Here at runladylike.com, Fridays are all about sharing the inspiring stories of fit people who motivate all of us to be better tomorrow than we were yesterday. My Friday FITspiration series profiles runners, triathletes and casual exercisers who are making choices every day to be as healthy as they can be – in both huge ways and through simple, small victories. Their stories are about the journey of transforming from ordinary to extraordinary each and every day.

Today, I’m changing things up a little to bring you the story of a good friend and training pal who just completed her first marathon 2 weeks ago. Earlier this year, I shared my advice for first-time marathoners, and I was overwhelmed by the response. There were so many of you gearing up to run your first marathon this spring who were looking for help, as well as many seasoned marathoners who had excellent tips to add to the list.

Meet Amy Lauth. Amy is a working mom of 2, a great friend and a fierce competitor. Amy and I met through this blog and trained for and competed in the Ironman 70.3 Augusta last year together. When she told me she wanted to run her first marathon, you can imagine my excitement. On Sunday, February 17, she found herself at the starting line of the Austin Marathon. And she didn’t just run her first marathon that day. She killed it, running 3:51:56!

Amy shares with us her journey of what it was like to run her first marathon. The highs and lows of the experience. What she wishes she had known then that she knows now. Her advice. And if she’ll do it again. Unfiltered.

Me: What inspired you to run a full marathon?
Amy: My biggest motivation to run a marathon came from my friends. Several of my BRFs (best running friends) decided to run their first marathon last April. I ran with them through some of their training, tracked them on race day and shared in the excitement of their journey. My daughter and I ran together in her first 5K on the day their marathon took place, and I cheered for my friends virtually. After hearing their stories, I was convinced I wanted to tackle my first marathon soon.

Me: Tell us about the experience.
Amy: I chose to run my first marathon in Austin, Texas, where I grew up. My sister had her first baby this fall, and it seemed like a great excuse to visit my family and to catch a glimpse of my old stomping grounds – literally a run down memory lane. My sister and brother-in-law live in downtown Austin, just 1.5 miles from the race start. I was able to sleep a little later, skip the traffic and walk/jog to the race start.

After breakfast, stretching, checking my supplies one more time and lathering up with lots of Body Glide, I left the house around 6 a.m. I made my way to the race start and hit one of the first sets of porta potties. I arrived at the start line with more than enough time and did some walking outside the corrals to stay warm plus some last minute stretching. I really wanted to go to the bathroom again – but I’ve almost missed a race start before by waiting too late, and I could see the lines were probably too long. I did not want to risk being rushed or nervous so I skipped it. My marathon goal time was 4 hours, but I ended up lining up in the 3:45 pace group because I liked the way it was situated better (3:55 and 4 hour pace groups split an island in the middle of the road).

After a few weeks of nerves, I felt pretty good at the race start and was ready to go when the race began. The first 6 miles of the race I worked very hard to keep a slower pace and focused on resisting the urge to weave and move away from the pack. In addition to focusing on my pace, after a few miles into the race I really had to pee (I’d hydrated well). I passed several porta potties but refused to wait in line and began trying to scope for bushes. Around mile 7, I finally saw an open potty and made a very quick pit stop. The race became much more comfortable after that, and at mile 8 I saw my mom, sister, brother-in-law, niece and cousin – seeing them was a great boost and they handed me a Ziplock full of oranges – my favorite race fuel.

I’ve been training in Atlanta, where my last 2 long runs were in 26 and 32 degree (F) weather, so I was very nervous that Austin was going to be hotter than I was used to. What I got was perfect marathon weather with a race start temperature of 40 degrees.

Me: Was it easier or harder than you thought?
Amy: I really was not sure what to expect, but I had a healthy fear for the race. Overall, I’d say the marathon was easier than I expected, but I tend to prepare for the worst. I followed the Hanson Brothers method for marathon training, which focuses on building more cumulative weekly mileage rather than a single long weekend run. You also do consecutive longer runs back-to-back with the theory being that your second day run is on tired legs. Based on that, my longest runs were an 8-mile Friday followed by a 16-mile Saturday. I was very nervous about crossing that threshold in to the later miles, but I felt really strong at the end and the mere fact I was feeling so good fueled my fire to keep going.

The one thing that was much harder than I expected was the post-race pain. I’d heard people talk about not being able to walk up stairs for a week and similar stories, but I had no idea how much it would hurt! I could barely walk Sunday afternoon and Monday morning. However, by the time I boarded the plane Monday afternoon, I was feeling much, much better.

Me: What was your favorite part of the experience?
Amy: I have 2 favorite moments – both nearing the end of the race. The first was when I hit mile 20. That was the moment I knew I had it. I felt really strong. I was well within making my goal time, and I was still running a great pace. At that point, I felt like I could really just settle in and enjoy the rest of the ride.

