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 excited to introduce you to Lindsay from Lindsay Weighs In. Lindsay just ran her first half marathon at the Rock ‘n’ Roll USA Half Marathon last month and is still enjoying her race high. Lindsay just started running seriously last fall and is on a journey to lose 100 pounds. Watching her sister complete her first half marathon inspired Lindsay to start training. Lindsay lives in Pennsylvania, works as a nonprofit professional, goes to graduate school at night and blogs about health and fitness in her “spare time.” Find out what this first-time half marathoner had to say about the experience, her advice and everything in between.

What made you decide to run your first half marathon?
Running a half marathon had always been a huge bucket list item for me, but I kept saying I couldn’t do it until I lost weight. Of course, it probably would have been a bit easier to carry less weight 13.1 miles, but I’m so, so, so glad I did it.

What was the best part of training? What was the most challenging part?
The best part of my half marathon training was hitting new mileage goals! The first time I ran 8 miles, I mean wow – that was absolutely amazing. I never thought I would do that. The most challenging part was training through this terrible winter. The irony is not lost on me that the first winter I decided to train for a spring half marathon; Pennsylvania had the worst winter it has had in about 14 years.

Tell us about your race day experience. What, if anything, did you learn about yourself, running or life from your journey?
Oh my goodness, what an absolutely amazing day! That will stand as one of the best days of my entire life, no matter how many other races I run. I learned I can eat hills for breakfast, friends can get you through anything and that people are amazing. I loved having people cheer for me and encourage me. My friend Jodie ran the entire race with me and pushed me when I didn’t think I could go any further. I learned that I can truly do anything I set my mind to do. I finished in just under 4 hours, and that was the most challenging 4 hours of my life, but also the best. That race truly proved to me that I can do absolutely anything I put my mind to.

You can read Lindsay’s full recap from her first half marathon here.

What advice would you give to someone training for their first half marathon or considering signing up for one?
JUST DO IT! Sign up. You won’t regret doing it. Another large piece of advice is to follow your training plan. Believe in yourself, and believe in your training. I was almost resistant to training in the beginning because I was convinced I was going to fail (I am not always the best at believing in myself) so I just about set myself up to fail. Thankfully, I came to my senses, and I was able to recommit to training in enough time to finish the half.

Will you run another half marathon? What is your next running/fitness goal?
What is a stronger word than yes? Ha-ha, yes I will be doing another half marathon. I’m going to savor that training and running so much more now that I haven’t run in more than a month nursing my knee back to health. No amount of injuries or physical therapy can take that half finish away from me, and I’m excited to make my body stronger, lose weight and continue to reach my goals. I want to do more half marathons, a marathon someday and a triathlon. Let’s just say I have big goals and dreams! I’ll be doing my first triathlon this summer, and thankfully I can swim now as my knee heals. I have a lot of work to do to get ready!

Do you have a running mantra that keeps you motivated?
I saw “Faith to Finish, Courage to Start” from another blogger, and I’ve adopted that as my running mantra. I have it on my RoadID, and I say it to myself when I’m running and things get hard. I think it takes a lot of courage to start and take on big goals, but it also takes a lot of faith to get you to the finish line. Faith in your training, faith in your body and faith in yourself.

How can people connect with you?
Blog: http://www.lindsayweighsin.com
Twitter and Instagram: @LindsayWeighsIn
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LindsayWeighsIn
Email: LindsayWeighsInBlog@gmail.com

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

If you’ve done a half marathon, what advice would you give to a new runner training for his/her first half marathon? What was the moment that motivated you to sign up for your first half marathon? If you haven’t done a half marathon, is that something you want or plan to do in the future?