“I was doing everything I could, every section that I was coming upon. So in my head it was like, if I’m doing as best I can and I get caught and passed, then that’s just how it played out, and I’m gonna cheer that person on who’s passing me because that’s cool, and that’s how we get better together.” Last month, Courtney Dauwalter defended — and reclaimed — her title at the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc 106.5-mile race, and smashed records along the way. She broke the all-time women's course record...
Sep 13, 2021•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 423
“I took down all facades. I just could not hold up this fake exterior of everything was OK when I felt like I could barely get out of bed every day. I would just get up, go to work, and the only thing else that was consistent was running. I would run every day, despite how bad I felt. And it was such a sense of refuge at points. I would feel like I would be OK. And that’s when I would start planning for the future. I was like, ‘Deirdre, this is transient. This is going to get better. You are goi...
Sep 09, 2021•1 hr 16 min•Season 1Ep. 422
“You hear the thing, ‘Are you glass half full or glass half empty?’ I’m so damn glad I have a glass!” Jesse Itzler is all about "building your life resume." He's a wildly successful entrepreneur, rapper, owner of the Atlanta Hawks, 60-time marathoner, ultramarathoner, best-selling author, creator of events including the 29029 Everesting challenge and Hell on the Hill , dad of four, and husband to Spanx founder Sara Blakely (talk about a power couple). I've been a fan of Jesse's since I read his ...
Sep 07, 2021•48 min•Season 1Ep. 421
"Once I got on the start line, that was the most at peace I'd felt in a long time." "Drink a beer for me," Molly Seidel told her family over FaceTime from Sapporo, just moments after becoming an Olympic Bronze Medalist in the marathon. Even better: drinking a beer with Molly, which is exactly what a few hundred of us did on Tuesday, August 31, during this virtual live show with the newly minted Olympic medalist. During this fun celebratory conversation, Molly talks about throwing out the first p...
Sep 04, 2021•1 hr 32 min•Season 1Ep. 420
“To me, it’s not heroic to have a miserable experience. It’s not heroic to further injure myself. It’s not heroic to set myself back, for what? A medal, an Instagram post, a couple hundred likes? Not worth it. I’d rather be the people’s champion by saying, ‘Hey, I made the tough call.’” Welcome to Ask Ali, a twice-a-month series where I answer all of your questions. This time around, we’ve got listener questions about Schitt's Creek friendships, adjusting to hilly running routes, DNFs, and so mu...
Sep 03, 2021•44 min•Season 1Ep. 419
Photo by Jason Suarez, @notafraid2fail “It’s not who I am. It’s something that happened to me.” Abbey Cooper was the talk of this year's U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials. She may not have ultimately made Team USA, but Abbey, who is sponsored by New Balance, threw down not one but two of the most inspiring, gutsy performances at Hayward Field. First, in the 5K prelims, when she broke away from the field and ran the majority of the race solo in pursuit of the Olympic Standard (and she hit it,...
Sep 02, 2021•1 hr 21 min•Season 1Ep. 418
“I’ve always been my own biggest believer.” In 2004, Cory McGee's dad was working security for the FBI at the Olympic Games in Athens — which meant Cory got to tag along! It was then that she vowed to one day return to the Olympics — as a competitor. And just a few weeks ago, Cory's dream came true when she got to represent Team USA in Tokyo. (She became an Olympic finalist , no less!) On this episode, Cory, who is sponsored by New Balance, talks about traveling to Japan to compete in the 1500m....
Aug 30, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 417
“He said, ‘I want you to feel like you can take over this race. And take over early.’ And I was like, ‘Wait, what?!’” This girl is on fire! Courtney Frerichs is a two-time Olympian for Team USA who just returned from Tokyo as a silver medalist! Courtney, who trains with Nike's Bowerman Track Club, competed in the 3000m steeplechase at the Tokyo Olympics, and made the final an exciting one when she made her move and took the lead with four laps to go. (A move she attributes both to coach Jerry Sc...
Aug 26, 2021•1 hr 23 min•Season 1Ep. 416
“I couldn’t hear. I couldn’t think. He was very matter of fact. He said, ‘You have a complete medial meniscus root tear. That means your meniscus tore off the bone. You need surgery — not today, but in the next couple days. Tokyo isn’t an option.’” Professional Puma-sponsored runner Aisha Praught Leer was living every athlete's dream this summer. She'd secured her spot on Jamaica's Olympic team, and was training in St. Moritz with her Team Boss teammates Emma Coburn and Cory McGee . She was feel...
Aug 25, 2021•1 hr 27 min•Season 1Ep. 415
“I feel like nothing and everything changed.” Keira D'Amato is many things: a full-time realtor, a mom of two, a Nike-sponsored professional runner, and — her newest title — a world record holder. Last year, Keira had arguably the best running year of her life. She ran a personal best at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials (2:34), ran a 5K on the track in 15:04 (beating her lifetime best by a full minute), won the Michigan Pro Half Marathon (and ran a 64-second personal best), ran a 2:22 at the Mar...
