127: Go Stupid Slow: Finding Running, Community, and Her People in the Ultra World w/ Keneshia Raymond

127: Go Stupid Slow: Finding Running, Community, and Her People in the Ultra World w/ Keneshia Raymond

From My First Marathon by My First Marathon

June 1, 2026 · 58 min · Episode 127

About this episode

Keneshia Raymond shares her transformative journey into running, highlighting the importance of community and support in overcoming personal challenges.

Keneshia came to running the way a lot of us do, not because she set out to become a runner, but because she needed somewhere to put everything she was carrying. A former dancer and professional roller skater, she found herself battling depression after adopting two teenagers and needed something that could get her out of her own head. A local Mother's Day 5K with her mom was the answer, and once she crossed that first finish line, there was no going back. What followed was one of the most packed first years in running you'll hear about on this show. A run walk group that gave her permission to go slow and actually build something real. A half marathon that made her cry at the finish line and two more already booked before she even got there. A marathon training block in Arizona summer heat that included a 29-mile overnight ultra and 20 miles on a treadmill. And then the Every Woman's Marathon itself, which turned out to be nothing like she planned and everything she needed anyway. If there's one thing Keneshia's story makes clear, it's that the right people around you can carry you further than any training plan ever could. Follow along with Keneshia: @blissfulcreatives Follow…

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Hosts: tay.says, taysays

Guest: Keneshia Raymond

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Organizations: My First Marathon

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