Episodes

  • 506. Beyond the Run with Adrianne Haslet

    506. Beyond the Run with Adrianne Haslet
    Apr 8 2022
    “What will get us to the finish line is nothing compared to what got us to the start.” In 2013, professional ballroom dancer Adrianne Haslet was walking near the Boston Marathon finish line when the bombs went off. She lost her leg that day, standing on Boylston Street. Then, in 2019, Adrianne — who had become a runner herself after her lower leg amputation — was walking on Commonwealth Ave. when she was hit by a car. Even in the face of so much unexpected adversity, Adrianne hasn't lost her fighting spirit. She's a survivor, an advocate, an inspiration — and on Monday, April 18, she'll return to both Comm Ave. and Boylston Street, but this time it will be en route to her own marathon finish. Adrianne will be racing in the Boston Marathon's para division alongside friend and official guide Shalane Flanagan. In this conversation, Adrianne talks about training under Shalane's guidance, about how she's feeling with race day just a week and a half away, and about what she's doing now to prepare for the potential post-marathon blues. She also talks about the emotional component of running a race that she has such a heavy history with, and about what she pictures when she imagines her finish line moment. SPONSOR: New Balance — Go to newbalance.com/beyondtherun to learn more about how New Balance is supporting the conversations around mental wellness in running. (And check out my current favorite pullover, crop top, half-zip top, quilted pullover, and jacket.) What you’ll get on this episode: How Adrianne is feeling with less than two weeks to go until the Boston Marathon, and reflections on this training cycle (6:00)On returning to Boston after DNF-ing the 2018 race (11:00)What it’s been like moving during marathon training, and how Adrianne met her boyfriend, Harry (15:30)All about Adrianne’s running leg (23:00)How Adrianne and Shalane Flanagan met and became friends (25:15)What it’s like being coached by Shalane (34:20)The low and high points from Boston 2022 training (43:25)How the weather affects Adrianne’s leg (57:30)The mental and emotional components of returning to the Boston Marathon (59:00)All about Adrianne’s upcoming IMAX film (1:02:55)Adrianne’s guide to Boston (1:10:00) For more, check out: Adrianne Haslet on Episode 192 of the Ali on the Run Show Shalane Flanagan on Episode 438 of the Ali on the Run Show Shalane Flanagan on Episode 242 of the Ali on the Run Show Follow Adrianne: Instagram @adriannehasletTwitter @adriannehasletFacebook Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1Join the Facebook groupTwitter @aliontherun1Support on PatreonBlogStrava 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 if you liked this episode, share it with your friends! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 17 mins
  • 505. Kirsten Ferguson, Peloton Tread Instructor

    505. Kirsten Ferguson, Peloton Tread Instructor
    Apr 7 2022
    “There was a moment where I looked at myself in the mirror and said, ‘Whoa, this is what you’re meant to do. This is it.’” Kirsten Ferguson is living her dream. She once wrote "Become a Peloton instructor" on a Post-It note, and today she's doing exactly that. (And she still has the manifestation-filled Post-It.) The Peloton Tread instructor is a single mom of two, and the road to this dream life hasn't been an easy one. Kirsten grew up with aspirations of working in the fashion industry. But when she enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Technology, she quickly realized that she wanted to do something completely different. She ended up getting a job working in sponsorships with the NFL, where she worked for seven years before leaving and having children. Along the way, Kirsten suffered two miscarriages. That's when she found fitness. Kirsten leaned into cycling classes during her darkest, most isolating, and most challenging days. On their third try, Kirsten got — and stayed — pregnant. In this conversation, she's honest about what new motherhood was like for her, and about what happened when she had just become a fitness instructor and was going through a separation when the pandemic hit. She talks about how she got the Peloton job and about how she became a runner, about creating the "Ratchet Mom Club," about being at the Super Bowl for Beyoncé's epic halftime show, and about why she welcomes fear into her life. SPONSORS: Shokz — Use code OTR15 for 15% off wireless headphones. The 2022 Bayshore Marathon — Sign up for this year’s marathon and 10K, taking place May 28th in Traverse City, MI. What you’ll get on this episode: How Kirsten’s latest Peloton class came together (5:45)Why Kirsten takes her own classes (7:50)What Young Kirsten was like (10:40)On going to the Fashion Institute of Technology — and then having a change of heart and working for the NFL (13:00)Kirsten’s road to motherhood (22:50)How Kirsten found fitness (29:30)What new motherhood was like for Kirsten (35:30)How Kirsten found her purpose (40:45)How Kirsten overcame her fear of public speaking (49:15)On getting the Peloton job, and what happened next (50:50)What does a Peloton producer do? (58:30)All about the Ratchet Mom Club (1:01:40)On learning to call herself a runner (1:05:00) For more, check out: Fear is my Homeboy by Judi Holler Follow Kirsten: Instagram @iamkirstenferguson Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1Join the Facebook groupTwitter @aliontherun1Support on PatreonBlogStrava 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 if you liked this episode, share it with your friends! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 18 mins
  • 504. Jacky Hunt-Broersma, Running 100 Marathons in 100 Days

