14. My 10 Favorite Races

Boston is BACK! It was such a privilege to get to host a live recording of the Ali on the Run Show at the Tracksmith Trackhouse during the 2022 Boston Marathon weekend, with the ever-delightful recent podcast guests Anoush Arakelian and Emily Saul. This conversation was filled with great advice, hilarious stories, and — because why not? — dating talk. Thank you to Tracksmith for hosting us; thank you to Emily and Anoush for the wit, wisdom, and laughter; and thank you to everyone who joined and was part of the fun! SPONSOR: Tracksmith. Click here and use code ALI22 for free shipping, plus 5% of the proceeds from your order will be donated to the Brave Like Gabe Foundation! Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 Support on Patreon Blog Strava Listen & Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Spotify SoundCloud Overcast Stitcher Google Play 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!

17 Apr 20221h 19min

"The people who read my blog and supported me — whether we met in real life or from afar — they saved my life on my worst days." Laura Green is a runner, a mom to two boys, and a dear friend — and today, she's a podcast host! On this edition of Ask Ali, returning Ali on the Run Show guest Laura is here to do all the question asking, reading your questions from Instagram (and coming up with a few of her own). We do a chronological Ali deep dive, from the college days, to the pre-podcast blogging days, to life today with a 3.5-year-old. SPONSOR: goodr. Click here and use code ONTHERUN15 for 15% off your entire goodr order! Laura asks: The warm-up round (3:30) "Pre-podcast Ali" questions (10:40) Podcast-related questions (27:00) Parenting questions (42:00) For more, check out: Laura Green on Episode 157 of the Ali on the Run Show Hotel Lobby Spa Candle lululemon Wunder Train Bra lululemon Enlite Bra Tracksmith Allston Bra 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!

15 Apr 202257min

"Doctors said when I was born that I would be the last one to sit up, the last one to crawl, the last one to stand and walk. Well, I was the first to do all those things." Jenna Fesemyer was born with a birth defect called proximal femoral focal deficiency, where one leg is shorter than the other. At one year old, she had her foot amputated. And she immediately defied her doctors' expectations. As a teenager, she discovered wheelchair racing, and now, she's a Paralympian who represented Team USA in Tokyo last summer. (The Paralympic marathon was just the beginning of Jenna's fall marathon season: She then raced the London, Chicago, Boston, and New York City Marathons.) This weekend, Jenna heads to Boston where she will race in the professional women's wheelchair division in both the B.A.A. 5K on Saturday and the Boston Marathon on Monday. Jenna is sponsored by Oiselle, and she is currently studying education policy at the University of Illinois (and she'll begin her doctorate program in the fall!). SPONSOR: Shokz — Use code OTR15 for 15% off wireless headphones. What you'll get on this episode: What's making Jenna happy right now (3:50) All about wheelchair racing and training safety (4:45) Jenna's plans for Boston Marathon weekend, and why she's able to race so frequently (7:20) Reflecting on the 2021 Boston Marathon (16:30) All about Jenna's childhood, and living with proximal femoral focal deficiency (20:10) How Jenna got into wheelchair racing (24:40) Jenna explains her positioning in her chair (32:30) Jenna's Paralympic dreams, and the choices and sacrifices she has had to make to pursue them (34:20) How Jenna became a Oiselle-sponsored athlete (41:20) What Jenna wishes people understood about adaptive athletes (43:00) How to spot Jenna at the Boston Marathon (51:50) Follow Jenna: Instagram @jenfesemyer 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!

14 Apr 20221h

"She's my person." Silvana Morgan is a nurse, a runner, and a mom to two daughters. A few years ago, she was running a race when she saw a fellow runner up ahead wearing "a really cute outfit." But when the course split — half marathoners to the left, other race distances to the right — Silvana, who is from Brazil and says she's now living her dream with her family in New Hampshire, didn't get a chance to meet that runner and tell her she liked her outfit. That runner, it turned out, was commercial truck driver, marathoner, and outdoor enthusiast Yuma Haidara. Later that day, Yuma posted about her race in New Hampshire's She Runs This Town Facebook group. Silvana saw the post, recognized the woman in the photo as the woman from the race, and a friendship was born. The two — now best friends — have been inseparable ever since. This is their friendship story. SPONSOR: Tracksmith. Click here and use code ALI22 to get free shipping. Plus, Tracksmith will donate 5% of your purchase proceeds to the Brave Like Gabe Foundation. What you'll get on this episode: How Yuma and Silvana met (4:20) What it was like when Yuma and Silvana met in person for the first time (7:40) On running and racing together, and Silvana's tips for stroller running (10:25) How Silvana started running (12:45) How Yuma knew her friendship with Silvana was special (15:00) What Silvana's childhood was like growing up in Brazil (16:30) All about Yuma's 2021 New York City Marathon race — in a pair of Oofos sandals (19:20) Silvana's road to becoming a nurse (27:30) What's next on the run for Yuma and Silvana? (31:00) All about the Mount Washington Road Race — where "there's only one hill" (39:30) How work is going for Yuma and Silvana (46:00) All about Yuma's Oofos commercial! (48:50) All about Silvana and Yuma's matching racing outfits (54:00) Pride (1:00:30) Check out: Great Bay Half Marathon Home Base Program She Runs This Town Follow Yuma: Instagram @yumahaidara Follow Silvana: Instagram @sissilmorgan 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 Apr 20221h 11min

