Finish Lines and Milestones

⁠Chris Jones⁠ and I first connected online, and got to know each other over coffee before this conversation.

Support Chris's inaugural Big BO 50K (5K, 10K, 25K, 50K) on 10-10-26

During this episode, sponsored by ⁠Kila⁠, we talk about:

• [00:07:00] Playing goalkeeper for five years in college soccer
• [00:12:00] Signing up for the Indy Mini Half Marathon with zero training at his wife Fiona's request
• [00:16:00] The accidental progression that followed: one marathon (Monumental), a 50-miler he signed up for without ever running a 50K, and a 100-mile finish at the Indiana Trail 100
• [00:20:00] The complete stranger who paced him the final 20 miles of that 100-miler
• [00:02:00] His work as a physical therapist and running coach at Divergent Rehab + Wellness in Carmel, where 90% of his caseload is runners
• [00:05:00] Why he refuses to tell an injured runner to just stop running
• [00:13:00] Meeting his wife Fiona in sixth grade — and the two mutual friends (now his best friends) she dated before him
• [00:09:00] Moving to Washington state during COVID, then back to Avon for family and free childcare
• [00:37:00] Building Running Coach Chris on Instagram and how the name stuck from a childhood nickname
• [00:42:00] Training through the middle of the night to prepare for Prairie on Fire, and why headlamp practice matters more than people think
• [00:48:00] Last year's Prairie on Fire, getting sick mid-race, and still covering 71–72 miles before calling it
• [00:34:00] Launching Stay Obsessed with his friend Joe — the lifestyle brand behind a brand-new race
• [00:24:00] The Big BO 50K debuting October 10th in Speedway, with 5K, 10K, 25K, and 50K options
• [00:54:00] His go-to ultra fuel: mashed potatoes and broth, and rice with soy sauce and pineapple
• [00:59:00] His mantra "if I just run faster, it'll be done sooner" — and the healthier one he actually leans on, "just move forward"
• [00:51:00] His daughter "playing ultramarathon" around the house, and teaching his girls to love the sport the right way

Previous Guests Mentioned:

• ⁠Chris Jones⁠ - Episode 13
• ⁠TJ Dailey⁠ - Episode 68

Sponsor Details:

• ⁠Kila⁠ - Use ALLYB for $50 off your first order

Other Links:

• ⁠The Big BO 50K registration⁠
• Follow me on Instagram ⁠@allytbrett_runs⁠
• ⁠Subscribe to Finish Lines & Milestones weekly newsletter⁠

This is a SandyBoy Productions podcast.

Carolyn Coffin and I met through the SandyBoy Productions podcast network — she hosts the Inspired Soles podcast and just celebrated her 300th episode.

During this episode, sponsored by Kila and Huug, we talk about:

• [01:32] Learning to embrace milestones without ever feeling like she "knows what she's doing"
• [06:00] Life in Winnipeg, Manitoba
• [13:00] Growing up "dabbling" in running and hating a childhood 5K her parents made her run every spring
• [15:00] The wild story of how her mom found out she was having twins from an X-ray days before Carolyn and her twin brother arrived
• [24:00] Her brutal, untrained 4:17 debut at the 2000 Marine Corps Marathon — and why it sent her underground on marathons for 15 years
• [28:00] Getting coached by her brother in her 30s and dropping from a 48-minute 10K to sub-40 almost overnight
• [30:00] Her path from physiotherapy to health coaching to becoming a run coach, and why that background still shapes how she coaches today
• [37:00] Meeting her Inspired Soles co-host Kim Sankey and building the podcast from a list of just 50 potential guests
• [49:00] Coming back in 2015 to run a 3:21 PR at the Vermont City Marathon
• [51:00] Turning 42 and launching "42 at 42" — the ongoing quest to run her fastest-ever marathon at her current age
• [52:00] Raising money for a 2020 Chicago Marathon that got cancelled at the last second
• [54:00] Getting pulled off the course at the halfway point of the 2022 Manitoba Marathon because of extreme heat
• [59:00] A near-perfectly paced 3:23 at CIM that reignited her belief a sub-3:21 was still possible
• [60:00] Hiring a two-time Canadian Olympic marathoner as her coach
• [63:00] The 2024 Chicago Marathon bathroom emergency that cost her a PR by about three minutes
• [65:00] Winning the Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas 10K outright — and wearing the finish tape out on the town that night
• [70:00] Discovering The Marathon Project — the pandemic-born race in Arizona — and DNF'ing it despite a great training block
• [81:00] Coaching 15 women toward a sub-1:40 half marathon and a client chasing a sub-44 10K this September
• [82:00] Her rhythm and fight mantras, including the one she saves for the finish: "it's go time"

