398. Matt Wilpers, Peloton Instructor

"For all the speculators out there, there was no splitting the prize money, no talk about that beforehand, no 'You go first, I go second.' No 'Conner let me win in New Haven, so I have to let him win at the Trials.' It really just happened. I want to make that 100 percent clear. I wouldn't have it any other way. It was pure, raw emotion of enjoying the moment." It was the marathon finish we all couldn't stop talking about. At the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Marathon, former Brigham Young University teammates and current training partners Conner Mantz and Clayton Young ran stride-for-stride every step of the way, until Conner broke the tape just ahead of Clayton. Together, they went 1-2 on the podium, securing their spots on Team USA for the Paris Olympic Games this summer. In this conversation, Conner and Clayton talk about the race, about training with coach Ed Eyestone, and about whether Clayton really "let" Conner win. It's Love on the Run meets Friendship Fest! FOLLOW CONNER @connermantz FOLLOW CLAYTON @_clayton_young_ SPONSOR: Tracksmith: New customers, use code ALINEW for $15 off your first Tracksmith order over $75. Returning customers, use code ALIGIVE for free shipping, plus a portion of the proceeds from your order will be donated to Moms Demand Action. What you'll get on this episode: How Clayton, Conner, and Coach Eyestone wow feeling just a few days after the race (2:30) All about that now-famous Olympic Trials finish (3:30) The surge that got Conner to the finish (9:55) What Meb Keflezighi said to Conner and Clayton before the race (15:30) All about Conner and Clayton's relationships with fellow professional runner Jared Ward (16:50) How Conner and Clayton's families feel about their race results (20:15) On getting back on the run with the BYU crew (22:25) Conner and Clayton break down the race — starting with Conner's missed bottle (25:00) The post-race conversations Clayton and Conner had with Zach Panning, who led most of the race (34:35) The nerves of the Trials vs. the Olympics (40:50) The mid-race high five seen around the country (45:35) Clayton's decision to wear sunglasses to the press conference (50:25) How Conner and Clayton met (54:50) 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!

13 Helmi 20241h

"Seeing how many people flew down to Florida on a random weekend in February to cheer for total strangers… How cool is that?!" I had the best weekend in Orlando at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials Marathon — running around Lake Eola with friends, attending the elite athlete press conference, hosting a Best Running Friends meetup, going on shakeout runs, and, of course, cheering for all of the runners during Saturday's race. This is my recap from the weekend. SPONSOR: UCAN: Click here to get a FREE UCAN energy bar sample 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: Why I went to the Olympic Marathon Trials in Orlando (1:00) Friday: a morning run, wise words from Deena Kastor, the elite athlete press conference, an impromptu Best Running Friends meetup, a shakeout run, and a weird sushi dinner (9:00) Saturday: race day! (34:10) Final takeaways (51:50) 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!

8 Helmi 20241h 1min

"I knew months ago that was going to be my caption for that post!" Let the U.S. Olympic Team Trials Marathon recaps begin! First up: Dakotah Lindwurm! The 28-year-old Puma-sponsored athlete who trains with Minnesota Distance Elite finished third at the Trials, running 2:25:31 and fulfilling a lifelong dream of earning a spot on Team USA. In this conversation, recorded just two days after the race (while on vacation in the Dominican Republic!), Dakotah talks about her 130-mile training weeks leading up to the Trials while working full-time as a paralegal. She talks about developing an unwavering confidence and belief in herself, shares her original race plan, and breaks down the race itself. Plus, what it was like racing with teammate and best friend Annie Frisbie, what the spectators in Orlando were like, and the mid-race move that makes her feel "icky." FOLLOW DAKOTAH @dakotahlindwurm SPONSOR: New Balance. Click here to shop New Balance's latest releases for the season. (The SuperComp Trainer is my favorite shoe!) 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!

6 Helmi 202455min

"As runners, we all deserve to be at the start line — and at the finish line, winning races." Last month, Weini Kelati broke the American record in the half marathon, running 1:06:25 in Houston in her debut at the distance. Just a few days later, she ran — and won — the USATF cross-country championships. Weini's plan was never to be a record-breaking runner, though. Growing up in Eritrea, Weini was accustomed to walking — sometimes running — two hours to get to school each day, six days a week. Running on top of that? No thank you, she told her P.E. teacher. But somehow, she ended up on the school's track team, and at 17 years old, she was chosen to represent Eritrea at the Junior World Championships in Eugene, OR. The rest, as they say, is history. Weini intentionally missed her flight back home in favor of seeking asylum to stay in the U.S. and pursue a running career. She attended the University of New Mexico, where she became the most-decorated track and field athlete in the program's history, and she's been breaking records ever since. Weini lives in Flagstaff, AZ, where she is sponsored by Under Armour and trains with the Dark Sky Distance group. FOLLOW WEINI @weini_kelati SPONSOR: Vuori: Click here for 20% off your first Vuori purchase. What you'll get on this episode: What's next on Weini's racing calendar? (3:40) All about Weini's childhood (4:30) When — and why — Weini started running in elementary school (10:00) The trip to the U.S. that changed Weini's life forever (19:00) On acclimating to life in the U.S. (25:45) What it was like for Weini to go eight years without seeing her mother (30:00) Weini's college experience at the University of New Mexico (41:00) How Weini became a professional runner (45:00) Why Weini wanted to move up to the half-marathon distance (49:00) Weini's advice for first-time half-marathoners (55:35) 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 Helmi 20241h

