Ali on the Run Show

"I used to think being vulnerable or authentic was weakness. Like, 'Oh, don't show that, don't share your weaknesses.' And then it's like, wait a second, it's the opposite. It takes great strength and bravery to live an authentic life."   Nikki Hiltz returns to the Ali on the Run Show! This time around, Nikki — a professional 1500m runner for adidas — talks about her decision to prioritize her men...

"It was important for me to pursue this dream and make it happen. I have this belief of, you can't be what you can't see. So if other young girls are not seeing women as leaders and women as physicians and women in high positions and important jobs, they may not think they can be there. That made it extra important for me to continue to pursue this dream."   Every day, we are bombarded with news a...

"I'm an ideas person — but I'm also a doer."   Alison Désir was one of the very first guests on the Ali on the Run Show. She first appeared on Episode 3 , and in the three years since she was on this podcast, Alison, who is a mental health coach and is the founder of Harlem Run , has accomplished so much, changed the world in so many ways, and has become an incredibly important voice in the runnin...

"I've had moments of exhaustion. I've had moments of frustration. I've had an overhaul across the board, personally and professionally. This year has been a rinse. If I was naming this chapter, it's 'Let it burn and reset.' And instead of fighting all these things that are literally burning or closing down or going away or having an 'I'm so over this attitude,' I've tried to embrace every letdown,...

"I'm Chinese American. My parents emigrated here from Hong Kong for college. And stereotypical as it may be, it was like, you could be a doctor, you could be a lawyer, maybe you could go into business. That was my conception of what the possibilities were for your career, for most of my life growing up. Writing never entered into my mind."   Christine Yu is an award-winning freelance journalist wh...

"I am a believer in opportunity."   It's been a tough year for so many brands, individuals, and industries, and within the running industry, race companies have been hit particularly hard. On this episode, Michelle La Sala, president and founder of Blistering Pace Race Management, talks about her road to race directing, and explains how the pandemic has affected her business, which specializes in...

"Doing the right thing is always the right thing." Episode 13 of the Ali on the Run Show had a massive impact — one that hasn't slowed in the more than three years since that must-listen episode aired. Today, Episode 13's Chris Mosier , the transgender Hall of Fame triathlete and duathlete whom The BBC and New York Magazine called "the man who changed the Olympics," returns to the show to catch up...

"I ran out of anger. I ran because cancer was trying to stop me."   In honor of October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, today's guest is Sue Fortier: an Ali on the Run Show listener, a mom of two, and a breast cancer survivor. On this episode, Sue shares her cancer story, which began when she was 37 and was training for two fall marathons. She felt some pain in her breast, which turned out to...

"I think everybody needs a good happily ever after." Welcome to Season 3 of the On the Job series! We're kicking things off this season with some love, lust, and intrigue: with USA Today best-selling romance novelist Kimberly Kincaid ! In this conversation, Kimberly offers a peek at what it's like working in the billion-dollar romantic fiction industry. She talks about where she gets her inspirati...

"Real change is going to take time."   Carolyn Su — the creator of @diversewerun — returns to the Ali on the Run Show today for the What's New With You series. Carolyn first appeared on Episode 140 of the show, to talk about her own running story and to share why she created Diverse We Run. Today, she's back with updates on how the account is grown, and on how she's used her own voice over the pas...

"There's an excitement to each of the races for sure, and it's great to see your times and know you've run your fastest 800 or mile, and that's huge. That always feels good… But I definitely don't feel the same pride. It's different."   Cory McGee is a professional runner for New Balance. She specializes in the 1500m distance, and lives in Boulder, CO, where she trains with "Team Boss," under the...

"When I ran that 2:32 in January, it really made me realize that 'dream big' is not just dream big, it's dream huge, because you have no idea of what you're capable of."   Speedy Beatie is back on the Ali on the Run Show this week! Beatie Deutsch is a 2:32 marathoner and mother of five who made her Ali on the Run Show debut on Episode 158 . This time around, we're catching up with Israel's Nationa...

"I was in a world I could never have imagined — and I completely broke."   Andrea Wagner had a meteoric rise to running success. She first leaned into running to cope with the stress of working at the Pentagon in the wake of the September 11 attacks in 2001. She ran her first marathon with a one-and-done mindset, finishing in 4:35 and insisting she would never do it again. (Famous last words!) Mor...

