Ali on the Run Show

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97. Amy Cragg Sep 13, 2018

Show notes

"I'm the one who just puts my head down and works really hard. That's my thing." —Amy Cragg

In February, Amy Cragg — who runs for the Bowerman Track Club — ran an incredible five-minute personal best at the Tokyo Marathon. She finished third overall, and solidified her spot among the greats, officially becoming the fifth fastest female American marathoner. Now, Amy is gearing up to run the Chicago Marathon in October. On this episode, she shares her goals (she's in it to win it!), how her training has been going, what it's like training with Jerry Schumacher, and how she handles pressure. Plus, she reflects on the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Trials, talks about her relationship with her Olympian husband, and shares her dreams of starting a guitar band with former college roommate and friend Des Linden.

Thank you to AfterShokz for sponsoring this episode of the Ali on the Run Show! CLICK HERE for $55 off your wireless headphone bundle!

What you'll get on this episode:

Amy reflects on the 2018 Tokyo Marathon, her five-minute PR, and what her goals were for that race (1:45)
Amy's take on the power of persistence, and whether a personal record matters when you're a professional runner (4:20)
Why Amy decided to run the Chicago Marathon this year, and how her training has been going (7:20)
What it's like when Amy races her teammates (11:35)
Amy describes what it's like to train with the Bowerman Track Club (12:50)
Whether Amy and Des Linden — who were roommates in college — always knew they were destined for greatness (15:50)
Amy looks back on the 2012 Olympic Trials, when she came in fourth, and then reflects on the 2016 Trials, which she won! (19:30)
Amy compares the pressure of competing at the Olympics to the pressure of competing at the Trials — plus how she handles pressure (26:30)
Amy talks about her relationship with her husband, Alistair (29:30)
Amy shares the biggest challenge about being a professional athlete (33:00)
Amy's advice for anyone running the Chicago Marathon (38:30)

What we mention on this episode:

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96. LIVE at NYRR RunnerCon with Jenny Simpson, Emma Coburn, & Peter Ciaccia Sep 10, 2018

Show notes

"It's every competitor for themselves, and there's no mercy after the gun goes off." —Jenny Simpson

I was thrilled when New York Road Runners asked me to be part of the organization's first RunnerCon event to kick off the world-renowned 5th Avenue Mile weekend in New York City. The Ali on the Run Show LIVE event was sandwiched between a panel with YouTube sensation (and super speedy runner!) Casey Neistat and one with professional runner and cancer-fighting superstar Gabe Grunewald — not bad company to be in! Enjoy the recording from the live show, where I had the best time chatting with an all-star lineup including New York Road Runners President of Events and Race Director of the TCS New York City Marathon Peter Ciaccia, and professional runners Jenny Simpson and Emma Coburn. (And biggest thanks to everyone who came out to support the show in person. The crowd was amazing and so much fun!)

What you'll get on this episode:

Peter Ciaccia — the man behind asking for "clearance on the roadways" at New York Road Runners events — talks about how he got into the running industry and ended up at the helm of NYRR
Peter reflects on the pressure that comes with being in charge of the world's biggest marathon, plus whether he checks the weather obsessively before the race and whether he sleeps the week of the marathon (6:30)
Peter's advice to anyone who has ever worried about "coming in last" at a race (10:15)
Peter shares his favorite memory from his 18-year NYRR career — and his most memorable race-day blooper (12:20)
Jenny Simpson and Emma Coburn talk about what it's like being both friends and competitors (23:15)
Jenny shares whether pressure comes with defending her 5th Avenue Mile title (26:00)
Jenny and Emma talk about confidence, and how social media comes into play (28:20)
How Jenny defines failure, and what has the ability to rattle both women on the start line (32:15)
What Emma's competitive about off the race course (37:00)
Jenny and Emma sprint to the finish (40:40)

What we mention on this episode:

TCS New York City Marathon

New York Road Runners

Jack LaLanne

Dash to the Finish Line 5K

Popular Brooklyn Half

Emma Coburn on Episode 60 of the Ali on the Run Show

Mary Wittenberg

New Balance Fifth Avenue Mile

Boys in the Boat

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95. Keri Blunt, Goodr's VP of Everything Sep 05, 2018

Show notes

"I learned to get paid to do what I loved and enjoyed doing." —Keri Blunt

Keri Blunt is the VP of Everything at Goodr, the sunglasses company that has taken over the running world. But Keri's goal wasn't always (or ever) to work in the running industry. Her original plan — after graduating high school valedictorian at 16 years old — was to become a doctor. She went to college, where she double majored in molecular, cellular, and developmental biology and English literature — and realized her actual passions along the way. Today, Keri splits her time between overseeing content at Goodr and being a dancer, actor, and comedic rapper.

