“Doubting yourself doesn’t get you anywhere. I decided that I was going to make this happen, and I did.” More than a decade ago, Erica Sara Reese was having a hard time. She had been working in the fashion industry, as a buyer for companies like Coach and Barneys New York, while pursuing a nutrition degree on the side. But she was also going through a divorce, and she wasn't happy — so she started creating, making jewelry at her dining room table. When her friends started having babies, she noti...
Jul 06, 2021•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 393
“This was the most fun I’ve had in so long.” If you watched any of this year's Olympic Track & Field Trials coverage, you would have heard a familiar voice calling the distance races: Kara Goucher! Kara served as commentator and member of the NBC broadcast team at Hayward Field, and today, she's here to tell all. On this episode, Kara talks about how she got the job (she will also be part of the NBC broadcast team during the Olympic Games in Tokyo later this month), how she prepared for the ...
Jul 02, 2021•1 hr 31 min•Season 1Ep. 392
“It felt like there was an earthquake in the running world, and we’re seeing these fault lines change everything. And some things are good, and some things are weird.” As the current American record holder in the 10,000 meters, Molly Huddle was one to watch heading into this year's Olympic Track & Field Trials. But just a few days before the Trials kicked off in Eugene, OR, Molly (who is also the American record holder in the 10 mile, the 20K, and the half-marathon) announced that she wouldn...
Jul 01, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 391
“Classical music may not be what you have playing in your car, but when you come and see all these musicians onstage, you can really connect to it. That’s the hardest challenge — making it accessible and telling people about it.” Beverly Everett has always been musical. As a kid, she found a passion for playing the organ — and her love for live music never waned. Today, Beverly is living her dream as a conductor and music director for two symphony orchestras (the Bismarck-Mandan Symphony Orchest...
Jun 29, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 390
“I started crying. It was so intense. I was shaking with fear. And I just look up at Kyle, and I say, ‘I want you to know that being your brother has been one of the greatest joys of my life. And I promise you, no matter what happens today, I’ll give you every ounce of energy that I have. And all I ask is that you do the same.’ And he looks back at me and says, ‘You got it.’ And then the cannon fires.” —Brent Pease In 2010, Brent Pease completed his first Ironman triathlon. That night, his young...
Jun 24, 2021•1 hr 28 min•Season 1Ep. 389
“I had never seen a woman trucker. I was going to be an anomaly to myself.” Yuma Haidara had a plan. After high school, she enlisted in the Navy. After serving for seven years, she went on to nursing school, in pursuit of becoming a pediatric nurse. But something caught her eye on her daily commute: a trucking school. One day, Yuma decided to pull in and see what it was all about. And the rest, as they say, is history. Yuma enrolled in the three-week course to get her commercial driver's license...
Jun 22, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 388
"I had the stuff I needed. I had the things . But I didn’t have the confidence." 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 postpartum running, what a day in the life looks like, what it's like entering the other side of the pandemic, llamas and alpacas, running in New York City, 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 (ya...
Jun 18, 2021•59 min•Season 1Ep. 387
“I feel so lucky that running has made me feel empowered and given me a lot of confidence. Finding that throughout high school was something that was really life-changing for me. I really want the younger generation to have that opportunity and to see the power of sport and the power they can find in themselves and in their team, and in connecting with others who have similar goals and passions. I really want to inspire that younger generation and see all the great things that they can do.” Welc...
Jun 17, 2021•1 hr 16 min•Season 1Ep. 386
"The whole day revolved around dance. And that, to me, was the dream." "When I'm onstage," Emily Kikta says, "no one can stop me." Emily is living every aspiring ballerina's dream: She's a corps de ballet member at New York City Ballet, where she has been a member of the company for 10 years. On this episode, Emily talks about her road to a Center Stage -like life. She grew up competing with her local dance studio, and went on to attend the School of American Ballet, which is the feeder school f...
Jun 15, 2021•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 385
“Sometimes you just need an advocate to kick you in the pants.” Sarah Lesko just might be one of the most-loved women in the running industry. As the leader of corporate development for Oiselle , Sarah — or "Lesko," as most call her — is beloved by her colleagues, by Oiselle's elite athletes, and by the hundreds of members of the Volée team. So what is about Lesko that makes people so drawn to her? After hearing about Oiselle from countless women on this show — Lauren Fleshman , Sally Bergesen ,...
