Ali on the Run Show

“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 explain my gender is as fluid." Nikki's pronouns are they/them; Emma's pronouns are she/her. Nikki and Emma are wise and introspective, and they love self-discovery. On this episode, they talk about how they met (for the first time in a town called Hurricane!), why they fell in love, and what their relationship has been like. They talk about the good and bad sides of using their voices, and Nikki offers some sponsorship updates. SPONSOR: UCAN — Go to ucan.co/ali and use code ALI for 20% off your next UCAN order. For more, check out: Nikki Hiltz on Episode 294 of the Ali on the Run Show Nikki Hiltz on Episode 170 of the Ali on the Run Show Emma Gee on Episode 309 of the Ali on the Run Show The Queer Athlete podcast Myers-Briggs test (I’m ESFJ — The Consul!) The 5 Love Languages (I’m words of affirmation!) Follow Nikki: Instagram @nikkihiltz Twitter @nikki_hiltz Follow Emma: Instagram @emma_gee1777 Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 Support on Patreon Blog Strava Listen & Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Spotify SoundCloud Overcast Stitcher Google Play 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!

9 Helmi 20221h 16min

“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-crowned American record holder in the marathon, and she'll be the first to tell you that she couldn't and wouldn't have run that 2:19:12 at the Houston Marathon without "Team D'Amato." And yeah, she's the fastest marathoner in the country right now, but Keira and Anthony are all about fun. Everything they do is in pursuit of a good time, from smashing records to organizing food bracket challenges with their kids, Tommy and Quin. On this episode, we'll hear all about what went down in Houston, Keira and Anthony's Vegas wedding, and the time Anthony secretly ate all the hidden Halloween candy. SPONSOR: UCAN — Go to ucan.co/ali and use code ALI for 20% off your next UCAN order. For more, check out: Keira D'Amato on Episode 414 of the Ali on the Run Show Keira D'Amato on Episode 305 of the Ali on the Run Show Calum Neff on Episode 470 of the Ali on the Run Show Follow Keira: Instagram @keiradamato Twitter @KeiraDAmato Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 Support on Patreon Blog Strava Listen & Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Spotify SoundCloud Overcast Stitcher Google Play 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 20221h 19min

"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 Motion Boston, where he treats the everyday and amateur runner, movie stars, musicians, and professional athletes including Molly Seidel, Elle Purrier St. Pierre, and Heather MacLean. (And he treats me!) Ian is all about taking a holistic approach to his treatment, which is why in addition to his staff of chiropractors, physical therapists, and massage therapists, he also brought Emily Saul onto the team. You may remember Emily Saul — the collegiate rower turned marathoner and co-leader of November Project Boston — from Episode 59 of the Ali on the Run Show. She's a licensed mental health counselor with a Master's degree in sports psychology, and she's the founder of E Saul Movement. In this unexpectedly personal conversation (two of us cried!), Ian talks about how runners can take care of their bodies this year, and Emily speaks to the mental side of it all. They talk about working with Molly Seidel the day before the 2021 New York City Marathon, and Ian talks about his struggles with aging on the run and how Emily has helped him work through that. Plus, dealing with injuries, how to know when to "push through the pain," and what seeing a sports psychologist is actually like. SPONSOR: New Balance — Go to newbalance.com/beyondtherun to learn more about how New Balance is supporting the conversations around mental wellness in running. (And check out my current favorite jacket, joggers, and long-sleeve shirts.) What you’ll get on this episode: How are you doing? (8:30) How Ian got connected with and started treating professional runners, and his approach to treating runners in pain (15:30) Ian and Emily’s work with Molly Seidel before the 2021 New York City Marathon (27:50) What a first-time session with Emily is like (43:15) Ian’s role in a patient’s treatment (50:00) On getting older as a runner, and why Ian started seeing Emily — as a patient (54:00) The most-common complaints Ian and Emily hear from their patients and clients (1:04:30) Something Ian and Emily want runners to add to or remove from their lives to live and run happier (1:16:00) Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 Support on Patreon Blog Strava Listen & Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Spotify SoundCloud Overcast Stitcher Google Play 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!

