top of page
Search

Running Towards Gratitude: How a Busy Mom Found Her First Marathon w/ Nancy Pauley

  • Writer: Taylor Sayles
    Taylor Sayles
  • Feb 2
  • 3 min read

Updated: Feb 6


Nancy was like many of us growing up. When she was young, she preferred reading to playing outside. She was very much of the mind of, "why would you run unless you're getting chased by a bear?"


The Escape

Running started for Nancy as an escape. In 2019, she was 39 years old, a mother to six children, and life started to feel heavy. She walked out her front door and started running to clear her head. And she was hooked.


Nancy upgraded her Walmart shoes and set herself some big goals in 2020 - to run 450 miles that year.


Being a Mother Runner

As a mom of six, running was a release, a time to dedicate to herself and clear her mind. She was able to share her running journey with her son, running her first virtual 10k during the pandemic with him. She had never run six miles before. It was a finish line that meant more than she could have imagined. "I did that."


On a whim, she signed up for the Richmond Half Marathon in 2022, after mostly focusing on three to six mile runs most of her running journey. It was a record high temperature, and Nancy learned so much from her experience, including the importance of hydration and fueling.


Her second half marathon in 2023 was what race dreams are made of. The weather was perfect, she PR'ed her previous time by seven minutes at 43 years old. She came back for more with the Richmond Half Marathon in 2024. After she finished the race, she received an email from the Richmond Marathon about an early bird deal...and she signed up for her first marathon.


Training was not easy. As a busy mom, she couldn't travel 45 minutes to the nearest run club, so her training looked different than others. Luckily, two friends had signed up to the run the marathon with her that fall, and they were able to hold each other accountable and encourage each other through the tough miles.


Some things fell by the wayside...planning dinners, keeping the house clean, all took a backseat to training. There was a lot of emotional strain for Nancy, and she sometimes questioned why she was doing this. She had to move her feet move, even if her heart wasn't in it.


Soaking in the First Marathon Experience

Nancy walked up to the start line of the 2025 Richmond Marathon with gratitude for the whole experience. She never thought she could do it, and yet here she was.


She ran with her friends for the first five miles, focusing on starting slower. When she stopped to use the restroom, she knew she'd be running the rest of the race alone.

After making some fueling mistakes early in her running journey, she had a consistent fueling schedule: stopping at every water stop, plus electrolytes in her hydration pack, and fuel every 25 minutes.


Nancy smiled the whole race. Through every painful step, she was thankful for her legs, her motivation, her stubbornness. She was thankful for everything that got her to this point, and her husband, her biggest cheerleader.


With messages from her friends and family playing in her ear, Nancy soaked in every mile of the experience. When she realized she wouldn't meet her time goal, she let it go, and decided to just enjoy the journey.


After a long, downhill finish, she started hearing the crowd and the announcer. She saw her husband, sisters, and her kids screaming and yelling at the finish line. She crossed with tears running down her face, knowing she was now a marathoner.


Lessons Learned

  • Having multiple goals is so important.

  • Start small.

  • Put yourself first and don't be afraid to go for it.


Want to hear Nancy tell the story herself? Listen to the full episode now: Running Towards Gratitude: How a Busy Mom Found Her First Marathon w/ Nancy Pauley — available wherever you get your podcasts.


Listen to my most recent mini episode: Introducing the First Marathon Buddy Program!



Want more stories like this in your inbox? Subscribe to The Rundown newsletter!


Follow along with the show:

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

🎙️ Podcast IG/TikTok: @myfirstmarathonpod

📺 YouTube: @MyFirstMarathonPodcast


Comments

bottom of page