233. On the Job with Amanda LaVergne, Broadway Performer

"We put ourselves on the line to help other people accomplish their dreams, and that was pretty freaking awesome." At the California International Marathon (CIM) earlier this month, 72 women ran faster than 2 hours 45 minutes, officially qualifying to run the Olympic Trials in the marathon. Leading several dozen of those women were Menso de Jong, Chris Stehula, and Ken Rakestraw — the official sub-2:45 pace group leaders. None of them had ever run a 2:45 marathon before. This is their story. 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 Menso, Chris, and Ken got the job as pacers (3:40) How Menso, Chris, and Ken trained for the race (16:30) The plan for race day! (26:25) What the energy at the CIM start line was like (32:20) On the rules of pacing (49:00) What the finish was like (53:20) Menso, Chris, and Ken share their messages for all the women who went for OTQ times at CIM this year (1:03.50) What we mention on this episode: Jenny & Judi Donnelly on Episode 193 of the Ali on the Run Show "The Marathon Protagonists" by Menso de Jong Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Facebook 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!

25 Des 20191h 11min

"I’m just winging it." Mary Johnson (perhaps best known as @itsamarython on Instagram) is the owner of Lift, Run, Perform. She's a running coach and a strength coach who also works at Ranfone Training Systems. And she just had a baby! Mary's first child, Eli, is five months old, and on this episode, Mary very honestly talks about what the past five months have looked like for her. She talks about the highs and lows of new motherhood, explains her strategy for getting work done as a work-from-home mom, and opens up about her expectations vs. the reality of returning to running postpartum. 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: Mary talks about how she’s feeling at 20 weeks postpartum, and shares her take on expectation vs. reality (3:00) On seeing a pelvic floor physical therapist (12:10) On finding, develoing, and harnessing new-mom confidence (15:00) Mary talks about having to get a D&C after giving birth (17:45) On being a work-from-home entrepreneur mom, and getting back to work after baby (26:00) Mary talks about coaching a group of women to run sub-3:00 marathons this fall (42:50) What we mention on this episode: Mary Johnson on Episode 122 of the Ali on the Run Show Postpartum return-to-exercise recommendations Abby Bales on Episode 49 of the Ali on the Run Show Abby Bales on Episode 139 of the Ali on the Run Show Reform Physical Therapy Superhero Muffins Follow Mary: Instagram @itsamarython Twitter @itsamarython Blog Lift, Run, Perform Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Facebook 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!

19 Des 20191h

"In dance, you’re kind of always told what to do, how to do it, how perfect it has to be. Running has been a way for me to let all of that go." Sarah Grooms spent 13 years doing hundreds of eye-high kicks a day as a Radio City Rockette. On this episode, she talks about everything you've ever wanted to know about performing at one of the world's most famous venues (including how Radio City's famous camels get their exercise between shows!), and explains why she decided to hang up her heels last year in favor of running shoes. Today, Sarah is a certified personal trainer, and is a fitness instructor at Precision Run in New York City and obé Fitness online — and she's a marathoner! 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: Sarah reflects on her 13-year tenure as a Radio City Rockette (5:50) On getting — and then losing — the dream job (12:50) What it’s like performing at Radio City Music Hall (16:40) What don’t audiences see from the Radio City Rockettes? (20:00) The physical demands of being a Rockette (33:15) Why Sarah decided to retire from the Rockettes — and how she became a runner (38:00) What’s next for Sarah? (46:40) Follow Sarah: Instagram @sarahgrooms Twitter @sarahgrooms Podcast Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Facebook 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 Des 20191h 3min

"We are both a bit stubborn — especially about our goals." —Jenny Donnelly It was a big, exciting weekend at the 2019 California International Marathon! It was especially exciting for the Donnelly family: 28-year-old Jenny qualified for the Olympic Marathon Trials, finishing in 2:44.31, and her mom, 62-year-old Judi celebrating 25 years of being breast-cancer-free, ran a lifetime personal best, finishing in a Boston Marathon qualifying time of 3:56. On this episode, Jenny and Judi reflect on their exciting weekend at CIM, and talk about why this sport and this community are so special. Jenny opens up about her history with race anxiety, and Judi talks about navigating parenting a child who is dealing with running-related panic attacks. It's a fun episode that proves why running is so magical. 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: Jenny breaks down her race at CIM (3:55) Judi talks about running a 3:56 at CIM — a lifetime personal best! (10:45) Jenny talks about her history for race anxiety (14:50) Judi talks about what it was like running the New York City Marathon in the 80s! (25:40) What it’s like getting panic attacks on the run (29:00) Judi talks about being 25 years cancer-free, and talks about raising high-achieving daughters (36:30)   What we mention on this episode: Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge Team Let Your Mind Run by Deena Kastor   Follow Jenny:  Instagram @jenny_donn Follow Judi:  Instagram @judidonnelly Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Twitter @aliontherun1 Facebook 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 Des 201959min

