"Failing is your jumping off point. It’s not the end of the story — it’s the beginning. It’s one chapter in your story, and you have the whole rest of the book to change the outcome." Bree Koegel is an absolute delight. She's a former professional dancer turned fitness instructor, and is currently a trainer on the FitOn app . (She first appeared on the Ali on the Run Show on Episode 120 . Check it out!) On this episode, Bree — a new mom to four-month-old Tuck! — closes out the Feel-Good Fridays ...
Nov 06, 2020•36 min•Season 1Ep. 303
“I hope to make this feel like a sport that anyone can do, no matter who you are.” Courtney Dauwalter is one of the greatest ultra runners of all-time. She has won Western States, the Javelina Jundred, Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB), and the Moab 240-Mile Endurance Run, where she wasn’t just the first woman to finish, she was the overall winner, beating the second-place finisher by 10 hours. Most recently, Courtney was the U.S. winner of the last-man-standing-style Big’s Backyard Ultra. She ra...
Nov 04, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 302
"I’m never gonna be rich. But I do this because I love it." Ever wondered what it's like working inside an art museum? On this episode, 2:42 marathoner and Olympic Marathon Trials runner Danae Dracht takes us all inside the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, where she works as an archivist and cataloger. It's Danae's job to catalog artists' monographs and exhibition catalogs that have been published in multiple languages. (And no, she's not multilingual — but she explains how she makes sense o...
Nov 03, 2020•54 min•Season 1Ep. 301
"I was just telling myself, you’ve never been more ready." It was the kick seen 'round the world — and on this episode, we get to hear all about it! Today, Sara Hall is here, talking about her amazing finish at this year's unique London Marathon. Sara came in second place during the elite-only race, finishing in a personal best time of 2:22.01. Sara first appeared on Episode 144 of the Ali on the Run Show with her husband (and coach!), Ryan, and this time around, she's offering updates on her tr...
Nov 02, 2020•54 min•Season 1Ep. 300
"Someone’s either a drain or a fountain. Start focusing on your fountains." Need a confidence boost? Not sure where to start? Perfect: You're in the right place! That's what Jenny Gaither does for a living. She's a confidence coach, founder of The Movemeant Foundation, creator of the Dare to Bare event, and a longtime SoulCycle instructor. On this episode, Jenny talks about learning to feel vulnerable when she's teaching, she advises on how to deal with toxic relationships (drains vs. fountains!...
Oct 29, 2020•42 min•Season 1Ep. 299
"You just have to keep going. Eventually things are going to be better." You probably know exactly who Amanda Basham is, even if you don't realize you know who she is: She's the fiery-red-haired professional ultra runner and endurance coach who has raced all over the world at some of running's most prestigious and most grueling events, including Western States, the TransRockies Run, and World's Toughest Mudder. In 2015 — her first year as a pro — she won the 50-mile USATF Trail Championships rac...
Oct 28, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 298
“You know within your first six months whether it’s a lifestyle that you want to commit to.” When 3:14 marathoner Elyse Garza isn't logging miles on the ground, she's getting them in the air. As a flight attendant for Alaska Airlines, Elyse says she's "living her dream" right now. On this episode, she talks about how she became a flight attendant, explains her ever-changing travel schedule, shares whether she's ever had to use the inflatable slide, and dishes about her biggest passenger pet peev...
Oct 26, 2020•54 min•Season 1Ep. 297
“What grand treehouse can we make out of this wonderful pile of leaves and sticks that we’re given?” Alexi Pappas — who first appeared on Episode 163 of the Ali on the Run Show — is so much more than "just" a runner. She's a professional middle-distance runner turned marathoner: Alexi made her 26.2-mile debut at the 2018 Chicago Marathon, and ran her second marathon earlier this year in Houston, finishing in 2:34, which earned her a nine-minute PR and 10th place for the day, and was just one min...
Oct 25, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 296
“If you have a voice and you can use it to help somebody else, then by golly, use it.” For three full years, trainer Charlee Atkins — now the founder of the wildly popular workout app and digital platform Le Sweat TV — had to seriously psych herself up to teach indoor cycling classes every day. When you're a fitness instructor, you have to show up as your best self every time for your students. But what about when you're just not feeling it? On this edition of Feel-Good Fridays, Charlee talks ab...
Oct 22, 2020•41 min•Season 1Ep. 295
“I used to think being vulnerable or authentic was weakness. Like, ‘Oh, don’t show that, don’t share your weaknesses.’ And then it’s like, wait a second, it’s the opposite. It takes great strength and bravery to live an authentic life.” Nikki Hiltz returns to the Ali on the Run Show! This time around, Nikki — a professional 1500m runner for adidas — talks about her decision to prioritize her mental health this year instead of focusing on the track, and talks about what it means to her to be auth...
