201. Neely Spence Gracey

"I've tried to take on that mindset for the last few years at these races, of, 'How do I show up as authentically as possible, as the Ali I know I am and want to be, while having fun, while being professional… What does that look like?' And I feel like I kind of nailed it this time around." There's nowhere I'd rather be on the third Monday in April than at the Boston Marathon finish line! This year, I was honored to be asked back to perform a variety of roles in Boston. I was one of the announcers at the Boston 5K, I hosted two panels and one live show, I was one of the race announcers at the finish on Marathon Monday, and I was the finish line reporter for the world feed broadcast. It was a fun, rewarding weekend that included quality time with my favorite people, my biggest live event ever, a million finish line hugs, a few too many after-parties, and so much more. SPONSORS: THE AJC PEACHTREE ROAD RACE: The lottery for this year's most famous Fourth of July 10K is now open. Enter today for your chance to run Atlanta's iconic race. Lagoon: Click here to take Lagoon's 2-minute sleep quiz to see which pillow is right for you. (I'm an Otter!) Use code ALI at checkout for 15% off your next Lagoon order. UCAN: Click here to get a FREE UCAN Edge sample pack (you'll just pay the cost of shipping), and use code ALI for 20% off your next UCAN order. In this episode: Friday: the press conference, the Emma & Jess live show, the Shokz show, dinner at Saltie Girl (get the lobster roll!), a finish line dance party, and a New Balance party at Sweeney's (1:50) Saturday: the 5K, the New Balance show with Heather MacLean, and the marathon relay at The Track (22:30) Sunday: a windy long run, bottle decorating, a Newbury Street stroll, sound check, and a broadcast meeting (41:40) Marathon Monday: all the stories from the finish line, including friends' finishes, pro finishes, Paul Revere, Des's final Boston, and the after parties (54:20) Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group 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!

29 Apr 1h 55min

"How can I not have success when I have this many people coming and supporting me?" On the Friday before the Boston Marathon, I hosted a panel at the race expo featuring three of Shokz-sponsored athletes: Hellen Obiri, Conner Mantz, and Dakotah Popehn. Hellen entered the race at the two-time defending champion, and she went on to finish second in 2:17:41, a significant personal best in a fast, gritty race. Conner, one of the best professional marathoners the United States has ever seen, ran hard and with heart, finishing fourth in 2:05:08, just seconds off the podium. And Dakotah, the smiley, speedy Paris Olympian, finished 16th in 2:26:09. In this conversation, these three runners talked about what success in Boston would look like for each of them and, of course, talked about what they like to listen to on the run, and shared their favorite sights and sounds of the Boston Marathon. SPONSOR: Shokz: Use code ALI for $10 off your next purchase. Code valid in the U.S. and Canada. (Check out the limited edition Boston Marathon OpenRun Pro2!) Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group 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 Apr 48min

"You ran with some kahunas!" Every year, I host a panel at the Boston Marathon Expo featuring some of the top American women in the professional field. This year, that meant getting to chat with Jess McClain and Emma Bates on the Friday before the 2025 Boston Marathon. Jess went on to become the top American woman in Boston, finishing seventh overall in 2:22:43 (a more than three-second personal best!). Emma was the third American woman to finish, crossing the line in 13th place in a time of 2:25:10. Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group 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!

24 Apr 53min

"I'm a Boston girlie through and through." Welcome to The Track at New Balance during Boston Marathon weekend! This was a 725-person party featuring New Balance Boston athlete and Olympian Heather MacLean, and it was one for the books. Heather had us all laughing with stories about shopping carts, witch family members, tinned fish Tok, and so much more. Thank you to everyone who joined us — here's to the next one! FOLLOW HEATHER @heather_maclean31 SPONSOR: New Balance: Until April 25, get 20% off Ali's favorite things using code ALIRUN20 at checkout! Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group 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!

23 Apr 1h 7min

"She said, 'This is how it was supposed to be. This is how it was supposed to feel.' And at that moment, I realized the magnitude of what we gave to each other." Rerun alert! In honor of the 129th Boston Marathon in just a few days, we're throwing it back to 2022, when fan favorite and beloved Peloton instructor Jess Sims surprised the world by showing up at the start (and finish!) line of the Boston Marathon. And she had a good reason for keeping her marathon debut on the down-low. In this very special conversation, Jess talks about receiving a fateful message from Boston Marathon bombing survivor Michele Blackburn — a message that ultimately guided Jess every step of the way toward that finish line on Boylston Street. Jess talks about her training, about how she felt on the start line, and about why she still feels marathon imposter syndrome, even after earning that blue and yellow medal. (You'll want tissues on hand 17 minutes into this one. You've been warned.) SPONSORS: Vuori: Click here for 20% off your first Vuori purchase. THE AJC PEACHTREE ROAD RACE: The lottery for this year's most famous Fourth of July 10K is now open. Enter today for your chance to run Atlanta's iconic race. Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group 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 Apr 1h 25min

