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 pre

race 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.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Sydney Levenfeld's Running Journey
02:07 How Running Helped Build Confidence and Self-Belief
04:03 Sydney's First Marathon and Its Significance
05:52 Overcoming Health Challenges and Running Safely
10:01 Breaking 3 Hours and Improving Marathon Times
11:59 Key Training Strategies and Mental Models
14:07 The Love for Threshold Work and Speed Training
16:03 The Role of Visualization and Rituals in Racing
20:08 Memorable Races and Personal Highlights
24:56 Building Lead Pack Athletics to Address Industry Gaps
29:58 Future Goals and Vision for Running Industry

Follow Sydney:

instagram.com/sydney.b.fitness/

Follow The People Run Podcast:

instagram.com/thepeoplerunpodcast/
Music: instagram.com/mech__beats/