Finish Lines and Milestones

Jessica & Johnathon Jones live in Hamilton, Ohio — a city they've tried to leave more than a few times — and are opening a specialty running store this summer. They're both fresh off the Boston Marathon, where Jonathan ran a massive PR and Jess is oh-so-close to cracking three hours. I met Jess through LinkedIn (of all places) — we both went to Miami of Ohio!

During this episode, sponsored by Batch and Cure, we talk about:

• Jonathan's 16-year road to Boston — including a ski accident that exposed his kneecap, emergency surgery, and somehow doing a full Ironman 10 months later
• Jess running a Boston qualifying marathon while 16 weeks pregnant (her third pregnancy, two kids already at home)
• How they operate very differently on race morning — one is immediate boarding, one is last call
• Checking Jonathan's finish time on her phone mid-race and crying happy tears at mile 15
• The proposal — racing to the end of Navy Pier in Chicago, all sweaty and mid-run, with both sets of parents hiding in position
• ~30 marathons each, pacing each other through all of it, and why Jonathan offered to pace Jess to her sub-3 this fall instead of chasing his own goal
• Their running store, Main Street Running Collective, opening in Hamilton, Ohio this summer — and why they're building it for the 60-year-old with bad knees, not the carbon plate crowd
• Getting a sitter at 5am on Saturdays so they could do their long run, get coffee, and still have a full family day
• How Knoxville changed the way they think about running as community
• Girls on the Run, the Hamilton Run Club's 700+ members, and why a healthy city starts with people on their feet
• What's next: Berlin in the fall (they both qualified at Boston), sub-3 for Jess, and a grand opening

Previous Guests Mentioned

• ⁠Carly Stewart⁠ - Episode 53
• ⁠Mike Vollmer⁠ - Episode 156

Sponsor Details

• Batch - Use code FINISH for 30% off sitewide
• Cure - Use code ALLYB for 20% off

Other Links

• Main Street Running Collective on Instagram
• Follow me on Instagram ⁠@allytbrett_runs⁠
• ⁠Subscribe to Finish Lines & Milestones weekly newsletter⁠

This is a ⁠SandyBoy Productions⁠ podcast.

MAY CATCHING UP WITH COACH 🏁

We talk Indy Mini and Full Mo training!

The first Wednesday of every month(ish) this year 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

• Mike Vollmer – Episode 156
• Lindsey Hein – Episode 100
• Carly Stewart – Episode 53
• Carly Trulock Quinn – Episode 149
• Jennifer Nei – Episode 33
• Alex Baker – Episode 6

Other Links

• ⁠⁠Subscribe to Finish Lines & Milestones weekly newsletter⁠

Dennis Mullen and I met during our shared time on the board for Beyond Monumental, the organization behind the CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Marathon.

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

• How Dennis found running in grad school after he couldn't keep up with his wife for even a mile — and how that humbling moment turned into sub-3 marathons 😅
• Winning a small half marathon in Noblesville in 2018 (don't look up the time, he says) and walking into his first marathon with way too much confidence
• Going out in a 1:24 for the first half of his debut marathon and... paying for it dearly in the second half (final time: 3:50)
• Coming back a year later at Monumental and running 2:59 — his first BQ — with a completely different mindset
• Qualifying for Boston three times and still not making it to the start line (the buffer zone is a cruel mistress)
• A herniated disc, degenerative disc disease, two Disney trips in a back brace, and a year lost to injury — and why he still considers that stretch one of his more impressive stretches of life
• His plan to chase a BQ at a Last Chance race in Geneva, IL this fall — small field, flat course, and they treat you like an elite
• Carmel Marathon being postponed two years in a row and the Brew City Marathon in Milwaukee saving the day last year
• Being on the board for Beyond Monumental and what volunteering at a race does for your perspective as a runner
• Running on the Zionsville Rail Trail (as a card-carrying member of the Zionsville Run Club who has never actually shown up 😂)
• Nutrition chat: Maurten gels, beet juice, salt tabs, and the nerd gummies pipeline
• His walkout song: Won't Get Fooled Again by The Who (they play it at Colts games — you know it)
• Project Hail Mary is going on the audiobook list whether

Previous Guests Mentioned

• Lauren Gaudion - Episode 106
• Mike Vollmer - Episode 156
• Salvador Escamilla - Episode 77
• Johanna Kitchell - Episode 114

Sponsor Details

• Noogs - Use code ALLYB for 15% off your first order + free shipping on 2+ cartons (lower 48 only)
• Batch - Use code FINISH for 30% off sitewide
• Huug - Use code ALLYB for 15% off (combine with buy 3 get 1 free!)

