Ali On The Run Show

“It’s OK to struggle, but it’s not OK to give up.” —Gabe Grunewald Gabriele “Gabe” Grunewald was a professional middle-distance runner from Minneapolis, MN. She was first diagnosed with Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma when she was in college and undoubtedly in the best shape of her life. Instead of finishing her college running career on a high note — or, better yet, a podium — Gabe was faced with a difficult and scary diagnosis. She underwent several surgeries, including having more than half of her liver removed after the third time the cancer came back. Gabe passed away on June 11, 2019. Today, we are revisiting her conversation on the Ali on the Run Show, recorded in February 2018. In this conversation, Gabe talked about the difference between fighting and giving up, and explained what it means to be “brave like Gabe.” 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 ONTHERUN2

"I am not interested in hurting today. I am not interested in suffering. I am not interested in working that hard. I just wanted to run and smile and see friends and wave to people. As soon as it started feeling hard, I said I needed to slow down. and I have no shame in that. We enjoyed the run, and that was all I wanted." Welcome to Ask Ali! These episodes come to the podcast once a month, sometimes with a guest host, sometimes responding to listener voicemails, and sometimes just flying solo. That’s what today is: a solo-sode (is that a thing? can it be?) answering questions about running the Brooklyn Half this past weekend, taking a Cody Rigsby class at Peloton Studios New York, how to avoid running burnout, and so much more. (Plus: a cute special guest at the end!) SPONSORS: 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 Deman

"You know in your head who you are. You just have to be brave enough to listen." When Julia Brownell was little, she had a dream and a plan: to be a writer. She played sports, she loved to run, and she loved writing scripts and stories in her free time. And turns out, dreams come true. Today, Julia is a 3:16 marathoner, a mom of two, and a writer, producer, and playwright in Hollywood. She has been a writer and producer on shows including This Is Us, Parenthood, Smash, and more. (See? Living the dream!) In this conversation, Julia explains how a TV show is made, breaks down her favorite parts of that process, talks about what it was like getting her big break, and talks about what life has been like during the ongoing writer's strike. Plus, she talks about how she's gotten faster as a master and as a mom, taking more than 45 minutes off her marathon PR. Julia will race the Mountains to Beach half marathon this weekend, and she's looking to go sub-1:30. SPONSORS: Bandit Running: Use code ONTHERUN15 to

"You just have to survive." Welcome to the return of the Motherhood Mondays series! Once a month, I'll be joined by a fellow mom — including professional runners, everyday runners, experts, and more — to speak candidly about motherhood and all that it entails. Today, I'm joined by Veronica Graziano, a 2:41 marathoner (she ran the Olympic Marathon Trials in 2020, and recapped that experience here and here) and twin mom. Her daughters, Kennedy and Quinn, turn two next week. In this conversation, Veronica talks about what the past two years have been like, including her road to motherhood, a challenging pregnancy, and her postpartum return to running and racing. Veronica works full-time for Mass General Brigham, and lives in Falmouth, ME, with her husband and their daughters. Find her on Instagram @vjaxs. SPONSOR: adidas: Click here to check out the adiClub membership benefits, including 15% off and free shipping. Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun

"There was a lot of anticipation for this race, and I hope it lived up to everyone’s standards!" Josette Norris is on a hot streak on the track! The On-sponsored Jersey girl (who now lives in Boulder, CO) just won the 5000m race at On Track Fest (and ran a personal best of 14:43), and won the 1500m race at Penn Relays the weekend prior. In this conversation, Josette talks about what life is like as an On Athletics Club athlete, where she is coached by Dathan Ritzenhein. (Listen to Josette's previous appearance on the Ali on the Run Show — with now-husband and fellow pro Robby Andrews — here.) 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. What you’ll get on this episode: How Josette essentially paid her own prize money this weekend, and

"I don’t regret anything. I did my best, all the way until the end. I did what I could on the day." You heard the live show with Shalane Flanagan. You got the full race recap with Keira D'Amato. Now, I'm wrapping up all things Eugene Marathon 2023 by answering listener questions about my training, my race experience, and what's next. SPONSOR: 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: All the pre-race details (2:15) Breaking down race day (31:40) The aftermath (50:50) What I wore: Sports bra Hot pink tank Fuel belt Hot pink socks Shoes My race-day playlist 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, pl

"It took a lot of work, realizing that the running community is made up of so many different people, so many different paces, so many different body types. And just accepting that — accepting that you don’t have to run a certain pace or look a certain way to be considered a runner... I finally accepted that truth." Molly Hernandez grew up in Texas with big dreams of being a Disney Channel star. Running? A big "no thank you." Fast-forward to today, and Molly is a 10-time marathoner, two-time ultramarathoner, freelance copywriter, and content creator living in Austin, TX. She's best known on the internet as "Your Running BFF," and she's on a mission to make runners — especially new runners — feel less alone and less overwhelmed. In this conversation, Molly talks about going from non-runner to marathoner in the span of six months, and how her relationship with running has grown and evolved since then. SPONSOR: New Balance. Click here to shop New Balance’s latest releases for the season. (The SuperComp Train