Aug 23, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 414
“It just feels like too much.” Welcome to Ask Ali, a twice-a-month series where I answer all of your questions. This time around, we’ve got listener questions about preparing for parenthood, podcast planning, first marathons, and so much more. Thanks to everyone who called in for this one. Enjoy! If you want to be part of a future “Ask Ali” episode (yay!), call 917-947-9699 — introduce yourself, and ask whatever’s on your mind! I can’t wait to hear from you! SPONSOR: goodr. Click here and use co...
Aug 20, 2021•39 min•Season 1Ep. 413
“I had never done this before. I mean, I’ve done press conferences before, but at this level, this was a whole other ballgame… I mean, there were several moments where I was like, ‘This is the Olympics, so I better do this right, and I better not screw this up, and I better look like I know what I’m talking about even if I don’t. Because this is the Olympics!’” Jay Holder knows his way around a press conference. As the director of marketing and communications for the Atlanta Track Club (remember...
Aug 19, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 412
“When you compete at that level, there’s this high that comes with that. And I’ve missed that. And nothing has replaced it, really… And I got little bit of that feeling calling some of those races. I started to feel that little high again that I used to get when I raced.” Last month, Kara Goucher joined the Ali on the Run Show to talk about her experience being part of the NBC broadcast team at the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials in Eugene, OR. Today, Kara's back — and this time, she's her...
Aug 18, 2021•1 hr 21 min•Season 1Ep. 411
“The best part of going to the Olympics, for me, is being able to attend events when I’m not working, and then watching athletes win and medal an event, and then knowing they’re going to come on the show and I’m going to get to work with them up close and meet them. That’s the coolest thing about my job, and what makes it unique at the Olympics.” Yosef Herzog is the stage manager for NBC's Today show, which means part of his job is getting to go to the Olympics! On this episode, Yosef talks abou...
Aug 16, 2021•51 min•Season 1Ep. 410
“Build those relationships. Have those adventures. Create those memories. That’s what’s worth living for, right there.” Ashley Paulson never stops moving. She's a professional triathlete, ultramarathoner, 91-time marathoner, U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier and runner, iFit coach, and mom of four with hot pink hair. On this episode, Ashley talks about her recent win at the Deseret News Marathon, and about the sweet story that inspired her to run the race in honor of her father, wearing the...
Aug 12, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 409
“You always have to stay in the fight.” It is an honor and a privilege to get to share this very special conversation with the legendary Wyomia Tyus today! Wyomia Tyus, now 75, is a two-time Olympian and four-time medalist (three gold, one silver). She competed in the 1964 Games in Tokyo at 19 years old (just like Athing Mu!), and again at the 1968 Games in Mexico City, where she became the first person to ever win back-to-back Olympic gold medals in the 100 meters. On this episode, Wyomia tells...
Aug 11, 2021•1 hr 28 min•Season 1Ep. 408
“Why can’t I do it all? Why can’t I be a mom, a really good mom, be the mom that I want to be, and also be an athlete, a really good athlete, the athlete I want to be?” The last time professional runner and coach Neely Spence Gracey was on the Ali on the Run Show, she had just run her first postpartum marathon after having her son, Athens. She ran a 2:44 at the Houston Marathon and qualified for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in the process. A year and a half later, a lot has happened in Neely...
Aug 09, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 407
“If you’re thinking, ‘Ali, basketball isn’t really supposed to be a contact sport…’ It was the way I played it!” Welcome to Ask Ali, a twice-a-month series where I answer all of your questions. This time around, we’ve got listener questions about dealing with self doubt, running friendships, the mental side of marathon training, and so much more. Thanks to everyone who called in for this one. Enjoy! If you want to be part of a future “Ask Ali” episode (yay!), call 917-947-9699 — introduce yourse...
Aug 06, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 406
“I said, ‘The best thing for me right now is to just choose life, and to step away.’” Tomorrow, Robyn Stevens will make her Olympic debut, representing Team USA in the 20K race walk. In June, Robyn won her event at the Olympic Track & Field Trials, officially becoming the fastest female walker in the country. And on this episode, she talks about the long road to becoming an Olympian, which included a 17-year break and retirement from the sport to recover from a severe eating disorder. But no...
Aug 05, 2021•1 hr 33 min•Season 1Ep. 405
“There just aren’t enough boys named after awesome women out there, so I just wanted to contribute to that!” The last time Ladia Albertson-Junkans was on the Ali on the Run Show, she was in Atlanta, about to run the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. Ladia had qualified for the Trials, and then went on to run the Western States 100-miler, and then ran the Fastest Known Time (FKT) on the Timberline Trail around Mount Hood. Then, soon after running the Olympic Marathon Trials, her next great endur...
