372. The Everyday Runner, Dr. Margi Johnson

"Sometimes a short build up can do a miracle. So I'm hoping for the miracle in Chicago!" In a stacked field of elite runners, Betsy Saina is absolutely one to watch at this weekend's Chicago Marathon. Betsy is a 2:19 marathoner — a time that makes her the third-fastest American woman marathoner (behind Emily Sisson and Keira D'Amato). She's a 2016 Olympian who competed in the 10,000m, and she's the 2024 USATF 25K Champion and women-only American record holder in that distance. She's a three-time NCAA champion who ran at Iowa State University, and she currently lives and trains primarily in Kenya. In this conversation, Betsy — who is a mom to three-year-old Kalya — talks about how she's feeling heading into the Chicago Marathon. She talks about the fall earlier this year that derailed her training and set her back several weeks, and about how she's come back from a DNF at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. Plus, whether or not she's planning to go for an American Record in Chicago, what it's like training alongside Joyciline Kepkosgei, and more. Running Chicago? Here's everything you need to know. FOLLOW BETSY @sainabetsy SPONSOR: Vuori: Click here for 20% off your first Vuori purchase. What you'll get on this episode: How Betsy was feeling a few weeks before the Chicago Marathon, and what motherhood looks like lately (2:40) What Betsy's Chicago Marathon training has looked like, and all about the fall that derailed the first few weeks (6:25) Is Betsy targeting the American record in Chicago? (10:50) How Betsy feels about the taper (19:15) On racing alongside training partner Joyciline Jepkosgei, and what Betsy thinks she can run in Chicago (21:30) Betsy looks back on the U.S. Olympic Team Trials Marathon, and how she reflects on that day (26:20) Why Betsy is running this year's Chicago Marathon, after being shut out of the professional field in 2023 (30:15) When and why Betsy started running (32:00) Betsy, one week later (38:30) What will make Chicago a success? (43:30) Betsy's advice for first-time marathoners, and for marathoners chasing big dreams (45:40) Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 Support on Patreon Subscribe to the newsletter 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!

8 Loka 202457min

"I looked like a fainting goat at mile 20." Logan Aldridge just might be the real-life human version of a golden retriever. But as charming and funny and lovable as he may be, Logan isn't afraid to kick your butt and make you sweat. Logan is a Peloton instructor who is best known for his adaptive classes. When Logan was 13, he was wakeboarding with his family and the rope around his arm became entangled in the boat's propeller. It cut through all of Logan's arm muscles, down to the bone. His left arm — and he was a lefty at the time — had to be amputated. Remarkably, Logan never let this keep him down. He relearned how to do everything with his right arm and hand, and went on to become "The Strongest One-Armed Man on Earth." Most recently, Logan became a marathoner! He ran the 2023 Chicago Marathon, and is currently training for this year's New York City Marathon. FOLLOW LOGAN @loganaldridge SPONSOR: Lagoon: Click here to take Lagoon's 2-minute sleep quiz to see which pillow is right for you. (Emma Bates and I are both Otters!) Use code ALI at checkout for 15% off your order. IN THIS EPISODE: How Logan's New York City Marathon training is going (2:45) Why Logan wanted to run a marathon (6:20) On finding community in the marathon (9:30) How Logan learned how to run a marathon (11:30) On having time goals for a first marathon, and how Logan's first marathon — the 2023 Chicago Marathon — played out (16:00) What Logan learned about himself in the process of becoming a marathoner (25:40) Logan's advice to this year's Chicago Marathon runners (30:45) How Logan is approaching his New York City Marathon training (38:20) When Logan shifted from being obsessive about fitness goals to wanting to enjoy the process (43:45) How Logan got his job at Peloton (47:30) On being a daredevil — and what Logan hasn't done (59:00) What's top of mind for Logan now, a month out from the New York City Marathon (1:02:45) Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 Support on Patreon Subscribe to the newsletter 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!