Previous Guests Mentioned

• Whitney Heins - Episode 163
• Lindsey Hein - Episode 100

Sponsor Details

• Kila - Use ALLYB for $50 off your first order
• Huug - Use ALLYB for 15% off your order (combinable with buy 3, get 1 free)

Other Links

• Follow me on Instagram @allytbrett_runs
• Subscribe to Finish Lines & Milestones weekly newsletter

This is a SandyBoy Productions podcast.

Jeanette Ray and I met when I sent her a DM about sponsoring a live event and we've been friends (and Dunk Club members) ever since.

During this episode, sponsored by SWTHZ and Kila, we talk about:

• [04:00] Getting walked into an office and laid off from her 10-year hospitality career during COVID — and the line she told her bosses on her way out the door
• [05:00] Starting her weight-loss journey in February 2019 and losing over 120 pounds
• [24:00] Why she can't finish the Indy Mini without crying, and FaceTiming her mom every year at the finish line
• [26:00] Her dad Jim's glioblastoma diagnosis — discovered after he couldn't keep rhythm on the drums and dropped a Diet Coke can without noticing
• [35:00] What contrast therapy actually is — a private suite with an infrared sauna, vitamin C shower, and cold plunge — and the science behind it
• [41:00] The "Dunk Club," the county rules around dunking, and why Sweat House studios are technically licensed as public pools
• [58:00] Her upcoming HYROX debut — a doubles simulation race in October with her district manager, Shane
• [1:03:00] The tattoo from her grandma's last birthday card, sent days before she passed

Previous Guests Mentioned

• Lindsey Hein - Episode 100
• Jason Noel - Episode 62
• Colleen DeRyckere - Episode 48
• Karen Kirkpatrick - Episode 162

Sponsor Details

• SWTHZ - Use code ALLYB5 for $5 off your first session
• Kila - Use code ALLYB for $50 off your first order

Other Links

• Follow Jeanette / Sweat House on Instagram @jraywellness
• Follow me on Instagram @allytbrett_runs
• Subscribe to Finish Lines & Milestones weekly newsletter

This is a SandyBoy Productions podcast.

Bri Qualizza and I have been internet friends for quite a while, probably crossing paths at a lot of local races, but this was the first time we actually got to meet in person.

During this episode, sponsored by Athlete Bouquets, we talk about:

• [2:00] Growing up a competitive dancer since age three, plus a self-described "not good" stint on her middle and high school track team
• [4:00] How that dance background led to five years cheering for the Indianapolis Colts, including a calendar shoot in Mexico and missing the Super Bowl the year of Deflategate

• [7:00] Meeting her husband, Ryan, at Howl at the Moon in downtown Indianapolis
• [9:00] 15 years at Riley Children's Health — from student tech to the sedation team to earning her doctorate this year (yes, you can call her Dr. Qualizza)
• [12:00] Running her first half marathon, the Indy Mini, in 2013 — and driving straight home afterward without realizing what a big deal it was
• [14:00] Becoming a Geist Half Marathon ambassador and getting certified as a run coach
• [15:00] Losing her first pregnancy, Charlie, at the height of the pandemic in 2020, and fighting to get Ryan into the hospital for her surgery

• [19:00] Coaching group fitness at CycleBar to stay active postpartum, before her daughter Eva was born
• [20:00] Running the 49th Indy Mini as her first race back after Eva — and the first time Ryan was able to cheer her on at the finish line

• [25:00] Launching her own run coaching business, Pace and Purpose, after a friend asked her to help train for her first half marathon
• [31:00] Training for her "redemption marathon" at Carmel — and getting sidelined by two shin stress fractures just weeks before race day

• [39:00] Her return-to-running plan with coach Sara Farney, starting a run club at Riley Hospital, and her fall race calendar: Geist Half, Indianapolis Monumental, a Disney Princess race, and a return to Carmel
• [44:00] Supporting her husband Ryan's own Boston Qualifier goal, and her go-to running song ("Immigrant Song" by Led Zeppelin) and mantra — "You get to"

