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First Marathon Story: How Hard Could It Be?: From Spectating London to Running Chicago w/ Holly Kabler

  • Writer: Taylor Sayles
    Taylor Sayles
  • 18 hours ago
  • 3 min read
Taylor interviews Kristine Owen Woods about her first marathon. White text with Kristine Owen Woods appears over the photo of the interview.

For years, running was only a small part of Holly's life. In high school, she avoided running as much as possible while playing lacrosse and field hockey, eventually only embracing running as a form of movement in an effort to lose weight.


She got married, had kids, and then in 2010, she ran a race with her family on Cape Cod, and surprisingly, she found she enjoyed it! She went on to win a Weight Watchers 5K, and felt empowered. She trained for a triathlon, but found she was one and done. At that point, she halted her running journey for a few years, running just a few road races and the Heartland Series in her home state of Kansas.


At that point, she became a cheerleader for her husband's Six Star journey. She wasn't looking to run, and had never found the motivation to be consistent. But in 2022, on the opening day of Peloton Studios, she wasn't able to get into a spin class and had to settle for a treadmill one. She'd never taken a class on a treadmill. She was nervous. But at the end, she loved it. Her passion for running was officially sparked.


Why Couldn't I Run a Marathon?

Holly started with an elliptical as she sought to prove to herself and her husband that she would stick with running consistently. She cheered for her husband at the London Marathon, but had no interest in running a marathon herself. But when she saw her husband halfway through the race and told him not to quit, he could do it - she started to think herself, why couldn't she run a marathon? She told herself that if she could go home and run 13 miles herself, she'd sign up for her own marathon.


Well, as you might be able to guess, she came home, ran a half marathon, and knew she had to sign up for her first full.


Full Send for Her First Marathon

Holly had always been one to go big or go home. She ran a few races, trying to rein in her instinct to book it as soon as the start gun went off, which gave her anxiety about running a larger race. But she kept going out too fast, winning her age group - and she knew she just had to commit and sign up for the marathon. She signed up to run the Chicago Marathon with Ronald McDonald House, along with her husband.


She decided to hire a coach to learn how to pace, since she didn't know anything about running at the time. Her main goals were to have a good time, not get injured, and finish. At the end, she wanted to be the person who said, "that was the most fun I've ever had."


She kept the training plan simple and started training in May with the whole summer ahead of her. Holly ran virtual races to keep herself motivated, but her race anxiety and an hour-long drive kept her from joining a run club, and she ran most of her training runs by herself. At the end of the day, training alone helped her mentally prepare for race day and long miles on her own. She listened to a lot of podcasts. She learned to listen to herself, and her body. After each tough run, she felt the accomplishment of going just a little bit further. And the post-run Diet Coke didn't hurt, either.


Becoming a Marathoner

Holly headed to the start line in her bathrobe. After running her training runs all by herself, the experience of running through the crowds and the music was incredible. She had friends and family all over the course. She remembers dancing and singing. Nothing bothered her on the course, and she had the time of her life.


Before she knew it, she was within reach of the finish line. She crossed the finish line, and knew she was going to want to relive the experience again.

Lessons Learned

  • Don't go for time, go for fun.

  • The hardest part is the training. The race is the party!

  • Take advantage of virtual races.

  • Never underestimate the power of a sweet treat to motivate you when the going gets tough.


Want to hear Holly tell the story herself? Listen to the full episode now: How Hard Could It Be?: From Spectating London to Running Chicago w/ Holly Kabler — available wherever you get your podcasts.


Listen to my most recent mini episode: How Your First Marathon Changes You



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Follow along with the show:

👣 Personal IG/TikTok: @tay.says / @taysays

🎙️ Podcast IG/TikTok: @myfirstmarathonpod

📺 YouTube: @MyFirstMarathonPodcast


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