"I am so accustomed to thinking about what could go wrong, and how do I prepare for that? Which I don’t think is bad… But very rarely do I let myself be open to the possibility of something great or something magical, or a perfect day. And I tried — start to finish. I kept that in my mind: Be open to the possibility of a perfect day." Last weekend, I ran the Eugene Marathon. It was my seventh marathon. My first marathon in seven years. And my first marathon since becoming a mom. I finished in 3:41:10 — a 10-minute personal best. And in this conversation — guest hosted by Keira D'Amato — I'm recounting all of it. The highs (Annie on the sidelines!), the lows (roughly miles 18–26), and everything in between. ANNOUNCEMENT! We're hitting the road! Join Keira and me for a half marathon and live show in Richmond, VA, on March 9, 2024. This is going to be big! It's going to be fun! And we would love for you to join us. Get your tickets HERE. SPONSORS: UCAN: Click here to get a FREE Edge sample pack (you’ll

"I would describe this past year as 'drinking from a fire hose.'" It was the day before the Eugene Marathon, and the goal was to get everyone in the audience feeling less "baaaaah!" and more "aaaaaah." Enter: Olympic silver medalist, 2017 New York City Marathon champion, assistant coach for the Bowerman Track Club and University of Oregon cross country team, and best-selling cookbook author Shalane Flanagan. We talked marathons, we talked motherhood, and we got a quote-worthy pep talk to close it all out. Thank you to the Eugene Marathon for having us, and thank you to the hundreds of people who filled the room with the very best energy. (Registration is now open for the 2024 Eugene Marathon, Half Marathon, and 5K! Use code ONTHERUNEUGENE to save on registration.) SPONSORS:  goodr: Use code ONTHERUN for free shipping on your entire order The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race: Register TODAY (before the price increase on April 12!) for the world’s largest and most iconic 10K road race,

"We learned from other mentors. We both believe wholeheartedly that it’s a responsibility to then mentor other people and be transparent." Fact: Only 1% of creative agencies are owned by women. Photographer Aisha McAdams (@ai.shoots) and graphic designer Katherine Burgess (@katherine_kart) are here to up that number. They are the founders of Rhoam Creative Studio, a creative design and production studio for sports and lifestyle brands. They have worked with brands including Puma, Tracksmith, Bandit Running, On Running, Maurten, Strava, Brooks, Hoka, Ciele, and more. They are passionate, they are talented, and they are here to help brands share their stories while also helping elevate women in the space. SPONSORS: Bandit Running: Use code ONTHERUN15 to get 15% off your entire Bandit order. 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 Katherine and Aisha met (13:40)

"It felt like, I’m figuring out what these things look like for me. Not, what’s everyone doing or what should I be doing or what’s expected of me?" 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 start and finish line announcers at the B.A.A. 5K and invitational miles, I hosted a live show with Keira D'Amato at Glossier's new store on Newbury Street, 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. (Big Papi!!!) It was a fun, rewarding weekend that included run-ins with Eliud Kipchoge (and his content team), a hair-braiding party with one of the best milers in the country, and so much more. SPONSORS: 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 p

"Do the damn thing." Emma Bates! All eyes were on professional runner Emma Bates throughout Monday's Boston Marathon. In a shock to some, Emma found herself leading the race for many of the middle miles, including up the infamous Newton hills. But Emma? And her coach, Joe Bosshard? Not shocked. Emma ended up finishing fifth, as the top American woman, and with a personal best time of 2:22:10. In this conversation, Emma talks about her fitness and her confidence heading into the 2023 Boston Marathon, including the pre-race conversation she had with Joe where he told her she was in American Record shape. She talks about her all-too-relatable pre-race breakdown and how she dealt with it, and about what it was like leading the deepest professional women's field in Boston Marathon history. Plus, how she celebrated, how she's feeling now, and what's next. SPONSOR: New Balance. Click here to shop New Balance’s latest releases for the season. (The SuperComp Trainer is my favorite shoe!) For more, check out:

Let the Boston Marathon recaps begin! First up: We went live! I hosted a live show at the Boston Marathon Expo on Friday, April 14, in front of a massive, awesome, standing-ovation-ready crowd. The topic: marathons and motherhood. The guests: three women who know it well. Welcome returning favorites — all three of whom went on to race Boston three days later — Sara Hall, Sara Vaughn, and Aliphine Tuliamuk. 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 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 i