Previous Guests Mentioned

• Christina Cook – Episode 65
• Abby Prentice – Episode 168
• Gabby Behr – Episode 85
• Sara Farney – Episode 30

Sponsor Details

• Athlete Bouquets - Use PODCAST for 10% off your order

Other Links

• Pace and Purpose - Bri's run coaching business
• Geist Half Marathon - Use BRI10 for 10% off registration
• THAT 5K – Tori's Hike for Another Tomorrow - happening Saturday, August 15th
• Follow me on Instagram @allytbrett_runs
• Subscribe to Finish Lines & Milestones weekly newsletter

This is a SandyBoy Productions podcast.

AUGUST CATCHING UP WITH COACH

Rachel and I catch up on a busy July of birthdays, Greece, Colorado training camp, and back-to-school chaos, then look ahead to a strong month of fall races — Prairie On Fire, Monumental — as I kick off Half PR training.

The first Wednesday(ish) of every month this year, I bring you a conversation between me and my running coach, Rachel Sinders, of Rachel Michelle Running.
We'll talk about my training and running journey while celebrating other members of Team RMR. You don't have to work with Rachel to enjoy these conversations, but if you're looking for a running coach - look no further!
Thank you, Rachel, for supporting me and my podcast.

Previous Guests Mentioned

• Alex Baker - Episode 6
• Renae Saager - Episode 14
• Eileen Poore - Episode 17
• Jennifer Nei - Episode 33
• Carly Stewart - Episode 53
• Christina Cook - Episode 65
• Amy Lawless Shinneman - Episode 87

Sponsor Details

• Rachel Michelle Running - Follow Rachel @rachelmichellerunning on Instagram

Other Links

• THAT 5K (Tori's Hike For Another Tomorrow) - Avon, IN
• Prairie On Fire Backyard Ultra - September 12, Noblesville, IN
• CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Marathon, Half & 5K - November 7
• RUN(317) benefiting Ketchup to Cancer - September 24, Carmel, IN
• Follow me on Instagram @allytbrett_runs
• Subscribe to Finish Lines & Milestones weekly newsletter

This is a SandyBoy Productions podcast.

⁠Gordon Strain⁠ — and I recorded this one back in February 2024, but I'm re-running it to celebrate his latest milestone. Gordon's production company, ⁠Pigasus Pictures⁠, is currently filming their new movie Little Five on IU's campus in partnership with Anne Hathaway's production company, and my daughter, Sydney, and I got to be extras in the movie.

During this episode, sponsored by ⁠HUUG⁠, we talk about:

• What's changed since we recorded — Gordon just squeezed in his first ultra-marathon while filming a movie [INTRO]
• His movie Little Five filming on IU's campus [INTRO]
• How he got into running through CrossFit in 2012 with his wife Diane [8:00]
• His first 5K — throwing up 100 yards from the finish [9:00]
• Choosing the full Dopey Challenge at Disney as his debut marathon, as a 45th birthday gift to himself [12:00]
• Daughter Josephine's Disney Wine & Dine half marathon [20:00]
• Running his marathon through torrential rain and 30 mph headwinds [24:00]
• Getting lost on a 10K that turned into a 15-mile run in Bologna, Italy [36:00]
• Founding Pigasus Pictures with business partner Zach Spicer in 2016, and their mission to build a film industry inside Indiana [49:00]
• Filming The Duel in secret during the pandemic at Asherwood Estate, starring Dylan Sprouse [57:00]
• What it's like to live with a film "for the rest of its life" versus a crew that moves on to the next job [55:00]
• Gordon's bipolar diagnosis during his divorce, and hiding it for years out of fear of losing custody [1:00:00]
• Calling roughly 20 therapists before finding the right fit, and using genetic testing to land on the right medication [1:03:00]
• Why he speaks up about mental health on Running With Bipolar, even when it draws hate mail [1:11:00]
• Ally's own postpartum anxiety story and the trial-and-error of finding the right antidepressant [1:09:00]
• His tattoos ("Dreams Aren't Dumb" and an Oscar Wilde quote) and his spring 2024 race lineup — Carmel, the Kentucky Derby half, and the Indy Mini [1:18:00]

Previous Guests Mentioned

• ⁠Christi Dee⁠ - Episode 3
• ⁠Tracie Hunter⁠ - Episode 36
• ⁠Todd Oliver⁠ - Episode 39

Sponsor Details

• ⁠HUUG⁠ - Use ALLYB for 15% off, combinable with the buy 3, get 1 free offer

Other Links

• ⁠Sign up to be a Little Five extra⁠
• ⁠Pigasus Pictures⁠
• Follow me on Instagram ⁠⁠@allytbrett_runs⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠Subscribe to Finish Lines & Milestones weekly newsletter⁠⁠

This is a ⁠⁠SandyBoy Productions⁠⁠ podcast.

