Ali on the Run Show

"Looking for technical solutions to people problems doesn't work."   Welcome to the Ali & the Experts series! For the next six weeks, I'll be talking with six different experts who will be answering all of  your questions. We're kicking things off today with a major career pep talk, courtesy of Laura Parrott. Laura, who lives in Detroit, MI, is currently the Head of People at Floyd. Before that, s...

"There's always someone gunning for that spot. And if you're off your game at all, they're going to take it."   Jenny Simpson is the country's most-decorated female miler and 1500-meter runner. Case in point: She's a three-time Olympian, she won gold in the 1500 at the 2011 World Championships, she was the first U.S. woman to win an Olympic medal in the 1500 when she won bronze in Rio in 2016, and...

"There's this possibility to live with this duality of life. You can both grieve and have a really, truly happy day. You can be really stressed and scared, and also be extraordinarily brave."   In January, the world truly lost one of the greatest lights and coolest women on the planet: Andrea Halnon, or as she's known around here, "AndyJHa." Emily Halnon was the very first guest on the Ali on the...

"I won't use my voice unless I can back up whatever argument I'm trying to make. But I've gotten increasingly more comfortable putting myself in those situations and taking a stance on something and then being able to back it up, whether it's systemic racism, whether it's diversity in the sport, whether it's how we should be handling the pandemic right now as runners. We all have thoughts on those...

"That's what I have now: I have hope."   A lot has changed for Chris Heuisler since the last time he was on the Ali on the Run Show. He turned 40! He's no longer the Global RunWestin Concierge. And he got sober. On this episode, Chris — for the first time publicly — talks about his past with alcoholism, and his journey to sobriety. (SO PROUD OF YOU, CHRIS.)   Thank you to AfterShokz for sponsoring...

"What matters most to me is talking about athletes, especially female athletes, in the way that I would want someone to ask me questions. I want someone to respect me as a whole person and dig a little bit deeper and learn about who I am and what I have to give beyond the typical rote questions we hear over and over again."   Dana Giordano is a professional middle-distance runner for the B.A.A. an...

"I was nervous. But it was the kind of nervousness that really drove me to work as hard as possible, be as persistent as possible, and as thorough as possible."   Hawi Keflezighi is one of the greatest agents in running and track and field. As the founder and CEO of HAWI Management, Hawi and his team represent 30 athletes including Alexi Pappas , Nikki Hiltz , Aliphine Tuliamuk, and, of course, Ha...

"Once you have enough of these uncomfortable conversations, you do start to pick up on new ways of going about it and asking different questions. It's never going to end. Being uncomfortable is just part of it, and you welcome it, and do it over and over and over again to get better."   Welcome to the second episode in the four-part "On the Record" series, talking with fellow running podcasters ab...

"Stop negotiating with yourself. Be like a little kid again and jump into the pool. Don't stick your foot in to check out the temperature. Don't think you have to have the right bathing suit on. Jump in the pool."   It's safe to say Jess Sims is one of the most popular fitness instructors in the country. As a Peloton instructor, Jess is known for her no frills, no BS, no gimmick approach to workin...

"It doesn't matter if I'm a man or a woman. It just matters how I do my job. That responsibility I'm given is based on how I've done in the past, and how well they think I'm going to do in the future."   Welcome to the final episode in the On the Job series! Today, we are wrapping things up with United States Air Force Colonel Shelly Mendieta, who is the Vice Wing Commander of the 39th Airbase Win...

"I'm not afraid to have the uncomfortable conversations. Does it mean I feel comfortable? No! And I need my allies. I need my friends to say what I've been saying." —Alysia Montaño   Welcome to the first episode in a new four-part series, where I'll be talking with fellow running podcast hosts about how they view the current state of the running industry and their roles within it. We're kicking th...

"You're the one. If you want to do something...you're the one that's going to do it."   My greatest wish for my daughter is that she never lacks confidence. Some people are born with it, but for others, cultivating confidence takes work — it's like a muscle that has to be flexed repeatedly in order to get stronger. Claudia Thompson is the president of Claudia Connects, a personal and professional...

