“I can only show up and do my best every time. And sometimes my best will be the best. And other times it won’t. And that’s fine. I think.” Welcome to the first Ask Ali episode of 2022! This time, instead of answering listener voicemails, I've enlisted Molly Burke to facilitate, and we're answering questions I received before and after the 2022 State of the Ali on the Run Show episode. It's a lot of behind-the-scenes-of-the-podcast stuff, a lot of questions about my goals for the show, and a goo...
Feb 18, 2022•1 hr 20 min•Season 1Ep. 483
"I’ve been working a lot on just being able to own who I am in this sport. Things have changed so drastically over the last two years, so it’s coming to terms with that, of going from someone who was going to quit the sport to now someone who is one of the better-known names in the sport. That’s been a weird transition for me, honestly." Last week, Olympic bronze medalist Molly Seidel shared a dating-related post on Instagram. And to say it was the talk of the running world (and far beyond) woul...
Feb 17, 2022•1 hr 19 min•Season 1Ep. 482
"Moral of the story is if a girl is gonna stick around you when you’re sleeping until 12:30 in the afternoon, she probably likes you. Marry her." Happy Valentine's Day! Welcome to the seventh and final episode in this year's Love on the Run Week series. Today, Jersey is in the house! Professional runners Josette Norris and Robby Andrews join the show to talk about the first time they met, the actual first time they met, and what they're each like on the sidelines when the other is racing (spoile...
Feb 14, 2022•1 hr 37 min•Season 1Ep. 481
"I feel like I’m the best version of myself when he’s around." It's a big weekend for professional runners Sinclaire Johnson and Craig Nowak! Sinclaire and her Union Athletics Club teammates just broke the DMR (distance medley relay) world record in Spokane, WA (Sinclaire ran the 800m leg), and Craig was tasked with pacing 1500m and the 3K. But when they're not racing, pacing, or record-breaking, Sinclaire and Craig live and train together in Portland, OR. On this episode, they share the story o...
Feb 13, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 480
“It was that classic thing of, ‘Want to go study together?’ with no actual interest in studying whatsoever.” In the summer of 2011, the northeast was preparing to get hit by Hurricane Irene. At Providence College in Rhode Island, a group of students gathered in a dorm room to ride out the storm together. Two of those students, both at Providence to run competitively, were Emily Sisson and Shane Quinn. On this episode, professional runner Emily and mental health counselor Shane talk about why the...
Feb 12, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 479
“I thought he just wanted to be my friend!” Love on the Run Week, day four! Today we're joined by Minnesota Distance Elite 's Annie Frisbie and Dhru Patel. Annie is in the midst of a breakout year on the run. She made her marathon debut at the TCS New York City Marathon in November, where she ran a 2:26, finishing seventh overall and as the third American woman. That time was the fourth-fastest marathon debut by an American woman. Then, Annie signed her first professional sponsorship deal with P...
Feb 11, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 478
"I was like, you know what, any woman who can hop over a fence in a dress — I need to know more about her!" It's day three of Love on the Run Week, and Natalie and Jerold Mitchell are here! Natalie and Jerold have been married for more than two decades, and have three children together. They live in Los Angeles, where Jerold works in human resources, Natalie is a run coach (she's also a 12-time marathoner with a 3:05 personal best), and they co-host the Suite Run podcast . On this episode, they ...
Feb 10, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 477
“Emma was my calm within the storm.” It's the second day of Love on the Run Week, and today we're joined by Nikki Hiltz and Emma Gee. Nikki is a professional runner specializing in the 1500 meters, and Emma was a standout collegiate runner at Brigham Young University and Temple University. Together, they're a total dream team, and they're incredible advocates for the LGBTQ+ community. (Run the Pride 5K !) Last year, Nikki came out as transgender nonbinary, telling the world, "The best way I can ...
Feb 09, 2022•1 hr 16 min•Season 1Ep. 476
“Our love story is a pretty long, funny one.” Welcome to Love on the Run Week 2022! On tap: seven days, seven episodes, seven couples sharing their love stories. Prepare for lots of laughs, awwwwws , and warm fuzzies leading up to Valentine's Day. These guests — all at different stages in their relationships — will share how they met, the best parts of their relationships, the challenges, and the role running plays throughout it all. First up: Keira and Anthony D'Amato! Keira is the newly-crowne...
Feb 08, 2022•1 hr 20 min•Season 1Ep. 475
"Running is hard. Races are hard. So let’s expect that." Welcome to Beyond the Run — a new series on the Ali on the Run Show focusing on the mental side of running. Twice a month, we'll hear from professional athletes, everyday runners, and experts in their fields about the impact running can have on our emotional well-being. We're kicking things off today with two experts. Dr. Ian Nurse is a chiropractor, 25-time marathoner (with a 2:25 personal best), dad of two, and owner of Wellness in Motio...