"There's a stigma about retiring from pro running, that it's this huge thing and it's so hard. And there are parts of it that are challenging. But I'm seriously so great. I'm loving life." Aisha Praught Leer is no stranger to the Ali on the Run Show. She returns today for her fifth appearance — but it's her first in this new phase of life. Last year, Aisha officially retired from professional running. The longtime Puma athlete, two-time Olympian, Commonwealth Games champion, and six-time Jamaican record holder is now embracing a career in corporate America, while also continuing to be an advocate for professional athletes, and working in front of the camera and on the mic with Citius Mag. In this episode, we're catching up on all of it, including how Aisha feels about that 9–5 life, what her relationship with running is like now that she's no longer competing professionally, and what it's actually like retiring from your dream job in your thirties — and figuring out what comes next. FOLLOW AISHA @aishapraughtleer SPONSOR: Oofos: The best in recovery footwear! Check out Oofos's new limited edition Boston Marathon collection — before it sells out! In this episode: How Aisha is doing right now, and how she's feeling about "racing" this weekend at the New Balance Marathon Relay in Boston (4:15) Aisha's takeaways from the first Grand Slam Track event (16:15) Why Aisha decided to retire from professional running in 2024 (24:00) What it was like working with a career coach (35:40) All about Aisha's job in tech sales at Adobe (48:30) How Aisha's relationship with running has changed since retiring (59:40) How Aisha's personal relationships have changed since retiring (1:04:10) What's next for Aisha? (1:12:00) Follow: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Support on Patreon Subscribe to the newsletter SUPPORT: If you're enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. And if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!

15 Apr 1h 30min

"If we get to the end of my life, and I look back and say the regrets that I have, I know one of them would be, 'You never ran the New York City Marathon.' Not a marathon. I don't want to run a marathon. I want to run the New York City Marathon." Caroline Moss has a dream: to run the New York City Marathon. As a New Yorker, it's her favorite day of the year. The catch: Caroline isn't a runner. Yet. In this new series, we're following author, creator, and professional shopper Caroline Moss as she embarks on a quest to start running, and, sometime in the next few years, run the race of her dreams. In this episode, we're getting to know Caroline — a lifelong theater kid turned digital media genius turned aspiring marathoner. FOLLOW CAROLINE @geethanksjustboughtitpod CAROLINE'S FACEBOOK GROUP SPONSOR: Shokz: Use code ALI for $10 off your next purchase. Code valid in the U.S. and Canada. (Check out the limited edition Boston Marathon OpenRun Pro2!) Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group 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!

12 Apr 1h 54min

"I want to go out there and just absolutely smash it out of the park." Next week, the pros and everyday runners alike will descend on Boston, MA, to run the 129th Boston Marathon. For most of these runners, getting to run Boston is a longtime goal or dream. One they worked hard at for years. And that's true even for professional runner Gabi Rooker. In this conversation, the former gymnast turned Nike-sponsored athlete and internal medicine physician assistant (what can't she do?!) talks about the road to her Boston Marathon debut. Gabi will race her first Boston this year, and it's been a journey to get to the start line. Gabi talks about how she recovered — physically and emotionally — from the 2024 Olympic Marathon Trials, and reflects on that five-second personal best (2:24:29) at the 2024 Chicago Marathon. Plus, what she'll be wearing on race day, what it's like being coached by her husband, Alex, and how she's feeling after logging 122-mile weeks throughout the Minnesota winter. FOLLOW GABI @gabirooker SPONSORS: Lagoon: Click here to take Lagoon's 2-minute sleep quiz to see which pillow is right for you. (I'm an Otter!) Use code ALI at checkout for 15% off your next Lagoon order. UCAN: Click here to get a FREE UCAN Edge sample pack (you'll just pay the cost of shipping), and use code ALI for 20% off your next UCAN order. In this episode: How Gabi would sum up her Boston Marathon training cycle (3:00) How Gabi balanced working as a physician assistant during her Boston training (4:15) Gabi's career dreams, how she pictures her future in both running and in her medical career, and her approach to balance (9:55) With less than two weeks to Boston: Has Gabi checked the weather? (12:00) Gabi's history with the Boston Marathon, and why she's running this year's race (17:00) Gabi's experience working with sport psychology coach Emily Saul (26:30) What Gabi's Boston Marathon weekend entails (34:10) Gabi reflects on the 2024 Olympic Marathon Trials (37:35) On healing the heart and body after the Trials (43:30) Gabi reflects on the 2024 Chicago Marathon, where she ran a five-second personal best, and Gabi's approach to fitting racing into her schedule (45:00) On being "the people's hero" (50:00) What Gabi will be wearing in Boston (52:50) What Gabi's like on race morning (57:00) What's top of mind for Gabi right now? (1:03:00) Follow: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Support on Patreon Subscribe to the newsletter SUPPORT: If you're enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. And if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!

10 Apr 1h 8min