"Sustainable changes happen over months of time. And there's nothing to be ashamed of it it takes you a long time. When you come out of it and you do the work and you're gentle on yourself and you're looking for progress over perfection, you're going to be so much happier because you got to know yourself so much better."   Starla Garcia is back on the Ali on the Run Show! Starla is a registered di...

"I loved science. I had a biology teacher who was a bit of a mentor of mine in high school and I said, 'I really think this is what I want to pursue!' And he said, 'There's actually not a place for women in science.' But I never lost sight of my passion."   When Vikki Spruill was growing up, she loved science and, in particular, ocean life. But she was told that "women didn't have a place in scien...

Welcome to this month's edition of Ramblings on the Run with Ali and Matt. This month, Matt and I catch up and share how things are going on the run, and then we talk about what we're each loving and are excited about right now. Then, we do a twist on the On the Job series, asking each other questions about our respective careers in podcasting.   What we mention on this episode: Don't Keep Your Da...

"He made an assumption that I didn't speak English and that's why he didn't speak to me. I remember feeling so hurt. Things like that happened to me all the time, being the first and only to do a lot of these distance events on the road racing circuit. And I feel like it was so hurtful. We are the epitome of the American Dream."   A few weeks ago, Peyton Thoma s was on the  Ali on the Run Show . W...

"We are obviously a business and we need to sell running shoes to make money, but I feel a very big obligation to be that hub of the community and be that leader and driver to connect people and to help out others."   Steph Blozy is the owner of Fleet Feet Sports in West Hartford, one of the leading run specialty stores in the country. Steph is so much more than a running store owner, though: She'...

"What opportunities does this open up that didn't exist before? How can I adapt my leadership style and how I show up to adapt to that opportunity? Rather than cringing and thinking about the worst case, think about the upside and opportunity that comes with this change."   If I could hire any human on this planet to be in charge of my life and make all my decisions for me, that person would, with...

"People have to start looking at what's going on globally, but also locally. What does your running club look like? Who do the people you run with look like? What are the books you read? Who are they by? These individual decisions and choices that we make all come together and change the landscape."   You probably know Courtney Carter by her Instagram moniker: EatPrayRunDC . Both on- and offline,...

"Music literally changes peoples' lives. It really has the ability to uplift people, especially during today's times. That's a really powerful thing, and that, to me, is success. Beyond the sales and the accolades and the awards — being able to create positive change through music."   As Senior Vice President of Marketing at Atlantic Records, Grace Kim James works pretty much 24/7. On this episode...

"Now more than ever is the time to learn how to be a leader for ourselves, and to learn how to handle a pivot — and thrive."   Welcome to the second episode in a four-part series called Feel-Good Fridays. (Be sure to check out the first episode, too, with therapists Jor-El Caraballo and Rachel Gersten .) These short episodes are intended to leave you feeling lighter, better, more optimistic — whet...

I was honored when UCAN asked me to host a conversation with five running industry leaders and experts called "The Next Step Forward: The Future of Running." This conversation is about how we get back on our feet and on the run in a post-pandemic world, and you'll hear some really eye-opening insights about what's happening now in the running community, and where we go from here. Enjoy hearing fro...

"There is nothing we will not do for this team."   Mary Kate Shea — or "MK," as she's known to the fastest marathoners in the world — is the senior director of endurance marketing for John Hancock, the title sponsor of the Boston Marathon. Every year, it's Mary Kate's job to woo, recruit, and get the best distance runners to come run the historic Boston Marathon. On this episode — which we recorde...

"I grew up riding around in a cargo van filled with bologna sandwiches and handing them out under bridges and in parks."   Ross Altenbaugh is the executive director at Flagstaff Shelter Services , the largest emergency shelter in Northern Arizona. Since 2014, Flagstaff Shelter Services has permanently housed more than 500 individuals and families, which Ross says is the goal — to find permanent ho...

"It's not so much what you're doing — it's why are you doing it?"   Welcome to the first episode in a four-part series called Feel-Good Fridays. These short episodes are intended to leave you feeling lighter, better, more optimistic — whether temporarily or for the rest of your life. These conversations with experts are meant to be uplifting without being fluffy or delusional. We're kicking things...