49. Abby Bales, Founder of Reform Physical Therapy

"Not all rectangles are squares. That's how I dissect who's self-conscious and not in the short-shorts vs. tights debates." Welcome back to "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know!" I've worked in the running industry in some capacity for roughly a decade now, and as much as I've immersed myself, there's still so much I don't know or understand. So if I, a relative industry insider, am still confused about things like shoe contracts, waterfall starts on the track, and world rankings (seriously, what's up with world rankings?), surely I'm not alone. And since the 2023 World Athletics Championships competition kicks off this weekend in Budapest, it felt urgent to get the inside scoop. So today, former professional runner and founder of The Lap Count (and track and field's biggest fan and hype guy) Kyle Merber returns to answer all of your (and some of my) questions about the World Championships. Big Qs and Little Qs and world stage paydays and the Media 800, and more! SPONSORS: UCAN: Click here to get a FREE Edge sample pack (you'll just pay the cost of shipping), and use code ALI23 for 20% off your next UCAN order. Vacation Races: Click here and use code ONTHERUN200 for $200 off any Global Adventures trip, or code ONTHERUN15 for 15% off any half marathon or ultra marathon registration. Vuori: Click here for 20% off your first Vuori purchase. For more, check out: Everything You Need to Know About Track & Field Everything You Need to Know About the Business of Running Follow Kyle: Instagram @kylemerber Subscribe to The Lap Count 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!

17 Aug 20231h 11min

"We were like, what if Emily and Keira tied? What if they cross the line together and they tied? And we said, well what if we had a cage match? Like it was a tie, and then it came down to a cage match?" Their wives are the fastest distance runners in the country. Today, we turn the spotlight to the sidelines to hear from the husbands. Shane Quinn is married to American record holder in the marathon and former American record holder in the half marathon, Emily Sisson. Tony D'Amato is married to American record holder in the half-marathon and former American record holder in the marathon, Keira D'Amato. And while their wives have been breaking — and trading — records, Shane and Tony have been bonding behind the scenes. In this wildly fun episode, Shane and Tony D. talk about what it's like being married to professional runners at the top of their game, about how they've learned to show up and show their support, about how to be a supportive partner without sacrificing their own goals and dreams, and about...cage matches. A surprising amount of talk about cage matches. (Your move, Ryan Hall.) SPONSORS: UCAN: Click here to get a FREE Edge sample pack (you'll just pay the cost of shipping), and use code ALI23 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. goodr: Use code ONTHERUN for free shipping on your entire order. 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!

27 Juli 20231h 25min

"I want to make sure I can be doing this for many years to come and not overdo it. So I'm trying to be smart. It's less fun being smart." First, she won the Western States Endurance Run 100-mile race, and set a course record in the process. And then, just three weeks later, Courtney Dauwalter ran, won, and set a course record at the Hardrock 100. In this conversation, Courtney returns to the Ali on the Run Show to talk about her back-to-back wins, and about why — she swears — it's not about the clock, the wins, or the records. 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: How Courtney is feeling after back-to-back 100-milers (2:40) How Courtney processes her races — and what's next (3:50) How Courtney manages all of her sponsorships, brand deals, partnerships, and emails (7:00) How Courtney approached the recovery period between Western States and Hardrock (9:20) Courtney shares how she dealt when this year's Hardrock 100 felt hard from the start (14:05) What it's like being Courtney Dauwalter (16:30) Courtney's Hardrock 100 recap (18:45) On aid station energy, and whether the signature Courtney smiles are ever forced (25:20) What life looked like after Courtney crossed the Hardrock finish line (30:55) Courtney's mid-race detour, and the "dark and twisty" places she went during the race (33:30) Courtney answers listener questions! (38:50) What does it mean to run the Courtney Dauwalter way? (57:00) FOLLOW COURTNEY @courtneydauwalter Courtney Dauwalter, 2021 UTMB Winner Courtney Dauwalter, Professional Ultra Runner 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!