"I really hope that people seeing amputees in line at the grocery store don’t think, 'Oh, you poor thing,' they wonder, 'Oh, are you a marathoner?'" In April 2013, Adrianne Haslet was living her dream as a professional ballroom dancer. On Marathon Monday, she found herself near the Boston Marathon finish line, watching the runners finish the iconic race. But then, so many lives were forever changed that day. When the two bombs went off near the finish, the second blast took Adrianne's foot. On this episode, she recounts that day in Boston, and talks about rebuilding and moving forward. She talks about learning to wear, walk, and run with a prosthetic leg, and beautifully talks about the importance of being defined not as a victim, but as a survivor. Despite being at the center of tragedy that day, Adrianne has become an inspiration — and a Boston Marathoner herself. 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: What brought Adrianne to the 2013 Boston Marathon finish line (3:00) What, exactly, she remembers after the blast went off (6:00) How Adrianne’s “rebuilding” process went, and what it was like putting on her prosthetic for the first time (17:30) Adrianne talks about how her relationship with her body has changed since the bombings, and how she became a runner (26:00) Adrianne talks about post-traumatic stress disorder, and how therapy has helped with her recovery (36:15) How Adrianne became a Boston Marathon finisher (40:30) The car accident that thwarted Adrianne’s 2019 Boston Marathon dreams (44:15) Why the 2020 Boston Marathon will be extra special for Adrianne (47:15) What we mention on this episode: Heartbreak Hill Running Company Follow Adrianne: Instagram @adriannehaslet Twitter @adriannehaslet Facebook Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Facebook 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!

4 Des 20191h 2min

“It was in that moment I realized that I wasn’t running. I also realized I wasn’t jogging. I was barely walking. I looked down, and the tops of my shoes are scraping the ground — one slow movement after the next slow movement.” It's an Ali on the Run Show Thanksgiving tradition! Four years ago, my now-husband, Brian, and I lined up at the start of two very different Turkey Trots. Though both races were five miles, the outcomes were vastly dissimilar. I ran the Prospect Park Track Club Turkey Trot in Brooklyn, NY, in a respectable 38:41 — a 7:44 minute-per-mile pace. Meanwhile, in Rhode Island, Brian was racing the Newport Pie Run. Here’s a dramatic retelling of how his race went. This is forever my favorite story, and I love re-sharing it every year. Happy Thanksgiving, and Happy LOL-ing!   What we mention on this episode:  Newport Pie Run Prospect Park Track Club Turkey Trot Meet Brian Our engagement story Mystery Science Theater 3000 Ugg slippers Orangetheory Fitness   Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Facebook Twitter @aliontherun1 Blog Strava Follow Brian: Instagram @boldceo Facebook Twitter @boldceo Growing BOLD BOLD Worldwide 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 Nov 201936min

"One of the hardest conversations I ever had was to admit that I’d been struggling. And I no longer wanted to be alive." Sarah True is a professional triathlete and Olympian. On this episode, she honestly and vulnerably shares her story of competing at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, hitting rock bottom, and the intense emotional recovery that followed. She opens up about her history with mood disorders and depression, and talks about how stress affects her body and her performance. She also talks about the past two years competing at the Ironman distance, including a very good year followed by a challenging one. 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: On diversity, inclusivity, privilege, and bias in sport (3:00) Sarah reflects on her racing year (8:30) Sarah talks about competing at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, and the emotional aftermath that followed (24:45) Sarah talks about managing her depression, and what that looks like today (36:00) How Sarah met her now-husband, fellow professional athlete Ben True (46:00) What Sarah says are the universal struggles in sport (51:00)   Follow Sarah: Instagram @sarah.b.true Twitter @sgroffy Facebook Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Facebook 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!

21 Nov 20191h

"When you’re in a powerless position and the rest of your career is totally dependent on what you do, you aren’t going to burn bridges. You don’t have many bridges to walk across." Phoebe Wright is a former professional middle-distance runner who spent six years competing as a Nike-sponsored athlete. Phoebe, an 800-meter specialist from Tennessee, became a five-time national champion before retiring after the 2016 Olympics. On this episode, she reflects on her time with Nike and talks about some of the big stories in running right now, including #DreamMaternity and Mary Cain. She also talks about confidence, overtraining, and being an advocate for the running industry and its athletes. Thank you to the New York Road Runners Virtual Turkey Trot 5K for sponsoring this episode of the Ali on the Run Show! CLICK HERE to register (it’s free!) and complete your Turkey Trot anytime between November 23 and December 1. Everybody’s doing it!   What you’ll get on this episode: Phoebe reflects on her six years as a Nike athlete (4:45) Phoebe’s take on the #DreamMaternity coverage (13:10) Phoebe discusses the recent Mary Cain story about Mary’s time working with Alberto Salazar and Nike (18:40) Phoebe talks about training with Brooks (21:50) On being an advocate, confidence, and having thick skin (27:45) Phoebe talks about her experience with overtraining (30:45) All about being a pharmacist! (35:30) What we mention on this episode: "Nike Told Me to Dream Crazy, Until I Wanted a Baby," via The New York Times "Allyson Felix: My Own Nike Pregnancy Story," via The New York Times "I Was the Fastest Girl in America, Until I Joined Nike," via The New York Times   Follow Phoebe: Instagram @phe800 Twitter @phe800 Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Twitter @aliontherun1 Facebook 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 Nov 201944min