"I'm entering a new era where I'm prioritizing myself and my happiness, and also looking for more ways to do what the goal is at the end of the day, which is to make myself the best athlete I can be in this small amount of time that I get to do this in my life."

Heather MacLean has had a big summer. In this conversation, she talks about the decision to leave Team New Balance Boston and coach Mark Coogan, and to be trained by Juli Benson. Heather spent much of the summer in Flagstaff, AZ, training alongside fellow Juli Benson-coached athletes Nikki Hiltz and Helen Schlachtenhaufen, and she explains the importance of finding like-minded training partners. Plus, Heather shares her reflections on her 2025 outdoor season, including finishing fourth in the 1500m final at U.S. Outdoor National Championships, and capping off the season in Europe with three Diamond League races (including a personal best in the 1500m in Silesia!). (Heather ended up scratching from the Fifth Avenue Mile due to illness.)

SPONSOR:

• New Balance: Click here to get your hands on the just-released New Balance FuelCell SC Elite v5!

In this episode:

• How Heather is feeling about turning 30 (4:55)
• What's making Heather happy today? (11:00)
• Before scratching, how Heather was feeling about running the Fifth Avenue Mile (14:15)
• All about Heather's big life changes, including leaving Team New Balance Boston to be coached by Juli Benson (18:15)
• On training with fellow 1500m runner Nikki Hiltz (29:00)
• Heather's takeaways from U.S. Outdoor National Championships, where she finished fourth in the 1500m final (35:05)
• Heather's reflections on the rest of her outdoor racing season, racing the Diamond League circuit in Silesia, Brussels, and Zurich (39:25)
• Heather's take on The State of Race Bibs (53:55)

Follow Ali:

• Instagram @aliontherun1
• Join the Facebook group
• 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 if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!