25 Juli 20231h 2min

"I went into it with no expectations and a lot of gratitude." Fresh off her seventh 100-miler finish — and second finish at the Hardrock 100 — Emily Halnon returns to the Ali on the Run Show for the sixth time. In this conversation, Emily talks about getting a call 19 hours before the race start saying she'd gotten off the waitlist. Should she want it, a bib for the esteemed 102.5-mile race in Colorado was hers. She wanted it. So, she wrangled her crew (and an extra pair of socks), and went on to finish this year's race nearly two hours faster than in 2022. She finished in 36 hours and 47 minutes — the ninth woman and 33rd finisher overall. Today, we get to hear all about it, including why this race means so much to Emily, what it's like racing alongside Courtney Dauwalter, and what happened when Emily hit her lowest point of the race. Plus, all about her forthcoming book, which she finished and submitted to her publisher the day before lining up at the Hardrock start line. SPONSORS: UCAN: Click here to get a FREE Edge sample pack (you'll just pay the cost of shipping), and use code ALI23 for 20% off your next UCAN order. Vacation Races: Use code ONTHERUN200 for $200 off any Global Adventures trip, or code ONTHERUN15 for 15% off any half marathon or ultra marathon registration. Follow Emily: Instagram @emilysweats 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!

20 Juli 20231h 24min

"It's just this gut feeling that we're not done, and I'm not done. But I'm also a realist." By popular demand, four years later: Laura Green and Julia Berteletti return to the Motherhood Mondays series on the Ali on the Run Show! Like any group text, this episode takes the long, winding, scenic route. We talk parenting: Julia has a 4.5-year-old son, Max, and Laura has 4.5-year-old Jack and 2-year-old Julian. We talk about the role running is playing in each of their lives right now. We talk about Julia's hope for a second child, and the losses she's endured along the way. We talk about what life looks like for Laura as a mom of two. We talk about the easy, the hard, and everything in between. SPONSOR: adidas: Click here to check out the adiClub membership benefits, including 15% off and free shipping. Follow Julia @griffeletti Follow Laura @lauramcgreen 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!

17 Juli 20231h 8min

"I am just so thrilled for what's to come. I don't know what that is. But I have faith that it's working out as it should." We're long overdue for a catch-up session with professional runner and Olympian Kate Grace! The last time Kate was on the Ali on the Run Show was two years ago, after she had just competed at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team Trials, where she had hoped to make her second Olympic team in the 800m. Kate fell just short, finishing fourth in the final. But remember what happened next? Kate went on to have the best Revenge Summer ever! She went to Europe where she ran four races in four different countries in a 10-day span, and her time overseas earned her two wins and three personal bests. She had just moved to Boulder, CO, to train with Team Boss and coach Joe Bosshard. She was living the dream, and excited about her upcoming season — which, as we learn in this episode, Kate had planned to be her last. In this episode, Kate talks about going from the highest highs to the most devastating lows. She talks about getting Long Covid, about deciding how and when to retire from the sport, and, ultimately, about her decision to have a baby. Kate's son, River, is now four months old, and Kate is back on the run and "itching to go fast!" SPONSOR: UCAN: Click here to get a FREE Edge sample pack (you'll just pay the cost of shipping), and use code ALI23 for 20% off your next UCAN order. What you'll get on this episode: How Kate's doing these days (2:30) On learning to live without a routine or schedule (3:45) When River met Team Boss (6:30) Adventures in "leaving the house with a baby" (9:30) The powers of pelvic floor physical therapy, and how Kate approached her return to running (12:00) Kate's experience running during pregnancy (16:00) On life since the Kate Grace Revenge Summer, and the decision to have a baby (18:15) How Kate shared the news of her pregnancy (28:15) Pregnancy: expectation vs. reality (32:45) Kate's experience with preeclampsia, and all about River's birthday (38:25) Kate shares her new-mom fears (47:00) On the pressure to return to running and racing (48:45) Kate talks about the conversations she's had with her mom about pregnancy and fitness (55:20) Follow Kate: Instagram @fastkate Kate on Episode 399 of the Ali on the Run Show Kate on Episode 53 of the Ali on the Run Show 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!

