431. LIVE at the Boston Marathon with Nell Rojas

I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching lately, so on this episode, I’m sharing something my yoga teacher read to me once called “Stop Waiting.” It’s about how we need to stop waiting for life to happen to us, and instead need to be the ones in control, taking action, and igniting a fire in our own lives. I totally lived this way in my teens and twenties when I was in pursuit of my dream job as editor in chief of Dance Spirit magazine. I got that job — yay! — but in the years since I moved on have found myself living more cautiously and less intuitively. That all stops now. Time to channel 16-year-old Ali by making bold declarations, pursuing big dreams, forgetting about what other people think, and taking back control of my happiness. Follow Ali: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aliontherun1 Twitter: https://twitter.com/aliontherun1 Blog: http://www.aliontherunblog.com/ Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/13333410 Thank you for listening to and supporting the Ali on the Run Show! If you’re enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on iTunes. Spread the run love!

18 Apr 20178min

Michele Gonzalez, best known as NYC Running Mama, is a Staten Island-based mother, runner, marathoner, Ironman, and Instagram superstar. On this episode, Michele and I talk about how she’s feeling as she gets ready to run the Boston Marathon, what her training has been like, and what she did differently this time around. Michele also talks about her time at West Point and in Iraq (she served three times overseas and trained for a marathon on her base!), how she found running and ran through her pregnancies, what her daily diet is like, and what her life is like as a full-time working mom to two cute boys, AJ and Ryan. Plus, she talks about how she actually makes those daily 4 AM workouts happen, how she handles social media pressure, and what her big goals are for the future — on the run and beyond. Stuff We Mention on the Show: Boston Marathon: http://www.baa.org/ Michele’s New York City Marathon recap: http://www.nycrunningmama.com/2016/11/14/2016-nyc-marathon-race-recap/ Michele’s coach, Mary Johnson: https://www.instagram.com/itsamarython/ McKirdy Trained: http://mckirdytrained.com/ Michele’s post about how she views pain: https://www.instagram.com/p/BSPivP-hHq2/ Michele’s New Jersey Marathon recap: http://www.nycrunningmama.com/2013/05/06/initial-thoughts-on-nj-marathon-failure/ Michele’s Philadelphia Marathon recap: http://www.nycrunningmama.com/2013/11/18/2013-philadelphia-marathon-lesson-on-not-quitting/ Michele’s Ironman Lake Placid recap: http://www.nycrunningmama.com/2013/08/01/ironman-lake-placid-race-recap/ West Point: http://www.usma.edu/SitePages/Home.aspx Foot Locker 5-Borough Challenge: https://www.facebook.com/FootLockerFiveBoroughChallenge/ Generation UCAN: https://www.generationucan.com/ Airbnb Brooklyn Half: http://www.nyrr.org/races-and-events/2017/airbnb-brooklyn-half United Airlines NYC Half: http://www.nyrr.org/races-and-events/2017/united-airlines-nyc-half Brooklyn Mile: http://www.brooklynmile.com/ Follow Michele: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nycrunningmama/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NYCRunningMama/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/nycrunningmama Blog: http://www.nycrunningmama.com/ Follow Ali: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aliontherun1 Twitter: https://twitter.com/aliontherun1 Blog: http://www.aliontherunblog.com/ Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/13333410 Thank you for listening to and supporting the Ali on the Run Show! If you’re enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on iTunes. Spread the run love!

13 Apr 20171h 13min

Words can be powerful! On this episode, I talk about the mantras, quotes, and phrases that get me through tough runs and hard times. From Broadway lyrics to single words, these are my go-to thoughts for when things get difficult. Things I Mention on This Episode: Hamilton cast album: https://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Original-Broadway-Recording-Explicit/dp/B0135P6PZA Rachel Platten, Fight Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xo1VInw-SKc Brian Cristiano on Episode 17 of the Ali on the Run Show: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/17-relationship-q-a-with-brian-cristiano/id1204523870?i=1000384070320&mt=2 Bethany Lyons: https://www.instagram.com/bethanyalyons/ Project Start: https://www.instagram.com/psyougotthis/ Candice Huffine on Episode 11 of the Ali on the Run Show: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/11-candice-huffine-model-runner-founder-project-start/id1204523870?i=1000382698209&mt=2 Project Start on FOX: http://www.fox5ny.com/good-day/215494645-video Keltie Knight: https://www.instagram.com/keltieknight/ The Lady Gang podcast: http://theladygang.com/ Keltie Colleen in Dance Spirit: http://www.dancespirit.com/uncategorized/Dance-team_diva_Kickline_queen_Commercial_champ_Keltie_Colleen_can_do_it_all/ Follow Ali: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aliontherun1 Twitter: https://twitter.com/aliontherun1 Blog: http://www.aliontherunblog.com/ Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/13333410 Thank you for listening to and supporting the Ali on the Run Show! If you’re enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on iTunes. Spread the run love!