Another favorite moment was in the final mile or 2 of the race when I ran by the last water station with a giant smile on my face and nearly every volunteer called out my name to cheer me on. As we ran past, the man in front of me turned around and said, “Are you Amy?” We started a conversation and I could tell he was a veteran marathoner. He asked about my goal time, and I told him it was my first marathon and my goal was 4 hours. He cheered me on and congratulated me on beating my goal time and then asked, “What is your Boston qualifier time?” I had no idea, but his thought made me feel really confident and proud of the race I’d run. At the finish line I did a silly, jumpy, happy dance.

Me: What was the most challenging part of the race?
Amy: There was one very challenging time in the race for me. We split off from the half marathoners around mile 10 and proceeded to run the next 2 to 3 miles all uphill. By the time I got to the 13.1 mile marker, my knee was hurting pretty bad. I had a fleeting moment of concern wondering how I could possibly finish another half marathon with that pain. But then I remembered that my knee had done something similar around mile 8 of the run in my half Ironman (Augusta, September 2012). So I ate a GU, took a sodium tab and told myself I would ignore the knee and the pain would go away. And, with several miles of flat running, it did. And it didn’t return for the rest of the race.

Me: What do you wish you had known before your first marathon that you know now after your race?
Amy: I wish I had planned my pre-race potty stops and timing better. I was very annoyed that I had to stop during the race. I also feel like the hills were a little underplayed in the race descriptions – but I am not sure I really wanted to know that anyway.

Me: What advice/tips would you give someone about to run their first marathon?
Amy: The key to my success in this race was my pacing and fueling strategy. I had to work really hard to control my speed at the beginning, even running slow enough I worried I might not make my goal time, but it paid off huge. I ended up with a slight negative split and felt really strong at the end. I also don’t shy away from food. I heard the women from Another Mother Runner speak at a Zooma race – and one of their tips was when your body hurts, it’s your brain trying to shut you down. Give your brain calories, and you win the battle to keep going. I frequently share that advice and apply it liberally in my training and racing.

Me: What running mantras got you through?
Amy: I decided to dedicate each mile to a person or group of people who have supported me, inspired me and have blessed my life. As I ran past each mile marker, I dedicated a moment to think about those people and that was a great positive force.

Note from rUnladylike: I hope Amy doesn’t mind me sharing this email, but she sent the below message to me the week before the race. It literally touched me so deeply. I am honored to have been a very small part of what turned out to be a magnificent day for her …

Hi Jesica,
Before the Marine Corps Marathon, you posted 26 mantras – on the recommendation to have something beautiful to focus on when the tough moments come. I’ve decided to fill my marathon with 26 beautiful things by dedicating each mile to a special person or group of people who have supported, inspired and blessed me.

I am dedicating Mile 21 to you as that will be one of the toughest miles of the race, and thinking through your great advice, positive energy and support will be a great way for me to focus and power through. I am so thankful that I’ve gotten to know you and in a seemingly short time you’ve had a big impact on my life.

Thanks!
Amy

Amy: Beyond that – I try to remember to smile, because nothing hurts if you are smiling. And, I saw one race sign at mile 17 that I kept repeating in my head, “Your feet hurt because you are kicking so much ass.” My feet did hurt – so that made me laugh!

Me: What music got you through?
Amy: I actually made a strategic playlist with slower music for the first 20 minutes to help me keep my pace and then picked it up with some very upbeat music. I tend to go hip-hop and R&B for running with a little Top 40. My favorite song of this race was “Thrift Store,” because that song is so funny – and it came on as I was running up a hill. Thank you Macklemore!

Me: What gear, hydration and fuel got you through?
Amy: For breakfast I had a protein smoothie and steel cut oatmeal. I carried my Nathan water bottle holder and I’d say that is a huge plus and kept me from having to worry about every water station. It also conveniently housed my 5 GUs and sodium tablets.

I was thrilled that the Austinites took a ton of neighborhood pride in supporting the race, and many were handing out fruit. So after I ran out of the orange slices my family handed me, I happily took orange slices and a half banana from gracious race supporters – which were available around every mile from mile 15 through 25.

During the race, I ended up taking 3 sodium tablets, 4 GUs, a half a banana and probably at least 2 oranges. Toward the middle of the race, I started taking small sips of Gatorade at the aid stations, and I drank a bottle and a half of water (I did a quick refill of my bottle around Mile 20).

Me: Will you run another marathon?
Amy: I was not sure I’d be a marathoner, but I am pleasantly surprised that I am. Honestly, I loved it! I am already plotting my future races! I loved the experience and would recommend it to anyone giving it thought.

I am so proud of Amy on finishing her first marathon (and beating my marathon PR by 30 seconds)! Go on and slap that 26.2 sticker proudly on your car, lady! You can connect with Amy on Twitter at @alauth. To read more about my tips for your first marathon along with great advice from other runners in the comments, click here.

If you or someone you know would be a great candidate for Friday FITspiration or simply have a great story to share, email me at runladylike@gmail.com.

What struck you most about Amy’s first marathon experience? What were the best and worst moments of your first marathon? If you’ve never run a marathon but are thinking about it, what do you want to know more about?