800. Aisha Praught Leer, on Life After Professional Running

Chris Chavez has made a living out of being track and field's biggest fan and hype person. And when he's not obsessively covering the sport for Citius Mag, Chris is pursuing his own running goals. For the past several years, it's been no secret that Chris wanted to run a sub-3:00 marathon. This past weekend, that dream came true at the Houston Marathon, where Chris crossed the finish line in 2 hours 59 minutes and 12 seconds. This is his official race recap. SPONSORS: UCAN: Click here to get a FREE UCAN energy bar sample pack (you’ll just pay the cost of shipping), and use code ALI for 20% off your next UCAN order. Sidekick: Click here to get 15% off any recovery tool. FOLLOW CHRIS @chris_j_chavez Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 Support on Patreon Subscribe to the newsletter 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!

18 Jan 20241h 5min

"This is the race they’re going to tell their grandkids about — that they took part in the race to pick the marathon team for the Olympics." We are just three weeks away from the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Marathon! On Saturday, February 3, the fastest distance runners in the country will line up in Orlando in pursuit of their Olympic dreams. To qualify for the Trials, women had to run a sub-2:37 marathon or a sub-1:12 half marathon, and men had to run a sub-2:18 marathon or a sub-1:03 half. The top three men and top three women will earn spots on Team USA. To answer all of your questions about the Trials — like what's the deal with the men having to unlock spots, and how are the roommates assigned? — we have media director for the local organizing committee Jay Holder (who was the press chief for the 2020 Trials in Atlanta). The men start at 10:10 AM ET, and the women start at 10:20 AM. The marathon will stream live on Peacock starting at 10 AM ET, and the taped broadcast airs on NBC at 12 PM ET. For more information (and to read all the athlete bios!), check out the official Trials website. SPONSOR: New Balance. Click here to shop New Balance’s latest releases for the season. (The SuperComp Trainer is my favorite shoe!) Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 Support on Patreon Subscribe to the newsletter 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!

16 Jan 202451min

"I am not wired to do something halfway or to do something for fun. I don’t know what that means. Fun for me is going as hard as possible." After nearly two highly-decorated decades of racing the 1500m and the mile, Jenny Simpson is upping the ante and the mileage. In just a few weeks, Jenny will make her marathon debut at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials Marathon in Orlando, FL. In this conversation, Jenny talks about her decision to have a go at 26.2 miles, what she thinks of marathon training these days, how she's handling fueling, and whether or not she hopes the race comes down to a kick. SPONSORS: UCAN: Click here to get a FREE UCAN energy bar sample pack (you’ll just pay the cost of shipping), and use code ALI for 20% off your next UCAN order. Quin D'Amato! Click here to buy Girl Scout Cookies from Keira D'Amato's daughter! What you’ll get on this episode: All about Jenny’s run today, and how she feels about returning to the track for workouts (2:35) Meet Barkley: Jenny’s second dog! (5:55) On New Year’s Resolutions and looking at life after competitive running (7:20) Jenny’s high and low moments from 2023 (13:00) How Jenny’s body is feeling during marathon training, and how she feels about training right now (17:00) On being a contender at the Trials (26:25) "Do you love marathon training?" (34:10) The important stuff: how Jenny plans to wear her hair for her marathon debut (42:50) How Jenny is approaching and handling fueling for marathon training and racing (45:15) "It's so top of mind to me: You are responsible for everything that goes in your body" (53:35) What Jenny doesn't want to happen on race day, and where she sees her strengths (57:25) How Jenny anticipates measuring success on race day (1:09:00) Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 Support on Patreon Subscribe to the newsletter 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 Jan 20241h 19min

"I survived!" It’s a tradition! Here on the Ali on the Run Show, we kick off every year with the annual State of the Show episode — a look at the past, present, and future of the podcast. In 2023, the Ali on the Run Show surpassed 21 million downloads, and released 87 episodes with 75 different guests (34 first-timers, and 40 returning and recurring guests). So, what did we learn from 2023, and what's in store for 2024? Time to assess! SPONSORS: UCAN: Click here to get a FREE UCAN energy bar sample pack (you’ll just pay the cost of shipping), 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: The Ali on the Run Show by the numbers (2:30) My 2023 personal and professional highlights (15:40) Revisiting my 2023 goals (30:40) Looking forward on the Ali on the Run Show (35:00) The 2024 Ali on the Run Show mission statement (43:20) My 2024 goals (46:30) Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 Support on Patreon Subscribe to the newsletter 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 Jan 202453min

"If you have that heart of a lion, you will get back there. You just have to have patience." It was a big year for Kara Goucher! Her book, The Longest Race, debuted and became a New York Times best-seller. She and Des Linden launched their podcast, Nobody Asked Us with Des and Kara. She called dozens of exciting races as a distance analyst for NBC's track and field and marathon broadcasts. She continued navigating life on the run with runner's dystonia. And today, she's here to recap all of it with us. Plus, we take a look at some of the year's highlights in professional running. FOLLOW KARA @karagoucher SPONSORS: UCAN: Click here to get a FREE UCAN energy bar sample pack (you’ll just pay the cost of shipping), and use code ALIUCAN for 20% off your next UCAN order. Sidekick: Click here to get 15% off any recovery tool. Tracksmith: New customers, use code ALINEW for $15 off your first Tracksmith order over $75. Returning customers, use code ALIGIVE for free shipping, plus a portion of the proceeds from your order will be donated to Moms Demand Action. What you’ll get on this episode: Kara attempts to sum up 2023 in one word (2:10) Kara looks back at the success of her book, The Longest Race (2:50) Kara’s year on the run (9:00) Kara’s year on the mic: Kara talks about becoming a podcast host, and what it’s been like co-hosting “Nobody Asked Us with Des and Kara” with Des Linden (16:15) Kara’s year on TV, and which races she enjoyed broadcasting the most (19:45) 2023 on the run, professionally: recapping the highlights from the year in professional running (26:45) The one rule Kara would love to implement in professional running (53:30) Kara’s predictions for 2024 (1:04:40) Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 Support on Patreon Subscribe to the newsletter 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 Dec 20231h 9min

