Ali On The Run Show

“Make it important. Make a goal, and make time for it. It’s not about 'no excuses,' but make it a priority.” —Ashley Fizzarotti Ashley Fizzarotti — best known on the internet as "Running Bun" — joins the Ali on the Run Show fresh off a huge PR and BQ at the Chicago Marathon. (That's personal record and Boston Qualifying time — AKA pretty big deals and accomplishments. She also raised more than $5,600 for Every Mother Counts.) Ashley is proof that hard work works: She's a 5-time marathoner who has shaved nearly an hour off her marathon time, going from a 4:24 marathon debut to her 3:29 in Chicago. On this episode, Ashley — who works in finance (we get into that), is a mom of two (Jennie and Christopher), and lives in New Jersey — talks about her training, setbacks, injuries, and how she made a dream six years in the making a reality. 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 Ashl

"You can have success and you can have money and you can have the best job in the world, but you’re only going to sleep well at night if you’re happy with who you are." —Jeannie Klisiewicz You probably know Jeannie Klisiewicz as the bubbly, always super excited receptionist and often-on-camera star of The Ellen DeGeneres Show. (She even has her own show now: Life's First-Evers with Jeannie!) Jeannie just may be the happiest person on the planet, and she's on the Ali on the Run Show today sharing the amazing (and gutsy!) story of how she got her job working with Ellen, and how her role has evolved over the past 10 years. Jeannie, who grew up outside Chicago, talks about confidence and the power of staying true to yourself and, of course, about how she got into running and what it's done for her physically and mentally. Warning: This episode will make you smile so hard your cheeks hurt. Thank you to AfterShokz for sponsoring this episode of the Ali on the Run Show! CLICK HERE for $55 off your wireless headphone

“I would love to do something with finesse one of these days, but I guess I’m all grit.” —Des Linden Welcome to the 100th episode of the Ali on the Run Show! And for this very special episode, I’m thrilled to welcome back 2018 Boston Marathon winner Desiree Linden. This is the third time Des has been on the Ali on the Run Show, and it’s always a treat getting a chance to get inside her hardworking, hilarious, competitive head. On this episode, Des recaps her monumental 2018 Boston Marathon victory (including how long her post-race shower was!), and talks about her recent (gritty!) Rock 'N' Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon win. Des is currently gearing up to run the 2018 TCS New York City Marathon, so she also talks about how training is going — and finally answers the question everyone’s been asking: “Who’s coaching you right now?” Des left the Hansons-Brooks Project earlier this year, and today she talks about how she’s shaking things up post-Boston, and how she recovered from her 2017 running slump. Des love

“I hope she finds her passion in life, and that she’s never discouraged to go after it.” —Brian Cristiano In honor of our third wedding anniversary and the realization that Baby Cristiano's due date is just one month away, Brian and I decided to record an episode about all things, marriage, pregnancy, baby, and life. We talk about our decision to work with a midwife and how that's been going, and we get into the highs, lows, and surprises of this pregnancy journey. Plus, I put Brian on the spot and asked for his honest reaction to my changing body. 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: Is marriage what Brian expected it to be? (2:00) Has the pregnancy experience been what Brian expected? Plus what the midwife experience has been like, and why Brian wanted to be at every appointment (4:15) The highs, lows, and biggest surprises of pregnancy so far (15:30) How Brian has reacted to

“My greatest fear is letting fear get in my way.” —Mary Wittenberg Mary Wittenberg is the former president and CEO of New York Road Runners and race director of the New York City Marathon, and was the Global CEO of Virgin Sport. Her titles are impressive, and she has the legacy to match. Mary has had an incredible impact on running. She is largely credited for turning marathon running into a spectator sport, and for getting female professional runners to be compensated appropriately. Mary was the brains behind the creation of the World Marathon Majors series, and she was at the helm of NYRR in 2012, when she and the city had to make the very public and controversial decision to cancel the New York City Marathon in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. On this episode, she talks about what it was like making that call, how she went from law school to big law to being a powerful force in the American running boom, and what's next for her since leaving Virgin Sport. Thank you to AfterShokz for sponsoring this episode of

