795. Jinger Gottschall, New Balance Director of Sports Research

"That’s what I want — that’s the only thing that drives me as much as it does. I just want to inspire the next generation. And I feel like we did that. You would’ve sworn we won the entire race. You would’ve sworn we swept the podium! But, you know, fifth, seventh, eighth, and for people to be that proud and excited for us? It doesn’t get any better than that." The World Athletics Championships conversations continue! Last week, we heard from Team USA's Keira D'Amato, and today, fellow Team USA marathoner Emma Bates is up! Emma says the World Athletics Championships marathon was the most fun she has ever had running a race, and in this episode, she talks about why it tops her list. Emma finished seventh (in the world!) in that race, running 2:23:18 and taking more than a minute off her personal best time. And here, we're breaking it all down. Emma talks about getting Covid in December, and talks about how that impacted and derailed her training. She talks about the comeback, about how she was feeling heading into the biggest race of her life, and about the pre-race pep talk from her coach, Joe Bosshard. Plus, all about the race itself: the party in the hotel lobby at 3 AM, the quiet bus ride to the start, the questionable warm-up routine, and the unexpected offer from teammate Sara Hall. Emma talks about how she stayed tough when her legs started to hurt, she explains what the crowds felt like along the way, and she breaks down that magical finish line moment. (Also, a LOL-worthy story about Ryan Hall and...Emma's urine.) SPONSOR: UCAN: Click here and use code ALI for 20% off your next UCAN order. What you’ll get on this episode: How Emma recovers from a race like World Championships (2:50) What it was like getting Covid in December, and how it derailed Emma’s training (6:00) How Emma found out she made Team USA (10:40) How Emma celebrated her 30th birthday before leaving for Eugene (16:10) Red vs. white: How Emma decided which Team USA kit to wear for the marathon (18:00) What race morning was like (19:50) How the race played out (29:00) What the crowds and fans were like along the course (34:00) When it started to hurt (36:45) That finish line feeling (42:00) Emma’s post-race drug testing story (48:50) All about Emma’s Instagram race recaps (54:45) How Emma spent the rest of her time in Eugene (59:40) Emma’s advice to fellow marathoners (1:03:30) For more, check out: Emma Bates on Episode 527 of the Ali on the Run Show Emma Bates on Episode 490 of the Ali on the Run Show Emma Bates on Episode 444 of the Ali on the Run Show Follow Emma: Instagram @emmajanelbates Twitter @emmajbates 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 Aug 20221h 7min

"I feel that every time I step on the line — like I have nothing to lose. And I get that question a lot: 'Do you feel a lot of pressure now that you’re the American record holder?' No. I feel no pressure. No one thought I was going to get the American record, and no one thinks I’m probably going to go any further. I just feel a lot of support. So yeah, I kind of just felt like I’m playing with house money." Keira D'Amato is the fastest — and funniest — marathoner in the country. And three weeks ago, the American record holder in the marathon got a phone call that changed everything. She had just run — and won — the B.A.A. 10K, and was planning her fall marathon schedule. But plans changed, quickly, and she learned that a spot had opened up on Team USA for the upcoming World Athletics Championships marathon in Eugene, OR. The spot was hers if she wanted it, which she knew immediately that she did. In this conversation — recorded just a few days post-race in Eugene — Keira talks about getting that call two weeks before race day. She talks about her prep, about how she felt on race day, and about what the race itself was like. And in true Keira fashion, she showed up to record with a trick up her sleeve: a plan to take over the Ali on the Run Show. (Don't worry, I let her turn the tables on me, and then spun them right back around to hear all about her eighth-place finish at the marathon.) Plus, her kids' reactions to her making the team, her dance cam debut, and that oh-so-memorable finish line moment with Team USA teammates Emma Bates and Sara Hall. SPONSOR: UCAN: Click here and use code ALI for 20% off your next UCAN order.   What you’ll get on this episode: Welcome to “Keira on the Run!” (4:30) All about Keira’s Wikipedia page and her plans to get a pedicure (17:40) On processing the World Championships marathon experience (21:50) The inside scoop on the Team USA group text (23:00) On being the marathon team “sausage,” and what it was like getting the call to join Team USA (24:15) What happened after saying “yes” (30:30) Nothing to lose, or everything to prove? (36:00) How Keira’s kids reacted to her news about joining Team USA (37:25) How Keira felt leading up to the race (39:50) Keira’s conversations with Emma Bates and Sara Hall before the race (45:15) All about that finish line moment (49:00) Keira on the dance cam! (57:30) What went down after the race (1:00:25) For more, check out: Keira & Anthony D'Amato on Episode 475 of the Ali on the Run Show Keira D’Amato on Episode 414 of the Ali on the Run Show Keira D’Amato on Episode 305 of the Ali on the Run Show Follow Keira: Instagram @keiradamato Twitter @KeiraDAmato 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!

28 Juli 20221h 14min

"Listen, there are eight heats. Seven of them were all men. We are one-eighth of the media. We need to get that number up. But hell yeah to being the one-eighth." Jay Holder and I are back today, talking all things World Athletics Championships! We spent more than two weeks in Eugene, OR, working on the media experience team — him as the mixed zone supervisor, me as the press conference moderator — and in the third installment of our World Champs recaps, we're picking up where we left off last time. We talk about running the Media 800 at Hayward Field, share our favorite (and least favorite) moments from the 10-day competition period, and share the most challenging and unforgettable experiences along the way. (Check out our first recap here, and listen to our World Championships Q&A episode 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. For more, check out: Jay Holder on Episode 544 of the Ali on the Run Show Jay Holder on Episode 543 of the Ali on the Run Show Jay Holder on Episode 412 of the Ali on the Run Show Jay Holder on Episode 231 of the Ali on the Run Show Follow Jay: Instagram @jayholderruns Twitter @jauntingjourno 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!