    504. Jacky Hunt-Broersma, Running 100 Marathons in 100 Days
    Apr 5 2022

    "I’m tired. But I’m feeling pretty good. I’ve got a job to do and I need to do it and that’s kind of it. I’m on a mission. I just need to get it done."

    Jacky Hunt-Broersma is on a quest to run 100 marathons in 100 days. That's 26.2 miles every single day for 100 days straight, while raising money for Amputee Blade Runners. We recorded this episode together at 8 AM on Day 75. Jacky — a running coach and ultramarathoner whose next goal is the Moab 240 Endurance Run — had just gotten her two kids off to school, and was getting ready for marathon number 75. In this conversation, we get to know the Jacky today, who is more than 3/4 of the way through her record-setting challenge. And we get to know the 26-year-old Jacky from 2001, who woke up one day with a golf ball-sized mass on her leg. She was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, a rare cancer, and had her leg amputated just weeks after the diagnosis. It wasn't until 15 years later that Jacky started running, and she says her only regret is that she didn't start sooner. In this conversation, Jacky talks about the highest (running with her daughter!) and lowest (Day 35) points of this 100-marathon challenge, about dealing with mom guilt along the way, and about her plans for marathon #92, which she'll run in the para division of the Boston Marathon.

    SPONSOR: Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race — Registration for this year's virtual Peachtree is now open! Click the link to be a part of this historic 10K today.

    What you’ll get on this episode:

    • How Jacky was feeling at 8 AM on Day 75, and her plan for the day (5:20)
    • How Jacky got through an especially tough run recently (9:50)
    • Jacky’s running must-haves (16:00)
    • How Jacky is feeling emotionally (17:40)
    • All about the recovery process during this adventure (19:40)
    • How Jacky is involving her children and family in this process (23:00)
    • Jacky’s cancer story, and how she found running (25:50)
    • Learning to run with a running blade (39:20)
    • All about Jacky’s 100 marathons in 100 days challenge (44:00)
    • Jacky’s plans for the Boston Marathon, and for marathon #100 (51:00)
    • Jacky’s most memorable marathons so far — and the day that “nearly broke her” (53:15)

    Follow Jacky:

    • Instagram @ncrunnerjacky
    • DONATE

    Follow Ali:

    • Instagram @aliontherun1
    • Join the Facebook group
    • Twitter @aliontherun1
    • Support on Patreon
    • Blog
    • Strava

    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 if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 10 mins
  • 503. Dominique Scott Efurd, Two-Time Olympian & Atlanta Women's 5K Champion

    503. Dominique Scott Efurd, Two-Time Olympian & Atlanta Women's 5K Champion
    Apr 1 2022

    “I said, ‘You definitely have this win. Don’t be so scared anymore.'”

