(upbeat music) - Hello, everyone. My name is Ashley, our post-time back, and I am thrilled to announce my new podcast on the Hopecast Network, Locks of Locks, where I will be chatting with comedians, restaurant tours, and everyone in the entertainment industry about comedy, duh, pop culture, and of course, a little bit of food. You can follow lots of laughs on Instagram, @locksoflapspodcast, and lots of laughs will be available on Spotify, iTunes, anywhere you listen to podcasts. So like, follow, subscribe, and I cannot wait to knowsh with you. (upbeat music) This is the Hopecast Network. Stories and shows, you actually wanna listen to. (upbeat music) Hey, this is Erin Mayer, your host from the Everyday Runner podcast. This is the podcast where we chat about the unfiltered side of running. Like, why the first smile is a liar, to why you should never really trust a fart. Plus, we bring on everyday runners to hear their running story, how they got started, what their biggest mistakes were since they started their running journey, and even things like the most embarrassing moments that happened to them while they were running. Don't forget to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify, and also leave us a review about the show. And if you're an everyday runner who would like to come on and chit chat with me, reach out to me on Instagram @theeverydayrunner. Let's jump into today's show. Hello, everybody, welcome. I'm so excited to have Alyssa Ford with us on this week, sharing her everyday runner story. But if you look at the show notes, you can clearly see she's not just your everyday runner. She's actually a doctor with her physical therapy degree. She's a run coach, she's a strength coach. She's an amazing human who actually has been helping me throughout the past several months on my own running journey. And she's become not only a guide through helping myself on the road, but become a true friend. And Alyssa, I'm so happy to have you here. Why don't you say hello to everybody? Everybody listening in here at Alyssa. Hi, Alyssa. Hey, Erin, thank you so much for having me. I'm really excited to be here, and thank you so much for the awesome introduction. I'm really excited to chat more. And it's always fun for us to just chat and hang out. So I'm looking forward to this for that reason. And just another excuse to chat about running. This is great. Absolutely, absolutely. I couldn't agree more. So bring us back, everybody back to, how did you start running? Like, did you come out of the womb like a zell down the road? Or were you someone like me who was like, oh, I don't like it, but I eventually liked it kind of thing. Like, tell us, how did you get started? So I'm kind of, I think, somewhere in between those two options. I definitely didn't like come out loving it and being good at it right away. But my mom is actually a runner, too. And she's a marathoner. So when I was a kid growing up, I really looked up to her and admired her dedication to running. And it was something that, so I started running pretty young, probably like middle school-ish. And I was just well for runs with my mom once in a while. So it was something that we just did together as a way to spend time. And it was fun. And I ended up just really liking it. So it was something that I, as I got a little bit older, it was always something that I really enjoyed. And it was something that I just did for myself. But it was very, very much for a big part of my life, just something that I did kind of on the side. So wait a second. Is your mom still-- is she still running? She's still-- Oh, yeah. Yeah, it's like, can I-- will your mom be mad if you tell us how old she is right now? Like, how young she is better yet, said. She is in her 60s. I want to say 65. We won't test you on her birthday. Like, times that's one of those things. You're like, my mom is, you know. So she's in her prime 60s. Yes. And I always like-- it's hard for me to recall her age accurately because I think of her as a lot younger than she is. So I'm like, I think she feels wrong, but I think that's the right, right, right. Oh my goodness. So wait, so does your-- so your mom's still running? Yeah. Does she do like, just recreationally? Or is she doing like, races and stuff? Like, what does she do? She has not-- she does it all. It's been a while since she's raced. I always try to convince her to, like, do a race with me. But I haven't been successful in the past couple of years. But it's really just because-- part of the reason is because she lives in South Florida, and it's just really hot down there. So not great weather to train for longer distances for a lot of the year. And just like she's just been busy with other stuff. But she is, like, perfectly capable of still running and racing. She's done, like, a handful of marathons, a handful of half marathons. Like, she's just an all-around badass. Wow. So what's your first memory? And of course, we want to talk about you, but now I'm, like, really, like, thinking of being a kid. And, like, is my mom was not a fit in it? No. No. My mom thought, like, I don't know. I don't know, like, just folding laundry was a workout. Like, that's what I grew up around, right? So what's your first memory of thinking of your mom and running? Like, do you have, like, a core memory? Um, I don't-- there's not, like, one specific memory that jumps out. Something that, like, I remember, like, going on runs to her with her together when I was pretty young. And something that, like, stands out to me. It's not like a specific memory, but I just remember when she was in, like, the heart of her marathon training. Again, still living in South Florida, it's, like, ridiculously hot for a majority of the year. She would sleep in her running clothes the night before. So she would just, like, go to sleep in her running clothes so she could wake up at, like, 5 a.m. and go do her long run. So that is my memory of my mom just being, like, so dedicated and so committed to this goal that she was doing for