4 Helmi 20221h 30min

"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. She's an economist and professor of economics at Brown University, but among the child-rearing set, she's best known as the author of Expecting Better, Cribsheet, and The Family Firm. And while the media loves to call Emily a "parenting expert," Emily's actual goal is to use a data-driven approach to help parents feel more relaxed about their decisions. And while Emily swears by research and numbers in most aspects of her life, there's one area where she opts to ditch the data: on the run. Emily is a lifelong runner, and on this episode she talks about how she got into running, how she finds time to run as a busy mom of two, and how her relationship with running has evolved over the past few years. SPONSOR: Shokz — Visit shokz.com/ontherun for 15% off wireless headphones. What you’ll get on this episode: How was Emily’s run today? (5:30) How Emily became an author who tackles hot parenting topics from a data-driven perspective (9:15) Why Emily wants to create a world with more relaxed pregnant women and parents (14:00) Why Emily started diving into pandemic-related data in March 2020 (20:00) On tackling tough topics, and having thick skin (23:30) What are Emily’s work-life boundaries like these days? (28:00) Emily’s approach to running (34:00) How Emily got into running, and what her family and childhood were like (36:45) Emily’s advice for aspiring early morning runners (49:00) Emily’s advice for parents who are having a tough time right now, and advice for device-addicted runners (57:30) Check out: "Emily Oster: Through the Looking Glass," via Tracksmith Shake-N-Wake Vibrating Alarm "Anxious? You are not alone." Follow Emily: Instagram @ProfEmilyOster Twitter @ProfEmilyOster Subscribe to her newsletter Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 Support on Patreon Blog Strava Listen & Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Spotify SoundCloud Overcast Stitcher Google Play 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 Helmi 20221h 6min

“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 that 12-year dream come true in Houston. She talks about the game-changing decision to hire professional runner Nell Rojas as her coach, and about what working with Nell was like throughout her marathon build-up. (Read more about their experience working together in Women's Running here.) Emilia talks about dealing with setbacks on the run, including a hip injury that sidelined her early in this training cycle, and about how she never stopped believing in herself along the way. SPONSOR: Shokz — Visit shokz.com/ontherun for 15% off wireless headphones. What you’ll get on this episode: How Emilia’s feeling after racing the Houston Marathon (3:30) When the dream of Boston Qualifying first entered Emilia’s mind (4:30) Emilia’s plan to run the 2021 New York City Marathon, and her decision to hire coach Nell Rojas (6:45) Why Houston? (19:45) On running CIM as a workout, and other confidence-boosting experiences leading up to Houston (21:00) What it was like being at the Houston Marathon as a member of the media, an ambassador, and a race participant (23:00) How Emilia was feeling on race day (27:10) Emilia’s goals and plans for race day (33:00) On keeping it fun (42:30) When Emilia knew she was going to BQ (46:20) Emilia’s post-race thoughts (51:00) How Emilia shaved 16 minutes off her marathon PR (52:30) Check out: Emilia Benton on Episode 340 of the Ali on the Run Show Nell Rojas on Episode 434 of the Ali on the Run Show Nell Rojas on Episode 431 of the Ali on the Run Show Nell Rojas on Episode 229 of the Ali on the Run Show Calum Neff on Episode 470 of the Ali on the Run Show Follow Emilia: Instagram @emiliambenton Twitter @emiliambenton Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 Support on Patreon Blog Strava Listen & Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Spotify SoundCloud Overcast Stitcher Google Play 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!

