876. Sara Hall, Author of For the Love of the Grind

"Doubt and belief can coexist. In the book, you see a ton of my doubts and struggles with confidence. But then there's also this untouchable belief that's always there, too. So it's almost like, which voice are you going to listen to?"

It's a big week for professional runner Sara Hall! She turns 43 tomorrow, and then heads east to race the Boston Marathon on Monday. And while most marathoners are recovering on Tuesday, Sara, in true Sara form, will be doing the opposite: It's book launch day! Sara's debut memoir, For the Love of the Grind, comes out April 21, and in this conversation, Sara talks about why the time was right to write a book. She talks about what the writing process was like, about the part of the book that's likely to shock readers, and about why she wanted to get in touch with Eminem before the book came out. Plus, how she's feeling heading into Boston 2026.

SPONSOR: Lagoon. Click here to take Lagoon's 2-minute sleep quiz to see which pillow is right for you, and use code ALI at checkout for 15% off your next Lagoon order.

FOLLOW SARA @sarahall3

IN THIS EPISODE:

• All about Sara's workout in Crested Butte, what's making her happy today, and what husband Ryan is up to these days (2:10)
• Reflecting on 11 years since Sara made her marathon debut at the L.A. Marathon (6:00)
• Sara's advice to this year's Boston Marathoners — especially those whose training may not have gone perfectly (10:00)
• How Sara is feeling heading into the 2026 Boston Marathon (11:50)
• Sara isn't the only Hall running Boston: Eldest daughter Hana is running, too! (16:10)
• Sara's plans for her 43rd birthday this week (22:00)
• Why Sara always tosses her watch mid-marathon (24:20)
• For the Love of the Grind: Why Sara decided to write a book now, and what the writing process was like (27:25)
• Why Sara wanted to get in touch with Eminem, and what it was like recording the audiobook (34:00)
• The part of the book that made me gasp — and the story behind it (39:15)
• On 21 years with ASICS (43:45)
• Who is this book for? (47:55)
• What's exciting for Sara on the run right now? (48:50)
• Sara's superlatives: talking about the most fun, most challenging, and most memorable races of her career (58:55)

Follow Ali:

• Instagram @aliontherun1
• Subscribe to the newsletter
• Join the Facebook group
• Support on Patreon

SUPPORT the Ali on the Run Show! If you're enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Spread the run love. And if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!