This was sent in by Sarah Granato who ran the MTA Virtual Half Marathon this year.

“Thank you Angi and Trevor for everything! Thank you for your podcast, your Virtual Half Marathon opportunity and for all you do for the running community.

I’ve written so many iterations of this summary of my ‘first half marathon’ experience and… way too long, all of them.

So here is my list, in short, of what running my very first half marathon taught me.

What Running My Very First Half Marathon Taught Me

I ran my very first half marathon at 41 years strong with about one year of a running practice under my belt. Though I’ve been a yoga teacher for 14 years and practicing yoga for way more than that, I did not start incorporating strength until 2 years ago and starting running at 40.

1. Yes, I can do hard things.
2. I learned to trust others (it’s very challenging for me to stick with the program because I always want to do things my way, however I stuck with MTA’s half marathon training program for beginners. When I saw 12 mi., 8 mi. THEN 13.1 I didn’t understand why on the 12 mi. day I couldn’t just add a mile and end it all😭#training)
3. I learned to trust my body (I could write an entire essay on this).
4. I learned to trust my SELF.
5. After a lifetime of not feeling strong, sporty, athletic, or taking risks, I have learned that I am in fact a bit strong, sporty, athletic, and can take risks.
6. Adding to that… I am not defined by my past experiences. I CAN, DID, and will continue to make and crush goals NOW and ongoing.
7. It takes a village. During moments where I thought I could not continue during my half, I drew upon the energy of everyone who had supported me during my journey.
8. Knowing my WHY became very important.
9. Mind over matter is a real thing. My body was DONE but my mind carried me til the end.
10. Poop. As much as you can…. before you run 😭

Thank you Angi and Trevor and Marathon Training Academy for this opportunity and experience. There will only be one first and I am so grateful for all that I learned.

-Sarah Granato @sarah_granato