This is the first of several post-U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials episodes coming your way this week. It was such an honor to co-host a live show after the race alongside Carrie Tollefson and Meb Keflezighi — in front of a 400-person audience! After an inspiring opening speech by UCAN President and CEO Shoba Murali and a few remarks from Meb, we recapped the race with Carrie (who was the official race announcer) and Meb (the official race starter). Then, we welcomed seven UCAN athletes — Sarah Sell...
Mar 04, 2020•1 hr 19 min•Season 1Ep. 213
Welcome to the second edition of a new monthly series on the Ali on the Run Show : Ramblings on the Run with Ali & Matt. Every month, Matt Chittim — host of the Rambling Runner podcast and the Road to the Olympic Trials show — and I will come together to talk about running industry news, our own running, and things we’re loving right now, and to answer listener questions about running and podcasting. It’s something new we’re trying, so let us know what you think and what you want more (or le...
Feb 27, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 212
"The only reason this was my goal is because it was her goal. I only have this dream because she was crazy enough to dream it first." —Veronica Jackson Veronica Jackson and Alex Bernardi are among the 500+ women who will be running the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon this weekend in Atlanta, GA. They're longtime training partners, and on this episode, they talk about the power of running friendships, and the effects your best running friends can have on your goals. Today, Alex and Veronica live in ...
Feb 26, 2020•1 hr 15 min•Season 1Ep. 211
"It’s a pretty misunderstood lifestyle. Unless you’re in it, you don’t really have a clue what it’s like to do it or why you would do it, because it’s so much work. But the people who have a passion for it would never change that." Earlier this month, Elle Purrier won the Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games in New York City. In the process, she set a new American record in the indoor mile (4:16.85), broke a 37-year-old record, ran an 8-second personal best time, and ran the second fastest indoo...
Feb 24, 2020•44 min•Season 1Ep. 210
"I’m an open book. I have no shame about anything I have gone through or felt." Andrea Barber — perhaps best known as Kimmy Gibbler on Full House and the Netflix revival Fuller House — is back on the Ali on the Run Show! And this time, she's a published author! Andrea's first book, Full Circle: From Hollywood to Real Life and Back Again , came out late last year, and it's a hit. (I'm not just saying this because Andrea is a friend: This book is fantastic.) Full Circle isn't a salacious Hollywood...
Feb 20, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 209
"Change always takes time, and the battles that Adam and I have chosen to fight have just taken time. We’ve learned to be patient and to think less about ourselves and more about the future." Happy Valentine’s Day! We're celebrating here on the Ali on the Run Show with the fifth and final episode of Love on the Run Week — and we're wrapping things up with the Gouchers! Kara and Adam Goucher have been married for 19 years. On this episode, we have an open and honest conversation about their strug...
Feb 14, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 208
"It showed Pat my worst side, and what I’m like when I’m not my happy self." Gwen Jorgensen won gold at the 2016 Olympic Games in the triathlon, and then decided she wanted to trade in the bike and the swim for a while to see how she could fare as a professional distance runner. Today, Gwen trains with the Bowerman Track Club, and is gearing up to compete at the 2020 Olympic Track & Field Trials in the 5K and 10K. And her husband, Pat Lemieux, will be by her side every step of the way. Pat w...
Feb 13, 2020•56 min•Season 1Ep. 207
"He doesn’t do these grand gestures — he just shows up for me every single day." Love on the Run Week continues! From the Leers to the Lindens — to the Bruces! Today, professional marathon runners Steph and Ben Bruce are here to talk about what makes them Team Bruce. They talk about what it's like when Ben is pacing Steph on the run, like at the 2019 Chicago Marathon, and open up about the impact having their two sons (Riley and Hudson) has had on their careers and their marriage. Steph and Ben ...
Feb 12, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 206
“It’s competitive…in a healthy way!” It's Love on the Run Week on the Ali on the Run Show ! First we heard from Aisha Praught and Will Leer , and today it's the Linden's turn. On this episode, we hear from 2018 Boston Marathon champion Desiree Linden and her Ironman and entrepreneur husband, Ryan. Thank you to Generation UCAN for sponsoring this episode of Ali on the Run Show! Click here and use code ONTHERUN for 20 percent off your order, plus free shipping. (First-time buyers, check out the UC...
Feb 11, 2020•53 min•Season 1Ep. 205
"When talking about running, it’s where we have to be the most delicate with each other." We're celebrating love all week long on the Ali on the Run Show: Welcome to Love on the Run Week! Today, we're kicking things off with professional middle-distance runners Aisha Praught and Will Leer, who live and train in Boulder, CO. Thank you to Generation UCAN for sponsoring this episode of Ali on the Run Show! Click here and use code ONTHERUN for 20 percent off your order, plus free shipping. (First-ti...