Other Links

• I'll Have Another with Lindsey Hein - Live Event Tickets
• Follow Dennis on Instagram @dmullen11
• Follow me on Instagram @allytbrett_runs
• Subscribe to Finish Lines & Milestones weekly newsletter

This is a SandyBoy Productions podcast.

Lindsay Hein and I recorded a special mini episode to get you hyped for the 500 Festival Indy Mini! We've got a giveaway winner to announce, a live event to tell you about, and a full course preview for race day. 🏃‍♀️

During this episode, we talk about:

• Announcing the winner of our over $2,000 Indy Mini giveaway (shoutout to Andrew — we did our best with that last name)
• Details on our live podcast event at Bottleworks Hotel on Friday, May 1st — featuring elite guests, snacks , and shoe decorating ✨
• A course preview of the Indy Mini for first-timers and veterans alike — the Circle City Cloggers, the Gold Mile, Long's Donuts on the track, and the finish line party
• Lindsay running with Ainsley's Angels for the third time — why she does it and why you should cheer your face off if you see them on course
• The history behind kissing the bricks and whether it's worth the mid-race burpee energy
• Ally's medal wall vs. Lindsay's zero medals — a tale of two runners
• Ally's Indy Mini spreadsheet (18 races deep — of course there's a spreadsheet)

Other Links

• Indy Mini Live Podcast Event (use code ANOTHER for $5 off!)
• Follow me on Instagram @allytbrett_runs
• Subscribe to Finish Lines & Milestones weekly newsletter

This is a SandyBoy Productions podcast.

Noa Besner and I actually met in person at the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon shakeout run last fall — and I'm so glad we finally sat down to record together. Noa is a New York City-based runner, run coach, and co-founder of Paces & Places, a new travel company bringing small groups of runners to international races.

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

• ​Getting into running completely by accident at 25 — skipping gym class courtesy of a mom-written note, then doing a charity half marathon when a friend got injured
• ​Her first marathon: Nashville, 95 degrees, hilly, and a complete struggle — and why it made her want to do another one immediately
• ​Going from a 5:32 at Nashville to a 3:26 PR
• ​What actually moved the needle: cross training, strength work, recovery, getting a coach, and building a real mental game
• ​Coaching for New York Road Runners — and how it's a full circle moment from when she was Level 1 of 20 in one of their beginner groups
• ​The philosophy behind keeping her coaching roster small and truly customizing plans around her athletes' lives
• ​The time she ran Vancouver with a broken leg and didn't know it (whoops)
• ​Her approach to racing for time vs. racing for experience — and how not every race needs to be a PR
• ​Prep habits for time-goal races: driving the entire course, watching ride-along videos, memorizing every hill
• ​Her 26 mantras — one per mile — including Mile 18 which is always "shut up buttercup" 😂
• ​Paces & Places: the small group international race travel company she co-founded with Shannon and Jess
• ​Their first trip: the Midnight Sun Marathon in Tromsø, Norway — Arctic Circle, 8:30 PM start, 24-hour daylight, sauna + North Sea plunge included
• ​The Lochness Marathon in the Scottish Highlands: bagpipes at the start, Nessie plushies everywhere, stunning fall colors, and a bus ride to the top of a mountain
• ​Why she only brings groups to races she's personally tested and loved
• ​Racing internationally: jet lag strategy, food allergies and navigating Tokyo's sesame situation, Google Translate as a bestie
• ​The NYC Marathon cancellation during Hurricane Sandy — she was at the expo holding a jacket she had to put back
• ​Her NYC Marathon Day spectating strategy involving approximately 47 items crammed into her pockets and not getting spit at as a measure of success
• ​Having a BQ rejected by 20 seconds despite qualifying by 3+ minutes 😭
• ​Marathon taglines — and workshopping a better one for Indianapolis 👀

Previous Guests Mentioned

• ​Quincy Sauer - Episode 148
• ​Sally Hed Dahlquist - Episode 153

Sponsor Details

• ​Batch - Use code FINISH for 30% off sitewide

Other Links

• ​Paces & Places
• ​Live podcast event with Lindsay Hein & Emma Grace Hurley — May 1st
• ​Carly Trulock-Quinn's Blood Cancer United campaign — through May 8th
• ​Follow me on Instagram @allytbrett_runs
• ​Subscribe to Finish Lines & Milestones weekly newsletter

This is a SandyBoy Productions podcast.