Abby Prentice and I met years ago at Monumental's very first Indianapolis 5K, when I saw her running the Monumental Community Mile with her mom.

During this episode, sponsored by HUUG and Goodr, we talk about:

• How the Community Mile has become a family tradition
• Getting her brother Ryan hooked on running, from spectating her races to signing up for Monumental this fall
• The trail fall at Avon Town Hall Park that left her covered in blood

• Fundraising for Team Chicago Run, and how a friend's foundation unexpectedly landed her a New York City Marathon bib

• Growing up in the small town of Covington, Indiana
• Being a sprinter and high jumper in high school, and specializing in high jump at Indiana State, including getting to run Division I cross country
• Meeting her husband, Deshaun, on the high jump squad in college
• Her first marathon (Chicago, 2023), trained completely solo, versus how much easier her second (Monumental, 2024) felt
• Founding Indy Social Run Club — weekly run club based out of Athletic Annex
• Becoming a brand ambassador for Indy Monumental, the Indiana Women's Running Festival, and Lululemon Keystone, and how she got into content creation
• Running the aid station — a "tiki bar" themed pit stop — at the Full Mo ultramarathon, and just how much work goes into it
• Her go-to fuel (Tailwind, Never Second, Huma) and current shoe rotation (ASICS Superblast and Novablast, New Balance SC Elite, Nike Vomero+)
• Her running mantra ("You can do hard things") and go-to running music (Big Booty Mixes)
• What's next: Fort Ben 5K, Chicago Marathon, New York City Marathon, and the Monumental 5K

Previous Guests Mentioned

• Rachel Sinders - Episode 8
• Himanshu Varandani - Episode 28
• Gordon Strain - Episode 43
• TJ Dailey - Episode 68
• Kelvin Quang - Episode 167

Sponsor Details

• HUUG - Use ALLYB for 15% off, combinable with their buy 3, get 1 free promo
• Goodr - Use ALLYB for $10 off your first order

Other Links

• Little Five extras signup (Aug 2nd)
• Abby's Chicago Marathon Fundraiser

• Indiana Women's Running Festival - Use code ABBYVIP for a discount
• CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Marathon - Use code ABBY26 for a discount
• Indy Half Marathon at Fort Ben 5K - Use code ABBY26 for a discount

• Follow Abby on Instagram @abby__prentice
• Follow Indy Social Run Club on Instagram

Follow me on Instagram @allytbrett_runs

Subscribe to Finish Lines & Milestones weekly newsletter

This is a SandyBoy Productions podcast.

Kelvin Quang is the co-founder of 3Run7, one of the fastest-growing (and coolest) run clubs in Indianapolis. But even if you're not local, you should listen.

During this episode, sponsored by Huug and Goodr, we talk about:

• How 3Run7 started as a tiny group chat called "Runners Boys Club"
• Why keeping it free is central to the mission — running as one of the most accessible sports out there
• The story behind the name 3Run7 (Indianapolis's 317 area code) and designing the brand colors after the Indianapolis flag and the Pacers
• Someone getting the 3Run7 logo tattooed on their leg
• The limited monthly sticker drop that gets people showing up every week just to earn one

• Measuring the club's success by who comes back, not just who shows up once
• Running cross country and track at Warren Central High School, and his first (and so far only) marathon at Monumental in 2024
• Running without tracking time or mileage 🤯
• Teaching himself photography, videography, and graphic design from scratch to build the 3Run7 brand

• His mind-blowing side hustle 🦁
• His family's story immigrating from Vietnam as refugees and growing up without plumbing or reliable electricity
• His running mantra, "This is easy," and why he thinks running without music can be its own form of meditation

Previous Guests Mentioned

• Nicole Linn (@belowaveragerunning) - Episode 124
• Trena Roudebush - Episode 31

Sponsor Details

• Huug - Use ALLYB for 15% off, stacks with their buy 3, get 1 free offer
• Goodr - Use ALLYB for $10 off your first order

Other Links

• Follow me on Instagram @allytbrett_runs
• Subscribe to Finish Lines & Milestones weekly newsletter

This is a SandyBoy Productions podcast.

