SPEAKER_01 27:46

Like that's that's a lot of time for first timers. I I've again I've helped 15. And one of the number one rules is never, never like never run for time. Not on your first time. Not on your first, like the goal is the goal. The goal is the goal, and the goal is finishing. And I've seen so many people not be happy at the end because they've put all these false expectations on a race that they've never ran. Like exactly. They like you can't you you don't lose or you gain your PR no matter what in this first marathon. So whatever that time is, that is your PR.

SPEAKER_07 28:24

So And that's I wasn't even disappointed in the time. The truth is, is I mean, my time was a 444. Okay. And I figure I figured that would be my time, though. So I actually was within range of what I assumed. My disappointment came in feeling like mentally I just couldn't hold it together and I crumbled and I started walking, and that was the disappointment.

SPEAKER_01 28:50

Wow. So Well, I had the same response after my first, my first marathon where I broke my foot at Mal22, did not know I broke it. So I was in extreme pain. My mind broke, of course, like stop. And I'm like, I I I promised myself I was gonna do this. I was come, I was, it was, it was the first time in my life that something on this earth broke me mentally. And I will say that was the moment that triggered uh me running four out of five four marathons of five months after that, because I was that you know upset at myself that I let the boogeyman scare me. So I had to go beat the boogeyman up. So my next question is how did how did it change you? How did this first marathon change you as a person?

SPEAKER_07 29:42

It can relate a lot to what T you just said because three of three of my four kids I birthed unmedicated. That's like my that's like my you know, top yeah. But the marathon comes right in. No epidoro, no nothing. Just I know. And but that's the thing. Like, I remember thinking, okay, but I get a baby out of that. Right. And I remember mentally being like, I get a piece of metal for this. Like this freaking sucks. Like I've never felt more defeated in my life. Like, how am I not executing this? I execute everything in my life that I put my mind to, and the marathon just demands just it just demands.

SPEAKER_01 30:34

I don't know. It demands the truth. It demands the truth. And if you put in the mouths, it you will sh it will show up on marathon day. And if you don't, and the tr the truth will the truth the truth will be revealed throughout the race, whether you really put it in the work, where you really was disciplined, where you really got yourself really prepared. And that's the that's the beauty of running your first one because you get to measure now. You can measure yourself. Now you can understand, okay, I did this, I did this right, I did this wrong, these things I need to step up in areas. But you have to run your first race in order to get that. Yeah. And it's like I said, some it's one of my greatest joys watching people cross that line for the first time because it's a it's a self-empowerment that's unbelievable. You can't give to no one. No one can do it for you. No, no, no. So, so, so how did you respond after that? Because like I said, I I shared similar sort of um a similar mindset after my first marathon. So, what, so what, so what did you choose to do after that?

SPEAKER_07 31:45

Okay, so truthfully, I mean, I was going to therapy at the time, and I had to really face like my biggest thing is taking things away from myself. So just realizing, like, why are you taking this away from you? You put in the work, you showed up, you got through it, you crossed the finish line. Like, why can't you find joy in that? Why are you taking it away from yourself? Like, give it to yourself. You earned it. So there was a lot of that. And then I'm gonna do another one. I'm going to do another one, right? Like, and I'm going to not put so much expectation on me. I'm going to allow for change. I'm going to maybe not I I'm okay with intensity. I think it matters, but also don't be so hard on yourself if you walk for a minute. Oh my gosh, like it's okay. And fuel properly. Like, what were you thinking?

SPEAKER_02 32:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 32:49

It's okay to fuel and take things, like fuel your body. Don't be dumb. Yep. You know? So I just came out of it and was kind of feeling sad for myself and then decided that's dumb. Like you freaking did this own it. Be proud of yourself and like let's go, let's go get another one. Let's keep going. Like, let's make the changes and do better.

SPEAKER_01 33:12

So you have you have two other marathons on under your belt. Um, is there are there any funny or wow stories uh of your in your in your in your uh following two marathons? Um any moments that you remember that was like, okay, this one was different than the other one.

SPEAKER_07 33:33

Well, my second my second marathon, I did PR by like seven minutes and I ran it with a friend and ran it the whole time. And I'm not one I don't really like to run with people. I like to be alone in my endeavors. I I feel like I do better against my own mind than if I have someone by me. If someone's by me pushing me, it it like really annoys me. For some reason, I can push myself better when I'm alone.