11 Apr 201720min

We’re mixing things up on this episode to dish out some serious realness, openness, and honesty. Brian Cristiano is the founder and CEO of BOLD Worldwide, a sports advertising agency in New York City. He’s also my husband, so on this episode, Brian and I take turns asking each other “anything we want.” This hour was totally unscripted and it gets a little deeper than I had anticipated. The topics ended up ranging from where we see ourselves in 10 or 20 years to the things that make us happiest in life, our hopes for our future children, and the people who have had the most profound impacts on our lives. Plus, Brian talks about his father’s unexpected death and how it affected his outlook on life, and shares some really valuable career and life advice. Stuff We Mention on the Show: Brian on Episode 2 of the Ali on the Run Show: http://www.aliontherunblog.com/2017/03/01/episode-2-brian-cristiano-married-someone-crohns-disease/ Meet Brian: http://www.aliontherunblog.com/2011/09/28/meet-my-handsome-friend/ Our engagement story: http://www.aliontherunblog.com/2014/12/08/are-you-serious/ Our Hawaii trip: Oahu: http://www.aliontherunblog.com/2014/12/17/hawaii-part-i-oahu/ and Maui: http://www.aliontherunblog.com/2014/12/18/hawaii-part-ii-maui/ Our wedding: http://www.aliontherunblog.com/2015/11/24/party-time-our-wedding-reception/ Our trip to Giraffe Manor: http://www.aliontherunblog.com/2015/10/23/honeymooning-in-kenya-part-iv-giraffe-manor/ My Great Breakup of 2011: http://www.aliontherunblog.com/2011/04/05/a-new-beginning/ Dance Spirit: http://www.dancespirit.com/ The 10X Rule by Grant Cardone: https://www.amazon.com/10X-Rule-Difference-Between-Success/dp/0470627603 Dogs Being Basic on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dogsbeingbasic/ The Dodo on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedodosite/ Dan Nevins: http://dannevins.com/ Follow Brian: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boldceo/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/boldceo/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/boldceo Sports Marketing Huddle podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/sports-marketing-huddle/id1135417163?mt=2 BOLD Worldwide: http://www.boldworldwide.com/ Follow Ali: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aliontherun1 Twitter: https://twitter.com/aliontherun1 Blog: http://www.aliontherunblog.com/ Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/13333410 Thank you for listening to and supporting the Ali on the Run Show! If you’re enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on iTunes. Spread the run love!

6 Apr 20171h 7min

We were all new runners once! On this episode, Lucy Wallace and I look back on all the things we didn’t know or understand when we first started running, from shoes and sports watches to race etiquette. Here are a few highlights: At 4:30, Lucy says: “I Googled ‘shoes that are good for not running.’ The only thing I cared about was colors. I wanted them to be bright.” At 7:15, Ali says: “The only place on my body that hasn’t chafed is the little wrinkles in my forehead… The most emotional part of running is the post-run shower.” At 11:10, Ali says: “I woke up one morning in ninth grade and after all those years of wishing on the first star I see at night for boobs, I got them. Literally overnight.” At 15:10, Lucy says: “Shout-out to my dad for paying for my cell phone.” At 16:00, Ali says: “This seems like a good pre-race dinner because it only cost $1.99!” At 17:55, Lucy says: “I’m doing a service to this race course by listening to Justin Bieber’s entire Purpose album right now.” Things We Mention on the Show: Lucy on Episode 12 of the Ali on the Run Show: 10 Thoughts From Our First Half Marathons: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/12-thoughts-we-had-during-our-first-half-marathons/id1204523870?i=1000382902143&mt=2 November Project: http://november-project.com/ Body Glide: https://www.bodyglide.com/ SPIbelt: https://spibelt.com/ Follow Lucy: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lucemagoose16 Follow Ali: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aliontherun1 Twitter: https://twitter.com/aliontherun1 Blog: http://www.aliontherunblog.com/ Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/13333410 Thank you for listening to and supporting the Ali on the Run Show! If you’re enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on iTunes. Spread the run love!