Aug 02, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 404
“I’m just training and racing and I’m living my best life… I’m living my American Dream.” At 15, Diane Nukuri became an Olympian. At 16, she fled her home country of Burundi, seeking asylum in Canada. By 20, she was a student at the University of Iowa, fluent in English (her third language) and thriving on the run. Soon after, she competed at the 2012 Olympics, then again at the 2016 Games. Today, Diane is a dual citizen of the United States and Burundi, she's a professional runner sponsored by ...
Jul 29, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 403
“I was just so excited. I knew at that moment that it was going to change my life.” Last year, Dinée Dorame, a citizen of the Navajo Nation, made her podcast debut as a guest on the Ali on the Run Show . Today: She's a podcast host of her own! At the beginning of 2021, Dinée launched her show, the Grounded podcast , which explores the intersection of running, community, land, and culture. On this episode, Dinée reflects on how the show has changed her life, and how she has found her voice and in...
Jul 26, 2021•1 hr 13 min•Season 1Ep. 402
“High hopes, low expectations.” Welcome to Ask Ali, a twice-a-month series where I answer all of your questions. This time around, we’ve got listener questions about what I'm watching right now, finding your identity when you can't run, leaving New York City, working in the running industry, and so much more. Plus: another surprise appearance by Brian Cristiano! Thanks to everyone who called in for this one. Enjoy! If you want to be part of a future “Ask Ali” episode (yay!), call 917-947-9699 — ...
Jul 23, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 401
“I’m a bit bummed with how it went, but that’s why I want to get back into more racing. I know I’m fitter than that showcased, and I want to just have fun with racing, because the Olympics are obviously the pinnacle of our sport, but I think there’s so much more aside from that. So I want to have fun with all that, and do what I love, and not feel like because I didn’t make this team it was a failure of a year or I’m a failure of an athlete.” Emily Infeld arrived at the start line for this year'...
Jul 22, 2021•1 hr 16 min•Season 1Ep. 400
“Nothing is guaranteed. And because of that, it enabled me to be so present and so thankful and aware of how special the whole thing was.” Welcome to Season 3 of the What's New With You series, where we catch up with past guests on the Ali on the Run Show . And we're kicking off this season with professional middle-distance runner Kate Grace! The last time Kate was on the show, in December 2017, she had just left her sponsor, Oiselle, to sign with Nike and join the Bowerman Track Club. Now, thre...
Jul 19, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 399
“I want you to understand what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. I want you to believe in the mission, and I want you to have fun. I want you to enjoy the process, and I want you to know that what you’re doing is a worthwhile endeavor.” Like many of us, Matt Wilpers grew up wanting to be a marine biologist. ("I was really into whales," he recalls.) Ultimately, he pursued a career in finance, working as an analyst and auditor with KPMG and, later, Goldman Sachs. When he realized the NYC finan...
Jul 15, 2021•1 hr 13 min•Season 1Ep. 398
“Engineering is really about problem solving. Can you come up with a creative solution, and how do you work through it? My problems, on a day-to-day basis, are working with things like beans and corns and food processing equipment. But really, problem solving can be applied to anything. So I’m here to say that engineering is more than just planes and trains!” Welcome to the seventh and final episode in Season 5 of the On the Job series on the Ali on the Run Show! We're closing out this season wi...
Jul 13, 2021•51 min•Season 1Ep. 397
“The word should can put us into tricky places. Because who’s to say what we should or should not do? A lot of things in life are a lot more nuanced than should or should not, yes or no, black or white.” Welcome to Ask Ali, a twice-a-month series where I answer all of your questions. This time around, we’ve got listener questions about racing, nutrition, New York City must-dos, running plateaus, Orangetheory memories, and so much more. Plus: a surprise appearance by Brian Cristiano! Thanks to ev...
Jul 09, 2021•51 min•Season 1Ep. 396
"We’re actually going to Tokyo! This is real!" Karissa Schweizer and Elise Cranny were already teammates as part of the Bowerman Track Club. And now they'll share another team: Team USA. At last month's U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials, Karissa and Elise secured their spots on Team USA by racing both the 5K (where Elise won and Karissa took second) and the 10K (where Karissa made a second team, finishing in second place). On this episode, Karissa and Elise reflect on their training leading ...
Jul 08, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 395
"I just remember thinking during the race, 'I’m running my race and I’m doing everything I can to give myself a shot at making this team.' And at the end of the day, if it’s enough, it’s enough." The last time Emily Sisson was on the Ali on the Run Show , it was to break down her disappointing race at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. Today, Emily returns to the show — and this time, we're celebrating! Last month, Emily raced — and won! — the 10,000m at the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Tr...
Jul 07, 2021•57 min•Season 1Ep. 394