"What will get us to the finish line is nothing compared to what got us to the start." In 2013, professional ballroom dancer Adrianne Haslet was walking near the Boston Marathon finish line when the bombs went off. She lost her leg that day, standing on Boylston Street. Then, in 2019, Adrianne — who had become a runner herself after her lower leg amputation — was walking on Commonwealth Ave. when she was hit by a car. Even in the face of so much unexpected adversity, Adrianne hasn't lost her fighting spirit. She's a survivor, an advocate, an inspiration — and on Monday, April 18, she'll return to both Comm Ave. and Boylston Street, but this time it will be en route to her own marathon finish. Adrianne will be racing in the Boston Marathon's para division alongside friend and official guide Shalane Flanagan. In this conversation, Adrianne talks about training under Shalane's guidance, about how she's feeling with race day just a week and a half away, and about what she's doing now to prepare for the potential post-marathon blues. She also talks about the emotional component of running a race that she has such a heavy history with, and about what she pictures when she imagines her finish line moment. SPONSOR: New Balance — Go to newbalance.com/beyondtherun to learn more about how New Balance is supporting the conversations around mental wellness in running. (And check out my current favorite pullover, crop top, half-zip top, quilted pullover, and jacket.) What you'll get on this episode: How Adrianne is feeling with less than two weeks to go until the Boston Marathon, and reflections on this training cycle (6:00) On returning to Boston after DNF-ing the 2018 race (11:00) What it's been like moving during marathon training, and how Adrianne met her boyfriend, Harry (15:30) All about Adrianne's running leg (23:00) How Adrianne and Shalane Flanagan met and became friends (25:15) What it's like being coached by Shalane (34:20) The low and high points from Boston 2022 training (43:25) How the weather affects Adrianne's leg (57:30) The mental and emotional components of returning to the Boston Marathon (59:00) All about Adrianne's upcoming IMAX film (1:02:55) Adrianne's guide to Boston (1:10:00) For more, check out: Adrianne Haslet on Episode 192 of the Ali on the Run Show Shalane Flanagan on Episode 438 of the Ali on the Run Show Shalane Flanagan on Episode 242 of the Ali on the Run Show Follow Adrianne: Instagram @adriannehaslet Twitter @adriannehaslet 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!

8 Apr 20221h 17min

"There was a moment where I looked at myself in the mirror and said, 'Whoa, this is what you're meant to do. This is it.'" Kirsten Ferguson is living her dream. She once wrote "Become a Peloton instructor" on a Post-It note, and today she's doing exactly that. (And she still has the manifestation-filled Post-It.) The Peloton Tread instructor is a single mom of two, and the road to this dream life hasn't been an easy one. Kirsten grew up with aspirations of working in the fashion industry. But when she enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Technology, she quickly realized that she wanted to do something completely different. She ended up getting a job working in sponsorships with the NFL, where she worked for seven years before leaving and having children. Along the way, Kirsten suffered two miscarriages. That's when she found fitness. Kirsten leaned into cycling classes during her darkest, most isolating, and most challenging days. On their third try, Kirsten got — and stayed — pregnant. In this conversation, she's honest about what new motherhood was like for her, and about what happened when she had just become a fitness instructor and was going through a separation when the pandemic hit. She talks about how she got the Peloton job and about how she became a runner, about creating the "Ratchet Mom Club," about being at the Super Bowl for Beyoncé's epic halftime show, and about why she welcomes fear into her life. SPONSORS: Shokz — Use code OTR15 for 15% off wireless headphones. The 2022 Bayshore Marathon — Sign up for this year's marathon and 10K, taking place May 28th in Traverse City, MI. What you'll get on this episode: How Kirsten's latest Peloton class came together (5:45) Why Kirsten takes her own classes (7:50) What Young Kirsten was like (10:40) On going to the Fashion Institute of Technology — and then having a change of heart and working for the NFL (13:00) Kirsten's road to motherhood (22:50) How Kirsten found fitness (29:30) What new motherhood was like for Kirsten (35:30) How Kirsten found her purpose (40:45) How Kirsten overcame her fear of public speaking (49:15) On getting the Peloton job, and what happened next (50:50) What does a Peloton producer do? (58:30) All about the Ratchet Mom Club (1:01:40) On learning to call herself a runner (1:05:00) For more, check out: Fear is my Homeboy by Judi Holler Follow Kirsten: Instagram @iamkirstenferguson 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 Apr 20221h 17min