“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

“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 R

“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 lit

“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 h

“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 inspirin

“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 ta

“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 S

“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

“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

"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

"I felt relieved. I knew mentally and physically, I was not ready to be on that starting line." —Michele Gonzalez The last time Michele Gonzalez (AKA "NYC Running Mama") was on the show, she was gearing up to run the 2017 Boston Marathon. During that episode, Michele and I joked about someday being pregnant at the same time — and now here we are, both expecting babies this fall! Michele is a full-time working mom of two, and her third child is due in November. On this episode, she talks about her pregnancy, what her running looked like over the past year, and whether she has any postpartum running goals. She also shares her secrets for snapping those gorgeous sunrise running photos! 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: Michele shares all the exciting news about her pregnancy (1:45) How Michele’s recent running goals factored into her decision to have a baby right now

"I don’t think I’ll ever retire. If something motivates me, I want to go for it." —Kara Goucher Kara Goucher is back on the Ali on the Run Show, talking about her new book, Strong, how keeping a confidence journal changed her life, and where her running career is at right now. She also talks about the current state of women's running, and reflects on how choosing to have a child at the height of her professional running career affected her job. Plus, she answers the two questions everyone keeps asking: Is she retired, and does she want more kids? 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: Kara dishes about her new book, Strong, and how keeping a confidence journal has changed her life (2:00) Kara recounts her performance at this year’s Grandma’s Marathon, and reflects on the highs and lows of the day (7:30) Kara opens up about what it’s like when your competitor has an am

“I now live in a barn with an elderly schnauzer, surrounded by goats.” —Emily Halnon Emily Halnon was the very first guest on the Ali on the Run Show, and now she’s back to kick off What’s New With You Week. Emily is an ultra runner who lives in Eugene, OR, by way of Washington, DC, and Vermont. When we last talked on the show, Emily was dating a man with a cute dog and training for 100-mile races. Where’s she at now? Well, she still has the dog. Listen in for the rest. 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: An update on Emily’s “If my boyfriend and I ever break up, I’m keeping the dog” joke, and her current living situation (3:00) Why Emily is currently in a cast (10:30) Where Emily’s at with running, and what she’s training for right now (13:00) What Emily’s excited about right now, and what stresses her out (25:00) What’s next for Emily Halnon — plus details about

“It’s never too late to do what you wanted to do growing up. But it’s not going to come easy, and no one’s going to hand it to you.” —Katie Burke Katie Burke is the Chief People Officer at HubSpot, a marketing software company in Boston that employs more than 2,300 people worldwide. Of those 2,300, Katie was the company’s first female to land a spot in the c-suite. (Today, 45 percent of the company’s vice presidents are women.) And on this episode, Katie is answering all of your career-related questions! From negotiating raises and promotions to navigating tricky bosses, office politics, and big career changes, Katie has brilliant advice for all of it. You’re going to want to take notes for this one! 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: Katie talks about her upcoming sabbatical and how she plans to spend it (1:30) Katie’s best advice for building and strengthening confidence (3

“I had no idea there was a camera on me. But yes, I have seen all the memes.” — Ryan Linden If Ryan Linden’s last name sounds familiar, that’s because yes, he is married to 2018 Boston Marathon champion Desiree Linden. Ryan was the undeniably proud face the cameras kept cutting to as Des neared the historic Boston finish line, and on this episode, he breaks down every detail from that life-changing Marathon Monday — from his perspective! He also shares what Des is really like on race morning, how they met and got engaged, and how they balance their intense work and training schedules. In addition to being a super husband and stellar spectator, Ryan is also a tremendous athlete himself: He’s a 2:26 marathoner turned Ironman, and is hoping to return to Kona to compete this year. He’s also a new business owner and entrepreneur: Ryan, along with Des and fellow runner-husband-and-wife team Ben and Sarah True, founded Linden & True Coffee earlier this year to much fanfare. Thank you to AfterShokz for sponsoring