Ali on the Run Show – Details, episodes & analysis

"I have zero expectations. I'm ranked 60-plus. But I think I have a good shot at being top 10 in the world, and maybe even having a shot at a medal. Those were my own expectations and my own pressure. Good expectations, and good pressure. It started as, 'We made it, we checked the box, we got to the Olympics!' But it quickly transitioned to, 'Oh, let's see what we can do. Let's swing for the fences.'

When Clayton Young lined up at the start of the Paris Olympic Marathon, he had thousands of fans cheering him on. Sure, he had his friends and family — including his wife, Ashley — in Paris. But because Clayton and Ashley so meticulously documented the build from the Trials to Paris in a docu-series, they gained legions of new fans and followers along the way. 

Clayton earned his spot on Team USA by finishing second at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in February, just seconds behind teammate Conner Mantz. In Paris, they did it again, finishing seconds apart at the Olympic Marathon on that grueling, hilly, scenic tour of the city. Conner finished eighth, and Clayton ran 2:08:44, landing him in ninth place. And somewhere around those hills, we saw the mid-race low five between teammates, garnering a collective "awwww" from the viewers at home. 

An even cuter duo than the training partners: Clayton and his wife Ashley, who is known on Instagram as "Feed Your Runner," and is tasked with fueling Clayton's 120-mile training weeks. In this episode, we get to hear about how Ashley and Clayton support each other, and about what it looks like to be in a partnership where you're chasing big dreams and making choices and sacrifices in pursuit of greatness. 

Clayton and Ashley have two daughters, they live in Utah, and their next big [family] trip will be to New York this fall, when Clayton will race his third marathon of the year at the TCS New York City Marathon.

FOLLOW CLAYTON @_clayton_young_

FOLLOW ASHLEY @feedyourrunner

SPONSOR: 

• UCAN: Click here to get a FREE UCAN training essentials pack (you’ll just pay the cost of shipping), and use code ALI for 20% off your next UCAN order.

Follow Ali:

• Instagram @aliontherun1
• Join the Facebook group
• Twitter @aliontherun1
• 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!

"I wanted to change the world just like she had."

Kate Gunderson — best known online as "The Plane Kate" — is living a real-life Top Gun...kind of. (She'll explain!) Kate is a flight test engineer (a literal woman in STEM!), a former NASA engineer, and a nine-time marathoner with a 3:18 personal best. In this conversation, Kate explains what her role entails, what it's like being in flight test school, and how she handles being a woman in a very male-dominated industry (she's the only woman in her program!). She offers advice on improving your confidence, on speaking up when you're "the only," and on chasing your biggest dreams. Plus, all about her first flight, what it took to run a massive personal best, and whether or not she still dreams of heading into space someday.

FOLLOW KATE @theplanekate

SPONSOR: 

• Lagoon: Click here to take Lagoon’s 2-minute sleep quiz to see which pillow is right for you. (Emma Bates and I are both Otters!) Use code ALI at checkout for 15% off your order.

What you’ll get on this episode:

• Top Gun vs. real life, and what Kate’s first flight was like (2:30)
• On being a woman in a male-dominated industry (7:25)
• When Kate knew she wanted to pursue a career in space (10:10)
• How Kate made her dreams come true (14:50)
• On life in test pilot school (30:15)
• How Kate met her soon-to-be husband (46:15)
• What’s the dream now? (52:30)
• How — and why — Kate became a runner (58:05)
• What it took to run a 3:18 marathon (1:01:20)
• On doing the right thing, even when it’s hard (1:05:55)
• Kate’s advice for beating imposter syndrome (1:10:30)

Follow Ali:

• Instagram @aliontherun1
• Join the Facebook group
• Twitter @aliontherun1
• 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!

"That’s always my goal: to win. And I always think I can. I have the belief."

Emily Mackay is a World Indoor Championships bronze medalist. She's a 3:55.90 1500m runner. And she's going to the Olympics! Emily just raced the 1500m at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Team Trials, where she finished second, ran a huge personal best, and earned her spot on Team USA for this summer's Olympic Games in Paris. In this episode, the New Balance Boston athlete returns to the Ali on the Run Show to talk about how the rounds played out, how she finished so strong in that final, and what life has been like since.

SPONSORS: 

• UCAN: Click here to get a FREE UCAN training essentials pack (you’ll just pay the cost of shipping), and use code ALI for 20% off your next UCAN order.
• New Balance: Click here to shop New Balance's latest releases for the season.

What you’ll get on this episode:

• How Emily is feeling on the Trials, what it’s like being a 3:55 1500m runner, and how making the Olympic team compares to making the World Indoor team (1:40)
• What it was like rewatching the 1500m Final (9:55)
• On running 3:55 to make Team USA (15:10)
• The race plan, and how Emily stays calm when the plan doesn’t go accordingly (21:40)
• What happened after the Final (30:40)
• How Emily was feeling heading into the rounds (33:45)
• All about that Semi-Final (37:10)
• Emily breaks down the day of the 1500m Final (42:00)
• What’s next for Emily (1:04:00)

Follow Ali:

• Instagram @aliontherun1
• Join the Facebook group
• Twitter @aliontherun1
• 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!