3 Loka 20241h 19min

Welcome to Ask Ali, LIVE at the 2024 Akron Marathon! I spent this past weekend in Akron, OH, as one of the start and finish line announcers at the Akron Marathon, Half Marathon, and Team Relay, and got to do a live show at the race expo — with a twist. This time, I was the one being interviewed! Join Jasen Sokol and me (and some wonderful question-asking audience members) for this fun getting-to-know-you-better conversation covering running, cancer, motherhood, and so much more. Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 Support on Patreon Subscribe to the newsletter 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!

1 Loka 20241h 7min

"Remember the entire journey, because it's very special." It's almost time for the 46th running of the Chicago Marathon! The 2024 Bank of America Chicago Marathon will take place on Sunday, October 13, and this episode is packed with all the information you need before you head to the start line. (And yes, you really should plan to get there two hours early. We'll explain why!) The elite fields are stacked (Bates! D'Amato! Saina! Chepngetich! Hall! Rojas! Rooker! Frisbie!), and they'll be followed by tens of thousands of runners en route to 26.2-mile glory. Get ready. Get psyched. And get that Goose Island at the finish! Planning to tune in from home? Here's how to watch. SPONSORS: Sidekick: Click here to get 15% off any recovery tool. UCAN: Click here to get a FREE UCAN training essentials pack (you'll just pay the cost of shipping), and use code ALI for 20% off your next UCAN order. In this episode: Chicago Marathon executive race director Carey Pinkowski talks about what to expect at this year's race (5:00)) How to get in, how to watch, and how Chicago is committed to sustainability (31:00) What to know about getting to the start and navigating the athlete village (37:00) Chris "Coach Worm" Wehrman and Robyn LaLonde talk Chicago Marathon course strategy (48:00) All about the finish line experience and tips for spectating (1:17:40) Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 Support on Patreon Subscribe to the newsletter 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!

26 Syys 20241h 23min

"It felt like the riskiest choice I could make, but it changed the whole trajectory of my life and I feel so grateful." Lauren Peterson's list of professional contacts is wildly impressive. As a political speechwriter and strategist, she has worked for and with President Obama, Hillary Clinton, and President Biden. She's the New York Times best-selling co-author of Make Trouble: Standing Up, Speaking Out, and Finding the Courage to Lead, with former Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards, and is currently working on her next book, This Will All Be Worth It, about LGBTQ+ family building. In this conversation, Lauren shares her most memorable stories from the campaign trails and Air Force One, to her encounters and interviews with Barack, Michelle, and more. And, of course, Lauren is a runner and marathoner. She talks about running through the best of times, the worst of times, and the most stressful times. Lauren lives in New York City with her wife and their son, Remy. FOLLOW LAUREN @lcollinsp SPONSOR: New Balance: Click here to shop New Balance's latest releases for the season. In this episode: How Lauren describes her job (5:30) On "ego" in speechwriting (7:50) How Lauren got into politics (10:30) What it was like meeting — and working with — the Obamas (22:40) What it was like flying on Air Force One (28:40) How Lauren became a speechwriter (31:15) The first time Lauren heard one of her speeches being delivered (38:00) The speeches Lauren most loves to write (48:00) Why Lauren started running (55:10) How running changed Lauren's relationship with food and her body (1:02:00) Running around the time of the 2016 election (1:04:50) Lauren's decision to have a baby, and what that meant for running and her career (1:09:00) What Lauren's days look like right now (1:21:45) Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 Support on Patreon Subscribe to the newsletter 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!