"I'm tired. But I'm feeling pretty good. I've got a job to do and I need to do it and that's kind of it. I'm on a mission. I just need to get it done." Jacky Hunt-Broersma is on a quest to run 100 marathons in 100 days. That's 26.2 miles every single day for 100 days straight, while raising money for Amputee Blade Runners. We recorded this episode together at 8 AM on Day 75. Jacky — a running coach and ultramarathoner whose next goal is the Moab 240 Endurance Run — had just gotten her two kids off to school, and was getting ready for marathon number 75. In this conversation, we get to know the Jacky today, who is more than 3/4 of the way through her record-setting challenge. And we get to know the 26-year-old Jacky from 2001, who woke up one day with a golf ball-sized mass on her leg. She was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, a rare cancer, and had her leg amputated just weeks after the diagnosis. It wasn't until 15 years later that Jacky started running, and she says her only regret is that she didn't start sooner. In this conversation, Jacky talks about the highest (running with her daughter!) and lowest (Day 35) points of this 100-marathon challenge, about dealing with mom guilt along the way, and about her plans for marathon #92, which she'll run in the para division of the Boston Marathon. SPONSOR: Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race — Registration for this year's virtual Peachtree is now open! Click the link to be a part of this historic 10K today. What you'll get on this episode: How Jacky was feeling at 8 AM on Day 75, and her plan for the day (5:20) How Jacky got through an especially tough run recently (9:50) Jacky's running must-haves (16:00) How Jacky is feeling emotionally (17:40) All about the recovery process during this adventure (19:40) How Jacky is involving her children and family in this process (23:00) Jacky's cancer story, and how she found running (25:50) Learning to run with a running blade (39:20) All about Jacky's 100 marathons in 100 days challenge (44:00) Jacky's plans for the Boston Marathon, and for marathon #100 (51:00) Jacky's most memorable marathons so far — and the day that "nearly broke her" (53:15) Follow Jacky: Instagram @ncrunnerjacky DONATE 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 Apr 20221h 9min

"I said, 'You definitely have this win. Don't be so scared anymore.'" Last weekend, two-time Olympian Dominique Scott Efurd won the first-ever elite division at the Atlanta Women's 5K. And while it may have been her first time breaking the tape this year, Dom's 2022 is off to a solid start. In January, she finished third at the Houston Half Marathon. Then, she finished second at The TEN. And this weekend, she'll race the Cooper River Bridge Run. In this conversation — Dom's first time back on the show since late 2020 — Dom talks about her recent races, about the challenging start to 2021, which included a tibial stress reaction and a case of Covid, and about her experience representing Team South Africa at the Tokyo Olympics last summer. Dom is sponsored by adidas, and she lives in Boulder, CO, where she trains with Team Boss. SPONSOR: The 2022 Bayshore Marathon. Go to BayshoreMarathon.org to sign up for this year's marathon and 10K, taking place May 28th in Traverse City, MI. What you'll get on this episode: How it felt to break the tape at the Atlanta Women's 5K (5:30) On being the race starter at the Atlanta Women's 5K (13:45) All about that 5K in Atlanta (16:00) How Dom is feeling heading into the Cooper River Bridge Run 10K (23:15) On finishing second at The TEN (24:30) Dom talks about the tough times she's faced over the past two years (40:00) What Dom remembers most from the Tokyo Olympics, and recapping the Houston Half Marathon (47:00) Dom's marathon dreams (1:04:40) All about the social media side of the sport (1:08:40) Follow Dom: Instagram @domscottrunsa 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!

1 Apr 20221h 21min