Jun 10, 2021•1 hr 20 min•Season 1Ep. 384
“I always felt a special thrill with anchoring, but I had zero idea if I was any good at it! But there was potential there.” Joelle Tomlinson wakes up at 3:02 AM — precisely — every day in pursuit of her dream job as a CTV Calgary morning news host. On this episode, Joelle talks about what it's like anchoring the news, and what her road to the news desk was like. (It involved a stopover as a weather girl!) She busts some common misperceptions about being a face on TV, talks about the pressure to...
Jun 08, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 383
“It’s not easy, but I’m at a point now of knowing I can handle it. It’s not always fun — but I can handle it. And I know you can, too.” 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 why I (mostly) stopped drinking, how to practice getting comfortable saying no, wishing for a new body, what life could be like without running and podcasting, and so much more. Thanks to everyone who called in for this one. Enjoy...
Jun 04, 2021•53 min•Season 1Ep. 382
“This is a definite compliment from Des. She was like, ‘I like you enough where I can hang out with you for three hours!’” In April, Des Linden made history by making her ultramarathon debut and, in the process, breaking the world record in the 50K (2:59:54) and becoming the first woman to run a 50K in under three hours. And while Des may hold the new record, she didn't go it alone: She was joined by Charlie Lawrence. Charlie ran at the University of Minnesota, and made his marathon debut at the...
Jun 03, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 381
“As much as this is your job and this is serious, there’s a lot of fun and joy in the process.” Welcome to Season 5 of the On the Job series on the Ali on the Run Show! On this series, we hear from women who have cool, unique, interesting careers — and who also happen to be runners. We’re kicking off this season with Rikki Gimelstob , a casting director who works on films, television shows, commercials, and theater productions. (Most recently, Rikki worked on the upcoming Dear Evan Hansen film, ...
Jun 01, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 380
“You give yourself your own life raft, and it feels so great to come up for air and think, jeez, that was a close call! But I’m here. And it’s given me strength to go further and deeper than that next time.” Becs Gentry is a Peloton Tread and Strength instructor, and in March, she added another very impressive title to her fitness resume: 2:32 marathoner and Olympic Marathon Trials competitor for Team Great Britain. On this episode, Becs — who is from the UK but has lived in New York City since ...
May 27, 2021•1 hr 29 min•Season 1Ep. 379
"You don’t know everything. I share a lot, and that still is only a fraction of my life, of my thoughts, of my opinions, of my day." 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 the mental component of Crohn's disease, my Enneagram type (3w2!), my thoughts on raising a daughter in the era of Instagram filters, getting back into running after a long break, Outback Steakhouse, "parasocial relationships," and m...
May 21, 2021•58 min•Season 1Ep. 378
“I’m the quarterback of my life. All these different people play supporting roles, and I need all of them for sure. You can’t be a team with only a quarterback. But I get to be the one in charge, making the plays. And that feels super empowering and very exciting.” Colleen Quigley is arguably one of the most influential track and field athletes today. She's a professional athlete who primarily competes in the Steeplechase, and she's a Team USA Olympian, a Florida State University alum, an NCAA c...
May 20, 2021•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 377
“I really threw myself into everything that made me uncomfortable.” Happy Bonus Episode Day! Cara Enright is someone I've wanted to have on the show for a long time, and I couldn't decide whether to include her in the Everyday Runner series (a runner with a full-time job and lots of hobbies!) or to share her episode on a Thursday — and so, the solution is a bonus episode, in the middle, today! Cara Enright is a New York City-based runner (and former competitive jump roper!) who works in pharmace...
May 19, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 376
“I’m very proud that I have managed to, in less than a year, do four half marathons. It’s not something I ever could have dreamed of doing. And I’m just proud I have really stuck it out. Because it’s hard. It’s not easy to try to work yourself back from a poor health standard, or to bring yourself out of that mental hole that people can fall into. I’m very proud that I have stood up and said, ‘I need help, and I need to make a change.’ That’s a huge step for anybody to take. The fact that I’ve t...
May 18, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 375
“I noticed that there were young Black girls without role models in their communities. Because of lack of representation in our society, sometimes we don’t see people that look like us doing things that we want to do, so we think that we can’t do it. And that definitely applied to me.” As U.S. Track & Field athletes across the country gear up for the Olympic Trials (June 18–27), triple jumper and long jumper Keturah Orji is feeling good. And rightfully so: Keturah, who was named the NCAA's C...
May 13, 2021•58 min•Season 1Ep. 374
“I feel like I’m in a good position to have a real crack at making the team.” With the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials coming up, now's a great time to get to know as many of the competitors as possible! Today (bonus episode day!), Bowerman Track Club's Sinclaire Johnson is here. Sinclaire is BTC's resident rookie: She joined the team last year, and made her official debut as a Bowerman member in February, where she ran and won the 800m at the Prickly Pear Invitational. (Not bad for the ne...
