#58 This Wasn't the Plan: From 3:15 to a 2:46 Marathon | Sydney Levenfeld

Sydney Levenfeld never expected running to change the direction of her life.After being diagnosed with epilepsy in 2020, running became a safe space during a difficult period. What started as a way to cope eventually led to a 3:15 debut marathon in Chicago, a growing belief in what she was capable of, and ultimately a 2:46 marathon PR.Sydney joins the podcast to talk about finding confidence through running, her rapid marathon progression, learning to love the training process, the workouts that helped her improve, racing Chicago, Boston and Eugene, and the unique prerace ritual she uses to visualize her goals.We also talk about leaving teaching, navigating uncertainty in her career, betting on herself, and co-founding Lead Pack Athletics as running became more than something she did it helped shape the person she wanted to become.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Sydney Levenfeld's Running Journey02:07 How Running Helped Build Confidence and Self-Belief04:03 Sydney's First Marathon and Its Significance05:52 Overcoming Health Challenges and Running Safely10:01 Breaking 3 Hours and Improving Marathon Times11:59 Key Training Strategies and Mental Models14:07 The Love for Threshold Work and Speed Training16:03 The Role of Visualization and Rituals in Racing20:08 Memorable Races and Personal Highlights24:56 Building Lead Pack Athletics to Address Industry Gaps29:58 Future Goals and Vision for Running IndustryFollow Sydney:instagram.com/sydney.b.fitness/Follow The People Run Podcast:instagram.com/thepeoplerunpodcast/Music: instagram.com/mech__beats/