835. The Support Squad Series: Round 5 with Cousin Jackie

"I haven’t spent a lot of time breaking down and crying. Every time I’ve started to have a breakdown, I look at myself in the mirror and say, 'Stop, go about your day.' I know at some point I need to let those tears out, but I don’t really have time, so I’m stuffing it all down." I'm fresh off my fifth round of chemotherapy, and am back on the couch recording with friends. This time for chemo (and scan day!), I was again joined by Cousin Jackie, and this is our recap from the day at the infusion center and the few days we spent together.  SPONSOR:  Lagoon: Click here to take Lagoon’s 2-minute sleep quiz to see which pillow is right for you. (I'm an Otter!) Use code ALI at checkout for 15% off your next Lagoon order. Oofos: The best in recovery footwear! Check out Oofos's 2025 Project Pink collection, where 10% of every purchase is donated to cancer research.  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!

"Every starting line is a chance for a breakthrough." Josette Andrews is heading to Tokyo! This summer, the On-sponsored athlete went into the 5000m race at U.S. Outdoor National Championships as the top-seeded athlete — and it was the calmest she's ever been in a championship race. In this conversation, Josette talks about racing with a target on her back at USAs, and about making her first outdoor world championship team (she finished third in the 5000m Final at USAs, behind Shelby Houlihan and Elise Cranny). Josette, whose personal best is 14:25 from Rome earlier this summer, will represent Team USA in the women's 5000m race on September 18. Josette and her husband, Olympian Robby Andrews, live in Boulder, CO, where Josette trains with the On Athletics Club. FOLLOW JOSETTE @josettenorris SPONSORS:  New Balance: Click here to get your hands on the just-released Rebel v5! Shokz: Use code ALI for $10 off your next headphone purchase. In this episode: Where in the world is Josette Andrews? (2:30) On Josette’s decision to race on the Diamond League circuit between USAs and World Championships (4:30) How pro athletes get experience with tactical races (12:00) What’s making Josette happy today? (14:15) What it’s like being a top seed at U.S. Outdoor National Championships (20:00) Making the team vs. being on the team, and how Josette hurt her foot before USAs (24:30) On being asked about Shelby Houlihan’s return (31:50) Why Josette feels so calm this summer (34:15) Josette’s key takeaways from the 2025 outdoor season (39:00) How Josette ran an 18-second personal best in the 5000m this year, and how she reflects on this “dream season” (46:45) Josette's message to everyone going through a tough time right now (51:00) 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!

"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!

"I am shocked at the amount of Olivias that responded to a random message on Instagram." Olivia Enright is so fun. She's a sports marketing manager of global running for adidas, she ran at NC State (her BFF is pro runner Erika Kemp!), she's currently training for the Chicago Marathon, and she's a former competitive jump roper. (Olivia's sister and fellow former competitive jump roper, Cara, has been on the Ali on the Run Show before!) But most relevant to this conversation: Olivia is the brains behind the 12 Olivias Hood to Coast relay team. In this episode, she talks about how she came up with the idea to put together a group of same-named strangers to run nearly 200 miles across Oregon, and how she has actually brought this to life over the past four years. FOLLOW OLIVIA @olivenright SPONSORS:  goodr: Click here and use code ALI for $5 off your next order. Lagoon: Click here to take Lagoon’s 2-minute sleep quiz to see which pillow is right for you. (I'm an Otter!) Use code ALI at checkout for 15% off your next Lagoon order. In this episode: All about Olivia, former competitive jump roper (2:30) Olivia talks about training for this year’s Chicago Marathon (7:50) When, how, and why Olivia became a runner (10:00) How Olivia got her job at adidas, and what her job entails (15:40) Why Olivia is running the Chicago Marathon (31:45) All about the 12 Olivias Hood to Coast team (33:00) 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!

