233. On the Job with Amanda LaVergne, Broadway Performer

Welcome to the second edition of a new monthly series on the Ali on the Run Show: Ramblings on the Run with Ali & Matt. Every month, Matt Chittim — host of the Rambling Runner podcast and the Road to the Olympic Trials show — and I will come together to talk about running industry news, our own running, and things we’re loving right now, and to answer listener questions about running and podcasting. It’s something new we’re trying, so let us know what you think and what you want more (or less!) of. On this episode, it's all about Trials talk. We share our excitement for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, talk about our predictions about what might happen while admitting none of us really have any idea, and answer listener questions about podcasting.   What we mention on this episode: Superhero Muffins Publix Atlanta 5K Peter Bromka on Road to the Olympic Trials Lou Serafini on Road to the Olympic Trials Sarah Ibbetson @runningbcba on Instagram (2:45.01 series) "In Celebrating Local Olympic Hopefuls, We Lift Up Our Communities" by Erin Strout for Women's Running Jay Holder on The CITIUS MAG Podcast Jay Holder on C Tolle Run Kaitlin Gregg Goodman on Episode 160 of the Ali on the Run Show Sara Hall on Episode 144 of the Ali on the Run Show Steph Bruce on Episode 206 of the Ali on the Run Show Steph Bruce on Episode 104 of the Ali on the Run Show Alison Wade and Erin Strout on Road to the Olympic Trials Elle Purrier on Episode 210 of the Ali on the Run Show   Follow Matt:  Instagram @rambling_runner Rambling Runner podcast Road to the Olympic Trials podcast   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!

27 Feb 20201h 2min

"The only reason this was my goal is because it was her goal. I only have this dream because she was crazy enough to dream it first." —Veronica Jackson   Veronica Jackson and Alex Bernardi are among the 500+ women who will be running the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon this weekend in Atlanta, GA. They're longtime training partners, and on this episode, they talk about the power of running friendships, and the effects your best running friends can have on your goals. Today, Alex and Veronica live in separate cities — Veronica in Boston where she's an attorney at the Partners Healthcare Hospital System, and Alex in New York City, where she's a research associate at a nonprofit — but we got together in person to record this episode (after they finished their 20-miler, of course).   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 Alex and Veronica were feeling two weeks out from the Trials (7:30) Alex reflects on qualifying for the 2016 Olympic Trials (8:30) What does it mean to each of them to get to run the Trials? (14:00) Alex talks about her postpartum running experience, and shares how she qualified for the Trials again after having her son (16:20) #TBT: Alex and Veronica share the story of how they met, and the importance of running friendships (19:50) How moving out of NYC affected Veronica’s training (34:15) How Veronica found new running buddies in Boston (52:00) How Veronica and Alex support each other from afar, and what the OTQ community is like (56:15)   What we mention on this episode: Central Park Track Club Sarah Cummings on Episode 112 of the Ali on the Run Show Jenny Donnelly on Episode 193 of the Ali on the Run Show   Follow Alex: Instagram @aebernardi   Follow Veronica: Instagram @vjaxs Twitter @vjacks01   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 Feb 20201h 14min

"It’s a pretty misunderstood lifestyle. Unless you’re in it, you don’t really have a clue what it’s like to do it or why you would do it, because it’s so much work. But the people who have a passion for it would never change that."   Earlier this month, Elle Purrier won the Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games in New York City. In the process, she set a new American record in the indoor mile (4:16.85), broke a 37-year-old record, ran an 8-second personal best time, and ran the second fastest indoor mile in history. On this episode, Elle, who runs for New Balance, talks about that day, and reflects on her indoor season before she begins training for outdoor season — and the 2020 Olympic Track & Field Trials. She also talks about growing up on a dairy farm in Vermont, and how that impacted her work ethic.   Thank you to the Atlanta Track Club for sponsoring this episode of the Ali on the Run Show! Go to atlantatrackclub.org to sign up for this weekend's Publix Atlanta 5K, where you can finish in the same spot as the men and women running the Olympic Trials Marathon the day before!   What you’ll get on this episode: Recapping Elle’s amazing race at the 2020 Millrose Games (3:00) Recapping the next week’s USATF indoor championships in Albuquerque, where Elle ran the 3000m (11:00) Elle sounds off on her competition (19:15) What’s next for Elle, and how does outdoor training compare to indoor training? (20:30) On growing up on a dairy farm in Vermont (22:45) A closer look at Elle’s training, and looking back at the 2019 Fifth Avenue Mile (28:30)   Follow Elle: Instagram @elleruns_4_her_life Twitter @ellepurrier   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!