Thank you to AfterShokz for sponsoring this episode of the Ali on the Run Show! CLICK HERE for $55 off your wireless headphone bundle!

What you'll get on this episode:

Why Keri wanted to be a nudist growing up, and how she went on to become a 16-year-old high school valedictorian and college student double majoring in molecular, cellular, and developmental biology and English literature (2:30)
How Keri figured out what she actually wanted to do with her life (8:00)
What exactly Keri does now, and how she got involved with Goodr (12:00)
What it means to be the VP of Everything (22:10)
How Goodr grew to success over the past 3.5 years (24:15)
Where the name Goodr came from (32:15)
Whether Keri considers herself an entrepreneur, and how Goodr defines success (37:50)
What Keri's relationship with running is like (42:00)
Meet Wendy, Keri's [NSFW] rapping alter ego (49:00)

What we mention on this episode:

Goodr

Kara Goucher

Goodr in Runner's World

The Running Event

LA Marathon

Kara Goucher's Stop and Smell the Rosé glasses

Goodr Flamboyance

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94. Ellen Latham, Creator of Orangetheory Fitness Aug 29, 2018

Show notes

"I finally thought, 'Why not me? Why not give it a shot?'" —Ellen Latham

Ellen Latham is the creator and co-founder of Orangetheory Fitness. Orangetheory is the fastest-growing fitness franchise in the world: It's currently in 18 countries, it brought in more than $700 million in sales last year, and Ellen and her team recently celebrated the opening of the brand's 1000th studio. Of course, the road to super success hasn't been simple for Ellen. Before she was the founder of Orangetheory, she was a single mom who had just gotten fired from her job and had to figure out what to do next. On this episode, Ellen, who lives in Fort Lauderdale, FL, reflects on those challenges, how she decided to become an entrepreneur, and what makes OTF special. She also talks about her greatest successes and scariest failures and growing pains.

Thank you to AfterShokz for sponsoring this episode of the Ali on the Run Show! CLICK HERE for $55 off your wireless headphone bundle!

What you'll get on this episode:

How Ellen made her way into the fitness industry (1:50)
How being a single mom who got fired from her job led Ellen to create Orangetheory, and how she bounced back from extreme discomfort (2:40)
Whether Ellen always knew she would be a huge success, and how she learned to be an entrepreneur (8:45)
What Ellen says are the most important decisions she's made to grow Orangetheory to become the fastest-growing fitness franchise in the world (16:00)
Why Orangetheory's motto is "More Life," and what that means to Ellen (22:30)
What a day in the life of Ellen Latham is like (26:00)
Ellen shares her future goals for Orangetheory (28:00)
Ellen's advice for first-time Orangetheory-goers and for women who want to pursue careers in the fitness industry (30:45)
What keeps Ellen up at night (33:45)

What we mention on this episode:

Orangetheory Fitness

Ellen's Ultimate Workout

Massage Envy

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93. Jeni Novak, Founder of Novak Entertainment Aug 23, 2018

Show notes

"You only have a fallback plan if you plan to fall back." —Jeni Novak

When I was 12 years old, my cool older cousin was dating the coolest girl I'd ever met. She wore high heels, she was a dancer, and she would always do my hair and makeup when I saw her. That girl — woman — is Jeni Novak. We called her "Little Jen," because she was teeny tiny, but today, Little Jen has gotten up to some big things: She went on to become a professional dancer, eventually dancing for Miley Cyrus and becoming not just her go-to dancer, but also one of her closest friends. (Jealous.) Jeni met her now-husband while dancing for Miley (my cousin went on to marry the other coolest girl I've ever met), so if you're a Miley Cyrus fan (I am!), there are lots of fun Miley stories in this episode. Today, Jeni is a hair and makeup artist in Hollywood. She and her husband started their own creative agency and production company, Novak Entertainment, and their clients include Lululemon, Tone It Up, Reebok, and more. Jen has so many inspiring stories to share, so if you're looking for someone to help whip you into shape and up your hustle game, you'll get it in this episode.

Thank you to AfterShokz for sponsoring this episode of the Ali on the Run Show! CLICK HERE for $55 off your wireless headphone bundle!

