"We knew the answer was yes. But it was so sudden. We didn't have those nine months to get prepared. It was instant."

Aleia Hobbs is a three-time global medalist and an Olympic silver medalist, and she's the North American indoor record holder for the 60 meters. One year ago, Aleia earned another title: mom. In this conversation, the adidas-sponsored professional sprinter talks about the call that changed her life last year, and about what the first year of motherhood has been like for her and her partner. She talks about the adoption process, about continuing to train on very little sleep, and about her big dreams for the future. Follow Aleia on Instagram @aleiabitofthis.

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• adidas: Click here to check out the adiClub membership benefits, including 15% off and free shipping.

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"I'm really confident in myself and I believe I can do it. But it's not gonna be easy. That's why I love this sport. I love racing."

What a treat to get to catch up with fan-favorite Nikki Hiltz in the middle of their first-ever European racing circuit and ongoing hot streak. We talked the day before Nikki made their Diamond League debut at a meet in Oslo. (In case you missed it, Nikki finished fourth in the mile, running 4:18, a personal best!) In this conversation, Nikki talks about what's fueling their racing these days — including how they stay mentally strong when feeling physically terrible during a race. Nikki is a lululemon-sponsored professional athlete who identifies as transgender nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns. Nikki also talks about what Pride Month means to them, what it's like coaching girlfriend Emma Gee, and so much more.

SPONSOR: New Balance. Click here to shop New Balance's latest releases for the season. (The SuperComp Trainer is my favorite shoe!)

What you'll get on this episode:

• Why it's a big deal for Nikki to be racing in Europe for the first time (2:00)
• On being on a hot streak (6:10)
• How Nikki handles racing when it all feels terrible (8:15)
• Broadcasts, pronouns, and how it all affects Nikki's racing (10:20)
• On LGBTQ+ representation in professional running (16:00)
• What Pride Month means to Nikki (19:00)
• What Nikki's partnership is like with lululemon, one year into their sponsorship — and which shoes Nikki is racing in these days (24:30)
• Nikki's decision to donate their prize money at the USATF Road Mile Championships to the Iowa Trans Mutual Aid Fund (32:00)
• What it's been like coaching girlfriend Emma Gee in the steeplechase (35:00)
• How Nikki is feeling about the 1500m talent pool in the U.S. right now (38:15)
• What does it mean to run the Nikki Hiltz way? (42:20)

For more, check out:

Nikki Hiltz, lululemon Athlete, May 2022

Love on the Run with Nikki Hiltz & Emma Gee, February 2022

The Latest From Nikki Hiltz, October 2020

Catching Up With Nikki Hiltz, November 2019

LIVE at RunnerCon with Nikki Hiltz & Allie Ostrander, September 2019

Follow Nikki:

• Instagram @nikkihiltz
• Twitter @nikki_hiltz

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"All of those, I ended the race smiling and happy and saying, 'I want to do that again.' For me, running is about that."

Mariana Fernández was born in Mexico and grew up in San Diego, where she dreamed of one day being onstage with her name in lights. Today, she's doing just that — in a slightly different way than she ever imagined. Mariana is a Peloton Tread, Yoga, and Meditation instructor who teaches classes in both English and Spanish. In this conversation, she talks about the role movement has always played in her life. (Growing up with a marathon-running mom — who is still running marathons in her 70s — will get you moving!) Mariana ran the New York Mini 10K last weekend, and soon she'll begin training for her next marathon: the 2023 New York City Marathon

SPONSORS:

• UCAN: Click here to get a FREE Edge sample pack (you'll just pay the cost of shipping), and use code ALI23 for 20% off your next UCAN order.
• Vuori: Click here for 20% off your first Vuori purchase.

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"The marathon is so humbling. Anything can happen, and it usually does — even for the best in the world."

We're going back to Boston today, with returning Ali on the Run Show guest Mary Kate Shea. The fastest runners in the world call her "MK," and she's the director of professional athletes and technical support/events at the Boston Athletic Association. Every year, MK is responsible for bringing more than 300 professional athletes to Boston for races including the Boston Marathon, the B.A.A. 5K, the B.A.A. 10K, and more. And the big question everyone was asking this year: How did she get Eliud Kipchoge to finally come and run the Boston Marathon? In this conversation, MK answers that, and shares her favorite stories and memories from Boston 2023. Plus, she talks about what it was like reading good friend Des Linden's book, Choosing to Run, and about who's still on her Boston Marathon wish list. (Listen all the way to the end for a cute Annie cameo!)

SPONSORS:

• UCAN: Click here to get a FREE Edge sample pack (you'll just pay the cost of shipping), and use code ALI23 for 20% off your next UCAN order.
• Tracksmith: New customers, use code ALINEW for $15 off your first Tracksmith order over $75. Returning customers, use code ALIGIVE for free shipping, plus a portion of the proceeds from your order will be donated to Moms Demand Action.