Oct 21, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 294
"It was important for me to pursue this dream and make it happen. I have this belief of, you can’t be what you can’t see. So if other young girls are not seeing women as leaders and women as physicians and women in high positions and important jobs, they may not think they can be there. That made it extra important for me to continue to pursue this dream." Every day, we are bombarded with news about the Covid-19 pandemic. But an important part of that conversation that is often missing is, "What...
Oct 19, 2020•54 min•Season 1Ep. 293
“I’m an ideas person — but I’m also a doer.” Alison Désir was one of the very first guests on the Ali on the Run Show. She first appeared on Episode 3 , and in the three years since she was on this podcast, Alison, who is a mental health coach and is the founder of Harlem Run , has accomplished so much, changed the world in so many ways, and has become an incredibly important voice in the running community. On this episode, Alison offers updates on all facets of her life, including becoming a mo...
Oct 18, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 292
"I’ve had moments of exhaustion. I’ve had moments of frustration. I’ve had an overhaul across the board, personally and professionally. This year has been a rinse. If I was naming this chapter, it’s ‘Let it burn and reset.’ And instead of fighting all these things that are literally burning or closing down or going away or having an ‘I’m so over this attitude,’ I’ve tried to embrace every letdown, every frustration, everything that’s popped up." Welcome back to Feel-Good Fridays on the Ali on th...
Oct 15, 2020•40 min•Season 1Ep. 291
“I’m Chinese American. My parents emigrated here from Hong Kong for college. And stereotypical as it may be, it was like, you could be a doctor, you could be a lawyer, maybe you could go into business. That was my conception of what the possibilities were for your career, for most of my life growing up. Writing never entered into my mind.” Christine Yu is an award-winning freelance journalist who covers sports, science, and women's health. She's a leading voice in the industry, and is a regular ...
Oct 14, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 290
“I am a believer in opportunity.” It’s been a tough year for so many brands, individuals, and industries, and within the running industry, race companies have been hit particularly hard. On this episode, Michelle La Sala, president and founder of Blistering Pace Race Management, talks about her road to race directing, and explains how the pandemic has affected her business, which specializes in managing large-scale mass participation running events. Michelle’s clients include the New York City M...
Oct 12, 2020•1 hr 19 min•Season 1Ep. 289
“Doing the right thing is always the right thing.” Episode 13 of the Ali on the Run Show had a massive impact — one that hasn’t slowed in the more than three years since that must-listen episode aired. Today, Episode 13’s Chris Mosier , the transgender Hall of Fame triathlete and duathlete whom The BBC and New York Magazine called “the man who changed the Olympics,” returns to the show to catch up on what he’s been up to since we recorded that conversation. Chris talks about the progress we’ve m...
Oct 11, 2020•51 min•Season 1Ep. 288
“I ran out of anger. I ran because cancer was trying to stop me.” In honor of October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, today’s guest is Sue Fortier: an Ali on the Run Show listener, a mom of two, and a breast cancer survivor. On this episode, Sue shares her cancer story, which began when she was 37 and was training for two fall marathons. She felt some pain in her breast, which turned out to be breast cancer. Her life was immediately and forever changed. Sue, who works as a visiting nurse, u...
Oct 07, 2020•54 min•Season 1Ep. 287
"I think everybody needs a good happily ever after." Welcome to Season 3 of the On the Job series! We're kicking things off this season with some love, lust, and intrigue: with USA Today best-selling romance novelist Kimberly Kincaid ! In this conversation, Kimberly offers a peek at what it's like working in the billion-dollar romantic fiction industry. She talks about where she gets her inspiration (beware if you're in line in front of her at Starbucks!), about getting more than 100 rejections ...
Oct 05, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 286
“Real change is going to take time.” Carolyn Su — the creator of @diversewerun — returns to the Ali on the Run Show today for the What’s New With You series. Carolyn first appeared on Episode 140 of the show, to talk about her own running story and to share why she created Diverse We Run. Today, she’s back with updates on how the account is grown, and on how she’s used her own voice over the past year. Carolyn is doing important work to help further the conversation about race within the running...
Oct 05, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 285
“There’s an excitement to each of the races for sure, and it’s great to see your times and know you’ve run your fastest 800 or mile, and that’s huge. That always feels good… But I definitely don’t feel the same pride. It’s different.” Cory McGee is a professional runner for New Balance. She specializes in the 1500m distance, and lives in Boulder, CO, where she trains with “Team Boss,” under the coaching of Joe Bosshard and alongside powerhouse women including Emma Coburn , Aisha Praught Leer , a...