What you'll get on this episode:

Jeni recalls her early days as an aspiring professional dancer, and how she made her dance dreams come true — including the fateful way she ended up moving to Los Angeles for good (4:10)
How Jeni has built her confidence, and whether she's ever felt insecure in this industry (22:30)
How Jeni ended up dancing for — and becoming close friends with — Miley Cyrus (25:15)
How and why Jeni decided to start a production company (36:30)
The big job Jeni was preparing for when we recorded this episode (48:40)
How Jeni made her way into the health and wellness space (1:00:10)

What we mention on this episode:

The Juilliard School

Legends in Concert

Broadway Dance Center

L.A. DanceMagic

Miley Cyrus performing Melancholy Hill

Matte Black

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92. Laura Anderson, 2018 Buffalo Marathon Winner Aug 15, 2018

Show notes

"I haven't always failed gracefully, but I've always come back." —Laura Anderson

Laura Anderson is a full-time working mom and McKirdy Trained running coach based in Rochester, NY. Laura had her daughter, Hannah, a little over a year ago, and in May she ran — and won — her first big postpartum race. On this episode, Laura reflects on her 2018 Buffalo Marathon win (she finished in 2:57, which was also a marathon PR) and the training that helped her break the tape. She also honestly and candidly talks about her experience with postpartum OCD, body image, and goal setting.

Thank you to AfterShokz for sponsoring this episode of the Ali on the Run Show! CLICK HERE for $55 off your wireless headphone bundle!

What you'll get on this episode:

Laura reflects on her recent Buffalo Marathon win and what race day was like (2:50)
How Laura's Buffalo Marathon training went — her first postpartum training cycle — and what she does for cross-training (11:40)
Why Laura chose not to run during her pregnancy (17:15)
Laura talks about whether not running throughout pregnancy made her postpartum comeback easier or more challenging (22:00)
How Laura got into running (28:30)
What Laura's training for now, plus how and when she sets her running goals (32:00)
Laura's advice for aspiring Boston Marathon qualifiers (36:30)
How and why Laura decided to become a running coach, and what she's like as a coach (38:30)
Laura talks about the most common mistakes she sees most runners making (41:30)
Laura opens up about her postpartum OCD (44:15)
How Laura takes care of herself in spite of an extremely busy schedule (52:30)

What we mention on this episode:

Buffalo Marathon

McKirdy Trained

Lake Effect Half Marathon

*Learn more about Postpartum OCD*

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91. What's New With You Week with Sarah Sellers Aug 07, 2018

Show notes

"I'm still not sure which was crazier: me finishing second, or the response to me finishing second." — Sarah Sellers

After the 2018 Boston Marathon, everyone wanted to meet second place finisher Sarah Sellers. She joined the Ali on the Run Show just two days after her triumphant finish in Boston — and that episode went on to become the most-downloaded episode of the show ever. Today, Sarah is still a nurse anesthetist living in Arizona, but her life looks a little different post-Boston. She's no longer and unknown, unsponsored runner — she signed with Altra soon after Boston — and she's $75,000 richer thanks to the Boston Marathon. On this episode, she looks back at that day in Boston and how her life has changed since, and shares her big racing plans for the fall.

Thank you to AfterShokz for sponsoring What's New With You Week on the Ali on the Run Show! CLICK HERE for $55 off your wireless headphone bundle!

What you'll get on this episode:

What the days and weeks after the Boston Marathon were like for Sarah (2:05)
What it was like returning to work after Boston (4:45)
What Sarah's post-Boston recovery was like (6:00)
How Sarah spent her $75,000 Boston Marathon prize money (7:30)
How Sarah became sponsored post-Boston, what that process was like, and why she chose to partner with Altra (10:10)
Whether her second-place finish in Boston added stress and pressure to Sarah's running (16:00)
How Sarah is fitting her new, busier running and racing commitments into her already intense work schedule (19:40)
What's next for Sarah Sellers? (23:00)

What we mention on this episode:

Sarah Sellers on Episode 69 of the Ali on the Run Show

NYRR New York Mini 10K

Altra

Deseret News 10K

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90. What's New With You Week with Gwen Jorgensen Aug 06, 2018

Show notes

"It's hard. I go and put the work in and see a glimmer of hope and then get my butt handed to me a week later. It's difficult. But I know what I want to do and what I believe I'm capable of doing, and I know I just need to continue to work." —Gwen Jorgensen

When Gwen Jorgensen was on the Ali on the Run Show earlier this year, she had recently moved to Portland, OR, and had just announced her next big goal: to transition from an Olympic gold medal-winning triathlete to an Olympic gold medal-winning marathoner. Gwen has been training with the Bowerman Track Club, under the leadership of Coach Jerry Schumacher, and she's back on the show to give us all an update on how her 2020 pursuit is going. Plus, she talks about how becoming a mom to one-year-old Stanley has changed the game for her, and what she's learned from her fellow Bowerman Babes.