    Last weekend, two-time Olympian Dominique Scott Efurd won the first-ever elite division at the Atlanta Women's 5K. And while it may have been her first time breaking the tape this year, Dom's 2022 is off to a solid start. In January, she finished third at the Houston Half Marathon. Then, she finished second at The TEN. And this weekend, she'll race the Cooper River Bridge Run. In this conversation — Dom's first time back on the show since late 2020 — Dom talks about her recent races, about the challenging start to 2021, which included a tibial stress reaction and a case of Covid, and about her experience representing Team South Africa at the Tokyo Olympics last summer. Dom is sponsored by adidas, and she lives in Boulder, CO, where she trains with Team Boss.

    SPONSOR: The 2022 Bayshore Marathon. Go to BayshoreMarathon.org to sign up for this year’s marathon and 10K, taking place May 28th in Traverse City, MI.

    What you’ll get on this episode:

    • How it felt to break the tape at the Atlanta Women’s 5K (5:30)
    • On being the race starter at the Atlanta Women’s 5K (13:45)
    • All about that 5K in Atlanta (16:00)
    • How Dom is feeling heading into the Cooper River Bridge Run 10K (23:15)
    • On finishing second at The TEN (24:30)
    • Dom talks about the tough times she’s faced over the past two years (40:00)
    • What Dom remembers most from the Tokyo Olympics, and recapping the Houston Half Marathon (47:00)
    • Dom’s marathon dreams (1:04:40)
    • All about the social media side of the sport (1:08:40)

    Follow Dom:

    • Instagram @domscottrunsa

    Follow Ali:

    • Instagram @aliontherun1
    • Join the Facebook group
    • Twitter @aliontherun1
    • Support on Patreon
    • Blog
    • Strava

    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 if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 22 mins
  • 502. Venus Morris Griffin, As Seen on Humans of New York

    502. Venus Morris Griffin, As Seen on Humans of New York
    Mar 31 2022
    “I’ve just been struggling to survive. To figure out how to survive. I want people to see me and say, ‘OK, let’s not look at what we think people are.’ Because everybody has their own struggles. Life is tough!” Earlier this month, I found myself glued to my phone, rabidly refreshing the Humans of New York Instagram account, waiting for updates in the 13-part story about a woman in Augusta, GA. The woman was Venus Morris Griffin. Today, she's a hugely successful realtor and mom of seven. But the road to becoming one of Meybohm Real Estate's leading agents (Venus has closed more than $500 million in sales she she started with the agency) has been anything but easy. In fact, it still isn't easy, Venus says. In this conversation, Venus talks about her difficult childhood, about falling in love with a man at USC, and about having six children together. She talks about being home with the kids — the youngest was just one year old, and the oldest was 15 — while her husband was away on a work trip, and getting a call in the middle of the night from a sex worker. A call that changed everything. Not only was Venus's husband, Tripp, sleeping with sex workers, Venus also learned that there was sexual abuse within the home. Today, Tripp is serving a 45-year sentence for child molestation. Here, Venus talks about how she kept moving forward, how she showed up for her children and for herself, and why she started running to get through it all. Plus, she talks about what it was like having her story shared widely through Humans of New York, and both the amazing (a book! a movie!) and less-amazing (losing clients and sales) responses. SPONSORS: Shokz — Use code OTR15 for 15% off wireless headphones. St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville — Use code ONTHERUN10 for $10 off your registration for this year’s races, taking place April 23–24. What you’ll get on this episode: How Venus is celebrating her 50th birthday (5:20)All about being featured on Humans of New York (8:00)On vulnerability, and how Venus started running (15:15)What Venus’s childhood was like (21:20)Meeting Tripp (23:30)The role of faith in Venus’s life (31:40)The scary moments in Venus and Tripp’s marriage, and why Venus decided to get her real estate license in 2008 (33:50)The middle-of-the-night phone call that changed everything (43:00)What life looked like after Tripp went to prison (52:30)How Venus navigated motherhood (1:02:40) Follow Venus: Instagram @venusmorrisgriffin Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1Join the Facebook groupTwitter @aliontherun1Support on PatreonBlogStrava 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 if you liked this episode, share it with your friends! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 12 mins
  • 501. Friendship Fest with Dinée Dorame & Mario Fraioli

