Patience, Resilience, and Marathon PRs: Emily Shor’s Comeback with Coach Kaitlyn Donahue #04

In this episode of the Spewak Training Podcast, host Mark Spewak is joined by Coach Kaitlyn Donahue and runner Emily Shor for their first-ever podcast appearance. Emily shares how she initially felt terrified and vulnerable reaching out for coaching, worrying she’d be judged for her pace, and how Kaitlyn’s supportive, flexible approach helped her get faster while prioritizing safety and work-life balance.  Emily reflects on her Chicago Marathon experience, then discusses a stress fracture discovered about a year ago that required six to eight weeks off running.She explains how Kaitlyn guided her through cross training—especially on the Peloton—to maintain fitness, then eased her back with walk-run progression ahead of the New York City Marathon. Emily describes being nervous about re-injury during the New York build but ultimately PR’ing on the hillier NYC course, crediting resilience, patience, and gratitude for being able to run again.The conversation highlights the atmosphere of major marathons, with Emily describing NYC’s massive crowds, runner community, and the support of strangers, including seeing front-of-the-pack runners stay to cheer later finishers. Mark and Kaitlyn emphasize the value of mindset, accountability, and long-term sustainability in the sport, not just chasing PRs.Emily shares that coaching helped her feel “hooked,” improved her structure compared to earlier self-guided training, and inspired her to sign up for Chicago again this fall. She also mentions a long-term goal of running a race in every state and hopes to still love running in five years. In today's episode, you will hear about such topics as:Taking the Leap: The Fear of Reaching Out for a CoachRebuilding with Cross-Training: The Road Back to NYC MarathonTwo Years of Progress: Accountability, Structure, and Loving the ProcessChicago Marathon Highs… Then the Stress Fracture SetbackFollow Emily Shor:Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/emshor214/Follow Coach Kaitlyn Donahue:https://spewaktraining.com/kaitlyn