SPEAKER_05 34:01

Right.

SPEAKER_07 34:02

So that was cool. There wasn't really anything extra great about that. That was the next year, and and it was just a good positive experience. I blew through the wall. I don't feel like it got it gripped me mentally, like I felt strong. So that was just a confidence of like I can do a 26.2 and enjoy it, and it doesn't have to be horrible.

SPEAKER_04 34:23

Right.

SPEAKER_07 34:23

My third marathon, I came back for St. George for a little bit of redemption.

SPEAKER_04 34:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 34:30

It wasn't to beat the time, it was to cross the finish line happy.

SPEAKER_04 34:35

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_07 34:36

That's literally all my goal was. So this was in 2024.

SPEAKER_05 34:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 34:42

And I was like, you know what? I'm going back. I'm going back to Saint George and I'm gonna do it different this time. So it was cool to revisit that. Same race, same start line, same vibes. But this time I didn't put any music on for the first half marathon. Wow. I talked to people. I'm not, I don't know. I don't mean to come across as someone who's not friendly. I just I'm very to myself. And so for the first 13 miles, I guess this would be the answer to your question. I didn't put the music on, I absorbed everything around me, and I actually chatted with people and I complimented them and I had conversations with people that had I had my music in and I was just like, you know, you'd have missed it. I I would never notice. I would never notice people. So one lady I started chatting with, I had no idea who she was. I just thought her outfit was cute and her earrings. So we started chatting. It turned out she said to me, Why, what are you most grateful for today? And I said, I just I'm grateful to be here. Come to find out, I don't know who she is now because I don't remember, but come to find out, she's like a pretty big social media influencer who's battled cancer. And she has like a pretty big following. I didn't even know who she was. And we're sitting there chatting and and we're talking about what. So she says, What are you grateful for today in this moment? And then I ask her, and she's like to be alive. Not only with this plan in in mind, but to be able to relax. It was like I met people that I never would have. I I came in at like 459.

SPEAKER_02 36:40

Good. And then I mean it was I barely came.

SPEAKER_07 36:43

And it didn't matter. You when I crossed that finish line, I was like the happiest. I felt incredible. It was a completely different experience than the two years before.

SPEAKER_01 36:55

I I I um I I I totally believe, and this is my philosophy, I got I can have a whole nother hour conversation about time in general, but time is to be identified, not measured. And I think that's actually very prev prevalent in when it comes to marathoning, because yeah, I I've had some people on here run some 247s, like some phenomenal athletes. And then I've had other people on the spot that have ran eight hours and was the last person to in yeah, who's to say which one is the better race? Being that, yeah, you got yours done in two hours and 47 seconds. I mean two hours 47 minutes, but would you be able to endure eight hours? Like that's a that's something to be proud of as well, to be able that you were able to persevere through all of that and not have sort of the natural ability to go faster, but you still got to the goal. You know what I'm saying? So the time is to be identified. If I measured the two, I'm giving giving giving it to the person that took eight hours as far as the the power of this marathon to the individual.

SPEAKER_07 38:09

Yes. My three marathons, that third one, my slowest one, is my best. It was the most enjoyable. I felt the strongest mentally and physically. I crossed the finish line the happiest. It was my best.

SPEAKER_01 38:23

That's that's why I I love running with people. I like I'm I'm a I I my last marathon, which was my 14th, that was the first time that I attempted to PR. Okay. And I am so happy that I did it the other way around. I I was I helped a lot of people running that first time, and I found my joy of marathons that way. Because when you're when you're like you mentioned, when you're in these sort of attempts to sub three and sub four and all this, you're it's a completely different race, which is fine. Which is fine.

SPEAKER_06 38:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 38:59

You know, that's a goal that I look to obtain, which is a sub three, but I I promise you, I can't, I can't, I look forward to going back to when I would just help people run and I could enjoy the race. We would talk for 20 minutes. We would literally talk for the full first 20 miles. It's it's abuse. So I'm happy you shared that. So my next question is there's a person listening right now that is probably on a fence and they ran a 5K, possibly maybe a half marathon, and they're looking to run their first marathon. From your experience, what would be your biggest tip to them?