"The sun always comes up. No matter what, no matter how dark it was, no matter how grim everything seemed, no matter how alone I felt… The sun is always my beacon of hope." Janae Baron is one of the OG running bloggers, and she's still going strong. In this conversation, we're catching up with the Utah-based "Hungry Runner Girl," covering everything from her newfound love for trail running and racing (this summer, she ran and won El Vaquero Loco 31K!) to regrets and reflections on the blogging days of the early aughts. FOLLOW JANAE @hungryrunnergirl SPONSOR:  New Balance: Click here to get your hands on the just-released Rebel v5! 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!

"Everything I'm doing is new. It feels like I'm going into the unknown, which is scary." Emily Venters is officially one to watch on the U.S. women's distance running scene. The Nike-sponsored pro trains with Ed Eyestone's group in Utah, and this fall, she'll make her 26.2-mile debut at the Chicago Marathon. In this conversation, the five-time NCAA All-American talks about the road to the marathon, which hasn't always been easy. She talks about struggling in college, and debating leaving the sport altogether. She talks about dealing with injuries and disordered eating, and about having OCD. Plus, what it's like training alongside Conner Mantz, Clayton Young, and Keira D'Amato; how it's felt hitting 100-mile weeks; and whether Emily is has her sights set on taking down Fiona O'Keeffe's American debut record in the marathon. This Monday, Emily will race the USATF 20K Championships in New Haven.  FOLLOW EMILY @ventersemily SPONSOR:  New Balance: Click here to get your hands on the just-released Rebel v5! In this episode: All about Emily’s run today, and how she’s feeling heading into USATF 20K Championships this weekend (3:40) How Emily is feeling about her first marathon build (5:45) Why the marathon, why now, and why Chicago? (12:55) Emily’s recap from the 2025 U.S. Track & Field Outdoor National Championships 5K (22:15) What Emily was like as a kid, and how she became a runner (25:00) From Boise State to CU Boulder to the University of Utah: inside Emily's injury-riddled collegiate running experience, and what helped her finish her collegiate career on a high, healthy note (32:00) Emily's experience with OCD, and how it shows up on the run (41:25) How Emily became a professional athlete (48:25) 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!

I'm fresh off my fourth round of chemotherapy, and am back on the couch recording with friends. This time for chemo, I was joined by my OG running blog friend Emily Halnon, and this is our recap from the day at the infusion center and the few days we spent together.  SPONSOR:  Lagoon: Click here to take Lagoon’s 2-minute sleep quiz to see which pillow is right for you. (I'm an Otter!) Use code ALI at checkout for 15% off your next Lagoon order. 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!

"I love this sport and I love the people in it. I love the people I race against. I love all the fans. People are wonderful." Fresh off her U.S. Outdoor National Championships 10,000m win, fan favorite Emily Infeld returns to the Ali on the Run Show to talk about winning her first national title at age 35, 13 years into her professional career. Ten years ago, Emily made her first World Championships team, and went on to win a bronze medal in the 10,000m on the world stage. The next year, she made her first Olympic team, and competed at the Games in Rio. Then, Emily had a string of tough years and struggles, including injuries, surgeries, changing teams, changing coaches, changing locations, changing sponsors, and navigating a three-year ordeal with a stalker. Today, Emily is happy, healthy, and breaking the tape. She lives in Portland, OR, with her husband, Max. She's sponsored by Brooks, after 12 years with Nike. And she's coached once again by her college coach, Chris Miltenberg. In this conversation, Emily talks about what it took to unleash that kick in the homestretch and to break the tape at a National Championship. SPONSORS:  Vuori: Click here for 20% off your first Vuori purchase. Oofos: The best in recovery footwear! Check out Oofos's 2025 Project Pink collection, where 10% of every purchase is donated to cancer research.  In this episode: What the view from Cloud 9 is like (2:15) Emily’s take on becoming a National Champion at 35 years old (5:35) How Emily reflects on the runner she was in 2015, when she won bronze at World Championships, and the runner she was last summer, when she finished last in the 5000m at the Olympic Trials (11:15) How Emily has maintained an unwavering belief in herself — and whether she’s ever doubted herself (16:00) Emily’s approach to visualization, and what it was like breaking the tape at USAs (19:00) All about the victory lap (23:30) What it took to go from last place at the Trials to first place at Nationals (29:20) Did Emily know it was going to be a special day? (32:10) Emily’s race plan (38:00) How Emily spent the day leading up to the 10,000m, how Hayward Field felt that day, and how the race played out (43:15) What it was like going through the mixed zone after the race, and how Emily spent the rest of the night and weekend in Eugene (57:45) What’s the deal with world rankings, and is Emily definitely going to Tokyo for World Championships? (1:06:20) What it’s like being on the receiving end of an outpouring of support (1:10:00) 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!

