233. On the Job with Amanda LaVergne, Broadway Performer

"I had to keep believing that my Olympic dream was still alive until the race was over."   Laura Thweatt ran a fast, fierce, gutsy race at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Atlanta — a hard effort that earned her a fifth-place finish. But fifth place at the Trials is a tough spot: When the first three finishers make the team and the fourth-place finisher is the alternate, fifth place is so close, but so far from being on the Olympic team. On this episode, Laura — a 2:25 marathoner who runs for Saucony and is coached by Joe Bosshard — recaps her race at the Trials, offers advice for runners dealing with injuries or setbacks, and talks about how the Covid-19 crisis has affected her training so far and her year ahead.   Thank you to AfterShokz for sponsoring this episode of the Ali on the Run Show! CLICK HERE for 15% off wireless headphones. (My favorite is the Aeropex!)   What you’ll get on this episode: How Laura’s doing during these “weird times” (3:45) The story behind that Saucony #dontrushchallenge video (7:20) What Laura’s days look like right now (14:40) How Laura got so strong leading up to the Trials (17:40) Recapping the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials (24:05) What Laura’s post-Trials meeting with her sports psychologist was like (43:00) Laura’s advice for dealing with injuries or setbacks (51:00) Did Laura always plan to be a professional runner? (53:30)   What we mention on this episode: Saucony’s #dontrushchallenge video The "original" runner #dontrushchallenge video   Follow Laura: Instagram @lthweatt Twitter @thweatt11   Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Like the Facebook page 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!

15 Apr 20201h 11min

"Fear is not something you experience in an airplane. That’s your comfort zone."   For many people, flying in an airplane is an anxiety-inducing adventure. But not for Julia Harrington. Julia is a corporate pilot and captain on two business jets, and on this On the Job episode, she talks about her adventures in the skies. Julia reminisces about her childhood dreams of becoming a pilot, and talks about the education required to get a pilot's license. She talks about her first flight, whether she's ever scared in the air, and what it's like being a badass woman in a very male-dominated industry. (Plus, she offers reassuring advice for all the anxious fliers out there!)   Thank you to Tracksmith for sponsoring the On the Job series on the Ali on the Run Show! Go to tracksmith.com/ontherun and use code ONTHERUN15 at checkout for 15% off your first Tracksmith purchase!   Follow Julia: Instagram @pilotjulia   Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Like the Facebook page 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!

13 Apr 202058min

"Without races on the schedule, you’re figuring out why you run in the first place. I think this is a really good reminder that we do it because we love it — not because we’re constantly chasing a goal or trying to prove something."   Caitlyn Tateishi has run — long, and fast — all over the world. On this episode, the 2:43 marathoner talks about growing up in Hawaii and discovering life on the run, and going on to run an unofficial ultramarathon during her time in the Peace Corps in Africa. Caitlyn explains why she took a long break from running, and talks about rediscovering her passion for the sport. Plus, she breaks down how, exactly, she shaved 50 minutes off her marathon time, going from wanting to qualify for the Boston Marathon to running at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials earlier this year. It's a powerful, relatable conversation about identifying as a runner, dealing with failure, and getting to that "I belong" moment.   Thank you to AfterShokz for sponsoring this episode of the Ali on the Run Show! CLICK HERE for 15% off wireless headphones. (My favorite is the Aeropex!)   What you’ll get on this episode: How Caitlyn is feeling physically and emotionally since running the Trials (3:00) Recapping Caitlyn’s race in Atlanta (7:00) How Caitlyn found running (11:00) Why Caitlyn joined the Peace Corps, and what it was like living and running in tK (23:00) Why Caitlyn decided to start training for marathons — and her road to an OTQ (29:15)   What we mention on this episode: “I thought my best running days were over”: How Olympic Trials Qualifier Caitlyn Tateishi Found Her Way Back to Running via Women's Running Born to Run Miles to the Trials blog First Ladies of Running   Follow Caitlyn: Instagram @cait.tate   Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Like the Facebook page Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 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 Apr 20201h 6min

"I was just like, ‘Oh my god, I’m in Hollywood! This was meant to be!'"   Taylor Ritzel has quite the resumé: She was a collegiate rower at Yale University who went on to win Olympic gold in rowing at the 2012 games. Today, though, Taylor has traded her oars for the Hollywood life. She works at Netflix, in nonfiction series content acquisition. On this episode, she talks about what, exactly, that means, and what it's like working on shows including Cheer, Queer Eye, and Tidying Up with Marie Kondo.   Thank you to Tracksmith for sponsoring the On the Job series on the Ali on the Run Show! Go to tracksmith.com/ontherun and use code ONTHERUN15 at checkout for 15% off your first Tracksmith purchase!   Follow Taylor:  Instagram @taritzel   Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Like the Facebook page Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 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!