Thank you to AfterShokz for sponsoring What's New With You Week on the Ali on the Run Show! CLICK HERE for $55 off your wireless headphone bundle!

What you'll get on this episode:

Why Gwen wanted to train with the Bowerman Track Club, and how she made it happen (2:10)
What it's like being a Bowerman Babe, and what Gwen has learned from her teammates (4:20)
What is it about Jerry Schumacher? (8:00)
How Gwen's training is going, physically and mentally (11:00)
How becoming a mom has changed Gwen's training (15:50)
What Gwen's fall marathon goals look like and how she's working toward them (19:45)
What's new with Stanley? (22:00)
Gwen reflects on her postpartum return to running and training (24:00)

What we mention on this episode:

Gwen Jorgensen on Episode 54 of the Ali on the Run Show

Bowerman Track Club

Shelby Houlihan

Shalane Flanagan

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89. What's New With You Week with Janae Baron Aug 06, 2018

Show notes

"Running is important, but it's not everything." —Janae Baron

When Janae Baron was on the Ali on the Run Show last December, she was 37 weeks pregnant, so needless to say, she's seen some big changes now that she has an eight-month-old daughter, Skye, added to her six-member family! On this episode, Janae talks about how that transition has gone, and what the biggest challenges and surprises have been so far. She opens up about the easy parts, the hard parts, and, of course, the running-related parts. Plus, a very special guest at the beginning of the episode!

Thank you to AfterShokz for sponsoring What's New With You Week on the Ali on the Run Show! CLICK HERE for $55 off your wireless headphone bundle!

What you'll get on this episode:

How life has been for Janae since becoming a family of six (4:40)
What Janae says has been the biggest surprise about adding a baby to the family (7:50)
How having a baby with Andrew has impacted their marriage (9:45)
What Janae's recovery and return to running after having Skye was like (12:00)
Janae opens up about her experience with feeling depressed and sad during pregnancy (18:00)
Janae shares her current race goals, plans, and dreams — and talks about whether that sub-3:00 marathon goal is still on her mind (23:45)
What Janae says she's most excited about right now (39:20)

What we mention on this episode:

Janae Baron on Episode 50 of the Ali on the Run Show

Mary Johnson

St. George Marathon

Lift.Run.Perform

Mountains 2 Beach Marathon

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88. What's New With You Week with Allie Kieffer Aug 05, 2018

Show notes

"Expectations obviously are higher now. But I put them on myself." —Allie Kieffer

When Allie Kieffer was on Episode 46 of the Ali on the Run Show last November, she was fresh off a fifth-place finish at the 2017 TCS New York City Marathon. Her 2:29 finish was triumphant: She was this unknown, unsponsored runner from Buffalo, NY, who happened to be the first American woman to finish behind winner Shalane Flanagan. Now, Allie is no longer unknown or unsponsored. She signed with Oiselle soon after NYC, trained in Kenya for seven weeks, and recently moved to Boulder, CO, where she's gearing up to return to the New York City Marathon.

Thank you to AfterShokz for sponsoring What's New With You Week on the Ali on the Run Show! CLICK HERE for $55 off your wireless headphone bundle!

What you'll get on this episode:

Allie reflects on the 2017 TCS New York City Marathon and how it impacted her career (2:15)
Allie's best advice for moving past a bad race or workout (6:05)
How Allie became a sponsored runner, thanks to Oiselle, what the signing process entailed, and what her sponsorship agreement looks like (7:20)
Whether becoming a well-known, in-the-public-eye runner after the 2017 NYC Marathon was stressful or motivating for Allie (13:40)
What training in Kenya was like — and how Allie ended up there in the first place (15:30)
How Allie coped emotionally after going from being in the best shape of her life to having a stress fracture and being totally sidelined (22:10)
Why Allie traded Buffalo for Boulder (28:00)
Allie opens up about how she became an advocate for body positivity, and her relationship with her body and race times (31:15)
What's next for Allie Kieffer (37:00)

What we mention on this episode:

Allie Kieffer on Episode 46 of the Ali on the Run Show

AJC Peachtree Road Race

Portland Track Festival

Emma Coburn

New York Road Runners

Nike Moonshot Project

Oiselle

Brad Hudson

Sarah Lesko

TCS New York City Marathon

Desiree Linden