herself. And I was, like, that is the coolest thing ever. That is awesome. What an example for you to agree, like, you know, we think about when we start our running journey, what kind of ripple effect we can make around the people who are in our lives and our loved ones. And that's amazing. Okay, so now, now back to you. So now you're, like, you've got the running bug. You ran in middle school, you've done stuff in high school. When did you decide to, like, turn your running into the field of choice for you to, like, go to school for and stuff? That's what I'm curious about. Yeah, so I didn't really turn more to distance running until after I finished college. So running was still, like, a big part of my life, kind of through college. It helped me through a tough time in college. And then I'd played other sports through high school through college. After college, I'd made the decision of kind of stepping away from playing sports more competitively. I was in this, like, kind of weird transitional phase where I was, like, trying to figure out my life, trying to figure out my career. And I really missed feeling like an athlete and having something to train for. So I decided to do something that was, like, a little bit outside of, or a lot of it outside of my comfort zone and playing for my first half marathon. So I just kind of, like, fell in love with the process of it from there. And so this was, like, right before I was getting ready to start PT school. So I had already kind of made the decision that that's the route that I wanted to take with my career. And then ended up falling in love with running and training, kind of right before, like, that year before going to PT school. So as I was starting PT school and learning more about injuries and, you know, rehabbing and how to train, I was also kind of doing my own deep dive on learning as much as I could about, like, running and everything to do with that as well. So the two kind of, like, very much like a perfect storm, and exactly. Now, what did you do for sports before running? So I actually, I did type window competitively for a long time. So that was my sport of choice through. I started in middle school and then trained competitively through high school and college. Wow. So you're, like, a tough nugget. Like, if I'm going on a run and something's going south, I want Alyssa with me to save me. I feel like I'm a little bit of a retired tough nugget. But I hope that it's still like in me. I'm sure the instincts are, like, still in there. I'm sure they're, like, still kicking if you need it for survival. So here's my question. And now I'm not asking you as a physical therapist. OK. Because I know you've probably got the medical answers right away. I'm thinking of you as, like, when you were back first training for your first half marathon and as you were navigating and learning how to start training for stuff like this, what was a mistake you've made when you were starting your running journey? Like a mistake that you personally, like, oh, now looking back, because you have all the knowledge, of course, now you know. But like, something that you experienced that was like, oh, oh, I shouldn't have done that. Oh, my gosh, Erin, how much time do we have here? [INAUDIBLE] I, starting out, probably made every single mistake in the book. I did it all completely wrong. So I learned a lot of things the hard way and through some trial and error. But I would say the biggest thing. So when I was training for my first half marathon, when I think back to my first half marathon, honestly, as much as I love running now, I really like cringe very hard thinking about that. Because I just made every mistake in the book. So I didn't really know anything about training. I knew I was like, you know, I was an athlete. I could run three miles, like, ready for a half marathon shouldn't be that hard. Like I kind of-- I'm not that hard at all. 13.1, it's no big deal. I mean, you did take 1.0. You've done like, you know, school sports. You got this. Exactly. So I thought I could kind of like skate by a little bit on just like already being kind of athletic. And that is just not how it works. So I, you know, I downloaded some plan from the internet. And I like kind of sort of followed it. I didn't know anything about like pacing. Like I would just go out and run every run, like as fast as I could. And then would just like die at the end. I didn't know anything about like fueling, like that that should be a thing. So I just, you know, pretty much made every mistake in the book. So when it came to toe in that line, I was excited. I went out way too fast, way too hot, was feeling great for the first, probably like seven miles. And then I hit the wall hard. All the people that I was like passing, feeling really good about myself at the beginning started passing me. And I was like, oh my god, what have I done? I've made a terrible, terrible mistake. So even though I like cringe so hard thinking back and like, you know, I feel like those are mistakes that a lot of people run into when first, you know, first starting out the running journey. And I, you know, like as much as I cringe, I feel like I learned so much from that experience. And I finished that race initially being like, I don't know if I'm gonna do that again. Like that was awful. And, okay, I know I just interrupted a great conversation. But my name is Brad and you may be listening to me or any of the other talent we have on this network at HopeCast. We wanna thank you for listening, but also, we want you to like and subscribe to the show you're listening to. So when you're done listening, go on the iTunes or the Spotify and leave a great review if you like it and follow the show on Instagram and any other platform that it's on. I think we're on TikTok. So follow us on TikTok. But make sure you leave us a review. We love good reviews here at the HopeCast Network. Now, I guess I'll let you get back to your show. I hate to interrupt what you're doing now, but something very important I need to let you know about. When you purchase serious coffee beans, we want you to try to enjoy each brew for two reasons. Number one, because you're a part of something bigger, making a positive impact around the world. And number two, 'cause we did not compromise on the quality of coffee, you're drinking some of the best coffee in the world. 