You're listening to the running around Charlotte podcast presented by the Health Charlotte Marathon. 1 day 5 events with a race day distance for every goal and pace. Find out more or register at run charlotte dot com. The running around Charlotte Podcast is brought to you by our partners at Nova Health Orthopedic. Runners like you are always on the move. Twisted ankles and broken bones can't wait, and
neither should you. Nova Health offers walk in appointments and same day care at select orthopedic clinics to help you get back on pace. Visit nova health dot org slash ortho now to learn more. Now, here are your hosts for the running around Charlotte podcast, Tim Rhodes and Dc casey. Our 20 24 Nova Health ambassador squad is bigger and arguably the best it's ever been. That's no shade on the previous year's groups
at all. That's just our excitement about the bigger, more diverse and exciting crew that's it's out there wrapping at every event. Race and Road club in the area. If you've not run into 1 of these 50 folks, you've probably been on some kind of extended savannah call, or maybe you're just 1 of the hundred something people who've moved here every day. Not to worry. You'll see him soon.
Ariana Shah is part of this year's new and exciting and she's our guest today on the running around Charlotte Podcast. Ariana, welcome to the show. How are you doing? Good. Thanks for having me. Oh, we're brew excited about it. Dc c Luke Casey along for the ride as usual. Happy to be here. Yeah. Excellent. So Give us the... Give us the story on ariana. Well, I grew up in Philadelphia. Actually grew up a dancer. Believe it no. And then I went to school down here in North Carolina, Elon.
Alright. Del phoenix. Did my master's at Wake forest. And then about 2 and a half years ago, moved to Charlotte. And along that, journey. I would say, during Covid is what sparked my interest in running. You know, Gyms were closed, ended up running around my neighborhood, and I was in school at the time, so I got sent home, had nothing but the neighborhood to run around and started to listen to podcasts and different music when I was running and really found joy in it.
And you hadn't run it before that. Just the gobble Wobble 5 k. My mom made us steal girl. That's all Here you go. I did track for 1 year in middle school, and I hated it. I got put in the mile and nearly tried at the end of it. Awesome so 4 laps. It's crazy to look back and be like, that's... That was then and look at me now, but... Yeah. My my mom is a fitness instructor and so I kinda got into teaching group fitness. Like, sophomore year of college.
So I had that in my background, and then you know, my mom always pushed the races and she enjoyed doing it. So fun fact, when I was probably junior year of college. We got back from Covid and my mom told me she wanted more experiences for gifts instead of tangible gifts. So I signed us up for a half marathon. Oh good for you. And that was my first half marathon worse for me. She's around 1 so she was used to it, but that really got... Me into it. And
now we make it a tradition. So from mother's day or her birthday will do all kinds of races, and we'll be doing the Charlotte, half marathon this year. Together. Yeah. Oh that's So cool. I love your mom. I've told my kids the same thing. I'm like, don't get me anything. I really Be careful what you asked for. I really don't need anything. Well, 1 of them doesn't. Yeah. But I digress. What what I've said is something experiential. Like, let's build something together. Let's go
to a game together. Let's do, you know, go to on a weekend trip together. Let just time together is what I want. I don't want tangible things. So I'd like your wrong perspective. I... Yeah. I'm at that point in my life where I probably have more than what I need, and well I... For sure do, and good for her. So you're doing the half. Yes. I did the full marathon last year. Did the full. That was my first marathon.
I through. Everyone said, I was crazy, but I saw another ambassador post last year, and that got me inspired to wanna do the full marathon, and the ambassador programs. Once you sign up. So signed up and I ran that, So I think I'm gonna do the philly marathon this year. How'd you doing? How'd did you do last year? I finished. And that was my only goal. Different. So you didn't have like, you didn't in the back of your mind, like, if I can
break. Well, if we're being honest, I wanted, my mom's first marathon was... 04:44, I think. And I repeat that. Did you? Yes. 32 or something Right. That was the only thing in the back of my head. But other than that, I just... I wanted to enjoy it, and everyone says it's nice to do a marathon in your home city. Yeah. There y. We agree. And it's, like, beautiful. I explore towns. I didn't even know existed. So... Yeah.
So you know. III gather your mom is in was a runner, like, is that a something that she's always had an attachment to? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I think she played Field hockey growing up, but post college she got into running and yeah, it's really inspired me because, something you can do together. It's something you can do in your own. It's in. Doesn't cost a lot. Well, you you don't always. So has free. People think it's a lot of, like, working out, but I do it so much more for...