SPEAKER_07 39:38

Um gosh, you know, a lot of things come to mind. Um so they want to run their first marathon, they're scared, they don't know. I mean, I guess my biggest tip for my personal experience is being gosh, I have so many. I mean, I think the visualizing is super important, but I think allowing for the pivot, for the maybe not perfect execution of what you think should it should look like and allow for change, allow for it to be different than maybe what you expect. I think that not having that pressure on myself for my last two has made all the difference.

SPEAKER_04 40:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 40:33

And I'm having to practice that right now. I'm training for my fourth right now, and it is a pretty big PR. It's been since my first, like and I'm having to still be able to say, okay, I'm following this and I'm going to I'm gonna be a student and I'm gonna learn, and I'm not gonna be an idiot. I'm gonna fuel properly, I'm gonna follow a correct training plan, but I'm not gonna be so rigid on my expectations and really actually truly try to enjoy it and not hold myself at a standard that is going to create so much defeat mentally.

SPEAKER_05 41:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 41:08

Because it will come. That mile 20 is coming, ready or not. It's coming.

SPEAKER_01 41:14

Ready or not, ready or not.

SPEAKER_07 41:16

And it's mile 20 through 23, honestly.

SPEAKER_01 41:20

Yeah. Yeah. It it it it is it's just not a moment. No, no, no. No. It's not it it it lingers. It l it lingers.

SPEAKER_07 41:28

I love one thing I love about 75 Hard, and also, you know, Courtney DeWalter, she's like the ultra marathon queen.

SPEAKER_02 41:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 41:37

Both of them say when the cave comes, you don't, you're not surprised by it. You're like, oh, here you are.

SPEAKER_04 41:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 41:48

I've been expecting you. And you don't try to get rid of it. Don't try to escape it by being find the growth in it. You know? Expect it. It's coming. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 42:03

Yeah. Beautifully, beautifully said. Um, so we're gonna go to the last segment of the pod, which is uh my knees out speed questions. Knees out is my my running crew. Um it's more of a uh a lifestyle than a than a running crew, as our battle cry is knees out. That's when you got your short shorts on, got your knees out. So in these questions, they're they're one-word answers, meaning that knees out means yes, and knees in means no. Um the first question, and it and please elaborate. Please elaborate when you it when you want to. Um the first question.

SPEAKER_04 42:46

Yes. That's right, that's right.

SPEAKER_01 42:51

All right, so do you think a marathon oh no, let me ask you this. During training, did you ever think about quitting but still showed up for yourself?

SPEAKER_04 43:09

Alright, alright. Come on, come on.

SPEAKER_01 43:15

Alright, so the next the next question is do you believe a marathon is more mental or physical? It's a bit of a trick question. Okay, okay, okay, okay. Now that you've mentioned a few ultra marathoners, would you ever consider running an ultra? Okay, okay, same, same, same, same. I've had a few, I had this um beautiful woman on uh uh ladder later uh earlier this week that has read 21. She's read Death Valley. Oh, some of the some of the craziest ones. Like the names of these races are brutal. They are they are. Not inviting at all.

SPEAKER_04 44:02

Not a so you know. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 44:13

I had another gentleman that ran from Santa Monica to Las Vegas. He did the three he did a 340, 340 miles. Solo. So low. Yeah, yeah, he's incredible. Shout out to Tommy. So lastly, do you think um running can change a person beyond the math?

SPEAKER_04 44:38

Beautiful. Beautiful. Look, listen, Katie.

SPEAKER_01 44:44

Mm-hmm. I agree. Actually, my first guest, uh, shout out to Jam. My first guest hated running. My first guest and still hates running. She ran the LA Marathon, uh, twisted her ankle. It was a terrible experience for her. Eight hours into this thing, she finally crosses, vows to never run again, but values that she did so much. And that is that is why I love helping people run their first marathon because it empowers you in a way, even though you may not like running or may not be interested to run after that marathon, but to prove it to yourself that you can do hard things is priceless. It is priceless. Listen, again, I as a as a as a man that is that has helped raise kids for the majority of my life, hearing all of these things while having four children. Shout out to you, shout out to your husband as well. Um man, uh, keep keep working hard, keep inspiring. You are a superwoman. Um uh your superpowers show not through your ability, but also through you raising your your kids through it all, man. Um, thank you so much for your time. This is another incredible episode of Mal20 Mindside. Everybody out there, please follow and subscribe. Peace, y'all.