Feb 10, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 204
"There was an incredible amount of pressure that I acknowledged and then just kind of wanted to tuck away in the back of my mind and not pay attention to, because if I let that take over, I would’ve been scrutinizing it, and it would’ve gotten in my head, and I wouldn’t have been able to do what I did." Rick Powell was the official 2:45 pacer at the 2020 Houston Marathon, who led a group of several dozen women hoping to qualify for the Olympic Trials. On this episode, Rick — a former Marine and ...
Feb 05, 2020•56 min•Season 1Ep. 203
Welcome to a new monthly series on the Ali on the Run Show : Ramblings on the Run with Ali & Matt. Every month, Matt Chittim — host of the Rambling Runner podcast and the Road to the Olympic Trials show — and I will come together to talk about running industry news, our own running, and things we're loving right now, and to answer listener questions about running and podcasting. It's something new we're trying, so let us know what you think and what you want more (or less!) of. On this episo...
Jan 31, 2020•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 202
"I wasn’t ready to run a marathon to my standards, and I did it anyway, and I was able to meet that goal, I was able to check off a goal, and I haven’t been able to do that in a long time." Neely Spence Gracey just ran her first postpartum race since having her son, Athens, in 2018. She ran the Houston Marathon — and qualified for the Olympic Trials by running a 2:44. Not a bad return to the races! But Neely's journey to the OTQ hasn't been easy. On this episode, she talks about her pregnancy an...
Jan 30, 2020•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 201
"I dropped so many F-bombs the last 10K! I just kept saying, 'It’s gonna happen, it’s gonna happen!' I was just so hyped up." This past weekend, Starla Garcia ran the Chevron Houston Marathon in 2 hours and 43 minutes — officially qualifying to run the 2020 Olympic Trials. On this episode — the 200th episode of the Ali on the Run Show ! — Starla talks about her road to the OTQ, including missing the cutoff by just two minutes at last year's Grandma's Marathon, and a DNF at CIM. She talks about d...
Jan 23, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 200
"I can’t sit around waiting for things to happen." New year, excited me! On this short-ish solo episode, I'm sharing my 2020 vision — an Ali on the Run Show State of the Union of sorts. I talk about my personal and professional goals for this year, and reflect on my lululemon goal setting process. (Speaking of new: Come join the Ali on the Run Facebook group ! We're having fun in there!) Thank you to AfterShokz for sponsoring this episode of the Ali on the Run Show! CLICK HERE for $50 off your A...
Jan 16, 2020•38 min•Season 1Ep. 199
"The goal isn’t to stop feeling anxious or to judge yourself for it. That’s like saying, 'Oh, it shouldn’t be raining.' But it is. So now what?" Rachel Gersten is a New York City-based licensed therapist, and is the co-founder of Viva Wellness . On this episode — perfect for the new year! — she dishes out advice about dealing with burnout, anxiety, and what to do when you realize you have no idea what you want to do with the rest of your life. She also talks about her lifelong battle with chroni...
Jan 09, 2020•56 min•Season 1Ep. 198
"Most people would describe me as kind and warm. But I have this other part of my personality: I am insatiably competitive." Aisha Praught Leer is a professional middle-distance runner for Under Armour, a national record holder in the 5000 meters, a 2016 Olympian (she competed in the 3000-meter steeplechase), and a gold medal winner at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. On this episode, Aisha talks about her progression as a professional athlete, her decision to race for and represent Jamaica (she's a...
Jan 01, 2020•1 hr 15 min•Season 1Ep. 197
"We put ourselves on the line to help other people accomplish their dreams, and that was pretty freaking awesome." At the California International Marathon (CIM) earlier this month, 72 women ran faster than 2 hours 45 minutes, officially qualifying to run the Olympic Trials in the marathon. Leading several dozen of those women were Menso de Jong , Chris Stehula , and Ken Rakestraw — the official sub-2:45 pace group leaders. None of them had ever run a 2:45 marathon before. This is their story. T...
Dec 25, 2019•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 196
"I’m just winging it." Mary Johnson (perhaps best known as @itsamarython on Instagram ) is the owner of Lift, Run, Perform . She's a running coach and a strength coach who also works at Ranfone Training Systems . And she just had a baby! Mary's first child, Eli, is five months old, and on this episode, Mary very honestly talks about what the past five months have looked like for her. She talks about the highs and lows of new motherhood, explains her strategy for getting work done as a work-from-...
Dec 19, 2019•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 195
"In dance, you’re kind of always told what to do, how to do it, how perfect it has to be. Running has been a way for me to let all of that go." Sarah Grooms spent 13 years doing hundreds of eye-high kicks a day as a Radio City Rockette. On this episode, she talks about everything you've ever wanted to know about performing at one of the world's most famous venues (including how Radio City's famous camels get their exercise between shows!), and explains why she decided to hang up her heels last y...