    501. Friendship Fest with Dinée Dorame & Mario Fraioli
    Mar 29 2022
    “I could tell he wasn’t mentoring me because he wanted it to be this public thing that made him look good. I wasn’t his charity case.” Dinée Dorame had a dream: to launch a podcast that would explore the intersection between running, land, community and culture. So she applied for the first-ever Tracksmith Fellowship program — and she won. Dinée was one of the first recipients of a Tracksmith Fellowship grant, which gave her the support she needed to bring the Grounded podcast into existence. She was also paired with a mentor: Mario Fraioli, host of The Morning Shakeout podcast and creator of The Morning Shakeout newsletter. Dinée and Mario started as total strangers, formed a fast mentor-mentee relationship, and now, one year later, are close friends with a "big brother, little sister" bond. In this conversation, they talk about their first phone call, the first time they met in real life, and how their differences have made their relationship stronger. SPONSOR: Tracksmith. Click here and use code ALI22 to get free shipping. Plus, Tracksmith will donate 5% of your purchase proceeds to the Brave Like Gabe Foundation. What you’ll get on this episode: How Dinée and Mario became paired together as mentor-mentee through the Tracksmith Fellowship (5:20)All about Dinée and Mario’s first phone call (15:15)How a phone call became a friendship (26:10)On podcast rejection! (37:00)Dinée and Mario share the moments when they felt especially proud of each other (44:00)On finally getting to meet in real life (48:00)All about Common Ground (55:00) For more, check out: Dinée Dorame on Episode 402 of the Ali on the Run Show Dinée Dorame on Episode 239 of the Ali on the Run Show Mario Fraioli on Episode 266 of the Ali on the Run Show Lauren Fleshman on The Morning Shakeout Dinée Dorame on The Morning Shakeout Billy Mills on the Grounded podcast Ali Feller on The Morning Shakeout Follow Dinée: Instagram @dinee_pink22Grounded podcast Follow Mario: Instagram @mariofraioliTwitter @mariofraioliWebsiteSubscribe to The Morning Shakeout newsletter Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1Join the Facebook groupTwitter @aliontherun1Support on PatreonBlogStrava 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 if you liked this episode, share it with your friends! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 14 mins
  • 500. Beyond the Run with Elle Purrier St. Pierre

