13. Chris Mosier, Transgender Athlete & Advocate

"There was a part of me that was like, 'What if I hate it? What if I hate this job, what if I hate this role? Because I might! I'm not a media operations person! What if I hate it?' And so before the trip even started, I had kind of told myself, 'Hey, if you don't love this, that is not a measure of success, and that does not make you a failure. You fail at this if you don't try, if you don't show up for your team, if you do a bad job, if you make a lot of mistakes. That would be a failure. But not loving it just means, OK, you tried something new, and if you don't love it, you don't have to do it again. But go and learn and take it all in, and what an experience to get to have!'" Welcome to Ask Ali, a twice-a-month series where I answer all of your questions. This time around, I'm flying through 31 listener questions, sent in via Instagram Stories (I'm @aliontherun1), about my experience at World Athletics Championships, buying a house (!!!), living in New Hampshire, my running paces, feeling proud, and more. SPONSOR: goodr. Click here and use code ONTHERUN15 for 15% off your entire goodr order! You asked: What are the best and worst parts about living in New Hampshire? (3:40) Which one athlete or coach did you interact with at World Championships that you most want to have on the podcast? (6:45) What are you proudest of this week (at World Championships)? (7:55) Would you do something like working World Championships again? (13:10) What was your favorite race to watch? (16:20) What did a typical day in Eugene look like? (17:05) Why was that crane there? (23:15) Were meals and housing provided? (25:10) Share more about the new house! (25:30) Do you miss Brian when you travel? (26:40) Ultimate running-related dream job? (28:35) What surprised you most about yourself at World Championships? (32:30) What was your favorite thing about the state of Oregon? (33:40) How did you pack for this trip? (34:05) Favorite dessert? Upcoming marathon plans? Restocks of merch? (34:25) What is Annie's full name? (35:15) Do you have any food preferences or allergies? (36:25) Do you like swimming? (37:25) Are you crying right now? (37:45) Sharpest memory moment from World Championships? (38:50) You're invited to a BBQ. What do you bring? (39:50) What's your Dairy Queen order? (40:10) How's your voice? How do you keep it healthy when talking is a living for you? (40:20) Who surprised you at the press conferences, in a good way? (42:30) How did the Crohn's hold up with such busy days? (44:00) Why do you do all your runs at a fast pace? (47:30) Will you sleep in past 4:30 now? (51:20) Did you go to the Saturday market in Eugene? (52:30) How did you / everyone not get Covid in Eugene? (52:35) Are your legs really that long? (53:30) How freaking exhausted are you at this point? (57:50) 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!

12 Aug 20221h 1min

"When you think about what you hope to leave on the sport or model for my daughters through the sport, I hope that's what people see: resiliency, and how to pick yourself up, and not let discouragement get you down." First we heard from Keira D'Amato. Then Emma Bates. And now, we complete the World Athletics Championships Team USA women's marathon trifecta on the Ali on the Run Show with fifth-place finisher Sara Hall. Not only did Sara — a 39-year-old mom of four — run a season's best time of 2:22:10 that day in Eugene, she also says it was the most fun she's ever had running a marathon. In this conversation, Sara recaps her entire World Championships experience. 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: Was Sara having as much fun as it seemed? (3:40) Sara reflects on her training for the World Championships marathon, and how she was feeling heading into the race both physically and emotionally (8:50) The impact Sara's performance at the 2020 London Marathon has had on her career and her confidence (12:00) What Sara's pre-race obligations were like (17:30) All about race morning (20:00) Sara's plan to have fun (29:20) How the race played out (35:00) The moment when Sara decided to chase down fifth place (40:10) Sights and sounds from the finish line (43:20) Sara recaps all the post-race action and activities (51:00) What Sara can — and can't — tell us about her fall racing plans (55:15) For more, check out: Sara Hall on Episode 490 of the Ali on the Run Show Sara Hall on Episode 459 of the Ali on the Run Show Sara Hall on Episode 321 of the Ali on the Run Show Sara Hall on Episode 300 of the Ali on the Run Show Sara and Ryan Hall on Episode 144 of the Ali on the Run Show Follow Sara: Instagram @sarahall3 Twitter @sarahall3 Facebook 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 Aug 20221h 4min

"These people are out on the track, by themselves, just with their own body and their own mind. It's really cool to watch. It's cool to watch humans push themselves like that. And I want everyone else to be as excited about it as I am." Michelle Wolf is a stand-up comic, an ultra runner, and a massive fan of track and field. So it makes perfect sense that she was at World Athletics Championships in Eugene, OR, last month! In this conversation, Michelle talks about how she ended up in Eugene, working with the Hayward Magic team on an Instagram series called "Loosen Up with Michelle Wolf." (Fun fact: She got the job, in part, after her appearance on the Ali on the Run Show last year!) She talks about interviewing athletes including Athing Mu, Ryan Crouser, Grant Fisher, and Marvin Bracy-Williams, and shares the highs and lows of her time at Hayward Field. 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: What Michelle has been up to since World Championships (2:30) How Michelle got to go to World Championships (5:50) What Emily's shows in Portland were like leading up to World Championships (11:30) All about "Loosen Up with Michelle Wolf" (20:10) On balancing work and running (22:50) Michelle's experience interviewing Athing Mu (28:45) Behind-the-scenes stories from Eugene (34:45) Michelle's highest and lowest points from being at World Championships (45:15) For more, check out: Michelle Wolf on Episode 464 of the Ali on the Run Show Laura Green on Instagram Celeste Barber on Instagram Follow Michelle: Instagram @michelleisawolf Twitter @michelleisawolf 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!

5 Aug 20221h 4min

"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