"I feel like a train, or a minivan — I can go anywhere, I can go forever! I can’t go as fast as I used to, but I can do it!" Alexi Pappas kicked off 2023 by running — on a whim — a 100K trail race. Last month, she ran the L.A. Marathon with Diplo. Now, she's getting ready to run the Boston Marathon as a guide to Lisa Thompson, the visually impaired runner Alexi ran with in Boston last year. (Lisa won her para division last year, and is back for the win this year!) Today, we're catching up on all of it (including, yes, the Diplo "running on LSD" thing). Alexi talks about finding meaning, passion, and purpose in the sport in a way that looks different than it did during her most competitive years, and talks about her hesitancy to show up as her fullest self at the races for fear of judgment. Plus, what Alexi's training is like these days, how her fellow pros have responded to her sparkles and glitter on the run, and her takes on why people are like planets and she's like a minivan. SPONSORS: Bandit Runn

"This is not an easy question for many reasons!" 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, drug testing, waterfall starts on the track, and the Diamond Leagues, surely I’m not alone. I put out the ask — What’s something you don’t understand or have always wanted to ask about the running industry? — and the responses came pouring in with great questions. So today, former professional runner and founder of The Lap Count (and track and field’s biggest fan and hype guy) Kyle Merber is here to answer all of your questions about the track, the roads, the big leagues, and more. Lane assignments and Olympic standards and “Why are there so many U.S. National Championships?” and world rankings, oh my! (Listen to part one of this series — all about the

"You go out there, and you have to trust that you’re going to do what you’ve trained to do. Your body is ready to race. But if your mind isn’t? It does not matter." Chloe Abbott is an On Running-sponsored professional runner who specializes in the 400m and trains with renowned coach Bobby Kersee and the Formula Kersee team in L.A. (which includes Sydney McLaughlin, Athing Mu, and Jenna Prandini). Most recently, Chloe took her talents off the track and competed on The Voice! In this conversation, Chloe talks about the benefits of being a singer and a runner, and how her passions work in tandem. She gives all the behind-the-scenes scoop about what it's like being on a reality singing competition — including whether or not she got to keep the clothes, and why it was important to her to have her coach there in the wings. Plus, she shares the lessons she learned from former teammate Allyson Felix, dishes on her big dreams on the track and onstage, and talks about what it's like training with world-class athlete

"None of my friends explained this to me!" Becs Gentry is a 2:32 marathoner, a Peloton tread and strength instructor, and, as of October 22, 2022, a mom! Becs returns to the Ali on the Run Show today to talk about her road to motherhood. She talks about getting pregnant after experiencing a miscarriage (she was pregnant during last year's live show — but no one knew yet!), and about what running was like throughout her pregnancy. She shares her birth story (all the details!), reflects on the first few months of motherhood, and talks about how she approached her return to running and movement. Plus, what it was like coaching Ashton Kutcher as he trained for the 2022 New York City Marathon, and the 12-mile run that brought Becs back to life in the best way possible. 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 episo

"So much power had been taken away from me. My safety, everything, and all the medical stuff. It was so empowering to see what my body could do after all that, through all that. And I really think everyone can hear that and say, 'I can do it' too.' If I can do it? I know anybody else can. You can do so much more than you think you’re able to do and have the power to do. You just have to listen to that tiny whisper inside. That whisper — it’s a truth-teller, for sure. We should listen to it more often." Kim Mantle has been through it. The mom of three girls lives in Birmingham, AL, and she's gearing up for the Boston Marathon in just a few weeks. But the road to Boston hasn't been an easy one for Kim. In this conversation, she talks about the health challenges, struggles, surgeries, setbacks, and scary diagnoses she's faced over the past decade. Last year, with her health fully in check, Kim was days away from completing her first marathon. And then, while picking up dinner for her family in New Orleans (wh

"It never really crossed my mind to feel limited. It never really crossed my mind to be like, 'What can’t I do now?' I always focused on, 'What can I do under different circumstances?' It never crossed my mind to focus on couldn’t." If the name Michele Blackburn sounds familiar, that may be because you've heard it mentioned here on the Ali on the Run Show before — just about one year ago, in fact. Last year, Peloton instructor Jess Sims completed the Boston Marathon, running with an invitational entry from, you guessed it: Michele Blackburn. In 2013, Michele was at the Boston Marathon finish line cheering for her best friend and roommate. She was standing in front of Marathon Sports on Boylston Street when the two bombs detonated, and almost lost both legs as a result. Ultimately, her surgical team was able to save her legs and feet, but she has dealt with extensive surgeries (including skin grafting) and complications (including, more recently, lymphedema) since then. For years, Michele avoided the Bost

"The time on the clock doesn’t matter. That doesn’t mean I don’t care. It just means it doesn’t define me." Welcome to the second Ask Ali episode of 2023! These episodes come your way once a month, sometimes with a guest host, sometimes responding to listener voicemails, and sometimes just flying solo. Today, the Ali on the Run Show voicemail Q&A makes its grand return! Thanks to everyone who called it for this one. CALL IN: 617-446-3966 SPONSORS: 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. Sidekick: Use code ONTHERUN for 15% off your next order. You asked: 1:40: What was it like going to the mall with your mom when you were younger? 9:05: Should I run a marathon the same month as my wedding? 16:10: Why don’t you have more high school and college runners on the Ali on the Run Show? 23:00: Can you