Oh the mental benefits and Yeah. You feel good. I love starting my day running. Yeah. For sure. And we... Then you probably... You may may not know this, but we were just talking about these numbers that the 18 to 24 space is the fastest growing segment. It's like, oh my gosh. And then right behind that, obviously, 25 29, You know, like, My. So we're on a a cycle right now where, you know, for the first time in many, many years, the, you know, the...
Average age of people in the running space is actually going down. As opposed to a bunch of old people or site, man. These dinosaurs are eventually gonna be stuck in a tarp it. Yeah It's so insights. That's very exciting. So I love when we get oo young people on the show, and they're excited about running regardless of whether they came to it to the Roanoke or they just had been doing it forever and every a minute or whatever, and love the fact that you're challenging your mom. It's hysterical.
Now does your mom live here in Charlotte? No. She lives up in Philadelphia still. She's still stuck in Philly. I know. No. Now what going back to your story. Now, odd. How long did you dance and what kind of dancing did you do? I grew up probably since I was 3 dancing and... Did everything ballet tap jazz, and then got into competition dance when I was in about a middle school, did that all the way through high school, and then in college, actually double major in dance. So...
How do you double major? I had... Well, I had dance and accounting. So... Oh, 0. Here my... I need do it twice or you sell the county and dance. Wow. Yes. That's... Wow. Okay. 2 those of us who are challenged just get 1 degree. Brian knows, You know what you're doing soon. Why would you get to? Exactly. They don't pay you the from anyway. So you did that, and then you said, okay, I'm not gonna be a professional dancer or anything like that. And... But that's still very
act a very active pursuit. So you just channel that into running because you were not dancing anymore. Yes. I still teach 1 night a week. You do? Okay. Yes. What kind of dance do you teach? I teach 5 to 9 year old hip hop, and and then 9 to 12 year olds, jazz, tap, and some competition teams. Would you teach your 60 year old? Guy who had his eyes replaced. You are. You are off the hook cars. As far as we're concerned, if this was an audio video presentation, we would ask you to share dance.
You add next time. Maybe do that. Maybe next time. Just the audio so we can't can't have you sample in next time. Next time. Next time. But your... But so then now you're now you're no longer dancing and you're running. Yeah. And what else do you do? Do you do something related to accounting and or some other pursuit? I work full time in tax accounting, as a Cpa here in Charlotte. And then on the side, I teach Dance, and I also teach body combat group fitness classes.
So don't mess with her. Yeah. About my house. She will... I had no intention of doing so anyway. But. Of us and last night. So how did you get like the last? By compact. Again, my mom... Taught those classes, and she pushed me to go to training and I did it. And it's just... I love getting out the community, and meeting new people. Right now, I live closer to uptown. And so Actually traveled to Indian land South Carolina Okay. As well as Hunters to teach this.
And so we see a whole different group of people at each sure. So... So I love it. What is body kai? Is that like a martial Arts that are? Like, mixed martial arts cardio. It's a lot of chore, so you just follow the teacher? So are you fine. Like, are you on the Mma tour? I should be... Yeah. Are you that good? No. Which you didn't hesitate with I should be. I'm like, wow. We're on the opportunity.
Oh, my goodness and I don't mean this in a way, but, I don't know anything about Mma, but they do it by weight class. Yes. They do? Yes. I don't know much. I, if they did, then I'd totally bet on you. I mean, not against, like somebody who who's, like, you know, 200 pounds, but some in your weight class it'd be like, I don't wanna she see for passing scrappy. She seems scrappy. He does. Now, and you have a sister who's younger, is she
here in Charlotte, but No. She just moved to Dc just graduated. Gotcha. Okay. Does she run? No. Does she does she dance? Yes. Yeah. Which still dancing. My mom has pushed the running on everyone and and sister there won't push to way. So is it just you and your sister? Or do you have other siblings? Just me and my sister? Just. Your sister. She does do Yeah. The gobble wobble and... Yeah. Those kinds of events, but... As your dad in the picture? Yes. Yeah. Your We tried
to get him... He actually ran Charlotte race fast this year. Did it? 10 k? The 10 k. Yeah. So he came down for Philly to run? Did you I assume you ran? Rhythm it. Of course. Well, that's great. Right. Yeah. Like getting it. We like to travel and make a race out of it too. Right? It sounds like your family has good time together. But the Right. Philly Dc Charlotte thing. I'd be, like, as a parent Be Alright. We gotta move somewhere between Dc and Charlotte Well, they actually wanted to move to