“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
• Join the Facebook group
• Twitter @aliontherun1
• 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!

"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
• Join the Facebook group
• Twitter @aliontherun1
• 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!

"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
• Twitter @aliontherun1
• 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!

"You just have to survive."

Welcome to the return of the Motherhood Mondays series! Once a month, I'll be joined by a fellow mom — including professional runners, everyday runners, experts, and more — to speak candidly about motherhood and all that it entails.

Today, I'm joined by Veronica Graziano, a 2:41 marathoner (she ran the Olympic Marathon Trials in 2020, and recapped that experience here and here) and twin mom. Her daughters, Kennedy and Quinn, turn two next week. In this conversation, Veronica talks about what the past two years have been like, including her road to motherhood, a challenging pregnancy, and her postpartum return to running and racing. Veronica works full-time for Mass General Brigham, and lives in Falmouth, ME, with her husband and their daughters. Find her on Instagram @vjaxs.

SPONSOR:

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

Follow Ali:

• Instagram @aliontherun1
• Join the Facebook group
• Twitter @aliontherun1
• 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!

"There was a lot of anticipation for this race, and I hope it lived up to everyone’s standards!"

Josette Norris is on a hot streak on the track! The On-sponsored Jersey girl (who now lives in Boulder, CO) just won the 5000m race at On Track Fest (and ran a personal best of 14:43), and won the 1500m race at Penn Relays the weekend prior. In this conversation, Josette talks about what life is like as an On Athletics Club athlete, where she is coached by Dathan Ritzenhein. (Listen to Josette's previous appearance on the Ali on the Run Show — with now-husband and fellow pro Robby Andrews — here.)

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.

What you’ll get on this episode:

• How Josette essentially paid her own prize money this weekend, and all about the OAC fandom (3:10)
• On the transition from solo training to being a member of On Athletics Club (5:25)
• All about Josette’s 5000m win at On Track Fest, including the post-race celebration and the pacer situation (7:00)
• The intimidation factor with a stacked field (13:50)
• The red carpet situation (16:00)
• Visualization vs. reality (21:20)
• Josette breaks down that 5000m win (25:45)
• On the media side of it all, and what it’s like rewatching the races after the fact (32:10)
• What all the big life changes have been like in 2023 (39:50)

Follow Josette:

• Instagram @josettenorris

Follow Ali:

• Instagram @aliontherun1
• Join the Facebook group
• Twitter @aliontherun1
• 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!

"I don’t regret anything. I did my best, all the way until the end. I did what I could on the day."

You heard the live show with Shalane Flanagan. You got the full race recap with Keira D'Amato. Now, I'm wrapping up all things Eugene Marathon 2023 by answering listener questions about my training, my race experience, and what's next.

SPONSOR:

• 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:

• All the pre-race details (2:15)
• Breaking down race day (31:40)
• The aftermath (50:50)

What I wore:

• Sports bra
• Hot pink tank
• Fuel belt
• Hot pink socks
• Shoes

My race-day playlist

Follow Ali:

• Instagram @aliontherun1
• Join the Facebook group
• Twitter @aliontherun1
• 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!

"It took a lot of work, realizing that the running community is made up of so many different people, so many different paces, so many different body types. And just accepting that — accepting that you don’t have to run a certain pace or look a certain way to be considered a runner... I finally accepted that truth."

Molly Hernandez grew up in Texas with big dreams of being a Disney Channel star. Running? A big "no thank you." Fast-forward to today, and Molly is a 10-time marathoner, two-time ultramarathoner, freelance copywriter, and content creator living in Austin, TX. She's best known on the internet as "Your Running BFF," and she's on a mission to make runners — especially new runners — feel less alone and less overwhelmed. In this conversation, Molly talks about going from non-runner to marathoner in the span of six months, and how her relationship with running has grown and evolved since then.

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:

• How Molly is feeling after running the Oklahoma City Marathon last weekend (2:50)
• All about Young Molly and her Disney Channel dreams (4:45)
• How, when, and why running entered Molly’s life (7:25)
• Why Molly decided to run her first marathon, and what that training was like (10:25)
• The moment Molly finally decided to call herself a runner (15:10)
• A marathoner in the making! All about Molly’s first 26.2-mile race, and her decision to run more marathons (17:20)
• On running the Oklahoma City Half Marathon last weekend, and how Molly plans her racing schedule (21:20)
• How Molly became “Your Running BFF” (26:05)
• How becoming a content creator has changed Molly’s relationship with running (33:20)
• On becoming an ultra runner (36:40)
• On time, pace, and the numbers on the watch — and mid-race hallucinations (40:30)
• What’s next? (46:45)
• Molly’s advice to anyone struggling on the run right now (51:35)

Follow Molly:

• Instagram @yourrunningBFF
• YouTube
• TikTok @yourrunningBFF
• Website

Follow Ali:

• Instagram @aliontherun1
• Join the Facebook group
• Twitter @aliontherun1
• 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!