Mike Vollmer and I connected thanks to the 500 Festival, who introduced us knowing I'd want to hear from someone who has run every single Indy Mini since the very first one in 1977.

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

• How a politician's desire for name recognition in his own district accidentally launched a 49-year streak
• What the first Indy Mini looked like — 762 runners, an 11am start, 85 degrees and full sun, and a $5 entry fee
• Running his first mini in indoor track shoes with rubber heel cups
• Standing next to Frank Shorter at the start line (the man who launched the running boom of the '70s!)
• How the course has changed dramatically since 1977 — the scenic rolling hills along the White River, Coffin Hill, and why the track used to destroy ankles
• His role in bringing St. Francis Hospital on as a sponsor — and how that sponsorship gave us the beloved finish line chocolate chip cookies 🍪

• Jump the Gun — the midnight party at St. Francis in Beech Grove where runners could guarantee their entry starting at 12:00am on February 1st

• His marathon PR of 3:35:45 at age 39 — and how he averaged 30 miles/week for over 20 years
• Running 14 marathons, including his first the day he turned 30 in Chicago, and his last at 42 in St. Louis
• Heart valve replacement surgery in 2020, prostate cancer surgery in 2015, and still showing up to the start line
• Last year's near-disaster: only 4 miles of training after a torn posterior muscle, finishing 15th from last in 4.5 hours, with a fellow Alumni Club member pulling him along

• His 25 years serving on the Mini's executive committee — overseeing everything from start line logistics to sponsor coordination
• The Circle City Cloggers at mile 4.5 on 10th and Holt
• Why he married a physical therapist (very convenient) and how she's gotten him to the start line more than once
• His racing mantra courtesy of Kathleen Duffy: "Pick up my feet, Lord, I'll put 'em down... Hallelujah, I'm homeward bound"

• Whether he'll stop at 50 or keep going (his answer might surprise you)

Previous Guests Mentioned

• Lindsey Hein - Episode 100
• Rachel Sinders - Episode 8

Sponsor Details

• Cure - Use code ALLYB for 20% off

Other Links

• Tickets to the live podcast event with Lindsey Hein & Emma Grace Hurley — Friday, May 1st at Bottleworks Hotel
• Follow me on Instagram @allytbrett_runs
• Subscribe to Finish Lines & Milestones weekly newsletter

This is a SandyBoy Productions podcast.

APRIL CATCHING UP WITH COACH

The first Wednesday of every month(ish) this year 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.

Other Links

• Indy Mini Live Podcast Tickets

• Follow me on Instagram ⁠@allytbrett_runs⁠

• ⁠Subscribe to Finish Lines & Milestones weekly newsletter⁠

Keegan Kok and I met through the internet first, and then got to meet in person at the CNO Indianapolis Monumental Marathon last November.

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

• How he grew up in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, moved to Hong Kong at 16, and ended up in Boston for college — where he stumbled into fencing tryouts (literally the only ones he didn't sleep through) and ended up team captain
• Starting running at 41 after losing 50 pounds through YouTube workouts and smaller portions — only to break his fibula on a ninja warrior structure at the park on Father's Day 🤦
• Running his first 5K on New Year's Eve and somehow getting a Chicago Marathon bib just eight months later while training for a 10K
• Running Chicago four years in a row (plus Bayshore) and the deliberate decision to skip it this year and cheer from the sidelines instead
• His third Chicago Marathon, where two friends paced him the whole way — one hyping the crowd, one filming on a GoPro — and why that race changed how he thinks about running with others
• Nutrition lessons learned the hard way: cramping at mile 14 after skipping sodium on a cold race day despite a hot training summer
• Winning the Shamrock Shuffle Mile — with a lead car and actual tape to break — after just showing up to see what would happen
• How he fell into the Brooks Running Collective, went to ambassador camp in Santa Monica, and found his people (and then aged out after three years)
• Co-founding a Tuesday morning track club in Chicago with friends Kim and Conrad — because none of them had a track background but they all wanted to do speed work, so they just figured it out together
• Being a certified run coach (through UESCA) with three athletes, all currently training for spring halfs — intentionally capping at five so he can actually show up for each of them
• Coaching his daughter's 4th–8th grade cross country and track team at her Catholic school, where the main goal is making sure kids still like running when it's over