26 Juli 202248min

"I love being in the trenches with a good team." Welcome to Ask Ali, a twice-a-month series where I answer all of your questions. This time around, I’m joined by guest host Jay Holder to answer all of your World Athletics Championships-related questions, sent in via Instagram Stories (I’m @aliontherun1). For more about this experience so far in Eugene, OR, check out yesterday's episode. SPONSOR: goodr. Click here and use code ONTHERUN15 for 15% off your entire goodr 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!

22 Juli 202237min

"You said, 'I could never do that.' And that actually made me think that you could do it. Because it made me think about what you do every day, and it just felt like you’d be a natural at that role. So that’s where we’re at." Hi from the Pacific Northwest! I'm coming to you today from Eugene, OR, where I'm working on site as the press conference moderator for the 2022 World Athletics Championships. (How cool is that?!) In this episode, I'm joined by Jay Holder, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Atlanta Track Club, to talk about our respective roles at World Championships and our experiences so far. We talk about how I got this job, what it actually entails, and what the highlights have been so far. We're working hard, getting just enough sleep to get by, and having a lot of fun along the way. (Check out Jay's previous appearances on the Ali on the Run Show, talking about his role at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, and about working as the deputy venue media manager for last summer's Tokyo Olympics.) SPONSORS: UCAN: Click here and use code ALI for 20% off your next UCAN order. Vuori: Click here for 20% off your first Vuori purchase. Follow Jay: Instagram @jayholderruns Twitter @jauntingjourno 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!

21 Juli 202248min

I had the pleasure and privilege of being the start and finish line race announcer at the inaugural WineShine Half Marathon in Napa Valley this past weekend — and bonus! The day before the race, I got to host a live show at the Silverado Resort and Spa with superstar guests Alysia Montaño and Stephanie Howe. We talked a lot about the highs that come with racing (like Stephanie's Western States win, and the time Alysia ran the 800m in the U.S. National Championships at eight months pregnant), and we talk about the tough stuff. The ruts. The losses. The disappointments. Alysia and Stephanie are proof that this sport can make your dreams come true and break your heart a few times along the way. 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!

19 Juli 20221h 14min

"Check in on why you’re doing this. It doesn’t have to feel like the biggest 'why' statement of the whole world, like, 'What’s the purpose of life?' But it really does help you to say, 'What’s meaningful about this for me, right now?'" Ali on the Run Show favorite Emily Saul is back! 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. This conversation kicks off the first of a three-part series within the Beyond the Run series, where we talk about the connection between running and mental wellness. Today, Emily is answering listener questions about the mental side of marathon training. If you're training for a fall marathon, it's likely you started training this month. (Exciting!) So, Emily is here to hold your hand throughout the process. These questions are all about getting into the right headspace to start training. Emily is addressing comebacks, comparison traps, burnout, and all the things that are top of mind at the beginning of a training cycle. (She'll return to the show in August for training-related questions, and in September to help get you psyched and mentally ready for race day.) SPONSOR: New Balance — Click here to learn more about how New Balance is supporting conversations around mental wellness in running. (And check out my current favorite bra, pullover, and crop top.) What you’ll get on this episode: Emily’s first words to fall marathoners (6:40) On getting past a motivational rut (10:45) Dealing with burnout (19:05) Navigating the comparison trap (24:40) Emily’s advice for dealing with mom guilt (34:15) Returning to training after a tough race or setback (42:00) How to redefine expectations (47:30) “Help! I can’t stop talking about running!” (54:00) For more, check out: 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!

15 Juli 20221h 6min

"All of a sudden, I was over here, alone, living in a small apartment the size of a dorm room, not having a lot of friends, I didn’t have anything to do. I didn’t have any future that I was looking forward to. I didn’t know what to do with myself except to put on my running shoes and go out and start running." Yuki Chorney is a 39-time marathoner with a 3:15 personal best. She has run 21 ultramarathons, including 100 milers. And she does it all — whether it's a 5K or an all-day event — decked out in glitter, sparkles, and rhinestones. Yuki Chorney is a self-proclaimed "running unicorn," and if you've ever seen her on the run, you know it's hard not to smile when she passes you (which she probably will, with a joyful, genuine smile). At 50 years old, Yuki is finding joy in running more than ever before. In this conversation, she talks about growing up in Japan, moving to the United States, and finding running — and herself — in the process. Today, Yuki lives in Mont Vernon, NH, with her husband, two teenage daughters, two dogs, three cats, two goats, five chickens, and guinea pig. She works as a human resources professional for a financial services company, and she really wants you to try running in a tutu. ("Just once," she says, "and see what you think!") SPONSORS: UCAN: Click here and use code ALI for 20% off your next UCAN order. Vuori: Click here for 20% off your first Vuori purchase. What you’ll get on this episode: What’s making Yuki happy right now, and what she’s currently training for (3:30) What Yuki’s childhood was like (6:30) What life looked like after college (10:15) How Yuki found running (12:00) Yuki’s fondest Boston Marathon memories (18:35) Yuki’s introduction to the running community (21:15) All about Yuki’s iconic running costumes! (26:10) The most fun Yuki has ever had running a race (41:45) Why Yuki started running ultramarathons (45:00) What Yuki’s daughters think of her running in costume, and how Yuki’s relationship with running has evolved throughout parenthood (49:30) Yuki’s approach to training and racing (57:00) For more, check out: Millennium Running Gate City Striders Girls on the Run Yuki’s 2019 Boston Marathon interview on WBZ Follow Yuki: Instagram @zitiminami 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!

14 Juli 20221h 10min