795. Jinger Gottschall, New Balance Director of Sports Research

"Someone described me as ‘Olympic-caliber,’ which I think is the nicest, funniest way to say ‘Didn’t make it.’" Kyle Merber is a former professional runner (a 3:52 miler! he won the Millrose Games mile as a high schooler!) who retired in 2020, and now works full-time for American Express while also managing The Lap Count newsletter and navigating life as a new dad. Now, Kyle is going the distance: the 26.2-mile distance, that is. Kyle is training to make his official marathon debut at the TCS New York City Marathon next month (though he's covered the distance in training a few times now). Today, Kyle talks about the expectations on him as a former professional athlete and first-time marathoner, explains how he's fitting training into his life, and talks about his nighttime cereal habit. (Listen to Kyle's previous episode of the Ali on the Run Show with friend and colleague Chris Chavez here.) SPONSOR: Tracksmith. Click here and use code ALI22 to get free shipping. Plus, Tracksmith will donate 5% of your purchase proceeds to The Trevor Project. Follow Kyle: Instagram @kylemerber Twitter @TheRealMerb Subscribe to The Lap Count Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 Support on Patreon Blog Strava 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 Okt 202251min

"I start from zero, too, after having a baby, just like everyone else. So, here goes!" Molly Huddle is one of the greatest American distance runners of our time. In her career, she's held numerous American records and is a two-time Olympian. She's the co-host of the Keeping Track podcast and co-author of the book How She Did It. And in April, Molly added a new title to her bio: mom. Molly gave birth to her daughter, Josephine ("Jojo") earlier this year, so today, Molly returns to the Ali on the Run Show to talk about running throughout her pregnancy and her careful, cautious, calculated return to running and racing. Plus, what's next for Molly on the run — and beyond. SPONSOR: New Balance — Click here to learn more about how New Balance is supporting conversations around mental wellness in running. (And check out the SuperComp Trainer! I’m obsessed!) What you’ll get on this episode: How Molly’s feeling right now (3:20) Molly’s decision to publicly share her return to racing (4:50) Who Molly leaned on throughout her pregnancy (7:15) How it feels to watch all the fast fall races right now, and all about Molly’s race announcing debut this summer (8:45) Molly’s postpartum expectations (11:30) The decision a professional runner has to make about if and when to have a baby (12:55) What running throughout pregnancy looked like for Molly (17:30) Molly recalls her first postpartum run (29:50) Molly’s decision to return to racing (32:40) What it’s like being an idol and role model to younger professional athletes (37:30) What has come naturally to Molly in motherhood, and what has felt most challenging (41:30) What’s next for Molly? (46:00) The best advice Molly has received in this phase of life (49:20) For more from Molly, check out: Molly Huddle on Episode 51 of the Ali on the Run Show Molly Huddle on Episode 66 of the Ali on the Run Show Molly Huddle on Episode 259 of the Ali on the Run Show Molly Huddle on Episode 391 of the Ali on the Run Show Molly Huddle & Sara Slattery on Episode 493 of the Ali on the Run Show Follow Molly:  Instagram @mollyhuddle Twitter @mollyhuddle Website Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 Support on Patreon Blog Strava 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 Okt 202254min

"We all get nervous. We all have this energy, whether it feels good or bad. We all get in the race and physically feel good and bad at different points. It’s just important to remember that that’s all normal, no matter what that is. So I just told her, ‘This is how it feels. This is how it’s gonna feel.’ And that was it. Game on." First, he paced Sara Hall at the Marathon Project. Then, he paced Keira D'Amato for her American Record at the Houston Marathon. Now, dad of three and stroller-running world record holder Calum Neff returns to the Ali on the Run Show to talk about his third major pacing opportunity: running with Keira again, this time at the Berlin Marathon. In this conversation — recorded while Calum was recovering in Italy — Calum talks all about the Berlin experience, where Keira was hoping to take down her own American record. He talks about their ambitious goal for race day, explains the low-mileage training that helped get him to the start line (training for an American record on just 30 miles per week?!), and talks about how he got the job this time around. Calum talks about the plan for Keira and the three pacers, raves about the pre-race highlights (hanging with Eliud Kipchoge!), explains the unique pressure of being a pacer, and shares the final words he said to Keira on the start line. Plus, how he pushed through his own tough parts of the race, the energy he got from Keira throughout the race, and what's next on his race calendar. SPONSOR: UCAN: Click here and use code ALI for 20% off your next UCAN order. What you’ll get on this episode: How Calum got the role as one of Keira’s Berlin Marathon pacers, and what his training was like (5:45) “I’m Keira’s pacer, and I don’t know if I can do this” (10:20) What Calum has learned about the delicate art of pacing (14:30) The pacing plan for race day (19:00) All about the pre-race activities (Kipchoge!) (20:45) What race morning was like (26:35) The sights and sounds from the early miles of the race (31:00) What happens when the plan changes, and how Calum pushed through his own tough parts of the race (34:30) On that moment during the race when Keira was given (and refused!) an out (40:00) What the final miles of the race were like (44:50) That finish line feeling — and the race-within-a-race to get there (50:50) Calum’s post-race thoughts (55:00) What makes pacing Keira, specifically, special (58:15) Calum’s next race: representing Team Canada in the trail running world championships (1:01:50) Follow Calum: Instagram @calneff Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 Support on Patreon Blog Strava 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 Okt 20221h 7min