4 Apr 201726min

Page Williams is a California-based triathlete and Ironman, is the blogger behind Twenty-Six and Then Some, and is a senior marketing manager at LinkedIn. Before heading to LinkedIn, where she oversees digital and social media and paid media strategy for the company’s brand campaigns, Page worked at Nike, where she was part of the Access to Sport group, working on the Designed to Move initiative. Page is also a mom-to-be: She has a baby boy on the way who is expected to make his debut this summer. On this episode, Page and I talk about how she’s feeling heading into her third trimester, how her pregnancy has been going, and why she thinks her baby is going to be “a little Tyrannosaurus rex.” She also gets professional and shares the one question you should ask potential employers, her best advice for women who want to work in the tech industry or in Silicon Valley, and why you should always send business-related emails on your phone. Plus, we get into our takes on feminism and the piece of advice her dad shared years ago that ended up changing my life. Stuff We Mention on the Show: 5:00: Page’s Dublin Shamrock 5K recap: http://www.twentysixandthensome.com/2017/03/23/running-while-pregnant-the-dublin-shamrock-5k/ 12:01: Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon recap: http://www.aliontherunblog.com/2011/12/06/rock-n-roll-las-vegas-half-marathon-recap/ 12:24: Spago Las Vegas: https://wolfgangpuck.com/dining/spago-lv/ 16:40: 2011 Brooklyn Half Marathon recap: http://www.aliontherunblog.com/2011/05/21/brooklyn-half-marathon-recap/ 23:05: Girls Who Code: https://girlswhocode.com/ 27:05: Designed to Move: http://www.designedtomove.org/ 27:05: Nike Access to Sport: http://news.nike.com/access-to-sport 36:50: Reply All podcast: https://gimletmedia.com/reply-all/ 40:00: Page’s reply to the “draping” story on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/assertive-women-should-drape-anything-page-williams 56:05: Page’s 2013 Ironman Coeur d’Alene recap: http://www.twentysixandthensome.com/2013/06/28/ironman-coeur-dalene-race-recap-the-run/#.UdSJ6T7wLx8 1:03:15: LA Marathon: http://www.lamarathon.com/ 1:06:20: Lauren Fleshman: http://asklaurenfleshman.com/ Follow Page: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pagewilliams/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TwentySixandThenSome/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/page Blog: http://www.twentysixandthensome.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pagemwilliams Follow Ali: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aliontherun1 Twitter: https://twitter.com/aliontherun1 Blog: http://www.aliontherunblog.com/ Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/13333410 Thank you for listening to and supporting the Ali on the Run Show! If you’re enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on iTunes. Spread the run love!