100% of profits are done into nonprofits that are fighting injustice facing humans around the world, Wallace. That's powerful. Generous is best known for especially coffee, but the heartbeat of generous is their hope to use for profit business for good. In 2024, generous is hoping to provide coffee to churches around the U.S. to spread a message within congregations that churches care about people even down to the coffee they are serving and the people they enjoy. I apologize for that extremely long run-on sentence. If you have interest in hearing more about generous coffee, please reach out to their founder, Ben Higgins, at binhagans@generancemovement.com. Thank you, and back to our scheduled podcast. (gentle music) And after I had a little bit of time to like kind of think about it and process things, I was like, you know what? I know that there's a better way to do this than what I just did. So let me try to figure out what that looks like. - Love that. I love that. You know, I feel like almost every runner, unless you're like a unicorn, 'cause there are unicorns out there that like do it right the first time or they plug into the right training or they find a coach to work with. But most people I feel like they kind of have that horror story of being like, oh, I'm just gonna like go attack this. And I'm gonna show up like some elite athlete. And then all of a sudden it's like reality sets. And it's like, oh no, I didn't know. I don't know what I don't know. Like I literally don't know. And I can't tell you, I'm sure you can agree how many people we hear say cross the finish line being like, yeah, I don't know if I'll ever do that again. And then I think it's like what you said where they feel like redemption, like, okay. You know, I didn't do that the way I probably should have, but I bet you if I actually tried and adjusted some things, it would be a different outcome. And I think that's how a lot of us end up getting the bug to be honest, like I think of my story. Like I think that's kind of what happens. So let me ask you another question. What is the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you while running? 'Cause or you saw, or you saw. So either something you've experienced or something you've seen, because I think when you spend and until somebody does it, until you spend hours on the road in all different temperatures and all different settings with all different people, you know, there are some weird things that we see or we experience as runners. And I'm curious, what's the craziest thing that you've ever seen or done or experienced? All right. - Oh, man, I feel like there's so many for me to think about this for a second. The first one that kind of pops into mind and I feel like this might be like a common experience too is when I first started training, like getting into distance running, I did not realize that like chafing was something that you needed to be worried about or that you could do things about. So I just remember like going out for one of my very first like longer runs and just like coming back and like taking a shower afterwards and being like, oh my God, that hurts. Oh my God, that hurts better. Like there's just so many areas of my body that are chafed and I did not know that that was a thing that I needed to be worried about. So is that called like a runner's burn? Isn't that what it is? Or like, I feel like there's a term for it. Isn't it like of like a burn when you get when you're running? - What do you know this call? - I haven't heard that term runners burn but that would, that seems like a fitting name for it. - No, I have to keep on my phone really quickly. - Runners, kayfing, called, watch. It's gonna be like, well, it's called chafing, Aaron. Don't ask questions. - Google gonna be like, no, I feel like there's a term for it. - Listeners, as you're listening to this show, put in this show notes when you do the review, tell us if there's a word for it. 'Cause I feel like there's like a word that people have used for like road burn or runner's burn or something. Because yeah, so it's funny you mention it today because I desperately needed to do laundry. I didn't have any of my favorite running sports bars. - Oh no. - So I decided, well, I'll wear like my new, I bought a new tank top for a trip that I went on recently, that has a really nice built in sports bar, like cupping to it. So I was like, oh, let's behold the girls, this will work. And I did, I showered. And in the shower underneath my arm, I'm like, oh no, like you didn't know what was gonna happen. And then all of a sudden, it's like this, like an, I don't know, awful burn, awful burn. - Yeah, like you think you're fine and then until you get into the shower and then you're like, wait a second. - This is not true. - It's true. - So what are your top, maybe three tips to help people avoid chiefing? Besides the fact of not wear something new, like a new tank top that I did today for my run? Why don't you do that? - That's a big, that's a big one for sure. Just making sure that you, when you're, especially when you're going out for longer runs, make sure it's in gear that you're comfortable in and that you know feels good. If you're trying out something new, like maybe try it for a shorter run first to make sure it feels good before bringing it out for a long run. I also, there's like this, there's like a bunch of different products you can use out there, but like putting some on the spots that you know are going to be like hot spots. There's one I use, it's called Body Glide. You get it for like super cheap on Amazon. It's like eight bucks for this little thing that looks like a deodorant stick. So that has been a lifesaver