What you'll get on this episode:

• MK explains what her job entails, and how she's learned to be so good at it (3:00)
• How MK got Eliud Kipchoge to come and run the 2023 Boston Marathon (8:35)
• What it was actually like having Kipchoge in the city of Boston (17:00)
• How MK made sure every pro athlete felt supported in Boston this year (20:10)
• What it's like being at the Boston Marathon finish line with MK (22:50)
• How MK was able to get eventual winner Hellen Obiri into the 2023 Boston field (26:45)
• Who's still on MK's Boston Marathon wish list? (33:00)
• MK's stories from the 2023 start line — including a worm or two (35:40)
• Life after 25 consecutive Boston Marathons (41:30)
• MK's most memorable moment from Boston 2023 (43:35)
• MK talks about her — and Boston's — special relationship with Des Linden (48:30)
• What to expect at the 2023 B.A.A. 10K next weekend (58:15)

Follow Ali:

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• Support on Patreon
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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!

It's been a bit since we've really caught up. Here's what's been going on in my world lately.

SPONSORS:

• Vacation Races: Use code ONTHERUN200 for $200 off any Global Adventures trip, or code ONTHERUN15 for 15% off any half marathon or ultra marathon registration.
• goodr: Use code ONTHERUN for free shipping on your entire order

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"If you really in your bones know you can meet some goal? Don't quit until you do it."

Ashley Desanno grew up playing soccer, took a break from sports during college (partying > fitness), and then, with encouragement from her now-husband, decided to go for a run one day. One run turned into two, which turned into registering for her first race. Now, she's a 2:58 marathoner who is best known online as @lotsamiles. (Surely you've seen her wildly popular, LOL-worthy, likely-to-go-viral videos, like the one where her son gave his class an oh-so-honest recap of her most recent race.) In this conversation, Ashley, who lives in Portland, OR, with her husband and their two sons, talks about what it has taken to become a 2:58 marathoner. (Spoiler: It took 10 years and eight attempts to get there.) She talks about what it means to "fail forward," about the power of persistence, and about the role running is playing as she grieves the recent loss of her father. Plus, how she chooses to show up online, how she deals with potential backlash, and so much more.

SPONSOR: New Balance. Click here to shop New Balance's latest releases for the season. (The SuperComp Trainer is my favorite shoe!)

What you'll get on this episode:

• All about Young Ashley (3:35)
• What Ashley's running looks like in the wake of losing her father, and the role running is playing in the grieving process (4:40)
• Ashley's approach to running and racing right now (9:15)
• How, when, and why Ashley became a runner (11:10)
• What it took to run a sub-3:00 marathoner after 10 years and eight tries — and why Ashley never gave up (16:30)
• The day Ashley ran a 2:58 marathon — and the aftermath (24:30)
• On toxic positivity, and how it shows up in running and motherhood (29:00)
• All about becoming "lotsamiles," what it's like going viral, and addressing "political" topics on social media (34:20)
• Ashley shares her biggest hopes, dreams, and goals on the run (44:15)
• Ashley's advice for building running confidence (48:25)
• What it means to run the Ashley Desanno way (56:55)

Follow Ali:

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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!

"That's the only reason I still do this today, and I'm able to reach new heights in my performance — it's because of the people that I'm around."

We heard from Emma Bates here on the Ali on the Run Show right after she ran that 2:22:10 personal best and finished fifth at this year's Boston Marathon. Now, just a few weeks later, she's back and she's live! This episode was recorded in front of a live, 170-person, Disney Channel Original Movie-loving audience at the City Opera House in Traverse City, MI, during the Bayshore Marathon weekend. We caught up, got some life (and dating) updates, and played a few rousing rounds of new-to-the-show games, including Bates Rates, Bates Debates & Hot Takes, and Bates Hates! (Key takeaway from it all: Run hard. Have fun. I love you.)

SPONSORS:

• UCAN: Click here to get a FREE Edge sample pack (you'll just pay the cost of shipping), and use code ALI23 for 20% off your next UCAN order.
• The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race: Register TODAY (before the price increase on April 12!) for the world's largest and most iconic 10K road race, taking place in Atlanta, GA, on July 4, 2023.

What you'll get on this episode:

• All about Emma's very detailed race recaps on Instagram, and how she breaks down the race afterward with Coach Joe Bosshard (5:05)
• How Emma's physical and mental recovery have been since the 2023 Boston Marathon (9:10)
• What life has been like since the Boston Marathon (13:25)
• Why Emma doesn't race as often as her competitors and peers, and her decision about whether or not to race World Championships in Budapest this summer (17:05)
• Emma's advice for how to strengthen your confidence muscle (21:40)
• "We've had a soft launch, an al dente launch — that was the hard launch!" (23:50)
• Emma's favorite beauty products (Check out Thrive Causemetics founder Karissa Bodnar on the Ali on the Run Show!) (28:15)
• Bates Rates, Bates Debates & Hot Takes, & Bates Hates! (29:30)

For more from Emma, check out:

Emma Bates on Episode 633 of the Ali on the Run Show

Emma Bates on Episode 547 of the Ali on the Run Show

Emma Bates on Episode 527 of the Ali on the Run Show

Emma Bates on Episode 490 of the Ali on the Run Show

Emma Bates on Episode 444 of the Ali on the Run Show

Follow Ali:

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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!