6 Apr 20201h 5min

"There’s nothing I can do, so I might as well not wallow about it, and I might as well just find something else to make me happy for the moment."   Emma Coburn is a two-time Olympian, eight-time U.S. steeplechase champion, world champion, and world silver medalist. On this episode, Emma — who runs for New Balance and is Vice President of the Athletics Association — talks about how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected her training and her livelihood. She's honest about the financial hit professional athletes will take during this time, and shares her take on the postponement of the 2020 Olympic Games.   Thank you to AfterShokz for sponsoring this episode of the Ali on the Run Show! CLICK HERE for $50 off your Aeropex wireless headphone endurance bundle!   What you’ll get on this episode: How Emma is finding happiness right now (3:40) All about Emma’s nightly Instagram Lives (7:15) What Emma’s training has been like, both before and since hearing about the Olympics being postponed (10:45) How COVID-19 has directly affected Emma’s career and life at home (25:25) How Emma is maintaining a positive attitude during these times (37:00)   What we mention on this episode: Emma Coburn on Episode 60 of the Ali on the Run Show Emma Coburn on Episode 96 of the Ali on the Run Show Aisha Praught & Will Leer on Episode 204 of the Ali on the Run Show Emma’s Resistance Bands   Follow Emma: Instagram @emmacoburn Twitter @emmajcoburn Facebook   Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Like the Facebook page Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 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!

1 Apr 202049min

"I run on pure stress and adrenaline."   Kelly McKnight is an orthopedic surgery resident — a real-life Callie Torres from Grey's Anatomy! — in Sioux Falls, SD. On this episode, the second in the On the Job series, Kelly talks about what her job entails, what the schooling is like, how she survives grueling 80-hour weeks on her feet, and how running fits in. She also talks about why only six percent of orthopedic surgeons are women — and why she's passionate about bringing that number way up.   Follow Kelly: Instagram @kellynicolemck   Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Like the Facebook page Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 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!

31 Mar 202057min

"I know I wasn’t a favorite, but I felt that if a door opened, I was fully ready to sprint through it."   When Kaitlin Goodman, a 2:32 marathoner who runs for adidas and the Boston Athletic Association, arrived at the start line of the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, she felt fit, strong, and ready to race. Kaitlin was ranked 29th in the field of more than 500 women, and she was in Atlanta to be at the front of the race. But just half a mile into the 26.2-mile run, Kaitlin fell, and in an instant, her dreams of finishing at the top of the field were shaken. On this episode, Kaitlin vividly recounts what the day was like for her. (Warning: This one is a tear-jerker.) At the end of the episode, Kaitlin — who holds a master's in public health from Brown University and is a consultant in the field — shares what she wishes everyone understood about the current state of the world and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.   Thank you to AfterShokz for sponsoring this episode of the Ali on the Run Show! CLICK HERE for $50 off your Aeropex wireless headphone endurance bundle!   What you’ll get on this episode: How Kaitlin is feeling post-Trials (5:55) Kaitlin recaps her race at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials (12:00) On recovering from the race (40:35) Kaitlin talks about COVID-19 from the perspective of a public health professional (46:00)   What we mention on this episode: Kaitlin Goodman on Episode 160 of the Ali on the Run Show LIVE at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials with Sarah Cummings, Kaitlin Goodman, Amanda Nurse, Ladia Albertson-Junkans, & Jenny Donnelly What It Was Like Being in Atlanta for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials   Follow Kaitlin: Instagram @runnerkg Twitter @runnerkg RunningJoyfully.com Strava   Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Like the Facebook page Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 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!

26 Mar 202058min

"It’s really a lesson in humans and human activity."   Welcome to the On the Job series on the Ali on the Run Show! Every Tuesday for the next seven weeks, we'll meet cool women with interesting, fascinating, unique, badass jobs. They'll talk about how they got into their respective fields, what their jobs entail, why their work matters, and why they've pursued their passions. Plus, they're all runners, so they'll talk about how running fits into their busy lives. First up: Rachel Dewan. Rachel is an archaeologist who spends her summers in Greece, digging for artifacts and studying ancient cultures from 4,000 years ago. (The Minoan culture, specifically.) It's her job to dig up material culture and try to make sense of it all. On this episode, she talks about what, exactly, it means to be an archaeologist (she's not Ross from Friends!), what it's like on a dig, and what being on a dig actually means.   Inspired? Me, too! This November, Rachel will be leading a trip combining both her passions: running and archaeology. This 8-day running tour of Greece (led by Rachel and a fellow archaeologist and art historian) will end with the Athens Marathon. Between runs, you'll explore historic places and great food. Check it out here!   Thank you to Tracksmith for sponsoring the On the Job series on the Ali on the Run Show! Go to tracksmith.com/ontherun and use code ONTHERUN15 at checkout for 15% off your first Tracksmith purchase!   Follow Rachel:  Instagram @rundigsleep   Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Like the Facebook page Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 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!

23 Mar 202055min