Charlotte. Yeah. And I was supposed to move to Dc after school. And then once... They decided not to. That's when I was like, moved to Charlotte. She's 1 of the 100 and. You wanna have 100 hundred. Some people move here every day. That is... Now I understand why the whole... It makes sense for you to wanna be a no 1 hell Charlotte marathon ambassador because, yeah. You're... History of your mom, pushing the
the races on. You're like, it seems like you'd be a natural at pushing people the doing something fun like that. I just think it's fun, and I I try to get all my friends to participate in races or run clubs. It's really about the community. And you meet different people every day. It's inspiring. Now what kind of what run clubs do you go to? I try my best to go to run bots. Mh. I won robot and then barn burners. Mh. That's a big 1. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. They're
are lots of fun. I would... I know they're been some morning ones that Have I've gotten started. Yeah. And I'm more of a morning runner. So I'd like to start going to some of those. I know we were talking about that earlier too. The number of run clubs that you're now starting in the morning, it's like, oh my gosh. Yeah. Exciting. To Tim's point from earlier. If you can't find a run club to run with. You
just haven't looking. Yeah. I mean, what... And and that... I mean, that even bleeds over into some like, the f 3 and the Fe and the the morning workouts. Yeah. Yeah. They're they're starting hardcore at. Oh, 505 05:00 I think is when they start. So my. You could probably hit a couple of them, you know, get 1 at 05:00 and then a run group at 6, but, you know, after is not strictly running, but there's always seems to be component of Contingent to run folks in that group as well. So am.
Oh, my gosh. It's great. And and you've lived in Charlotte for how many years now? About 2 and a half. About 2 and a half years. Oh my gosh. And you're already involved in running clubs. You're already teaching classes. You're already NNAN, and these that's wanna call it now. And and your... Nobody Hell Charlotte Marathon ambassador. Wow. You are involved in some stuff. You have embraced your new town. I like to stay busy and meet people. That... That's those
are great things. Those are great. They do have roommates or... No? You... So no well, no. Yes. You. 0 percent at home. I'm like, I'm out all the time. I'm doing the things. I'm seeing the stuff. Yeah. Except for during tax season. Yes. Yes. Gotta you the taxes. I 1 of my plates in college was a Cpa. In 10 and it's, like, your life doesn't exist until, like, April fifteenth, and then... But that's why I like, the mornings.
Like, I like to get My run before anyone can ping me or message me, email me, and it's like, you can reset everything and then go. Into the day. Yeah. Hey. Are are you working for a big firm? Do you work... Are you working for a smaller shop? Or how are you doing How you?? It work for P. That is a big firm? Yeah. That's big for. So we will send them an invoice for that, and they will become an official partner of the Charlotte Meredith. There you go. Exactly. And we can edit this out if we need
to, but they pay. Well, no. Because this is a work day, and you're clearly not at the office. The whole week. What? Firm shut. That's it's awesome. Plus. Plus gets probably, like, 3 or 4. Ease of vacation. You good. How'd you get a lot. There my police do not chose wrong. Wish should have been accountants. I do not envy her until April fifteenth, though. I mean, I know a lot of people... That tax base and it is is... Our busy season is actually in the fall.
So we file extensions for everyone, and then... What do you got to, like, August fifteenth? Like, September through November, which is all these marathons are Yeah. Prime time. For a busy season. I remember last year. I... There was a 20 mile run on my training plan on a Saturday, and I had work to do after. So I had to tell people I was like, I'm going for a 20 mile run, and I'll be back after And and then you had to tell your 20 mile run people. I am done Yeah
after this, Gotta worse. They couldn't believe I showed up. Don't you gotta do? That's true. But, you know, right. It depends on what world you're in. Right? Like, the... And then the running people would be like, it's... What Pier 46. Where are you going? Now You're like, I'm going to correct somebody's numbers. Yep. Oh my gosh. And for you. That's such a I guess that is a really left brain
right brain thing. It's like, so you're, you know, on the Arts c, you know, creative, you know, dance side at the same time, you're literally doing math. I feel like you need both. Well, they music is numbers. Yeah. So I get that. You need to, like... I think I'd go crazy if I just did 1 full time. You need a little bit both. I can promise you I would not be able to handle 1. I I'd I get stuck in that space. Is it a science or is it an art and I guess accounting is a science?
It has. Probably. Art. Yeah, I guess. Yeah. And those people go to jail. I not gonna say anything because I don't know who's listening. You know? I don't know if either 1 of our listeners or accounts. Think I think we all like to... Because try to operate in as much of the gray as we can as long as we can reasonably justify it. But place know where the term creative accounting comes from? Yeah. Of course. Did they teach that in school?