    500. Beyond the Run with Elle Purrier St. Pierre
    Mar 25 2022
    “It was pretty tough, I’m not gonna lie. I walked off the track pretty mad. I didn’t want to talk to any cameras, so I walked past the camera people because I knew they were just going to drill me with a bunch of questions that I didn’t want to talk about. And I hadn’t even had time to digest it myself. So I was about to say something I probably shouldn’t have on camera. So I said, ‘I’m making this boundary for myself,’ and I kept walking.” Elle Purrier St. Pierre is one of the fastest women in the country. The professional New Balance athlete just capped off her indoor season by earning a silver medal in the 3K at World Indoor Championships in Serbia. In 2020, she broke the American record in the indoor mile. Then, last summer, she won the 1500m event at the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team Trials (and set a Trials record for that event), solidifying her spot on Team USA and achieving a lifelong dream of becoming an Olympian. Elle — widely known as a small-town farm girl from Vermont — is living the professional runner dream, right? On this episode, Elle talks about the tough times. She talks about getting shoved off the track just seconds into that 1500 final at the Trials, and about how she rallied to win the race. She talks about handling disappointment on the track, like when she finished third in the 1500 at USAs a few weeks ago, a race she was heavily favored to win. And she talks about that — about being "heavily favored," and what that pressure feels like. Plus, reflections on competing in Tokyo, dealing with the post-Olympics blues, and pre-race bad moods. Welcome to Episode 500 of the Ali on the Run Show! SPONSOR: New Balance — Go to newbalance.com/beyondtherun to learn more about how New Balance is supporting the conversations around mental wellness in running. (And check out my current favorite pullover, crop top, half-zip top, quilted pullover, and jacket.) What you’ll get on this episode: All about Elle’s run today, and what it’s like being a local celebrity in Vermont (3:50)Where Elle’s keeping her silver medal, and what her goals were for the 3K at World Indoor Championships (8:45)How Elle stays tough when the racing gets hard, and what she’s like before the race starts (11:20)On getting shoved off the track at last summer’s Olympic Track & Field Trials 1500m final (16:00)Dealing with high stakes (22:00)How Elle navigated an injury heading into the Olympics (29:30)What Elle remembers most from the Tokyo Olympics (35:00)On dealing with the post-Olympics blues (40:30)What farm life is like for Elle (42:45)How Elle prepares and re-sets for a new racing season, and what it’s like going into each race as “the favorite” (45:15)On dealing with disappointment after finishing third at USA Indoors and missing out on Team USA for that distance — and coming back to win the 3K (49:00)On being asked “What’s next?” all the time (59:30)The most fun Elle has ever had on the run (1:02:15) For more, check out: Elle Purrier on Episode 210 of the Ali on the Run Show Follow Elle: Instagram @elleruns_4_her_lifeTwitter @ellepurrier Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1Join the Facebook groupTwitter @aliontherun1Support on PatreonBlogStrava 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 if you liked this episode, share it with your friends! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 9 mins
  • 499. Laura Skladzinski, Theater Kid Turned 100-Time Marathoner

    499. Laura Skladzinski, Theater Kid Turned 100-Time Marathoner
    Mar 24 2022
    “I got off the plane, looked out at the mountains, and just felt this sense of relaxation. Like this is where I’m supposed to be, this is where life is good. And it made no sense!” Laura Skladzinski was a dancer and theater kid growing up. She, like many of us, hated having to run the mile in gym class. Then, at 24 years old, Laura became the youngest person at the time to complete a marathon in all 50 states, and she has gone on to run more than 100 marathons and a few ultramarathons. So, what changed? In this wide-ranging conversation, Laura talks about how she became a runner, and what her approach to running is like. She talks her decision to move from New York City to Colorado, and about becoming a town trustee in her new hometown of Superior, CO. She also talks about how difficult that role has been over the past few months, after fires tore through the town at the end of 2021. She shares what that day was like as both a homeowner in Superior and as an elected official, and about why she has decided to prioritize mental health needs both for herself and for her community in the wake of those fires. Laura works as a management consultant, and when she's not working or on the run, she's a ski instructor at Beaver Creek, a Meals on Wheels volunteer and driver, and a camp counselor at Experience Camps for Grieving Children. SPONSORS: Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race — In-person registration for the July 4th event is now open! Click the link to register for this historic (Betty-endorsed!) 10K today. Shokz — Use code OTR15 for 15% off wireless headphones. What you’ll get on this episode: On being a town trustee in Superior, CO — and receiving more votes than any candidate in history! (6:00)What brought Laura to Colorado (8:30)What Young Laura was like (13:40)How Laura found and fell in love with running (17:15)Why Laura decided to try and run a marathon in every state (25:30)How Laura felt when she completed the 50 states challenge (31:00)Laura talks about being featured in a national JetBlue campaign (34:15)How Laura got so fast, and what her approach to running is like (36:45)How Laura became a ski instructor at Beaver Creek (44:30)On taking a break, taking a leave of absence from work, and prioritizing mental health (48:00)What it was like being in Superior, CO, during the fires a few months ago (52:00)Why Laura chose to prioritize community-wide mental health needs after the fires (57:45)On being a volunteer counselor at Experience Camps for Grieving Children (1:05:30) For more, check out: This Is Me table read Follow Laura: Instagram @50by25 Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1Join the Facebook groupTwitter @aliontherun1Support on PatreonBlogStrava 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 if you liked this episode, share it with your friends! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 15 mins