"I've never been so tired in my life. No amount of having babies or opening businesses or anything set me up for this. Those first three months, I've never experienced anything so difficult in my entire life. But I just kept going."   Welcome to the What's New With You series on the Ali on the Run Show! For the next six weeks, I'll be catching up with past guests to see what they've been up to sin...

"I keep showing up so that people know that a Pakistani Muslim woman can be a marathoner. But just because I am there doesn't mean the work is done."   Aisha Qamar cares deeply about her community and the people around her. She earned her master's in public health at Columbia University, and has used that degree to learn more about and to give back to people in need. She volunteers with South Broo...

"I think the biggest thing with grief is knowing that some days you're gonna be drowning and unable to breathe, and I think I've had 12- to 24-hour cry-fests where you literally feel like you're going to suffocate or die of dehydration. But it does end eventually. And then you take that deep breath and drink a glass of water and look outside and the world is still there. And you can keep going. Ju...

"Motivation is great when it's there, but at the end of the day, it's all about commitment."   Dr. Detling is back! I'm thrilled to wrap up the Ali & the Experts series with returning favorite Dr. Nicole Detling , mental performance coach and founder of Headstrong Consulting . Dr. Detling has a PhD in exercise and sports science with an emphasis in sports psychology, is the author of Don't Leave Y...

"If I want things to change, I have to keep on fighting. But I can't be the only one."   If you've ever run a race in New York City, you know Ben Chan. He's the "leopard print short-shorts and cowboy hat guy," and he's a staple on the NYC running scene. On this episode, in addition to talking about his on-the-run fashion choices, Ben shares the story of how he found running at age 30, by way of do...

"Let's talk about our deepest and darkest fears around money."   This week on Ali & the Experts, we're talking money with Mandi! Mandi Woodruff is the senior content director at Lending Tree, and is co-host of the Brown Ambition podcast. She worked as an editor and reporter on the personal finance beat at Business Insider and Yahoo Finance, and hosted both The Money Minute and The Payoff weekly we...

"You know when you're not done yet. There were goals I wanted to accomplish, and I knew they were still in me. I just needed to keep going and see what I could do."   In 2015, Rolanda Bell was living the dream. She had graduated from the University of Tennessee, where she was a member of the historic 2009 Women's 4x1500m relay team alongside Chanelle Price, Phoebe Wright, and Sarah Bowman. Togethe...

"Running isn't canceled! You can still be improving during this time."   Kaitlin Goodman is a 2:32 marathoner and four-time Olympic Trials qualifier who runs professionally for the Boston Athletic Association and adidas. Kaitlin — a frequent Ali on the Run Show guest and fan favorite — is incredibly versatile on the run. She has qualified for the Olympic Trials four times — in three different dist...

"We as humans have the capacity to surprise ourselves with how much stronger we are than we think we are. You don't get to make those discoveries unless you do something that challenges you to probe that question: Can I do this? Am I capable of this?"   The last time Emily Halnon was here , she talked about her big, brave, bold goal: to run the fastest known time (FKT) on the Oregon Pacific Crest...

"Have those conversations with yourself. Figure out, 'What is it that I want? What is my goal, essentially?' Kind of like running. What is your goal?"   Dr. Meggie is back! This week on the Ali & the Experts series, Dr. Meggie Smith, Assistant Professor of Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology at University of Southern California specializing in reproductive endocrinology and infertility, is here to...

"I got to this point where I had to tell myself that I deserve to be there and I deserve to be on the starting line, and say, 'You are good enough, you've put in the work, you've put in the training.' My motto was 'Just give it a go.'"   Rebecca Mehra is a professional middle-distance runner for Oiselle's Little Wing team, where she's coached by Lauren Fleshman. Earlier this year, Rebecca became a...

"Our feelings are truly valid. Remember that the concerns that are leading to your struggles with anxiety and depression are valid and worthy of being talked about, gaining support, and being acknowledged."   Raise your hand if you're feeling anxious! (Mine are both raised.) Then you've come to the right place. On this episode — the second in the six-part Ali & the Experts series — NYC-based thera...