30 Mar 20171h 8min

On this episode, I count down the top 10 races I’ve ever run, and I share a little bit about why I love each one so much. Check them out: Runner’s World Half & Festival The race: http://rw.runnersworld.com/rwhalf/ My 2014 recap: http://www.aliontherunblog.com/2014/10/21/10-reasons-the-runners-world-half-marathon-festival-was-wonderful-plus-a-giveaway/ NYRR New York Mini 10K The race: http://www.nyrr.org/races-and-events/2017/nyrr-new-york-mini-10k My 2016 recap: http://www.aliontherunblog.com/2016/06/13/nyrr-new-york-mini-10k-recap/ My 2011 recap: http://www.aliontherunblog.com/2011/06/12/mini-10k-recap/ The North Wales Turkey Trot My 2016 recap: http://www.aliontherunblog.com/2016/11/28/guest-ill-another-lindsey-hein/ Ragnar Relay Adirondacks The race: https://www.runragnar.com/event-detail/relay/adirondacks My 2014 recap: http://www.aliontherunblog.com/2014/10/07/ragnar-relay-adirondacks-recap/ Manchester City Marathon The race: http://www.millenniumrunning.com/marathon My 2012 recap: http://www.aliontherunblog.com/2012/11/06/from-413-to-351-my-manchester-city-marathon-recap/ The Hamptons Marathon & Half Marathon The race: http://www.runthehamptons.com/ My 2011 Hamptons Marathon recap: http://www.aliontherunblog.com/2011/09/25/i-am-a-marathoner-the-official-hamptons-marathon-recap/ My 2012 Hamptons Half Marathon recap: http://www.aliontherunblog.com/2012/10/01/a-13-1-mile-run-down-memory-lane-the-hamptons-half-marathon-recap/ Party With Purpose 5K The race: http://www.partywithpurpose.org/events/5k-and-kids-fun-run/ My 2016 recap: http://www.aliontherunblog.com/2016/07/13/party-with-purpose-5k-recap/ The Brooklyn Mile The race: http://www.brooklynmile.com/ My 2016 recap: http://www.aliontherunblog.com/2016/08/16/inaugural-brooklyn-mile-recap/ New York Road Runners Team Championships My 2016 recap: http://www.aliontherunblog.com/2016/08/03/nyrr-team-championships-recap-2/ My 2015 recap: http://www.aliontherunblog.com/2015/08/04/nyrr-team-championships-recap/ New York City Marathon The race: http://www.tcsnycmarathon.org/ My 2016 recap: http://www.aliontherunblog.com/2016/11/07/new-york-city-marathon-2016-recap/ My 2015 recap: http://www.aliontherunblog.com/2015/11/03/new-york-city-marathon-2015-recap-from-the-mile7-water-station/ My 2014 recap: http://www.aliontherunblog.com/2014/11/05/this-isnt-steamtown-my-new-york-city-marathon-2014-recap/ My 2013 recap: http://www.aliontherunblog.com/2013/11/05/the-greatest-day-my-new-york-city-marathon-recap/ Follow Ali: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aliontherun1 Twitter: https://twitter.com/aliontherun1 Blog: http://www.aliontherunblog.com/ Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/13333410 Thank you for listening to and supporting the Ali on the Run Show! If you’re enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on iTunes. Spread the run love!

28 Mar 201723min

Chris Mosier is a Hall of Fame triathlete and duathlete, and was called “The Man Who Changed the Olympics” by The BBC and New York Magazine. He’s a barrier-breaking Nike-sponsored athlete, who you may have seen in Nike’s commercials during the 2016 Rio Olympics. He’s a three-time Ironman, and was named Best Personal Trainer in the Northeast by Competitor Magazine in 2014. Chris was the first transgender athlete to be featured in the ESPN Magazine Body Issue, and was named Person of the Year by Outsports. In 2015, he became the first openly transgender man to make a men’s U.S. National Team when he qualified for the sprint duathlon team. He was also a catalyst for change in the International Olympic Committee Policy on transgender athletes. He’s also the vice president of program development and community relations for You Can Play and is an online coach for Daily Burn. Even though I’ve known Chris for years and consider him a very close friend, I asked a lot of the questions I’ve always had about what it means to be transgender, and he was kind (and patient) enough to answer all of them. Chris was never uncomfortable, and reassured me, “You don’t know what you don’t know.” There’s so much good stuff in this episode, and I learned so much during my conversation with Chris. Throughout the episode, we talk about Chris’s transition, what it was like for his family and his wife, and how it affected his sports performance and racing goals. We also talk about his job, what it was like being in a Nike commercial, and what he wishes more people understood about being transgender. Stuff We Mention on the Show: November Project: http://november-project.com/ New York Road Runners: www.nyrr.org New York Times story on Chris competing at the New York City Triathlon: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/06/sports/for-transgender-triathlete-a-top-finish-is-secondary.html 2016 “Unlimited Courage” Nike Commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gq8PO9XK2Y Chris Mosier in ADWEEK: http://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/nikes-latest-ad-stars-chris-mosier-first-transgender-athlete-us-national-team-172881/ Chris Mosier on Making History as First Trans Member of Team USA: http://www.rollingstone.com/sports/features/chris-mosier-first-trans-team-usa-member-w432272 TransAthlete: https://www.transathlete.com/ You Can Play: http://www.youcanplayproject.org/ Chris Mosier in ESPN’s Body Issue: http://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/page/bodychrismosier/duathlete-chris-mosier-breaking-barriers-repping-team-usa-body-issue-2016 Follow Chris: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thechrismosier/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thechrismosier/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheChrisMosier Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/188131 Follow Ali: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aliontherun1 Twitter: https://twitter.com/aliontherun1 Blog: http://www.aliontherunblog.com/ Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/13333410 Thank you for listening to and supporting the Ali on the Run Show! If you’re enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on iTunes. Spread the run love!

23 Mar 20171h 18min