No. No. Now don't teach that part. I something mueller learned that's research? Exactly. How much of your over to the interpretation? They I I think... Yeah. So, anyway, we won't chase that rep. Tim like... Hold on a second like, Tim's got his extension plow it hit you up later. And then know, I've had our cpa, you know, I I have... I I don't think they know what they're writing. So I don't know how we interpret it yet. You So we're still trying to figure that out.
So I'm sure you get the same thing. Like, all these new tax laws have pass every year and you're, like, 1. That's what makes it interesting though. Yeah. Yeah. How do you care learning? Well, okay. I guess that makes it hat... I mean, how in the world do you keep up with that? You're learning and everyone at the firm supports you and helps. Right? Do you have some sort of specialty that you... Like, I'm I only do blanket blank. Well, I work in state and local tax
for corporations and partnerships. So that's... Kind of what I know, but, always open or learning more. Do people hit you up on runs when they find out what's what you do. Yeah. All the time. You want me to do their tax. So I don't know how much health I am. Is not eric. Yeah. Right. Oh my god. Well, yeah. Because you're not, like, doing somebody high. I'd... There else that you probably could find somebody. Oh Yeah. Maybe.
My gosh. That's a whole, that's a whole different crazy world that that like I said, I just Don't think I could even swim in that pool. Wow, oh my gosh I not pass anybody. Just locally how many people in the office. Hundreds Yeah. I think they're trying to get us back more. Yeah. Like my team goes 2 days a week, probably. I think everybody's kinda. From the employer side, I think everybody's over the work from home deal. Like, alright. We need you back in the office.
So... Well, maybe you're right I mean, if you guys are early in 2 days week. Right? Yeah. I think they're pushing for more soon. Yeah. That's gonna makes it hard to gotta get up extra. To that run. But the same man, for somebody who's doing all those miles and I mean, at the end of the day, It's not like you're punching a clock. You'd like as long as the taxes are done. Right? Yeah. That's why I like to run in the morning because I know it'll get done.
But there have been times I've taken off a little early and gone to a run club and then come back, finish my work. Oh my gosh. Now what... This nice break. Shifting to the to the ambassador thing, What is your... Do you have a success story with the ambassador thing, like somebody you've met or somebody you've inspired? I know know, kinda be active and trying to get people to... She's getting her mom feels like aunt well her mom. That's doing going on. Right? I
mean, her mom inspired her. That's know what easier here. Yin yang that, man in any good stories? I have a friend down here who, I'm trying to convince to run. At least the 5 k. She said... Yeah. We're talking her into it. Slowly I'm working 5KI know. Gun into it. Yeah. Don't you get free chick play? Something like that. Yeah. Actually, yeah. There's nothing to lose. You could walk it and gun There you go. There'll be a success. Lyric.
Now, literally, that... That's actually true. That did if you if you register for the 5 k. Not only do you get chick free chick f a. Chick f a is donating a meal to bench shelter? There you go. Yeah. So it's a win win win. 2 for. 2 for man. I bada a bing. I like that a lot. Sorry so tell you tell tell your friend. Push them over push them over the edge with that 1. Yeah. And the ambassadors all have a discount code, so it's not like Of course. Right. I tell everyone. Yeah. Ariana on 10.
Ariana on 2 ends. Yeah. Yes. 1RIANNA 10. Is it? 1 0 or 1 0. Yep. Yep. So if you wanna sign up for team. That's how you do it, and you'll get 10 percent off. Right? Yeah. Any there go. Alright. Phrase free good for you. I I... I'm impressed. IIII was not nearly as organized at 25 as you are. I'm... There's just no way. Well, I wasn't nearly as educated either. I mean, I'd scraped by to get through 4 year... Well, 4 and a half years of school.
And then I did not go get my masters after that because I was not an over. So... And good for you. III know your parents are proud of you. And we're proud of you too. We're glad you're on the ambassador team. I hope this is the first of many years that you're a part of that. And if anybody thinking about messing with her don't? Because she knows mma why will take you out years tight. So that should be your... That's your closer right there for it's like for the marathon.
Oral Mma you right here. Or. Take you. My guys too funny. Too fine. I well, enjoy your long week. Of a vacate. That's fantastic. That's great. And Yeah, we look forward to seeing you at the... At on the longer runs as we get closer to November. Yes. Thank you for having me. Thanks, Ariana. They're running around Charlotte Podcast is presented by the Von Health Charlotte Marathon. Running around Charlotte is produced in partnership with well run media and marketing. New episodes are
available every week. Anywhere you listen to podcast.