Sep 30, 2020•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 284
“When I ran that 2:32 in January, it really made me realize that ‘dream big’ is not just dream big, it’s dream huge, because you have no idea of what you’re capable of.” Speedy Beatie is back on the Ali on the Run Show this week! Beatie Deutsch is a 2:32 marathoner and mother of five who made her Ali on the Run Show debut on Episode 158 . This time around, we’re catching up with Israel’s National Marathon Champion to find out how she shaved 10 minutes off her marathon time, and to learn more abo...
Sep 27, 2020•37 min•Season 1Ep. 283
“I was in a world I could never have imagined — and I completely broke.” Andrea Wagner had a meteoric rise to running success. She first leaned into running to cope with the stress of working at the Pentagon in the wake of the September 11 attacks in 2001. She ran her first marathon with a one-and-done mindset, finishing in 4:35 and insisting she would never do it again. (Famous last words!) More than a decade later, Andrea was a mom of two in a bad marriage, again turning to running to cope. Sh...
Sep 23, 2020•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 282
“I’ve never been so tired in my life. No amount of having babies or opening businesses or anything set me up for this. Those first three months, I’ve never experienced anything so difficult in my entire life. But I just kept going.” Welcome to the What’s New With You series on the Ali on the Run Show! For the next six weeks, I’ll be catching up with past guests to see what they’ve been up to since the last time we talked. And we’re kicking things off with the indomitable Rachel Wyman! Rachel fir...
Sep 20, 2020•56 min•Season 1Ep. 281
“I keep showing up so that people know that a Pakistani Muslim woman can be a marathoner. But just because I am there doesn’t mean the work is done.” Aisha Qamar cares deeply about her community and the people around her. She earned her master’s in public health at Columbia University, and has used that degree to learn more about and to give back to people in need. She volunteers with South Brooklyn Mutual Aid , delivering food to her neighbors in New York City, and on this episode, Aisha explai...
Sep 16, 2020•1 hr 19 min•Season 1Ep. 280
"I think the biggest thing with grief is knowing that some days you’re gonna be drowning and unable to breathe, and I think I’ve had 12- to 24-hour cry-fests where you literally feel like you’re going to suffocate or die of dehydration. But it does end eventually. And then you take that deep breath and drink a glass of water and look outside and the world is still there. And you can keep going. Just having the hope to keep going is the most important." Justin Grunewald is a doctor, ultra runner,...
Sep 09, 2020•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 279
"Motivation is great when it’s there, but at the end of the day, it’s all about commitment." Dr. Detling is back! I'm thrilled to wrap up the Ali & the Experts series with returning favorite Dr. Nicole Detling , mental performance coach and founder of Headstrong Consulting . Dr. Detling has a PhD in exercise and sports science with an emphasis in sports psychology, is the author of Don't Leave Your Mind Behind , and hosts the Becoming HeadStrong podcast . On this episode, Dr. Detling — who w...
Sep 07, 2020•1 hr 17 min•Season 1Ep. 278
"If I want things to change, I have to keep on fighting. But I can’t be the only one." If you've ever run a race in New York City, you know Ben Chan. He's the "leopard print short-shorts and cowboy hat guy," and he's a staple on the NYC running scene. On this episode, in addition to talking about his on-the-run fashion choices, Ben shares the story of how he found running at age 30, by way of donating a kidney to a friend in need. And Ben talks about his firsthand experiences with racism, many o...
Sep 03, 2020•1 hr 15 min•Season 1Ep. 277
“Let’s talk about our deepest and darkest fears around money.” This week on Ali & the Experts, we’re talking money with Mandi! Mandi Woodruff is the senior content director at Lending Tree, and is co-host of the Brown Ambition podcast. She worked as an editor and reporter on the personal finance beat at Business Insider and Yahoo Finance, and hosted both The Money Minute and The Payoff weekly web series. Plus, she’s been featured as an expert guest on Good Morning America, ABC News Tonight, ...
Sep 01, 2020•1 hr 43 min•Season 1Ep. 276
“You know when you’re not done yet. There were goals I wanted to accomplish, and I knew they were still in me. I just needed to keep going and see what I could do.” In 2015, Rolanda Bell was living the dream. She had graduated from the University of Tennessee, where she was a member of the historic 2009 Women’s 4x1500m relay team alongside Chanelle Price, Phoebe Wright, and Sarah Bowman. Together, they broke the existing Penn Relays, National Collegiate, American, and world records — several of ...
Aug 27, 2020•1 hr 18 min•Season 1Ep. 275
“Running isn’t canceled! You can still be improving during this time.” Kaitlin Goodman is a 2:32 marathoner and four-time Olympic Trials qualifier who runs professionally for the Boston Athletic Association and adidas. Kaitlin — a frequent Ali on the Run Show guest and fan favorite — is incredibly versatile on the run. She has qualified for the Olympic Trials four times — in three different distances! (The 5K, 10K, and marathon.) And she’s a running coach with a master’s in public health. Kaitli...
Aug 24, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 274
