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First Marathon Story: He Ran Because She Couldn't: Running the Houston Marathon w/ Ryan Trask

  • Writer: Taylor Sayles
    Taylor Sayles
  • Apr 13
  • 3 min read

Updated: Apr 14


As a self-described "Texas kid" Ryan was always into sports. But it wasn't until he and a friend got cut from the basketball team in high school that he started running. He joined the cross country team with his friend, and after he got through the first terrible week, they found they loved it.


Ryan loved the way cross country was both a team sport and a highly individual one. He was never the best on the team, but he loved the races and the competition. This drive would eventually drive him back to running again and again. But, for the moment, he stopped running in college, and then family and life got in the way.


Finding Himself in the Miles

Ryan ended up losing his job at the end of 2015, and he started running again to process the feeling of loss. He ran his first half marathon by accident, an accomplishment that made him feel powerful, but also took away the motivation to continue running. That was until 2020, when the world shut down. He saw someone say "if you don't use this moment to better yourself, you're wasting time" and knew he wanted to do more. He signed up for his first half marathon race in October 2020, and although it was cancelled, running had finally stuck.


He ran the half marathon by himself on his birthday, supported by his family and a homemade medal. He started thinking more about the possibility of running a marathon, although he wasn't there yet. He had struggled with Zone 2 training and wasn't sure he could do that for an entire marathon training cycle.


"I Get to Decide When to Stop"

Early bird pricing for the Houston Marathon, right in his backyard, finally convinced Ryan to sign up. After all, if he put a marathon on the calendar, he had to train for it and race it, right? He wanted to run a marathon before he turned 40, and this was the opportunity.


Through all of it, he kept thinking about his "why." He loved the grit of running, just you, your shoes and the road. He loved the mental battle, telling his brain that he got to decide when to stop. Struggling through the hard times. And he ran for his family. His wife struggles with chronic illness and isn't able to commit to movement. And his kids, especially when they were young, would say things like "it's too hard, I can't do it." He wanted to prove to them that nothing is too hard.


Ryan trained using heart rate zones and time on feet. He worried he wasn't getting enough mileage, so he started running every day. His speed workouts always felt terrible. And the early miles alone in the dark were hard (but he was committed to not disrupting his family too much). But when he ran 17 miles in less time than he had run 16 miles four years prior, he felt like he could do it.


Do it Scared

For Ryan, the taper was the worst part. He got the flu as soon as his taper started, and had to take a six-day break from running. His nerves skyrocketed as he got closer to race day. What had the flu taken from him? But he was determined to run.


He woke up marathon morning and got there early. He wanted to go by feel, enjoy the race, and went in without a time goal. The race started packed, and the vibes were high. But eventually the half marathon runners split off, and things felt a bit heavier. It was then that family friends he wasn't expecting to be there for the race started cheering from the sidelines, and it was just the boost he needed. He ran the first half way too fast, but felt good until around mile 17. Nevertheless, he committed to walking if he had to, and locked in for the remainder of the race. It took him some time, but he kept going. He crossed the finish line, and became a marathoner.


Lessons Learned

  • Do it scared.

  • Just sign up.

  • When it gets hard, lock in.

  • You said you were going to do it. So do it.


Want to hear Ryan tell the story himself? Listen to the full episode now: He Ran Because She Couldn't: Running the Houston Marathon w/ Ryan Trask— available wherever you get your podcasts.


Listen to my most recent mini episode: Mindset and Running w/ Nick Savin



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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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