Running confidence doesn’t come from waiting until you feel ready. It comes from starting anyway.
Content creator and podcast host, Anna Sitar, didn’t grow up a “runner.” She started in the pool, signed up for a sprint triathlon on a whim, and somehow found herself standing on the start line of her first marathon in Honolulu. What began as “I just want to finish”, quickly turned into something deeper.
Anna’s running journey isn’t about perfect training or natural talent. It’s about what happens when you stop waiting for permission, and start proving things to yourself instead.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
Why you don’t need to feel “ready” before starting to run
How saying yes on a whim can unlock unexpected potential
What Anna learned from going zero-to-marathon faster than expected
Why runner’s highs often come after the hardest moments
Listen to the full episode for the stories and nuance behind these moments.
How To Build Running Confidence
One of the biggest myths around running is that confidence comes first. Anna’s experience flips that idea on its head. She talks openly about signing up for races without fully knowing what she was doing, learning through mistakes, and building belief only after she showed up again and again.
“It was about doing something that I wasn't even sure I could do myself. I kind of just fell in love with the chance to do something that's totally out of my comfort zone."
From surviving her first marathon in Honolulu, to bonking at the London Marathon, to standing on the edge of New York wondering how ambitious to be – confidence, for Anna, has never been clean or linear. It’s been earned through repetition.
The Importance of Trying
Whether you’re about to go out for your first ever run, returning after time off, or chasing a big goal that quietly scares you, this episode lands on a feeling many runners recognise:
What if I try… and I’m not enough?
This conversation reminds us that confidence isn’t about eliminating fear. It’s about learning to move forward with it – one run at a time.
"Motivation is the heart behind it. Having the heart is what makes the difference," she reveals on on The Runna Podcast.
And that lesson extends far beyond running.
Find Out What You’re Truly Capable Of
There’s a moment where Anna reflects on how her first marathon gave her a runner’s high she’d never felt before – not because it was easy, but because it forced her to question what she was capable of.
Another where she admits that “running for fun” can sometimes be a shield against the vulnerability of really trying.
And a quiet realisation that ambition doesn’t have to steal joy – if you learn how to hold both.
Watch or Listen to the Full Episode
Hear the full conversation with Anna Sitar on The Runna Podcast, covering confidence, consistency, doubt, and what it really means to start before you’re ready.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts or watch on YouTube.
If you’re waiting to feel confident before you start – this episode is your sign to begin anyway.
For more like this, watch our Runna TV episode to learn why starting is easier than you think.