Dec 12, 2019•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 194
"We are both a bit stubborn — especially about our goals." —Jenny Donnelly It was a big, exciting weekend at the 2019 California International Marathon! It was especially exciting for the Donnelly family: 28-year-old Jenny qualified for the Olympic Marathon Trials, finishing in 2:44.31, and her mom, 62-year-old Judi celebrating 25 years of being breast-cancer-free, ran a lifetime personal best, finishing in a Boston Marathon qualifying time of 3:56. On this episode, Jenny and Judi reflect on the...
Dec 11, 2019•59 min•Season 1Ep. 193
"I really hope that people seeing amputees in line at the grocery store don’t think, 'Oh, you poor thing,' they wonder, 'Oh, are you a marathoner?'" In April 2013, Adrianne Haslet was living her dream as a professional ballroom dancer. On Marathon Monday, she found herself near the Boston Marathon finish line, watching the runners finish the iconic race. But then, so many lives were forever changed that day. When the two bombs went off near the finish, the second blast took Adrianne's foot. On t...
Dec 04, 2019•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 192
“It was in that moment I realized that I wasn’t running. I also realized I wasn’t jogging. I was barely walking. I looked down, and the tops of my shoes are scraping the ground — one slow movement after the next slow movement.” It's an Ali on the Run Show Thanksgiving tradition! Four years ago, my now-husband, Brian, and I lined up at the start of two very different Turkey Trots. Though both races were five miles, the outcomes were vastly dissimilar. I ran the Prospect Park Track Club Turkey Tro...
Nov 27, 2019•37 min•Season 1Ep. 191
"One of the hardest conversations I ever had was to admit that I’d been struggling. And I no longer wanted to be alive." Sarah True is a professional triathlete and Olympian. On this episode, she honestly and vulnerably shares her story of competing at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, hitting rock bottom, and the intense emotional recovery that followed. She opens up about her history with mood disorders and depression, and talks about how stress affects her body and her performance. She also talks abo...
Nov 21, 2019•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 190
"When you’re in a powerless position and the rest of your career is totally dependent on what you do, you aren’t going to burn bridges. You don’t have many bridges to walk across." Phoebe Wright is a former professional middle-distance runner who spent six years competing as a Nike-sponsored athlete. Phoebe, an 800-meter specialist from Tennessee, became a five-time national champion before retiring after the 2016 Olympics. On this episode, she reflects on her time with Nike and talks about some...
Nov 15, 2019•44 min•Season 1Ep. 189
"I’m kind of labeled as the gay runner. But those are two things I’m really proud of. I’m proud to be gay and I’m proud of my running." —Nikki Hiltz Nikki Hiltz and Therese Haiss are professional runners for adidas. They live in San Diego where they train with the Mission Athletics Club, and on this episode, they talk about how they met — and how their immediate friendship evolved into something more. They talk about coming out to each other, and to their loved ones, and talk about society's obs...
Nov 14, 2019•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 188
"I want to know that every person that crosses that finish line is celebrated. I don’t care what the time on the clock says. I want everyone’s hard work and dreams to be celebrated." Last Sunday, I became an official TCS New York City Marathon finish line announcer. I always said my dream was to “stand at a finish line and cheer for all the runners.” And I got to do that on the world’s largest stage. I need about a month to sit and process the magic of this past week. What I got to do. The oppor...
Nov 07, 2019•1 hr 23 min•Season 1Ep. 187
It was an honor, a pleasure, and a privilege to host this live recording of the Ali on the Run Show at the New York Road Runners RunCenter the day before the 2019 TCS New York City Marathon. Five leaders in the industry — Mary Wittenberg, Lauren Fleshman, Alison Desir, Jen Ator, and Lindsay Crouse — discuss why it's an exciting time to be a woman in running right now, and address the work that still needs to be done to make the running world more inclusive. THANK YOU to New York Road Runners for...
Nov 05, 2019•56 min•Season 1Ep. 186
"Everyone talks about the roar on first avenue. Mine was trying to dodge the roar of the cleaning trucks!" Last year, 55-year-old Janelle Hartman became a marathoner. After running more than 100 races and volunteering at just as many, Janelle decided that 2018 was the year she would run the TCS New York City Marathon. And on this episode, she talks about what it's like to be the very last finisher of the marathon: Janelle was the final finisher at the 2018 New York City Marathon. She paints a pi...
Oct 30, 2019•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 185
"This illness is just a small part of me. It’s not all of me. I’m still able to be a mom. And I haven’t allowed my disease to rob me of that. It just gives me strength. It almost makes me feel like a badass some days! It’s not always pretty, but for the most part, I’m doing what I want to do with my life despite my illness." Natalie Hayden was diagnosed with Crohn's disease right after graduating college. She was on track to pursue her dream job as a television anchor, but her inflammatory bowel...
Oct 28, 2019•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 184
