233. On the Job with Amanda LaVergne, Broadway Performer

"Focus on your food choices, your hunger, your fullness cues, and your body's cravings, and eat a variety of delicious foods you like." —Kelly Hogan Kelly Hogan is a registered dietitian and many-time marathoner. On this episode, she talks about what it means to be an anti-dietitian, how to question the nutrition information you find on social media, and what all runners should understand about healthy, proper fueling for optimal performance. Plus, she shares her expertise and insights on current popular health and wellness trends, from the keto diet to intermittent fasting.  Thank you to Strava for sponsoring Ali & the Experts Week! CLICK HERE and use code ONTHERUN to get one month FREE with your purchase of a Strava Summit subscription.   What you’ll get on this episode: What it means to be an anti-diet dietitian (2:10) Running-specific nutrition questions (5:45) Kelly shares her expertise on popular health and wellness trends (29:00) What we mention on this episode: Kelly Hogan on Episode 39 of the Ali on the Run Show Generation UCan Picky Bars Follow Kelly: Instagram @kellyhoganrd Follow Peanut on Instagram @peanut_the_dorkie Twitter @KellyHoganRD Email: kellyhoganrd@gmail.com 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!

7 Mars 201954min

"Do your own training. Get in your own routine. Don't compare yourself to what everyone else is doing and posting everywhere. Have confidence in what you're doing." —Mary Johnson Mary Johnson is a USATF Level-1 certified coach and the founder of Lift, Run, Perform. On this episode, she answers listener questions about coaching, strength training, and that crucial build-up to race day. Thank you to Strava for sponsoring Ali & the Experts Week! CLICK HERE and use code ONTHERUN to get one month FREE with your purchase of a Strava Summit subscription.   What you’ll get on this episode: General coaching questions and personal questions (4:00) Cross training and strength training Q&A (14:10) Running-specific advice (22:20) Race-related questions (41:10) What we mention on this episode: Ranfone Training Systems Nike Vomero Nike Pegasus Allie Kieffer 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!

6 Mars 201957min

"I’ve always been about working hard and going after things that you are excited about and passionate about and working your ass off. That’s the only way to make it happen. No one else is going to make it happen for you." —Anna Kaiser You may know Anna Kaiser as the creator, founder, and CEO of the dance cardio brand AKT. Maybe you've taken — and barely survived — her class, either in person or with AKT On Demand. Or maybe you recognize her from her professional dance days, performing on the Fame tour and dancing in the best movie ever, Enchanted. Or, let's be honest, maybe you know her as Kelly Ripa's workout BFF, or as the woman credited for keeping Shakira in shape.  On this episode, Anna talks about going from a wannabe opera singer in Zurich to an entrepreneur on the brink of opening 300 studios nationwide. She shares the mistakes, missteps, and challenges she's faced along the way, talks about why she wanted to improve upon the boutique fitness industry, and opens up about how becoming a mom two years ago changed her at home, in the studio, and beyond. Thank you to AfterShokz for sponsoring this episode of the Ali on the Run Show! CLICK HERE for $50 off your wireless headphone endurance bundle!   What you’ll get on this episode: What were Young Anna’s dreams for the future? (3:00) Anna reflects on her college experience and explains why it wasn’t everything she’d hoped it would be (8:15) Why Anna decided to move on from the dance world (12:00) How AKT was born, and how Anna stood out in the boutique fitness industry (15:00) How Anna became fitness BFFs with Kelly Ripa (21:00) How Anna has cultivated an empowering community (22:50) Why Anna decided to franchise (25:45) How Anna become business savvy, and the bad business decisions she’s made along the way (31:25) Anna’s take on the state of the fitness industry, now and in the future (34:30) Anna opens up about motherhood, including returning to work post-birth, having help, and “balance” (39:45) Does Anna have any insecurities? Plus, what she says she’s proudest of (46:30) What we mention on this episode: EDGE Performing Arts Center AKT On Demand Xponential Fitness The Milling Room Follow Anna: Instagram @theannakaiser Twitter @theannakaiser 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!

28 Feb 201958min

"I said I want to be the best. But at what?" —Bree Branker Baby Bree Branker dreamed about growing up and becoming a professional dancer. By 19, after attending a performing arts high school, she'd made that happen, as a Rockette and on Broadway in West Side Story, Spamalot, Memphis, and Big Fish. But by her early twenties, everything changed. Bree finally accepted the nagging hip dysplasia that had been plaguing her body for years — even getting her fired from her dream job at Cirque du Soleil — and found fitness instead. On this episode, Bree, now one of New York City's top trainers and a Wilhelmina model, opens up about the mental side of injury, the state of the fitness industry, and what it's like navigating the New York City boutique fitness scene. She talks about her Instagram pet peeves, luck, determination, a cross-country move, and why she was "a terrible Rockette." Plus, she shares why she got turned down for a SoulCycle audition, what terrified her as a Flywheel instructor, and why she's currently training for a half marathon. Thank you to AfterShokz for sponsoring this episode of the Ali on the Run Show! CLICK HERE for $50 off your wireless headphone endurance bundle!   What you’ll get on this episode: Bree’s road to becoming a professional dancer (2:45) Why Bree got fired from her dream job at Cirque du Soleil, and the injury that ended her dance career (14:15) How Bree finally hit her dance career-ending breaking point (26:50) How Bree broke into the fitness industry (28:00) Bree’s take on the current state of the fitness industry, on Instagram and in real life (38:15) Why Bree felt like a fraud in the fitness world, and the a-ha moment that made her realize she’d made it (42:00) How Bree got into modeling — and met her now-fiance along the way (47:30) How and why Bree learned to “chill out” about fitness (51:30) Why Bree is training for a half marathon (59:30) What we mention on this episode: University of North Carolina School of the Arts Broadway Dance Center Walnut Street Theatre Akin Akman Kira Stokes Patrick Frost "Influence vs. Expertise: The Dangerous Rise of the Fitness Influencer" via The Sweat Life CJ Koegel "An Injury Left Me in a Dark Place — Until Working Out Got Me Out of It" via Women’s Health SHAPE Women’s Half Marathon FitOn app (use code BREE50 for 50% off) Follow Bree: Instagram @breebranks 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 Feb 20191h 9min