24 Feb 202043min

"I’m an open book. I have no shame about anything I have gone through or felt."   Andrea Barber — perhaps best known as Kimmy Gibbler on Full House and the Netflix revival Fuller House — is back on the Ali on the Run Show! And this time, she's a published author! Andrea's first book, Full Circle: From Hollywood to Real Life and Back Again, came out late last year, and it's a hit. (I'm not just saying this because Andrea is a friend: This book is fantastic.) Full Circle isn't a salacious Hollywood memoir or tell-all. It's real and it's honest, and in it, Andrea shares her story in a raw, visceral way. On this episode, Andrea and I catch up on what's new in her life — including why her home is filled with thousands of boxes of Girl Scout Cookies, what it was like wrapping the fifth and final season of Fuller House, and where she's at with running right now — and we talk about some of my favorite parts of the book, including her uncensored stories about depression, anxiety, and divorce.   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 it feels to have wrapped Fuller House (7:50) On becoming a writer for Fuller House (20:55) What’s next for Andrea? (29:00) All about Andrea’s book, Full Circle: From Hollywood to Real Life and Back Again, and her decision to open up about depression, anxiety, and divorce (32:40) How New Kids on the Block helped Andrea through her divorce (48:45) Where Andrea is at with running right now (56:00)   What we mention on this episode: Andrea Barber on Episode 45 of the Ali on the Run Show Andrea Barber on Episode 77 of the Ali on the Run Show Full Circle: From Hollywood to Real Life and Back Again, by Andrea Barber   Follow Andrea: Instagram @andreabarber Facebook Twitter @andreabarber 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!

20 Feb 20201h 5min

"Change always takes time, and the battles that Adam and I have chosen to fight have just taken time. We’ve learned to be patient and to think less about ourselves and more about the future."   Happy Valentine’s Day! We're celebrating here on the Ali on the Run Show with the fifth and final episode of Love on the Run Week — and we're wrapping things up with the Gouchers! Kara and Adam Goucher have been married for 19 years. On this episode, we have an open and honest conversation about their struggles with infertility and how it affected their marriage, Kara's time as a Nike-sponsored athlete who was suspended without pay during her pregnancy and postpartum period, and why they've decided to be outspoken activists in the industry. They talk about developing thicker skin, how speaking out has impacted their relationship, and about why they're so passionate about clean sport.   Thank you to Generation UCAN for sponsoring this episode of Ali on the Run Show! Click here and use code ONTHERUN for 20 percent off your order, plus free shipping. (First-time buyers, check out the UCAN Run Starter Pack here, and get 50 percent off.)   What you’ll get on this episode: How Kara and Adam met (1:55) Is marriage easy? (10:35) How becoming parents has changed their relationship (16:15) On struggling with infertility (23:40) Reflecting on Kara’s time as a Nike-sponsored athlete, and why that time was “like being in a nightmare” for Kara and Adam (28:00) Has speaking out publicly brought Kara and Adam closer or has it created marital stress? (41:20) Kara and Adam share their 2020 goals, hopes, and dreams (48:00)   What we mention on this episode: Kara on Episode 43 of the Ali on the Run Show Kara on Episode 86 of the Ali on the Run Show "It's Time For Me To Use My Voice" by Adam Goucher Clean Sport Collective Clean Sport Collective Podcast   Follow Kara:  Instagram @karagoucher Twitter @karagoucher Facebook Clean Sport Collective Podcast Blog   Follow Adam Instagram @adamgoucher Twitter @adam_goucher   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!