13 Juli 20231h 1min

"You can get humbled in this sport quickly. You're playing the long game the whole time. I've learned that I'm down with that. I'm into that. That part of it is what keeps me going. I thrive in the unknowns — getting out there and figuring it out." Erica Stanley-Dottin started running young, and was a sprinter in college. But turns out, her fastest days are now, as a 49-year-old full-time working mom of two living in Brooklyn, NY. In this episode, Erica talks about her road to becoming a 2:52 marathoner. She talks about how she's gotten so fast, and about the significance of becoming a part of The List: a small group of American-born Black women who have run sub-3:00 marathons. (Erica joined when she ran 2:52:05 at the Berlin Marathon last year.) Plus, Erica talks about what's next on her racing calendar — and whether she plans to return to the track. SPONSORS: Vacation Races: Use code ONTHERUN200 for $200 off any Global Adventures trip, or code ONTHERUN15 for 15% off any half marathon or ultra marathon registration. 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: Why Erica decided to get back to the track recently (3:30) What's next on Erica's racing calendar? (10:25) Erica's keys to getting faster as she's getting older (12:55) How Erica became a runner (18:30) Why Erica ran her first marathon (24:00) How Erica became a 3:15 marathoner after having her two sons (30:55) On joining Black Roses, and how that changed the game for Erica (32:20) "The heartbreaker," and the race that taught Erica there are no guarantees in the marathon (35:45) The significance of running a sub-3:00 marathon and becoming a part of "The List" (39:45) On life since Berlin (51:20) What Erica has learned about herself through marathoning (53:50) All about Erica's job as Tracksmith's NYC Community Manager (55:00) Follow Erica: Instagram @estanleydott 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 Juli 20231h 5min

"I feel really, really free." Kara's back! In the year since her last appearance on the Ali on the Run Show, Kara Goucher has become a New York Times best-selling author and co-host of the fan-favorite podcast, Nobody Asked Us with Des and Kara. This week, Kara heads to Eugene, OR, where she'll be on the NBC broadcast calling the men's and women's distance events at the USATF Outdoor National Championships. (Here's how to watch.) In this episode, we're talking about some of the standout storylines to watch at this year's races. Plus, what life has been like since Kara's book, The Longest Race, came out earlier this year, chatter about the fun things professional athletes don't know about (how much race photos cost!), an update on Kara's running (Boston 2024?!), and so much more. SPONSORS: UCAN: Click here to get a FREE Edge sample pack (you'll just pay the cost of shipping), and use code ALI23 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 it's like being Kara Goucher in downtown Duluth, MN (2:45) All about Kara's role at this year's USATF Outdoor National Championships on CNBC (4:30) What to know about this year's distance races at USAs (11:00) How Kara feels about heading back to Eugene, OR — and where's the hype? (22:40) An update on Kara's running, and the latest on her life with runner's dystonia (34:25) On race photos, and professional photographers, Venmo, and more (40:30) What's next for Kara Goucher, distance analyst, and her thoughts on the 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Orlando (47:45) What's next for Kara Goucher, co-host of Nobody Asked Us with Des & Kara (55:00) On life since the release of Kara's book, The Longest Race (58:30) For more, check out: Kara Goucher on Episode 525 of the Ali on the Run Show Kara Goucher on Episode 411 of the Ali on the Run Show Kara Goucher on Episode 43 of the Ali on the Run Show Kara Goucher on Episode 86 of the Ali on the Run Show Kara and Adam Goucher on Episode 208 of the Ali on the Run Show 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!

6 Juli 20231h 6min