"Running made me better for our relationship outside of running. It gave me something to give to myself." —Matt Powers I love running and I love love, so what better way to celebrate Valentine's Day than with a live show talking love on the run?! I had a blast hosting this live show with two of NYC's greatest running couples: Matt Powers and Candice Huffine (he's an entrepreneur and she's a supermodel — NBD), and Alex Salazar and Krissa Cetner ("that couple" that got married at mile 6 of the Brooklyn Half Marathon in 2017!). The crowd was amazing (THANK YOU to everyone who came!), and we had the best time talking about the role running plays in our relationships, whether or not we're competitive on the run, and of course, what it's like getting married in the middle of a race. We also covered very serious issues, like the gross things we do as runners, sweaty underwear, snot rockets, and more. Prepare to LOL and "awwwwww." Thank you to the New York Road Runners Virtual Valentine's Duo 5K for sponsoring this episode of the Ali on the Run Show! CLICK HERE to register and complete your run today. (Des Linden did it. You should do it, too!)   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!

14 Feb 201956min

"Motherhood, for me, over the past three and a half months, has involved a lot of waves. I’ve ridden them and at times I’ve been drowning. Other times I'm treading water and managing to stay afloat, no matter how exhausted I’ve been. And other times, I’ve been getting along like I actually know how to swim! Right now, though, in this very moment, I’m on the drowning side of things." It's been a tricky week. So this is a quick check-in to say hi, and to [kind of] explain why I just didn't get it together to get a "real" episode out this week. Forgive me? Thanks! There's a lot of good stuff to come on the Ali on the Run Show — I just need to take a few deep breaths first!   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!

6 Feb 201912min

"Stay true to yourself. It gets really good on the other side, when you’re a good person and you follow your gut on who you want to be around and what you want to do with your life." —Julie Brazitis Julie Brazitis just might be the loveliest, kindest, most positive person you'll ever meet. She's a brand and creative lead at Google, a yoga instructor, a top-honors-earning graduate of Syracuse University, and a recovering perfectionist. On this episode, Julie talks about what it's like when you realize you're living the dream — but that it's someone else's dream. She talks about what it was like growing up as a competitive gymnast, and what happened when a severe spinal cord injury derailed her high-flying aspirations. She opens up about battling alopecia in high school and ulcerative colitis in college — and the mean girls she encountered along the way. Plus, she shares her running story: how she found running, why she loved running, and how she ultimately developed an unhealthy relationship with running. Julie has had a lovely life — something she's happy to acknowledge — but that doesn't mean it's been easy. This is a thought-provoking episode that'll get you thinking about why we make certain choices, what to do about internal conflicts, and how to embrace or combat the ever-present hustle culture in today's Instagram-inspired society. Thank you to AfterShokz for sponsoring this episode of the Ali on the Run Show! CLICK HERE for $50 off your wireless headphone endurance bundle!   What you’ll get on this episode: Julie recounts her early days as a competitive gymnast, and the back-breaking injury that ended it all (2:45) Dealing with alopecia — and mean girls — during high school (6:30) Julie opens up about her high aspirations, the “inner conflict” she struggled with in her twenties, and choosing between her dream job and the safe route (13:30) How Julie started running — and how her relationship with running quickly turned problematic (29:30) Julie’s battle with ulcerative colitis, and what it was like getting diagnosed in college (32:40) On being our own worst critic (44:45) What it’s actually like working at Google (47:30) What we mention on this episode: Syracuse University NBC Universal Page Program Yosef Herzog on Episode 111 of the Ali on the Run Show Follow Julie: Instagram @julieb.yogini 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!

31 Jan 201959min

“Know your value, and don’t allow other people to limit it, question it, or minimize it.” —Jen Lada Jen Lada is a reporter and host for ESPN. She's also a mom of two, is married to a fellow sports journalist, and is a multiple-time marathoner and triathlete. On this episode, Jen, who primarily covers college football, talks about how she got into sports journalism, how she got into running, and how she's thrived in a male-dominated industry. She shares her #metoo story, opens up about her two miscarriages, and talks about the challenges of being a working and often-traveling parent. Thank you to AfterShokz for sponsoring this episode of the Ali on the Run Show! CLICK HERE for $50 off your wireless headphone endurance bundle! What you’ll get on this episode: Did Young Jen dream of being on ESPN? (2:50) How Jen broke into sports journalism, and the unfortunate #metoo moment that started it all (10:10) How Jen met her husband, who is also a sports journalist, and her best advice for surviving a long-distance relationship (24:00) The road to ESPN, the pressure to look a certain way on camera, and returning to work and marathoning after having a baby (31:00) Jen opens up about her two miscarriages, and what it was like being on camera every day during tough times (37:20) What post-game interviews are actually like, plus the biggest rewards and challenges of the job (42:45) Jen shares her running story — and her no-such-thing-as-TMI poop story! (51:40) What we mention on this episode: The Assertive Way Marquette University Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis Chicago Marathon TCS New York City Marathon New York Road Runners Team For Kids Follow Jen: Instagram @jenlada4 Twitter @jenlada 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!

24 Jan 20191h 13min