14 Feb 20201h 1min

"It showed Pat my worst side, and what I’m like when I’m not my happy self."   Gwen Jorgensen won gold at the 2016 Olympic Games in the triathlon, and then decided she wanted to trade in the bike and the swim for a while to see how she could fare as a professional distance runner. Today, Gwen trains with the Bowerman Track Club, and is gearing up to compete at the 2020 Olympic Track & Field Trials in the 5K and 10K. And her husband, Pat Lemieux, will be by her side every step of the way. Pat was a professional cyclist, but he decided to put his career aside so he could fully support Gwen in hers. On this episode, they talk about that decision, and what it looked like then vs. now. Gwen and Pat live in Portland, OR, with their son, Stanley.   Thank you to Generation UCAN for sponsoring this episode of Ali on the Run Show! Click here and use code ONTHERUN for 20 percent off your order, plus free shipping. (First-time buyers, check out the UCAN Run Starter Pack here, and get 50 percent off.)   What you’ll get on this episode: How Gwen and Pat met (2:40) How important was it to each of them to have a relationship with a fellow athlete? (10:20) Pat’s decision to leave his career as a professional cyclist in order to support Gwen in her career (13:00) On the decision to have a baby (25:00) The biggest challenges Pat and Gwen face in their relationship (33:25) Gwen’s decision to train for the 2020 Olympic Track & Field Trials (36:30)   What we mention on this episode: Gwen Jorgensen on Episode 54 of the Ali on the Run Show Gwen Jorgensen on Episode 90 of the Ali on the Run Show   Follow Gwen: Instagram @gwenjorgensen Twitter @gwenjorgensen Facebook YouTube   Follow Pat: Instagram @patrick_lemieux Twitter @patlemieux   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!

13 Feb 202056min

"He doesn’t do these grand gestures — he just shows up for me every single day."   Love on the Run Week continues! From the Leers to the Lindens — to the Bruces! Today, professional marathon runners Steph and Ben Bruce are here to talk about what makes them Team Bruce. They talk about what it's like when Ben is pacing Steph on the run, like at the 2019 Chicago Marathon, and open up about the impact having their two sons (Riley and Hudson) has had on their careers and their marriage. Steph and Ben live in Flagstaff, AZ, where he is an assistant coach and she competes for NAZ Elite.   Thank you to Generation UCAN for sponsoring this episode of Ali on the Run Show! Click here and use code ONTHERUN for 20 percent off your order, plus free shipping. (First-time buyers, check out the UCAN Run Starter Pack here, and get 50 percent off.)   What you’ll get on this episode: How Steph and Ben met (2:45) How Ben proposed to Steph (12:00) What makes Steph and Ben a great team (17:15) On resentment (25:00) Reflecting on running the 2019 Chicago Marathon, where Steph ran a 2:27 personal best time, and Ben was on pacing duties (31:00) How marriage has changed since having kids (37:00) How Steph is feeling just a few weeks out from the Olympic Trials (42:35)   What we mention on this episode:  Steph Bruce on Episode 104 of the Ali on the Run Show   Follow Steph: Instagram @stephrothstein Twitter @steph_rothstein Facebook Blog   Follow Ben: Instagram @bbjamin15 Twitter @bbjamin   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!

12 Feb 20201h 3min

“It’s competitive…in a healthy way!”   It's Love on the Run Week on the Ali on the Run Show! First we heard from Aisha Praught and Will Leer, and today it's the Linden's turn. On this episode, we hear from 2018 Boston Marathon champion Desiree Linden and her Ironman and entrepreneur husband, Ryan.   Thank you to Generation UCAN for sponsoring this episode of Ali on the Run Show! Click here and use code ONTHERUN for 20 percent off your order, plus free shipping. (First-time buyers, check out the UCAN Run Starter Pack here, and get 50 percent off.)   What you’ll get on this episode: How Des and Ryan met (2:15) How important is running in their relationship? (8:30) Des and Ryan reflect on some of the biggest moments in their careers and how they affected their relationship (15:50) How Ryan and Des support each other and celebrate their wins (21:30) Who’s the better spectator? (29:55) When one person’s career is thriving and the other’s isn’t (34:00) How Des is feeling leading up to the Olympic Trials (38:20) The moments in each others’ careers Des and Ryan are most proud of (40:15)   What we mention on this episode: Des on Episode 64 of the Ali on the Run Show Des on Episode 77 of the Ali on the Run Show Des on Episode 100 of the Ali on the Run Show Ryan on Episode 83 of the Ali on the Run Show Des on Episode 27 of the Clean Sport Collective podcast   Follow Des: Instagram @des_linden Facebook Twitter @des_linden   Follow Ryan: Instagram @rl_linden Twitter @rl_linden   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!

11 Feb 202053min