Ali on the Run Show

"I just remember thinking during the race, 'I'm running my race and I'm doing everything I can to give myself a shot at making this team.' And at the end of the day, if it's enough, it's enough."   The last time Emily Sisson was on the Ali on the Run Show , it was to break down her disappointing race at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. Today, Emily returns to the show — and this time, we're...

"Doubting yourself doesn't get you anywhere. I decided that I was going to make this happen, and I did."   More than a decade ago, Erica Sara Reese was having a hard time. She had been working in the fashion industry, as a buyer for companies like Coach and Barneys New York, while pursuing a nutrition degree on the side. But she was also going through a divorce, and she wasn't happy — so she start...

"This was the most fun I've had in so long."   If you watched any of this year's Olympic Track & Field Trials coverage, you would have heard a familiar voice calling the distance races: Kara Goucher! Kara served as commentator and member of the NBC broadcast team at Hayward Field, and today, she's here to tell all. On this episode, Kara talks about how she got the job (she will also be part of the...

"It felt like there was an earthquake in the running world, and we're seeing these fault lines change everything. And some things are good, and some things are weird."   As the current American record holder in the 10,000 meters, Molly Huddle was one to watch heading into this year's Olympic Track & Field Trials. But just a few days before the Trials kicked off in Eugene, OR, Molly (who is also th...

"Classical music may not be what you have playing in your car, but when you come and see all these musicians onstage, you can really connect to it. That's the hardest challenge — making it accessible and telling people about it."   Beverly Everett has always been musical. As a kid, she found a passion for playing the organ — and her love for live music never waned. Today, Beverly is living her dre...

"I started crying. It was so intense. I was shaking with fear. And I just look up at Kyle, and I say, 'I want you to know that being your brother has been one of the greatest joys of my life. And I promise you, no matter what happens today, I'll give you every ounce of energy that I have. And all I ask is that you do the same.' And he looks back at me and says, 'You got it.' And then the cannon fi...

"I had never seen a woman trucker. I was going to be an anomaly to myself." Yuma Haidara had a plan. After high school, she enlisted in the Navy. After serving for seven years, she went on to nursing school, in pursuit of becoming a pediatric nurse. But something caught her eye on her daily commute: a trucking school. One day, Yuma decided to pull in and see what it was all about. And the rest, as...

"I had the stuff I needed. I had the things . But I didn't have the confidence." Welcome to Ask Ali, a twice-a-month series where I answer all of  your  questions. This time around, we've got listener questions about postpartum running, what a day in the life looks like, what it's like entering the other side of the pandemic, llamas and alpacas, running in New York City, and so much more. Thanks t...

"I feel so lucky that running has made me feel empowered and given me a lot of confidence. Finding that throughout high school was something that was really life-changing for me. I really want the younger generation to have that opportunity and to see the power of sport and the power they can find in themselves and in their team, and in connecting with others who have similar goals and passions. I...

"The whole day revolved around dance. And that, to me, was the dream."   "When I'm onstage," Emily Kikta says, "no one can stop me." Emily is living every aspiring ballerina's dream: She's a corps de ballet member at New York City Ballet, where she has been a member of the company for 10 years. On this episode, Emily talks about her road to a Center Stage -like life. She grew up competing with her...

"Sometimes you just need an advocate to kick you in the pants." Sarah Lesko just might be one of the most-loved women in the running industry. As the leader of corporate development for Oiselle , Sarah — or "Lesko," as most call her — is beloved by her colleagues, by Oiselle's elite athletes, and by the hundreds of members of the Volée team. So what is about Lesko that makes people so drawn to her...

"I always felt a special thrill with anchoring, but I had zero idea if I was any good at it! But there was potential there." Joelle Tomlinson wakes up at 3:02 AM — precisely — every day in pursuit of her dream job as a CTV Calgary morning news host. On this episode, Joelle talks about what it's like anchoring the news, and what her road to the news desk was like. (It involved a stopover as a weath...

"It's not easy, but I'm at a point now of knowing I can handle it. It's not always fun — but I can handle it. And I know you can, too." Welcome to Ask Ali, a twice-a-month series where I answer all of  your  questions. This time around, we've got listener questions about why I (mostly) stopped drinking, how to practice getting comfortable saying no, wishing for a new body, what life could be like...