27 Tammi 202259min

“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 success particularly in the 1500m and the steeplechase. But last year, she got the itch to go long, and decided to give the marathon a try. Now, at 35, she's a fully-sponsored professional runner for the first time. On this episode, Sara talks about what life is like now with her new Puma deal, and explains how that deal came together. She talks about motherhood, identity, and whether always being pegged as a mom-on-the-run has helped or hurt her career. Plus, her spring 2022 racing plans, her decision to prioritize her mental health, and so much more. SPONSOR: The 2022 Publix Atlanta Marathon Weekend — Go to atlantatrackclub.org and use code ONTHERUN to get 10% off your registration for the 5K, half marathon, marathon, or kids' races, taking place February 26–27. What you’ll get on this episode: On being a mom on the run right now, and Sara’s take on being defined as a mom (4:00) On celebrating the big and little wins, and how Sara does that (13:00) What a day in the life is like for Sara (15:50) Reflecting on the fires in the Boulder area, and what things are like there now (18:45) All about that post-CIM phone call with Puma (21:45) The pre-marathon questions that Sara asked friend Amy Cragg (26:30) On signing with Puma! (30:00) Sara’s expectations for her debut marathon, and how the reality compared (39:00) Sara’s approach to training for the 2022 Boston Marathon (48:00) What’s next for Sara? (52:45) Follow Sara: Instagram @smevaughn Twitter @smevaughn Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 Support on Patreon Blog Strava Listen & Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Spotify SoundCloud Overcast Stitcher Google Play 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 20221h 7min

"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 Calum as the "green shorts guy" who paced Sara Hall at the Marathon Project in 2020.) And while Calum is an incredibly accomplished runner, he — like Keira — had never broken 2:20 in the marathon. So this task would require running a personal best of his own en route to that American record goal. (Spoiler: He did it, finishing in 2:19:33.) On this episode, Calum talks about how he got the role as Keira's pacer, what it was like previewing the course together the day before the race, and what that 5:18 pace actually felt like. Plus, all the details and dad jokes from the day, hashing out the realities of pandemic marriage and parenting (Calum and his wife have three daughters), and what's next for Calum. SPONSOR: Shokz — Visit shokz.com/ontherun for 15% off wireless headphones. What you’ll get on this episode: How Calum’s feeling post-race (4:00) How Calum got the job as Keira D’Amato’s Houston Marathon pacer (5:55) What Calum’s training was like leading up to Houston (16:20) All about Calum’s experience at the 2021 Chicago Marathon (21:00) How Calum balances pacing duties with his own running goals, and what it was like previewing the course with Keira (27:15) The plan for race day (36:00) All about the race (46:15) That finish line moment (1:04:05) Calum’s top moment from the day (1:13:00) What’s next for Calum? (1:16:00) Check out: Calum Neff on Episode 318 of the Ali on the Run Show Keira D’Amato on Episode 414 of the Ali on the Run Show Keira D’Amato on Episode 305 of the Ali on the Run Show Follow Calum: Instagram @calneff Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 Support on Patreon Blog Strava Listen & Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Spotify SoundCloud Overcast Stitcher Google Play 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!

20 Tammi 20221h 21min

“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, she walked away from Hayward Field proudly — and with a new personal best (1:59.02). On this episode, Allie reflects on her first Olympic Trials experience. She talks about her pre-race meltdown before the first round of competition, and talks about how she deals with race-day nerves. Allie talks about why she likes "racing under the radar," and about how she's learned not to count herself out when it matters the most. ("I may not be the fastest person going into the Trials, but I’m one of the fastest," Allie says. "And anything can happen if you put your mind to it.") Plus, all about heat training in Florida and what's on tap for 2022. SPONSOR: The Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Half Marathon, 10K, and 5K, all taking place on February 6, 2022. Click here to register today! What you’ll get on this episode: All about what Allie is up to in Florida right now (5:40) On Allie’s evolution as a runner (12:10) Reflecting on last summer’s U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team Trials (15:20) How Allie learned not to count herself out (19:15) All about that first round at the Trials (24:40) How Allie was feeling heading into the semi-finals (34:40) Breaking down the 800m final at the Olympic Trials (39:00) On racing happy and loving this sport (47:30) How Allie ended up in Atlanta (53:50) What’s on tap for 2022? (58:45) Follow Allie: Instagram @allie_oop9 Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 Support on Patreon Blog Strava Listen & Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Spotify SoundCloud Overcast Stitcher Google Play 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 20221h 7min