Feb 04, 2022•1 hr 30 min•Season 1Ep. 474
"Running has served many purposes over my whole life. But in this particular set of moments now — where so much of what I’m doing is not exactly about metrics, but about data and trying to achieve or accomplish something — I realized that trying to meet some particular bar or some standard with running was not the relationship I wanted to have with that activity. I want running to be something I do for me... It’s supposed to be fun." If you're a parent, you're probably familiar with Emily Oster....
Feb 03, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 473
“I think this time was a long time coming. I just had to believe in myself more than anything.” The last time freelance journalist Emilia Benton was on the Ali on the Run Show , she talked about her longtime dream to qualify for the Boston Marathon. And she just kicked off 2022 by doing exactly that: running a nearly 16-minute personal best and earning a Boston qualifying time at the Houston Marathon. (Emilia's official finish time: 3:30:14!) On this episode, Emilia talks all about how she made ...
Jan 27, 2022•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 472
“Celebrating victories big or small — that’s definitely how I choose to live life now.” The "great time to be a 30-something mom on the run" celebrations continue today on the Ali on the Run Show . Sara Vaughn is a full-time realtor and mom of four who just made — and won — her marathon debut at CIM and, within hours of crossing the finish line, was on the phone about to sign her first professional running contract with Puma. Sara has been competitive on the track for a long time, having great s...
Jan 25, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 471
"We hit that first split bang on the money, and I told her, 'We’re good. It’s happening. It’s on.'" It was a record-breaking, history-making weekend at the Houston Marathon! Keira D'Amato won the race and ran a new American record in the marathon, finishing in 2:19:12 and breaking Deena Kastor's former record by 24 seconds. And Keira had some company along the way: two pacers, one of whom was Texas-based ultra-runner and four-time Guinness World Record Holder Calum Neff . (You may also remember ...
Jan 20, 2022•1 hr 22 min•Season 1Ep. 470
“I will be a nervous wreck until that gun goes off, but I will never race like I’m nervous… As soon as I’m racing, it all goes out the window, and I’m always going to race my heart out, no matter what.” At last summer's U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team Trials, Allie Wilson officially solidified her spot as "one to watch" in the 800m. The professional runner for Atlanta Track Club Elite made it to the final round of the 800, ultimately finishing sixth. And despite not making the Olympic team, ...
Jan 18, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 469
“It was just so magical. Like holy smokes, I did it.” Last weekend, Brittany Charboneau made Disney history by becoming the first person to ever win all four races in the Dopey Challenge. The North Face-sponsored professional runner ran four races in four days — a 5K, 10K, half marathon, and marathon — and broke the tape at each one. And she did so in carefully curated costumes that she hand-made herself, including Elsa from Frozen 2 , Bing Bong and Joy from Inside Out , and Cruella de Vil from ...
Jan 14, 2022•1 hr 25 min•Season 1Ep. 468
“That is how I always race — I’ve always got a smile on my face.” Dakotah Lindwurm runs happy. If you saw her leading the 2021 Boston Marathon — where she ultimately finished as the third American woman — you saw that smile on full display, from start to finish. And that smile just got a lot bigger, as Dakotah kicks off the new year with her first professional contract. Last week, Dakotah announced that she has officially signed with Puma, and that she will continue training with Minnesota Dista...
Jan 13, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 467
“I feel like I’m in love again with the process of waking up early, putting my shoes on, bundling up, and going for a run. It doesn’t feel quite easy or fun all the time yet, but I’m definitely in love with the process again.” For most professional athletes, a day in the life includes running, eating, recovering, napping, resting, running again, eating again, and sleeping. But for Hiruni Wijayaratne — the 11-time Sri Lankan record holder in distances from the 5,000 meters to the marathon, and th...
Jan 11, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 466
“I don’t know what the year will bring, but I know I’m going to keep showing up for myself and for all of you.” In 2021, I released 165 episodes of the Ali on the Run Show with 134 different guests. I welcomed 10 new sponsors to the show, and maintained a strong partnership with eight longtime sponsors. In addition to the "hallmark" Thursday conversations, there was a steady stream of fun series options to choose from, including Love on the Run, On the Job, Ask Ali, What's New With You, Just Mis...
Jan 06, 2022•1 hr 17 min•Season 1Ep. 465
“If I’m stuck on a joke, I’ll go for a run and think about it during my run. And almost all the time, I can figure it out on the run.” Michelle Wolf is a comedian who is best known for her stand-up specials ( Michelle Wolf: Joke Show on Netflix, and Michelle Wolf: Nice Lady on HBO), and her roles as a writer and on-air contributor at both The Daily Show with Trevor Noah and Late Night with Seth Meyers . And though she's been successful on the comedy scene for a long time, it was her set as the h...
