Hi, I’m Katie Taylor, and I first started running when I joined my seventh-grade track team as a miler (long distance) in Amarillo, TX. From there I became a high school cross-country runner, which was when I truly fell in love with running. Since then I have run numerous road and trail races ranging from 2 ½ mile relays up to the marathon. I have completed eleven marathons, my first as a senior in high school, in which I convinced my dad to come out of a nearly 30-year marathon retirement to run with me (yeah, I was a weird kid), to my most recent 2022 Boston Marathon at 16 weeks postpartum in which I was finally able to use my BQ that I earned at CIM in December 2019.
Running has played a huge part in my life. It has led to numerous friendships, and it was one of the initial things that my husband, Rod, and I bonded over. I was the Austin Runners Club’s Director of Communications from 2020-2021, in which I worked closely with other ARC Board members to support the Austin running community through philanthropic work and partnerships with local running groups, events, and stores. Currently, you can find me running with my daughter while pushing her in her running stroller.
When I’m not running, you’ll find me spending time with my family. I’m happily staying home with my daughter these days after spending 14 years teaching high school social studies.
My career as a runner began back in 2020. As a former collegiate athlete, football and basketball was my preferred form of cardio. When gyms shut down I started running on a consistent basis. I would run 3 miles a day, frustrated and angry because I couldn’t do it without stopping 2-3 times throughout the run. After a month of doing this consistently, I was finally able to run the full 3 miles without stopping. I was hooked.
When 3 miles became effortless, I bumped it up to 5, then 7 a day. Then one day I ran 20 miles just to see if I could complete it. It was painful, but I did it! This was about 18 months into my running journey. After moving to Austin, TX in April of 2022, I was completely immersed into this awesome fitness community. To meet new people, I decided to go to my first group run (5RUN2). The very first thing I was asked was, “what race are you training for?” Next thing you know, I was training for my first marathon.
I had a solid foundation from all of the miles I logged on my own from the previous 2 years. I decided to attempt to qualify for Boston in December of 2022. I failed. The goal was sub 3 hours, I finished with a 3:14. Unsatisfied, I hired a run coach and hopped right back into training for another attempt at sub 3. Just 3 months later, I qualified for the Boston Marathon with a finishing time of 2:57. I’m a firm believer in the fact that if we are willing to be consistent, learn from our mistakes, and practice patience, there is nothing we can’t accomplish.
Currently, I am a full-time Run Coach and a part-time Educator at Lululemon. I want to help people not only reach their running goals more efficiently, but also be living proof that we can do anything we set our minds to if we simply make the decision to do so.
If you have any questions please reach out to the ARC Membership and Community Development Manager, Christie.curtis@austinrunners.org.
The Austin Runners Club is a non-profit, in Austin, Texas. We have proudly served the ATX running community since 1974.
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