"I went through a breakup and went straight for the guitar shop, hoping that would fix everything. Well. I played it once for about 10 minutes." In both 2021 and 2022, Boulder-based professional runner Nell Rojas was the highest-placing American woman at the Boston Marathon. Now, she's ready to tackle the Big Apple: Nell is gearing up to make her TCS New York City Marathon debut next month. Today, she answers questions about how her training is going, why she wants to run NYC, how her boyfriend really feels about her "head-only altitude tent," American Girl dolls (she's an Addy; I'm an aspiring Samantha), how people react when they see her car, and so much more. SPONSOR: Tracksmith. Click here and use code ALI22 to get free shipping. Plus, Tracksmith will donate 5% of your purchase proceeds to The Trevor Project. For more from Nell, check out: Nell Rojas on Episode 513 of the Ali on the Run Show Nell Rojas & Hiruni Wijayaratne on Episode 484 of the Ali on the Run Show Nell Rojas on Episode 434 of the Ali on the Run Show Nell Rojas on Episode 431 of the Ali on the Run Show Nell Rojas on Episode 229 of the Ali on the Run Show Follow Nell: Instagram @nell_rojas_running Twitter @nellrojas Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 Support on Patreon Blog Strava 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 Okt 202239min

"It was an astonishing thing. It was one of those defining moments in your life. Everything else was changed from that moment." It was an honor to be invited to the 20th running of the Akron Marathon, Half Marathon, & Team Relay in Ohio this past weekend, and to get to host a live show at the pre-race expo with running legends Meb Keflezighi (Olympic silver medalist and winner of both the New York City Marathon and the Boston Marathon), Kathrine Switzer (the first woman to officially run and finish the Boston Marathon), and Bill Rodgers (four-time winner of both the Boston and New York City Marathons). One quick note: Unfortunately, the first few minutes of the show are missing from the audio recording, so what you'll get here picks up with Meb a few minutes in, answering my question, "Why did you run your first marathon?" The audio skips a few times throughout the recording, but ultimately, you'll still get to hear some inspiring and powerful stuff from Meb, Kathrine, and Bill. SPONSOR: UCAN: Click here and use code ALI for 20% off your next UCAN order. Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 Support on Patreon Blog Strava 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!

29 Sep 202249min

"Oh god, it was so bad! Oh god. I’m going to bring this up in therapy this week!" She's everyone's favorite funny runner — and today, Laura Green returns to the Ali on the Run Show for the third time to answer a series of 26 questions. (Check out Laura's previous episodes: when she filled in as an Ask Ali guest host, and when she was part of the Motherhood Mondays series.) Whether she's playing the role of an ambitious mom-to-be who plans to start stroller running right out of the hospital, she's role-playing what would happen if all the big running brands got together for beers, or she's a road runner trying out the trails, Laura's LOL-inducing videos have the running industry (and beyond!) absolutely rolling. Laura is currently training for the New York City Marathon. SPONSOR: Tracksmith. Click here and use code ALI22 to get free shipping. Plus, Tracksmith will donate 5% of your purchase proceeds to The Trevor Project. Follow Laura: Instagram @lauramcgreen Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 Support on Patreon Blog Strava 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 Sep 202241min