"I felt like I was constantly treading water and barely staying afloat. It felt like I was stuck, as everything else just raged on. Time doesn’t stop and the world doesn’t stop. Everything doesn’t stop just because you’re having a hard time. There were days where I’d be at the grocery store, standing in line, and I wanted to scream, 'Don’t you all know that I have cancer? Don’t you know this is the hardest day of my life, and it’s a normal day in your life?' It’s the ultimate reminder that you never know what someone’s going through. So be kind." At long last: the big, long, TMI-filled cancer episode. After being diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year, I've wanted to do regular check-ins on the podcast, but it's been a little daunting. One day last week, I finally felt up for chatting a bit. So in this episode, I'm talking about what life has looked like on the health front over the past seven months. I walk through my timeline from first lump (April 27) to mammogram and ultrasound (May 12) to biopsy (May 16) to diagnosis (May 19), followed by surgeries (double mastectomy July 3, reconstruction surgery August 30), chemotherapy (September 26, October 17, November 7, and November 27), and "now what?" Plus, answering listener questions and offering thoughts on how to support a loved one going through a cancer diagnosis and treatment. SPONSOR: New Balance. Click here to shop New Balance’s latest releases for the season. (The SuperComp Trainer is my favorite shoe!) What you’ll get on this episode: “Notecard thoughts” from the past few months, including Annie as my anchor, and ruminations on being called a “fighter” and “warrior” (2:40) My timeline: from first lump to diagnosis, surgeries, chemotherapy, and beyond (12:10) On the treatment front: Now what? (1:01:00) Answering listener questions about all things cancer (1:08:50) LINKS: Pre-order To the Gorge, by Emily Halnon Ali vs. Breast Cancer GoFundMe Penguin Cold Caps ChappyWrap Minky Couture blanket Oofos slippers Stanley hand-held water bottle Nordstrom pajamas Zip-front bras Athleta zip-front bra The one-shoulder bodysuit (on major sale!) Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 Support on Patreon Subscribe to the newsletter 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 Dec 20231h 50min

"It’s not easy to talk about the disappointments. It’s not easy to talk about the times that you fall short. Nobody wants to brag about those. It’s been hard. There were lots of tears shed in private. And just really accepting the fact that I wanted something so badly, and it didn’t happen." Emilee Risteen has raced six marathons in the past 12 months, each in pursuit of one very specific goal. For the past year, Emilee has been trying to qualify for the Olympic Marathon Trials, which would mean running 26.2 miles in 2:37 or faster. She ran CIM in 2:43, Houston in 2:48, Boston in 2:41, Grandma's in 2:38 (a personal best and so close to that 2:37!), the McKirdy Micro in 2:41, and CIM one more time in 2:44. In this conversation, Emilee — who ran her first marathon in 4:03 and has taken nearly 90 minutes off her time in less than three years — talks about chasing her big goals, and about what happens when you don't quite get there. Plus, she talks about how going for sub-2:37 was initially about the time and the OTQ, but ultimately became about so much more. FOLLOW EMILEE @emristeen SPONSORS: UCAN: Click here to get a FREE UCAN energy bar sample pack (you’ll just pay the cost of shipping), and use code ALIUCAN for 20% off your next UCAN order. Tracksmith: New customers, use code ALINEW for $15 off your first Tracksmith order over $75. Returning customers, use code ALIGIVE for free shipping, plus a portion of the proceeds from your order will be donated to Moms Demand Action. What you’ll get on this episode: How Emilee is feeling post-CIM (3:20) How Emilee is processing this past year on the run (4:30) On “getting back out there” (8:10) Why Emilee loves the process, and what this year of running was really about (11:45) What the women’s OTQ community is like at marathons in the U.S. (19:30) Emilee’s relationship with the time 2:37 (23:50) Emilee shares her running origin story (27:10) What Emilee’s first marathon was like, and how she’s gone from being a 4:03 marathoner to a 2:38 marathoner in less than three years (33:50) How running fits into Emilee’s life (45:20) How Emilee ran six marathons in 12 months without getting injured (47:35) Emilee shares her 2024 running plans (51:40) Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 Support on Patreon Subscribe to the newsletter 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 Dec 20231h 7min

"Community is everything. People are everything. I want to stay surrounded by people that I love and that love me. I’m going to mess up in life. I’m not always going to get it right. But that’s what matters: showing up and being there and being together." Ask Ali returns! It's been a minute since we've done a classic Q&A-style episode. In this one: holiday traditions, what's next on the run, and so much more. SPONSOR: New Balance. Click here to shop New Balance’s latest releases for the season. (The SuperComp Trainer is my favorite shoe!) Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 Support on Patreon Subscribe to the newsletter 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 Dec 20231h 6min