"This was a really important step in my journey to feeling more like myself, and I’m really happy I did it." We heard from Nikki Hiltz right before they competed at the 2025 U.S. Track and Field Outdoor National Championships — and now they're back as a nine-time national champion. Fresh off winning their sixth straight U.S. 1500m title, Nikki returns to the show with their full race recap. Nikki talks about racing in the first round of the 1500m, and about watching their partner, Emma Gee, achieve her goal of making it to the 3000m Steeplechase Final. Then, Nikki breaks down all the details from the 1500m Final, including the race plan, the drama, the final kick, and the hour-long victory lap. Plus, Nikki shares some big personal news and talks about what's next on the run and off. FOLLOW NIKKI @nikkihiltz SPONSORS:  New Balance: Click here to get your hands on the just-released Rebel v5! Shokz: Use code ALI for $10 off your next purchase. Code valid in the U.S. and Canada. In this episode: How Nikki is feeling after winning their sixth straight U.S. 1500m title, and their ninth national title (1:45) What Nikki will remember most about this race (2:50) Was Nikki really hoping to run the 5000m at USAs? (7:10) What it was like watching partner Emma Gee make the 3000m Steeplechase Final (9:40) On cruising through the first round of the 1500m (12:40) How Nikki and Emma spent their day off between rounds (15:45) How Nikki was feeling on the day of the 1500m Final (18:15) Nikki breaks down the 1500m Final (27:45) All about that hour-long victory lap (37:20) Nikki’s take on the new World Athletics-enforced mandatory sex testing (41:30) What it was like being at Hayward Field — as a fan — on the final day of competition (48:40) Nikki shares some personal news (53:10) What's next for Nikki on the run (1:12:50) 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!

"It felt like I was playing with house money." Let the 2025 U.S. Track & Field Outdoor National Championships recaps begin! First up: Keira D'Amato, fresh off her first track race of the year. In this conversation, recorded just 48 hours after crossing the finish, Keira talks about racing the 10,000m, running 32:19, finishing seventh, and breaking the American Master's Record. She explains why she decided to race, shares what her goals and race plan were, and talks about how she feels about the outcome. In this episode: How Keira feels about her race at Nationals (2:30) Why racing in spikes is harder on the body than racing in super shoes on the roads (4:00) The last time Keira finished a race and felt satisfied (6:00) How Keira’s body is feeling post-10,000m (9:00) On arriving in Eugene, and what the atmosphere was like (14:10) Why Keira wore a GPS watch during the 10,000m Final (18:30) How Keira spent race day (22:00) Keira’s race plan, and the advice she got from coach Ed “Easy E” Eyestone (31:00) All about that American Master’s Record (34:15) Keira breaks down the race, and talks about when moves were made (39:20) Was it fun? (43:00) What happened after the race (49:55) Keira’s experience recording the audiobook for Don’t Call it a Comeback (58:00) SPONSORS:  UCAN: Click here to get a FREE UCAN sample pack (you’ll just pay the cost of shipping), and use code ALI for 20% off your entire UCAN order. Lagoon: Click here to take Lagoon’s 2-minute sleep quiz to see which pillow is right for you. (I'm an Otter!) Use code ALI at checkout for 15% off your next Lagoon order. 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!