Eileen Poore and I had been friends over Instagram DMs for a while before this recording — this was actually the first time we ever met in person.

This rerun comes to you on July 17th — the same date that, back in 2021, she lined up for the 8 Hour Endurance race just three days after her criminal case closed, and ran the farthest she ever had. This episode discusses sexual assault.

During this episode, sponsored by Goodr and HUUG, we talk about:

• Growing up in New Orleans and starting work at the legendary Brennan's Restaurant at age 15
• Her mom contracting polio as an infant on a transatlantic crossing, being paralyzed from the neck down, and regaining partial mobility after a pilgrimage to Lourdes
• Growing up with an alcoholic, addict father (16 years sober now) and using running as a way to "escape the shit"
• Being a competitive junior Olympic diver long before she was ever a runner
• Moving to Indianapolis after Michigan State and meeting her husband Dave at Lockerbie Pub
• Hurricane Katrina destroying her family's home in 2005 and pushing her to run her first marathon, Columbus, in 2006 — with two stress fractures and, unknowingly, in early pregnancy
• Nursing her newborn son between the start and finish of the Indianapolis Half a few months after he was born
• Running a Ragnar relay from Prescott to Tempe in the middle of a bankruptcy and a housing crisis
• Qualifying for and running her first Boston Marathon in 2011 while training on treadmills between two toddlers in daycare
• Missing a Boston cutoff by exactly 17 seconds
• Her first ultra, the Gnaw Bone 50K, run with one gel and no drop bag
• 2018, her "banner year" — a marathon PR, a new job, a new house, and qualifying for Boston 2019
• Being raped by her Uber driver in July 2019, and the hours that followed at the hospital
• The forensic nurse and the Julian Center advocate who helped her survive the first year afterward
• Running the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon weeks later in the sweats she was released from the hospital in, dropping "I forgive you" index cards along the course
• The multi-year criminal process — the DNA warrant, the arrest, three different prosecutors, and reading her victim impact statement on her own birthday
• Running 8 Hour Endurance three days after her case closed and covering 32.17 miles, the farthest she had ever run
• Returning to Boston in 2022 and what it meant to cross that finish line

• Training with PBT under coach Matt Ebersole, and running the Tecumseh Trail Half along the way

• Her message to anyone in a hard season: "you just have to hold on"

Previous Guests Mentioned

• Matt Ebersole – Episode 89

Sponsor Details

• Goodr – Use ALLYB for $10 off your first order
• HUUG – Use ALLYB for 15% off (combinable with buy 3, get 1 free)

Other Links

• Follow Eileen on Instagram @leenie353
• Follow me on Instagram @allytbrett_runs
• Subscribe to Finish Lines & Milestones weekly newsletter

This is a SandyBoy Productions podcast.

JULY CATCHING UP WITH COACH We recap our 4th of July races and I interview my daughter, Sydney, about her first 5K!

The first Wednesday of every month this year (today is an exception) I'm going to bring you a conversation between me and my running coach, ⁠Rachel Sinders,⁠ of ⁠Rachel Michelle Running.⁠

We'll talk about my training and running journey while celebrating other members of Team RMR. You don't have to work with Rachel to enjoy these conversations, but if you're looking for a running coach - look no further!

Thank you, Rachel, for supporting me and my podcast.

Previous Guests Mentioned

• Mary Pittman - Episode 10
• Alex Baker - Episode 6
• Trena Roudebush - Episode 31
• Gordon Strain - Episode 43
• Jordan Huffman - Episode 80
• Lisa Hurst - Episode 95
• Lindsey Hein - Episode 100

Sponsor Details

• Goodr - Use ALLYB for $10 off your first order
• HUUG - Use ALLYB for 15% off, combinable with their Buy 3, Get 1 Free offer

Other Links

• Want to be a movie extra in the Little 500 film? Sign up here
• Follow me on Instagram @allytbrett_runs
• Subscribe to Finish Lines & Milestones weekly newsletter

This is a SandyBoy Productions podcast.