24 Syys 20241h 34min

"Sometimes you need to just shut your brain off and run." At this time last year, Karissa Schweizer was undergoing foot surgery. Then, as she mounted her comeback heading into an Olympic year, she faced another setback: a femoral stress fracture. But as we know, the comeback is always greater than the setback, and Karissa proved that by racing both the 5000m and the 10,000m at the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team Trials on her home turf at Hayward Field in Eugene, OR, making the team in both distances. She went on to finish in the top 10 in both events at the Paris Olympic Games. Karissa's season didn't end there: She went on to race the 5000m at the Zurich Diamond League, she raced (and won!) the Fifth Avenue Mile, and she ran a season's best in the 5000m at the Diamond League Final in Brussels. Now, the two-time Olympian, Nike-sponsored athlete, and longtime Bowerman Track Club member is back in Oregon for some much-deserved downtime, and back on the Ali on the Run Show to catch us up on all of it. SPONSOR: UCAN: Click here to get a FREE UCAN training essentials pack (you'll just pay the cost of shipping), and use code ALI for 20% off your next UCAN order. What you'll get on this episode: Where in the world is Karissa Schweizer? (2:40) How Karissa approaches her training breaks (4:30) High school nerves vs. Olympics nerves (7:30) How Karissa's body is feeling after a big season of racing, and how she approached her comeback after multiple injuries (9:50) On having the confidence to line up at the Trials (20:25) What Karissa's training was like this year (22:00) How Karissa has handled the changing landscape of the Bowerman Track Club over the past few years (26:40) Karissa's experience at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games (30:45) "Is Karissa Schweizer a miler?" (37:25) How Karissa is processing her season (44:00) Karissa's advice for improving your running confidence (49:40) What's intriguing right now? (54:10) Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 Support on Patreon Subscribe to the newsletter 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!

19 Syys 20241h 15min

"I was so afraid of being vulnerable, and afraid of having to look at other people and say what was going on. But when I did…it was the most incredible experience of my entire life." In December 2019, life was good for Kate Greene. She had a good job in Boston, she had just completed her first half marathon, and her New York-based family was planning a trip to visit for the holidays. Her younger brother, Ryan, who had struggled with drug addiction since they were young, was finally doing well. Kate and Ryan celebrated his birthday together over FaceTime. Everything was falling into place. Then, Ryan died of a heroin overdose. In this conversation, Kate talks about processing such a tremendous loss, and about leaning into running during that time. She explains how Ryan's death became the catalyst in getting her to run her first marathon, and about how getting involved with The Herren Project is what saved her when she needed it most. (Kate first heard about The Herren Project on the Ali on the Run Show. She went on to run the 2022 Boston Marathon for The Herren Project, and raised $14,000 for the organization in the process.) Plus: Kate talks about psychic mediums, rebirthdays, "Sad Week," and more. FOLLOW KATE @k8greene SPONSOR: goodr: Click here and use code ALI for free shipping on your entire order. In this episode: Kate's history as a runner, and what her childhood was like (3:20) What Kate's work is like as a marketing director for a law firm in Boston (17:00) When, how, and why Kate got back into running in adulthood (18:25) All about Kate's little brother, Ryan (23:00) How Kate learned about addiction, and how to support someone dealing with addiction issues or mental health struggles (27:25) What it was for Kate to process her brother's death during the holiday season, heading into the pandemic (29:20) Why Kate decided to join a grief group — and run a marathon (36:30) Kate's decision to see a psychic medium in the wake of Ryan's death (43:25) What Kate's Boston Marathon training was like, and how her thoughts about grief evolved throughout the process (48:15) What it means to celebrate a "rebirthday" (58:15) Kate's experience running the 2022 Boston Marathon (1:01:30) Why Kate runs now (1:10:50) Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 Support on Patreon Subscribe to the newsletter 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!

17 Syys 20241h 19min

"I am a champion for love. I root for love. I am a delusionally optimistic lover of love stories and romantic comedies and love songs." Welcome to Ask Ali, where I answer all of your questions submitted on Instagram (I'm @aliontherun1). This time around, we're covering everything from business and life lately to Summer House, Sex and the City, and Emily in Paris Season 4. (OK, and some running talk mixed in.) SPONSORS: New Balance: Click here to shop New Balance's latest releases for the season. UCAN: Click here to get a FREE UCAN training essentials pack (you'll just pay the cost of shipping), and use code ALI for 20% off your next UCAN order. Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 Support on Patreon Subscribe to the newsletter 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!

12 Syys 20241h 17min