"I wouldn't say I'm a favorite in a lot of peoples' eyes. But it's the Trials. We're here to select a team. So I'm going to go for it and see what happens." Happy Olympic Trials Week! This Saturday, the fastest distance runners in the U.S. will line up in Orlando, FL, racing for their chance to represent Team USA in the marathon at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Among those runners will be Fiona O'Keeffe, making her debut at the distance. Fiona runs professionally for Puma, and trains with the Puma Elite coaches Amy and Alistair Cragg. Fiona qualified for the Trials by running a 1:11 half marathon, and now she's ready to see what she can do over the course of 26.2 miles. In this episode, Fiona talks about her training, about the advice Amy Cragg (who won the 2016 Olympic Marathon Trials) has given her, and about her recovery from a staph infection in her ankle last summer. FOLLOW FIONA @fiona_okeeffe SPONSOR: New Balance. Click here to shop New Balance's latest releases for the season. (The SuperComp Trainer is my favorite shoe!) What you'll get on this episode: Race week! Fiona shares how she's feeling just days away from the Trials (1:50) Was Fiona's plan to debut in the marathon at the Trials? (5:10) What Fiona's Trials training looked like, including her favorite and least favorite workouts (10:00) On pressure — internal and external (17:20) The ankle injury that sidelined Fiona last summer (18:45) Fiona's visualization plans, and what the week before the Trials entails (27:25) Why Fiona chose to train with Amy and Alistair Cragg (31:10) Noise vs. hype (34:20) All about the runners in Fiona's family (36:30) What it might look like to continue competing on both the track and the roads (41:50) Fiona's pre-race must-dos (44:50) 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!

30 Tammi 202451min

"Put yourself in a position to get a yes, otherwise it's automatically a no." Need a little pep talk? A little boost? A gentle nudge, or some tough love? I've got all that and more today, with a roundup of the best advice listeners of the Ali on the Run Show have ever received. Plus, a short story about a time very recently when I took my own advice and "sent the email" — and it didn't work out the way I'd hoped. (It's OK!) SPONSORS: UCAN: Click here to get a FREE UCAN energy bar sample pack (you'll just pay the cost of shipping), and use code ALI for 20% off your next UCAN order. goodr: Click here and use code ALI for free shipping. Pre-order To the Gorge, by Emily Halnon, here. 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!

25 Tammi 202449min

"You take what you have and make the most of it." Gabi Rooker was an anti-running competitive gymnast growing up. After college, she began working full-time as an internal medicine physician's assistant. Now, she's headed to the U.S. Olympic Team Trials Marathon as the eighth-fastest woman in the field. In this conversation, Gabi talks about her unconventional road to becoming a 2:24 marathoner. Gabi ran her first marathon in 2021 — a 2:56 finish at Grandma's Marathon in her home state of Minnesota — and in just two years progressed to a 2:24 finish at the 2023 Chicago Marathon. Gabi is coached by her husband, Alex, and she just signed her first major sponsorship deal with Nike at age 36. The Trials are just 11 days away, and Gabi's name is one you should know. FOLLOW GABI @gabirooker SPONSOR: New Balance. Click here to shop New Balance's latest releases for the season. (The SuperComp Trainer is my favorite shoe!) What you'll get on this episode: On being "one to watch" at this year's Olympic Marathon Trials, and what live has been like lately for Gabi (2:45) On the pressure and stakes of this year's Trials (6:00) How Gabi's life changed after the 2023 Chicago Marathon, and her thoughts on experience vs. newness (7:20) How Gabi feels about being the 8th-fastest woman lining up at the Trials (10:50) Gabi shares her goals for the 2024 Marathon Trials (12:20) Growing up Gabi: the life of a competitive gymnast (14:55) Gabi's introduction to running (23:00) How Gabi's husband, Alex, became her coach (29:30) All about Gabi's work as a physician's assistant (32:15) Why Gabi wanted to run a marathon (39:45) On signing with Nike, and moving to part-time PA work leading up to the Trials (48:30) The magic of the Mill City Running community (54:10) How Gabi is feeling a few weeks out from the Trials (57:00) 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!

23 Tammi 20241h 9min

Chris Chavez has made a living out of being track and field's biggest fan and hype person. And when he's not obsessively covering the sport for Citius Mag, Chris is pursuing his own running goals. For the past several years, it's been no secret that Chris wanted to run a sub-3:00 marathon. This past weekend, that dream came true at the Houston Marathon, where Chris crossed the finish line in 2 hours 59 minutes and 12 seconds. This is his official race recap. SPONSORS: UCAN: Click here to get a FREE UCAN energy bar sample pack (you'll just pay the cost of shipping), and use code ALI for 20% off your next UCAN order. Sidekick: Click here to get 15% off any recovery tool. FOLLOW CHRIS @chris_j_chavez 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!

18 Tammi 20241h 5min