"It's OK to struggle, but it's not OK to give up." —Gabe Grunewald

Gabriele "Gabe" Grunewald was a professional middle-distance runner from Minneapolis, MN. She was first diagnosed with Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma when she was in college and undoubtedly in the best shape of her life. Instead of finishing her college running career on a high note — or, better yet, a podium — Gabe was faced with a difficult and scary diagnosis. She underwent several surgeries, including having more than half of her liver removed after the third time the cancer came back.

Gabe passed away on June 11, 2019. Today, we are revisiting her conversation on the Ali on the Run Show, recorded in February 2018. In this conversation, Gabe talked about the difference between fighting and giving up, and explained what it means to be "brave like Gabe."

SPONSORS:

• UCAN: Click here to get a FREE Edge sample pack (you'll just pay the cost of shipping), and use code ALI23 for 20% off your next UCAN order.
• Vacation Races: Use code ONTHERUN200 for $200 off any Global Adventures trip, or code ONTHERUN15 for 15% off any half marathon or ultra marathon registration.

Follow Ali:

• Instagram @aliontherun1
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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!

"I am not interested in hurting today. I am not interested in suffering. I am not interested in working that hard. I just wanted to run and smile and see friends and wave to people. As soon as it started feeling hard, I said I needed to slow down. and I have no shame in that. We enjoyed the run, and that was all I wanted."

Welcome to Ask Ali! These episodes come to the podcast once a month, sometimes with a guest host, sometimes responding to listener voicemails, and sometimes just flying solo. That's what today is: a solo-sode (is that a thing? can it be?) answering questions about running the Brooklyn Half this past weekend, taking a Cody Rigsby class at Peloton Studios New York, how to avoid running burnout, and so much more. (Plus: a cute special guest at the end!)

SPONSORS:

• Tracksmith: New customers, use code ALINEW for $15 off your first Tracksmith order over $75. Returning customers, use code ALIGIVE for free shipping, plus a portion of the proceeds from your order will be donated to Moms Demand Action.
• Sidekick: Use code ONTHERUN for 15% off your next order.

Check out:

Ali on The Drop

The RBC Brooklyn Half Pre-Party Video

My favorite cheese!

Follow Ali:

• Instagram @aliontherun1
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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!

"You know in your head who you are. You just have to be brave enough to listen."

When Julia Brownell was little, she had a dream and a plan: to be a writer. She played sports, she loved to run, and she loved writing scripts and stories in her free time. And turns out, dreams come true. Today, Julia is a 3:16 marathoner, a mom of two, and a writer, producer, and playwright in Hollywood. She has been a writer and producer on shows including This Is Us, Parenthood, Smash, and more. (See? Living the dream!) In this conversation, Julia explains how a TV show is made, breaks down her favorite parts of that process, talks about what it was like getting her big break, and talks about what life has been like during the ongoing writer's strike. Plus, she talks about how she's gotten faster as a master and as a mom, taking more than 45 minutes off her marathon PR. Julia will race the Mountains to Beach half marathon this weekend, and she's looking to go sub-1:30.

SPONSORS:

• Bandit Running: Use code ONTHERUN15 to get 15% off your entire Bandit order.
• UCAN: Click here to get a FREE Edge sample pack (you'll just pay the cost of shipping), and use code ALI23 for 20% off your next UCAN order.

What you'll get on this episode:

• How Julia fits running into her busy life, and how she's feeling heading into her half marathon this weekend (2:05)
• On finding and making running friends as an adult (5:00)
• What Julia's life is like right now, during the writer's strike, and all about how a TV show is made (10:00)
• What kind of person makes a good TV writer? (21:45)
• Julia's favorite part of the TV-writing process, and what it's like being "the runner" in the crew (24:35)
• How Julia became a runner and a writer (30:35)
• What it's like to get your big break (39:30)
• On adjusting from being an east coast runner to an L.A. runner (40:25)
• How Julia has shaved nearly an hour off her marathon PR (41:30)
• What's next for Julia on the run? (46:00)
• On getting hired to work on "Parenthood" (52:00)
• What it's like going to the Emmy Awards (56:30)
• What Julia was working on pre-strike (1:01:45)

Follow Ali:

• Instagram @aliontherun1
• Join the Facebook group
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• Support on Patreon
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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!