"No one can define what success is for you but YOU. Even though the sport of running tries to tell us that the only things that matter are distance and time, that is simply not true. You decide what matters to you." Welcome to Part III (the last part!) of the Marathon Mentality series with Ali on the Run Show favorite Emily Saul! Emily is a licensed mental health counselor, sport psychology coach, and founder of E Saul Movement. She’s a former Division-1 collegiate rower, she’s a lifelong athlete, she’s a many-time marathoner, and she’s a TEDxBoston speaker. Today, we're talking race day. We made it! (You made it! You're doing great!) Emily is offering advice about tackling taper tantrums, getting in the right headspace for race day, and dealing with the potential post-marathon blues. SPONSOR: New Balance — Click here to learn more about how New Balance is supporting conversations around mental wellness in running. (And check out the SuperComp Trainer! I’m obsessed!) What you’ll get on this episode: How do I deal with taper tantrums? (3:30) How do I get over the mindset of being able to run further on race day than ever before? (7:25) Best advice for getting pumped up for a marathon the week before the race (12:05) How do I get over my fear of coming in last? (19:00) How would you address mid-race fears of pushing too hard too early? (27:10) How do you handle the personal pressure you put on yourself? (29:55) What do you do mid-race when your mind starts making preemptive excuses for failing? (35:20) How to battle the mental game during a race when your body wants to give up (39:00) How to stay positive when the race isn’t going as expected (44:45) During training, I feel confident and I crush my workouts. But when it comes to race day, doubt creeps in. Any advice? (49:55) How to deal with the post-marathon blues (54:30) Emily’s final pre-race pep talk for fall marathoners (1:01:10) For more, check out: Marathon Mentality Part II: When the Training Ramps Up Marathon Mentality Part I: Getting in the Right Headspace for Marathon Training Emily Saul on Episode 510 of the Ali on the Run Show Emily Saul on Episode 574 of the Ali on the Run Show Emily Saul on Episode 59 of the Ali on the Run Show Emily Saul’s TEDxBoston talk Follow Emily: Instagram @emilysaulboston Twitter @emilysaulboston Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 Support on Patreon Blog Strava 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 Sep 20221h 6min

"To go out on top — there are so few athletes that can say that, and that really wasn’t my plan! I just wanted to know when it would be over so that I could put everything that I had into each throw." Kara Winger had long planned for 2022 to be her final javelin season. And what a final season it was! The four-time Olympian capped off her 18-year international career by winning her first global medal (silver, at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, OR), and becoming the first U.S. woman to medal in the javelin at a world championships event. She set a new American record. She took the win at the Wanda Diamond League final. And, after 12 years, she finally broke her own personal record. In this conversation, Kara reflects on her career and on what it means to go out on top. She talks about the support she has felt in the track and field community, and about when she made the decision to retire. She talks about being chosen to be the Team USA flag bearer at last summer's Tokyo Olympic Games, and talks about the struggles she's faced with injuries (two ACL tears and a labrum tear in her left shoulder) and setbacks. Now, the Tracksmith-sponsored athlete will begin the next chapter of her career as the senior director for Parity, an organization dedicated to closing the gender pay gap in sports. SPONSORS: UCAN: Click here and use code ALI for 20% off your next UCAN order. Napa Valley Marathon & Half Marathon: Click here to register for these races — taking place March 5, 2023 — today! What you’ll get on this episode: What Kara says to everyone who wants her to keep competing (5:00) When and why Kara decided to retire, and what her mentality was like heading into her final season (6:50) The first thing Kara pictures when she thinks about her final season of competition (13:20) Is it possible to get into a flow state when throwing? (18:35) What Kara’s childhood was like, and how she found the javelin (20:40) How Kara actually learned how to throw a javelin (27:00) What it was like becoming an Olympian while still in college (29:15) What life was like at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, CA (32:45) What Kara’s training is like lately (38:15) Kara’s decision to get her MBA (41:45) How Kara became the flag bearer for Team USA during the Tokyo Olympics (45:20) The support Kara has felt from her community this year (54:00) What Kara wishes people understood about throwing, field events, and the javelin specifically (59:00) Any chance Kara will compete at World Championships in Budapest next year? (1:03:00) Follow Kara: Instagram @KaraThrowsJav Twitter @KaraThrowsJav Website Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 Support on Patreon Blog Strava 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!

22 Sep 20221h 15min