for me and I know there's like a ton of other products like that. So I think that's really, really the biggest, the biggest things is just making sure your gear is something that you're comfortable in. And then if you know that you're prone to chafing or if it's like, especially hot and humid out, like conditions that are conducive to chafing, just using a little product or something on those spots that might be a problem. - And never wear anything new on race day, right? - Oh my God, I feel like. - Yeah. - I feel like so many times we see these people on Instagram and TikTok that are sharing like, there here's my new outfit for my race. And it's like super cute. But you know those people tested those outfits before they actually put it on on racing. If they didn't, maybe they're a unicorn and they don't jave, but I'm pretty certain everybody should try on their outfit for at least one test run, wouldn't you agree? - Oh, absolutely. And I think it's important to bring that, like what you wanna wear on race day for like a longer run. If it's a longer distance race, just because it might be comfortable for a few miles. But once you start getting into those higher miles, you really wanna make sure that you're as comfortable as possible on race day. - Yeah, especially the males, 'cause they've got like the little nope there that they need to cover up. Like we at least have sports bras that like cold everything in for guys. Their shirts are rubbing against them, right? And it like, I don't know. I feel like I've seen that before where there's the laden from the chest, please. - You know, like as women, there's a lot of things that we have to deal with that like guys don't necessarily think about, but that's one thing I'm glad that we don't have to wear. - Yes, that's one thing they're like, yay, we have to deal with all this other stuff, but yay, we don't have to deal with that, which is great. - I'll take it. - So Alyssa, what are you working towards right now? You just recently ran your marathon, you just had a huge PR, right? - Yes, I do. - Tell us a little bit about it and then kind of like what your vision is because you're coming out of a huge accomplishment and of course taking some time to reflect and really think about what you wanna do from here. So tell us a little bit about what's going on, where you're at with things and how we can support you. - Yeah, thank you so much for asking. So yeah, I just finished my third marathon. It was a really great experience. It was just one of those days where everything just kind of felt like it lined up and fell into place and just clicked on the day of, which is all you can ask for ahead of a race. So I had a really great experience. I felt really strong all the way through and I was able to reach a goal that I'd been chasing for a while and set a big PR in the marathon. So that was a really great feeling and that was a big goal and training for a marathon is a big undertaking. So it was something that I had spent a lot of time and effort preparing for. So now that that is behind me, I'm taking a little bit of a step back from training for longer distance runs. I took a week off completely from running, from doing everything, just to kind of let my body recover. And now I just started, I did my first run back yesterday, just like an easy couple miles out there. So just gonna focus on kind of just training for fun for a while and just, you know, reflecting and figuring out what my next steps are. But right now there is nothing like set in stone, no big goals on the calendar. I'm really just gonna enjoy kind of having a little bit of downtime and then like see, see how I feel once I start getting back into things. - I love that. I love that 'cause I feel like sometimes we get so busy chasing the next thing, the next thing, the next thing, that we can burn ourselves out, right? And we can lose the joy a little bit of what we're doing. - Totally. - I think holding on to that joy, and like having that be central part of your training, no matter what you're doing and what you're training for, I think is so important. And I think, you know, like training cycles happen in cycles for a reason, right? And I think it can be like scary sometimes to feel like I've worked really hard for this and I'm super fit and it can be hard to like, want to take a little bit of a step back from that. But that period of rest and recovery is so important, not just physically, but also like mentally just to take that reset. So then you can go back and feel excited and you know, keep in tune with that joy of running and not ever lose that, not ever start flirting with like burn out or anything, anything like that. - I love that. I love that. Well, thank you so much Alyssa for hanging out with us. Where can we connect with you? Do you have an Instagram account? We can follow you on. Do you have any websites we should be checking out, especially for those of us that are maybe struggling with injuries or maybe you've had an injury in the past and you're ready to rebuild your running. Where can people find you? - Yeah. So Instagram is a great place to get in touch. My handle is at alyssafor.dpt. So I love connecting with runners on there. So definitely find me on Instagram, shoot me a message. You can also check out my website, Resilient Running PT, or you can shoot me an email at alyssa@resilientrunningpt.com. - Awesome. - Thank you so much Alyssa for hanging out with us today. Thank you guys for listening. Don't forget to hit subscribe, like us on iTunes and Spotify. And you can always connect with us in the show at the everyday runner on Instagram. We're so happy to have you guys on listening and we'll see you next time. Thanks so much for having me Erin. - Hey, thanks again so much for hanging out with me this week at the Everyday Runner podcast show. Don't forget to follow along on iTunes and Spotify and even check out the account on Instagram at the Everyday Runner. See you next time. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) You
