14. My 10 Favorite Races

"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

"I have to enjoy this race. I really just need this one to be uplifting." Deena Kastor has run (and won!) many marathons during her career. She's the 2004 Olympic Bronze Medalist in the marathon, she has won both the Chicago and London Marathons and the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, and until this past January, she was the American Record Holder in the marathon (Keira D'Amato holds that title now). And this weekend, Deena will race the Berlin Marathon! Here, she explains why this race is so special (she'll earn her Abbott World Marathon Majors six-star finisher's medal!) and what her goals are for the day. Plus: why she ran her first marathon, where she keeps her Olympic medal, her real feelings about race broadcasting, and why her greatest running weakness involves...baby eagles? 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: Let Your Mind Run by Deena Kastor Explore.org live cams Follow Deena: Instagram @deena8050 Twitter @deenakastor 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!

20 Sep 202257min

"I've worked really hard and I've put a lot out there, and it's been really good to the point that it terrifies me." Welcome to Ask Ali, a twice-a-month series where I answer all of your questions. This time around, I'm flying through 29 listener questions, sent in via Instagram Stories (I'm @aliontherun1), about my current goals and dreams, the New York City Marathon (lots of questions about the New York City Marathon!), the song that always makes me cry (and I cry just talking about it!), the lessons I've learned from my best and worst races, and so much more. SPONSORS: goodr. Click here and use code ONTHERUN15 for 15% off your entire goodr order! Vuori: Click here for 20% off your first Vuori purchase. You asked: How are you doing? (3:30) What is one thing you would like to do before the end of the year? (6:35) What are you most excited for at the New York City Marathon? (9:00) What is your favorite song you ever danced to? (11:25) Can you give us any hints for the NYC Marathon live shows? (13:20) Team Edward or Jacob? (14:35) First-time marathon advice (14:55) Can you please share the reason for using "and" but never "but?" (17:00) What song always makes you cry? (18:55) Your favorite pre-run fuel (20:05) Biggest advice for balancing entrepreneurship and parenting (20:15) Boston or New York City? (22:05) Have you ever had a guest on the podcast that you were fangirl-nervous to speak to? (23:10) Do you know when you are announcing at the New York City Marathon? (27:30) What was your favorite place to write for when you were in the thick of freelancing? (28:40) If you had to host a podcast about something other than running, what would it be? (32:30) What do you think is overrated in the running world? And what is underrated? (34:35) What did you worst race teach you? What did your best race teach you? (38:10) What have been your takeaways from therapy? (42:45) What do female friendships look like these days? (43:10) What are your PRs? (45:45) What's your bedtime / morning routine? (48:35) Best souvenir to buy at the New York City Marathon? (49:50) Taco night or pizza night? Favorite season? If you had to change your first name, what would you pick? (50:45) Which pro runner would you most want to have at your Thanksgiving? (52:00) The episode with Emily Durgin, you asked about her shoes. Was that agreed to per her sponsor? (52:35) What is your favorite bagel flavor? (53:30) 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!

16 Sep 202255min

"I struggle every day. I am just committed to not letting those little moments take me out of the game." As the founder and CEO of Thrive Causemetics, Karissa Bodnar has been included on Forbes's 30 Under 30 list, was named as one of Marie Claire's Most Powerful Women, and she was on Inc.'s Badass Female Founders list. But what matters most to Karissa, she swears, isn't the accolades: It's the people. In this conversation, we get to know the woman behind one of the most game-changing brands in the beauty industry — a woman who, naturally, happens to be a runner. (We recorded this conversation just a few days before Karissa ran the Rock N Roll Seattle Half Marathon!) Karissa talks about how running makes her a better leader and business owner. She talks about the days when she would sit at her kitchen table, mixing formulas and dreaming of working her way up the beauty brand ladder. She talks about launching Thrive Causemetics in the wake of losing her best friend to cancer. And she talks about giving back. (For every product sold, Thrive donates products and funds to organizations and causes that support and empower women.) Plus: imposter syndrome in running and in business, what keeps Karissa up at night, and what it means to be "bigger than beauty." SPONSORS: UCAN: Click here and use code ALI for 20% off your next UCAN order. Bermuda Triangle Challenge: Click here and use code ALIONTHERUN15OFF to get 15% off your race registration. What you'll get on this episode: How Karissa was feeling the week of her half marathon (5:00) Why Karissa wanted to run a half marathon this year (9:30) What young Karissa was like (18:00) Why Karissa names her products after women who inspire her (23:50) How Karissa found her purpose (25:50) How — and why — Karissa started her own company, and how it grew from mixing formulas at her kitchen table to a multimillion-dollar company (30:10) What keeps Karissa up at night (40:00) Karissa's "wear sunscreen" PSA (44:15) When Karissa works out, and what her half-marathon training has been like (46:30) Karissa's race-day playlist (52:00) What makes it onto Karissa's highlight reel (57:35) On learning how to be a CEO (1:00:00) Follow Karissa: Instagram @karissabodnar Thrive Causemetics 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 Sep 20221h 20min

"I'm very excited to see where I'm at and to test myself. And I'm really having fun so far with this!" OK, right off the bat: You're getting more than 26 questions. Welcome to this new series on the Ali on the Run Show, where I sit down with some of my favorite people to ask a series of running- and non-running-related questions. Think Vogue's "73 Questions," but for runners — all of whom are currently gearing up for fall marathons. And what better way to kick things off than with Olympian and 2018 Boston Marathon champion Des Linden? Des will run the 2022 TCS New York City Marathon, and she's here today to tell us what we don't yet know about everyone's favorite runner. (Including: a peek into her new book, the last time she cried, the last time she cried because of running, all about her candy-rating system, and whether she Googles herself. Plus, a LOL-worthy recent airplane story.) 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: Meet Me in the Bathroom: Rebirth and Rock and Roll in New York City 2001-2011 Listen to Des on the Ali on the Run Show: Episode 522 Episode 462 Episode 363 Episode 205: Love on the Run with Des & Ryan Linden Episode 100 Episode 77: Live in San Diego Episode 64 Follow Des: Instagram @des_linden Facebook Twitter @des_linden 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!

13 Sep 202236min