If you spend any time on running Instagram or TikTok, it can start to feel like everyone is constantly winning. Every race is a PR. Every training block is “the best one yet.” Every goal is crushed effortlessly, with a highlight reel to prove it.
But that version of running, the one where progress is linear and success is always guaranteed, is not the reality.
This is my story of why not every race is a PR, why chasing goals can take years, and why that doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong!!
My First Marathon and the Goal That Felt Reasonable
My first marathon was the 2022 NYC Marathon. Like most first-timers, I had two goals:
Goal A: Finish the marathon
Goal B: Finish in under 4 hours
At the time, that felt reasonable to me. I was new to long-distance running, motivated, and following a weekly mileage plan I found on Pinterest. My training philosophy was simple: run as fast as I could for as long as I could (SPOILER ALERT: this is the worst running plan ever!) Strength training was minimal, mostly Orangetheory classes, and mobility wasn’t really part of the picture.
A few weeks before race day, things started to fall apart.
Running Through Pain Isn’t Grit, It’s a Warning Sign
About four miles into my training runs, I started getting sharp pain on the outside of my left knee. I went to physical therapy, where I was given a few basic exercises and told I’d be fine. Well, I was not fine.
By mile 14, I knew I was in trouble.
The knee pain was terrible, forcing me into a painful walk-run cycle for the remaining 12 miles. I stopped at medical tents twice for Tylenol. The medics also wrapped my knee, but I had to rip the wrap off minutes later because it only made the pain worse. Then my hip started hurting as I changed my form to protect my knee.
Despite all of it, I crossed the finish line just under five hours.
People congratulated me. I smiled. But inside, I told myself I was never doing that again!!! My body had never hurt so badly in my life.
The Reality Check I Actually Needed
After the marathon, I went to a physical therapist who specialized in runners. He performed a thorough evaluation and found significant weakness in my left hip, which was causing IT band syndrome and the knee pain I’d been dealing with.
Fun fact that no one talks about enough: rolling out your IT band because it hurts does not actually fix the problem!!!!!!
After completing physical therapy, I was able to run pain-free again and my motivation for running came back.
Trying Again With More Intention
As I began running again, I wanted to give the marathon another try and redeem myself. I signed up for the Dublin City Marathon.
This time, I trained differently. I found a plan that emphasized:
Zone 2 running
Running for time instead of distance
Slower miles
Strength training twice a week
It was humbling to run slow. It was boring at times. It didn’t look impressive on Strava.
But it worked!
I ran Dublin completely pain-free. While I didn’t hit my sub-4 goal, I finished in 4 hours and 8 minutes, a massive improvement from NYC and proof that I was moving in the right direction.
The Long Game of Chasing One Goal
Still chasing that sub-4 marathon, I signed up for the Kiawah Island Marathon.
This time, I trained using the Runna app, which included:
Four runs per week
Speed workouts (something I hadn’t done in previous marathon blocks)
Strength training twice a week
Mobility once a week
I didn’t miss a single session.
Three of my long runs were 20 miles or more and to be honest they were brutal. My legs were exhausted during these runs. I was so fatigued and sore that I fully convinced myself I physically could not run 26.2 miles in under four hours.
Race Day Isn’t Magic, It’s a Mental Fight
Here was my third attempt at my sub-4 goal.
After a crowded first mile, I settled into an 8:30–8:50 min/mile pace from miles 2 through 14, I was cruising! At mile 15, I felt pain in my left knee and immediately had flashbacks to NYC. What followed was a mental battle from miles 15 to 23. Every instinct told me to walk and the sub-4 goal just isn't possible.
I didn’t give in to my thoughts! Even as my pace slowly slipped: 9-minute miles, then 9:30s, then 10s and slower. At mile 23, the 4-hour pacers passed me. It felt like I was losing the race of my life.
Somehow, I found it in me to push back. I picked up the pace just enough to stay ahead.
I crossed the finish line in 3 hours and 57 seconds.
The Part Social Media Doesn’t Show
It took me THREE YEARS from 2022 to 2025 to hit my goal.
What social media often leaves out is the reality:
Not every race is a PR race
Progress isn’t linear
Training is time-consuming
Skipped plans with family and friends
Setbacks and self-doubt
Watching influencers run race after race, setting records and making it look effortless, can be incredibly discouraging. But what you don’t see is the full picture. The years of groundwork, the failures, the races that didn’t go as planned.
Why This Is Your Reminder
If you’re chasing a goal that feels far away, you’re not behind.
If you’ve had setbacks, you’re not weak.
If your journey is taking longer than someone else’s highlight reel, you’re not failing.
Sometimes the most meaningful goals are the ones that take years to reach.
And when you finally do?
It feels even better knowing how much it took to get there.
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