Dec 30, 2021•1 hr 29 min•Season 1Ep. 464
A disclaimer, before we get into it: This conversation talks at great length about one man's experience with disordered eating and anorexia. We discuss his eating habits and behaviors, his weight fluctuations, and what worked for him during recovery. As always, I want you to take care of yourselves and your hearts, and if for any reason these topics are hard for you to hear about right now, please consider listening cautiously or skipping this episode. “They looked me straight in the eye and sai...
Dec 28, 2021•59 min•Season 1Ep. 463
“Holiday songs are my passion.” —Aisha Praught Leer One year ago, we closed out 2020 on the Ali on the Run Show with a holiday party of sorts. It was virtual, with a 500-person Zoom audience, a Schitt's Creek -inspired soundtrack, and an all-star guest lineup: Shalane Flanagan, Des Linden, and Aisha Praught Leer. We sat in front of our Christmas trees (Shalane wore holiday pajamas!), and indulged in 90 minutes of warm, fuzzy feelings. It felt like what we all needed at the time. And now, more th...
Dec 23, 2021•1 hr 22 min•Season 1Ep. 462
“That seems to have diminished quite a bit since having a baby. The outcomes really don’t matter. It’s just so much more about who I’m becoming as I’m trying to reach these goals. It’s so cliché, right — the journey. But it really is true. The journey and who you’re becoming are just so much more important.” Last year, Makenna Myler went viral when she ran a mile in five minutes and 25 seconds — at nine months pregnant. On this episode, Makenna talks about that day, and about the bet she had wit...
Dec 21, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 461
“I hit a severe low. I went through a bout of depression, actually. I felt lost, in some ways. I had this dream and this goal, and I was so focused, and then I achieved it…and then it was like I didn’t have anything.” Earlier this year, Sika Henry made history, becoming the first African American woman to become a professional triathlete. She's an Ironman, an ultramarathoner (she just completed the JFK 50 Mile last month), and a Hoka-sponsored athlete. But the road to trailblazing status hasn't ...
Dec 16, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 460
“We all want love and belonging at the end of the day. And so when you feel like your love and belonging is threatened if you fail…at a young age I started to really become afraid of that.” We kicked off 2021 on the Ali on the Run Show with professional runner Sara Hall, and today, Sara is back to recap the highs and lows of her year, both on the run (wins and podiums!) and off (getting Covid early in the year and dealing with a long recovery). Sara talks about her win at the NYRR Mini 10K, her ...
Dec 15, 2021•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 459
“Women really only get tougher. I’ve figured that out myself, and I’ve figured that out watching others. I don’t really put a limit at this point of what being a mom and being a runner means anymore.” Welcome to the fifth and final episode in Season 2 of the Everyday Runner series. And today, we're getting a two-for-one deal, with Denver-based running best friends Robyn Mayer and Julia Berteletti ! This warm-fuzzy-filled episode is all about the power of female friendships, both on the run and b...
Dec 14, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 458
"I know that for me to run well, I need to be happy, I need to not be stressed, I need to be relaxed, and I need to know that the time on the clock does not define me as a human." Welcome to Ask Ali, a twice-a-month series where I answer all of your questions. This time around — the last Ask Ali of the year! — we’ve got listener questions about early morning running, my favorite winter running gear, what to do when training feels discouraging, how I decide who to feature on the podcast, and more...
Dec 10, 2021•45 min•Season 1Ep. 457
“It was so cool, and so weird, and it’s still hard to describe.” For many sports journalists — especially the ones who cover running — New York City Marathon week is arguably the busiest of the year. That was certainly true for New York Times sports editor Talya Minsberg , who not only covered the race and many of the stories leading up to it, but also ran the marathon herself (and earned a Boston Marathon qualifying time in the process!). On this episode, Talya reflects on that week, sharing th...
Dec 09, 2021•1 hr 19 min•Season 1Ep. 456
“We all just decided, we need to keep moving. We can’t just stay here and wallow in this. Obviously we’ll still be grieving, but we all made the decision that we had to just do the best we could.” Today's episode in the Everyday Runner series is extra special: Molly Burke is here, and she is the newest member of the Ali on the Run Show team! (Merch! Events! A retreat! A live show tour! All in the works, thanks to Molly!) Molly's story — both on the run and off — is a powerful one. On this episod...
Dec 07, 2021•1 hr 21 min•Season 1Ep. 455
“I ran that fresh off a breakup, fueled by vodka and cute bartenders. I was not in a good headspace, and I rage ran — and I loved it. But now, I run better when I'm very happy.” We're back! After an eight-month hiatus, Ramblings on the Run returns! On these episodes, Matt Chittim — host of the Rambling Runner podcast and the Road to the Trials podcast — and I catch up on how our running is going, share what we’re loving right now, and talk about what we’re excited about. And then, in our fourth ...
Dec 06, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 454