"This is a definite compliment from Des. She was like, 'I like you enough where I can hang out with you for three hours!'" In April, Des Linden made history by making her ultramarathon debut and, in the process, breaking the world record in the 50K (2:59:54) and becoming the first woman to run a 50K in under three hours. And while Des may hold the new record, she didn't go it alone: She was joined...

"As much as this is your job and this is serious, there's a lot of fun and joy in the process." Welcome to Season 5 of the On the Job series on the Ali on the Run Show! On this series, we hear from women who have cool, unique, interesting careers — and who also happen to be runners. We're kicking off this season with Rikki Gimelstob , a casting director who works on films, television shows, commer...

"You give yourself your own life raft, and it feels so great to come up for air and think, jeez, that was a close call! But I'm here. And it's given me strength to go further and deeper than that next time." Becs Gentry is a Peloton Tread and Strength instructor, and in March, she added another very impressive title to her fitness resume: 2:32 marathoner and Olympic Marathon Trials competitor for...

"You don't know everything. I share a lot, and that still is only a fraction of my life, of my thoughts, of my opinions, of my day." Welcome to Ask Ali, a twice-a-month series where I answer all of  your  questions. This time around, we've got listener questions about the mental component of Crohn's disease, my Enneagram type (3w2!), my thoughts on raising a daughter in the era of Instagram filter...

"I'm the quarterback of my life. All these different people play supporting roles, and I need all of them for sure. You can't be a team with only a quarterback. But I get to be the one in charge, making the plays. And that feels super empowering and very exciting." Colleen Quigley is arguably one of the most influential track and field athletes today. She's a professional athlete who primarily com...

"I really threw myself into everything that made me uncomfortable." Happy Bonus Episode Day! Cara Enright is someone I've wanted to have on the show for a long time, and I couldn't decide whether to include her in the Everyday Runner series (a runner with a full-time job and lots of hobbies!) or to share her episode on a Thursday — and so, the solution is a bonus episode, in the middle, today! Car...

"I'm very proud that I have managed to, in less than a year, do four half marathons. It's not something I ever could have dreamed of doing. And I'm just proud I have really stuck it out. Because it's hard. It's not easy to try to work yourself back from a poor health standard, or to bring yourself out of that mental hole that people can fall into. I'm very proud that I have stood up and said, 'I n...

"I noticed that there were young Black girls without role models in their communities. Because of lack of representation in our society, sometimes we don't see people that look like us doing things that we want to do, so we think that we can't do it. And that definitely applied to me." As U.S. Track & Field athletes across the country gear up for the Olympic Trials (June 18–27), triple jumper and...

"I feel like I'm in a good position to have a real crack at making the team." With the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials coming up, now's a great time to get to know as many of the competitors as possible! Today (bonus episode day!), Bowerman Track Club's Sinclaire Johnson is here. Sinclaire is BTC's resident rookie: She joined the team last year, and made her official debut as a Bowerman member i...

"At times in my life when I've struggled or when I've maybe been less than my best self, my mom always asks, 'When was the last time you went for a run?'" Welcome to the newest series on the Ali on the Run Show: The Everyday Runner. On this series, we're hearing from runners who are just like you and me. Not professional athletes — these runners have jobs, families, and responsibilities beyond thi...

Happy Mother's Day! Earlier this week, I had the honor and privilege of hosting a virtual live show with four inspiring, iconic women: Lauren Fleshman, Alysia Montaño, Stephanie Bruce, and Dawn Harper-Nelson. It was an open, honest, totally unfiltered conversation about the realities of motherhood — the good, the bad, the messy, the 4 AM feedings, and the pressure we put on ourselves to, sigh, "do...

"Having an invisible illness yourself is a constant reminder that you never know what other people are dealing with." Welcome to Ask Ali, a bi-weekly series where I answer all of  your  questions. This time around, we've got listener questions about what I'm looking forward to (and what I'm anxious about) as life begins to return to "normal," whether podcast guests ever annoy me, my personal runni...