• The 606 trail in Logan Square, CARA's lakefront hydration tents, and why the Chicago running community makes you feel like you belong
• His family being scattered across the globe — parents back in Malaysia, brother in Hong Kong, sister now in Barcelona — and the very obvious reason to sign up for the Barcelona Marathon
• Meeting his wife at a pub crawl in Wrigleyville and going on a very long first date a month later
• Chasing a 1:40–1:42 at the Indy Mini with his friend and fellow Shokz ambassador Caroline — about 10 minutes faster than his current PR — because she believes he can do it, so now he has to

Previous Guests Mentioned

• Rob Perez - Episode 150
• Hillary Burgess - Episode 138

Sponsor Details

• Amazfit - Use ALLYB for 10% off

Other Links

• Indy Mini Live Podcast Event Tickets
• Follow me on Instagram @allytbrett_runs
• Subscribe to Finish Lines & Milestones weekly newsletter

This is a SandyBoy Productions podcast.

Tammy Mirante and I met through the Fishers Running Club and the local ultra running community.

During this episode, sponsored by Amazfit and Cure, we talk about:

• Her two pet skunks, Kipper and Remy — rescues from a fur farm (and her general obsession with animals, including a roadside opossum rescue)
• How she went from running her first Run(317) races in 2019 to completing 108 miles at a Backyard Ultra 🤯
• Being one of the first four women in Indiana to run 100 miles at Prairie on Fire
• Her journey chasing a BQ — qualifying twice but ultimately deciding Boston just wasn't her dream
• The Backyard Ultra format and why she loves it (including how "be patient" became her mantra)
• Her blisters at Prairie on Fire and the mid-race decision to pop them (thanks, Angie Frazier)
• Her obsession with ChicknLegs shorts — she owns 21 pairs 👀
• Training solo to prepare mentally for running without a pack
• The Burrito League — and how she racked up 355+ segments on a little half-mile stretch in January
• Her hamstring injury, lazy glutes, and what PT taught her about running on trails vs. roads
• Working with her ultra coach, Brian Pasante, out of Colorado
• Balancing training with three kids and a husband who travels constantly
• What she's setting her sights on next: Grind on the Grid on May 9th with a goal of 200 miles
• A straight 100-miler possibly on the horizon

Previous Guests Mentioned

• ⁠Sarah Farney⁠ - Episode 30
• ⁠TJ Dailey⁠ - Episode 68
• ⁠Bob Roudebush⁠ - Episode 146
• ⁠Anthony Bruns⁠ - Episode 144

Sponsor Details

• Amazfit - Use ALLYB for 10% off
• Cure - Use ALLYB for 20% off

Other Links

• The First Four — film about Prairie on Fire by Jon Kuhn
• Follow me on Instagram @allytbrett_runs
• Subscribe to Finish Lines & Milestones weekly newsletter

This is a SandyBoy Productions podcast.

Sally Hed Dahlquist and I met through previous guest, Christine Anderson of Anderson's Maple Syrup (Pure Fuel).

During this episode, sponsored by Amazfit and Relay Active, we talk about:

• Her 2026 Tokyo Marathon experience and how she got into the race

• The Tokyo Marathon cutoffs and how she planned for them 

• The bathroom situation in Tokyo 

• What it was like growing up with a rare birth defect and a life expectancy of 15

• How everyone in her family seems to have a small business and how she became a business owner herself

• Learning that her health was ok, but that she was out of shape and needed to start exercising 

• Running her first marathon at Twin Cities 

• Becoming the sole owner of and selling a biotechnology company

• Meeting her husband on a ski trip she organized 

• PTSD from her childhood illness

• Losing her dad to Alzheimer’s while also helping care for a friend with cancer

• Cancelled races and race medals

• Finishing her quest to run marathons in all 50 states

• Some stories from a few other races she’s done

• Buying an RV off of someone she met on Craigslist 

• Running a marathon in Antarctica and her quest to see all of the world’s penguins

• Her race spreadsheet

Previous Guests Mentioned

• Christine Anderson
• Sean Conlon

Sponsor Details

• ⁠⁠Amazfit⁠⁠ - Use ALLYB for 10% off
• Relay Active - Use MILESTONES for 15% off

Other Links

• Sally's Podcast, Unstoppable Stories That Move
• Follow me on Instagram ⁠⁠@allytbrett_runs⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠Subscribe to Finish Lines & Milestones weekly newsletter⁠⁠

This is a ⁠⁠SandyBoy Productions ⁠⁠podcast.