The Worst Day of My Life: Running a First Marathon That Didn’t Go to Plan w/ Ilana Dunn

Ilana Dunn didn’t grow up a runner. In fact, she was the person who walked the mile and avoided it whenever she could. But after accidentally getting into treadmill classes, discovering run-walk intervals, and slowly building up, she found herself chasing something she once thought was impossible: the marathon. What followed wasn’t a perfect training block. It was injuries, setbacks, and figuring things out in real time, eventually leading her to the start line of the New York City Marathon feeling as prepared as she could be.

What she didn’t expect was how race day would actually feel. What started as excitement quickly turned into panic, overwhelm, and a moment where she seriously considered walking off the course entirely. This is a story about pushing through when things don’t look or feel how you thought they would, and learning that the marathon isn’t always the picture perfect experience people say it will be.

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