May 12, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 373
"At times in my life when I’ve struggled or when I’ve maybe been less than my best self, my mom always asks, 'When was the last time you went for a run?'" Welcome to the newest series on the Ali on the Run Show: The Everyday Runner. On this series, we’re hearing from runners who are just like you and me. Not professional athletes — these runners have jobs, families, and responsibilities beyond this sport we all love so much. Today, meet Dr. Margi Johnson. Margi is a family medicine physician and...
May 11, 2021•1 hr 18 min•Season 1Ep. 372
Happy Mother's Day! Earlier this week, I had the honor and privilege of hosting a virtual live show with four inspiring, iconic women: Lauren Fleshman, Alysia Montaño, Stephanie Bruce, and Dawn Harper-Nelson. It was an open, honest, totally unfiltered conversation about the realities of motherhood — the good, the bad, the messy, the 4 AM feedings, and the pressure we put on ourselves to, sigh, "do it all." We talked about asking for help, and why that can be more complicated than it seems, and t...
May 08, 2021•1 hr 32 min•Season 1Ep. 371
"Having an invisible illness yourself is a constant reminder that you never know what other people are dealing with." Welcome to Ask Ali, a bi-weekly series where I answer all of your questions. This time around, we’ve got listener questions about what I'm looking forward to (and what I'm anxious about) as life begins to return to "normal," whether podcast guests ever annoy me, my personal running progression over the years, what life without Crohn's disease could have been like, and new motherh...
May 07, 2021•59 min•Season 1Ep. 370
“So, there is hope. I am still an optimist about this, and I’m doing as much as I can to keep myself healthy. If this is my destiny or whatever and there’s nothing I can do to stop it, that’s fine. But I’m gonna live my life to the fullest in the meantime, because nothing is guaranteed. So I’ll keep challenging myself to do things while my mind and my body are able.” I have been following Devon Pass since before she was Devon Pass. Devon was one of the OG bloggers in the early 2010s, and I loved...
May 06, 2021•1 hr 36 min•Season 1Ep. 369
"I don’t chase podiums and PRs. I have a tendency to chase clocks and cutoffs. And that’s fine with me." Welcome to the newest series on the Ali on the Run Show: The Everyday Runner. On this series, we’re hearing from runners who are just like you and me. Not professional athletes — these runners have jobs, families, and responsibilities beyond this sport we all love so much. Last week, we kicked things off with Jen Correa , the mom of two whose family lost everything in Hurricane Sandy. Today, ...
May 04, 2021•1 hr 16 min•Season 1Ep. 368
“I’m pretty close to living the dream right now.” What do you do when you can't decide whether you want to go pro as a runner, or pursue your dream of being a registered dietitian? For Maddie Alm, the answer was "do both." Maddie lives in Boulder, CO, where she trains with Team Boss (coached by Joe Bosshard) and is the owner and founder of Fueling Forward , a sports nutrition consulting business. She's a former All-American from UC Boulder, and was a two-time USA Championships qualifier. Today, ...
Apr 29, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 367
“The water took everything, but we had ourselves and all of our communities and friends who made sure we had everything else.” Welcome to the newest series on the Ali on the Run Show: The Everyday Runner. For the next four weeks, we’ll hear from runners who are just like you and me. Not professional athletes — these runners have jobs, families, and responsibilities beyond this sport we all love so much. First up: Meet Jen Correa! Jen is a mom of two (plus two dogs!) from Staten Island, NY. She w...
Apr 27, 2021•1 hr 17 min•Season 1Ep. 366
"We spend so much time in our lives comparing ourselves. So my mantra is, life isn’t about what you don’t have. It’s what you do with the gifts you are given." Tatyana McFadden is one of the most-decorated athletes of all time. She is a 17-time Paralympic medalist (she's been competing at the Games since she was 15!) and 23-time World Marathon Majors winner, and she's currently gearing up for this year's Paralympic Games in Tokyo, where she hopes to compete in every distance from the 100m up to ...
Apr 26, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 365
"I wanted this to be a show for so long where everyone loved every episode. And don’t get me wrong, I’d still love for that to be the case! But I’ve learned that that is kind of impossible. So I’ll keep trying to trust my leaky gut and hoping many people find many things to love, but knowing I can’t be everything to everyone." Welcome to Ask Ali, a bi-weekly series where I answer all of your questions. This time around, we’ve got listener questions about building running mileage, making friends ...
Apr 23, 2021•58 min•Season 1Ep. 364
