145. Leigh Anne Sharek, Co-Founder of Brooklyn Track Club
Ali on the Run Show
Ali Feller
4.9 • 4.2K Ratings
🗓️ 29 May 2019
⏱️ 57 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
"It took a while — a lot of runs, a lot of soul searching — to have this confidence now to just show up and say, 'I've earned this. I deserve to be here. I've put in the work to be in this spot.'"
Leigh Anne Sharek is the co-founder of the Brooklyn Track Club, which started as an idea a few years ago and has since grown to nearly 250 members. She's the co-host of the Runners of NYC podcast, she's a sub-five-minute miler, and she's a forensic scientist for New York City's chief medical examiner. (So cool!) On this episode, Leigh Anne talks about going from a 4-hour marathon to a 2:41 marathon, and nabbing an Olympic Trials qualifying time. She talks about running with faster people and what it's like when you realize you're fast, and she shares some oh-so-relatable feelings about showing up to her first group run. Leigh Anne, a former gymnast, has become a well-known face on the NYC running scene, and was named one of New York Road Runners' Runners of the Year last year. So what's it like moving up to the front of the pack and racing alongside the pros? Leigh Anne lets us know, and talks about the great state of the women's running community in New York City right now.
Thank you to AfterShokz for sponsoring this episode of the Ali on the Run Show! CLICK HERE for $50 off your wireless headphone endurance bundle!
What you'll get on this episode:
- On going from a 4-hour marathon to a 2:41 Olympic Trials Qualifier (4:20)
- Leigh Anne's take on having a chill approach to running and racing, and on finding her place at the front of the pack (13:25)
- Where the pressure to run well comes from (20:45)
- The birth and growth of Brooklyn Track Club (22:30)
- What it was like qualifying for the Olympic Trials (35:45)
- Leigh Anne's hopes and dreams for Brooklyn Track Club (43:00)
- All about life as a forensic scientist, including how Leigh Anne got into the field (44:30)
- Leigh Anne's advice for conquering big goals (51:10)
What we mention on this episode:
Leigh Anne Sharek on Episode 129 of the Ali on the Run Show
Sarah Cummings on Episode 112 of the Ali on the Run Show
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This episode of The Alley on the Run Show is brought to you by Aftershocks. |
| 0:08.6 | Welcome to The Alley on the Run Show. |
| 0:10.7 | I'm your host, Allie Feller, and every week on this show, |
| 0:13.7 | I talk with inspiring people who lead interesting lives on the run and beyond. |
| 0:19.1 | And while running is what brings us all together on these episodes, |
| 0:22.3 | I'm looking for a little more. |
| 0:24.2 | So join me right here every Thursday to learn about the decisions people have made |
| 0:28.6 | to get where they are today, the good ones and definitely the bad ones, |
| 0:33.0 | and how getting sweaty has factored in. |
| 0:36.2 | Today I'm talking to Leanne Cherich. |
| 0:38.2 | Everything about Leanne is impressive. |
| 0:40.5 | She's the co-founder of the Brooklyn Track Club, |
| 0:43.0 | which started as an idea a few years ago and has grown to almost 250 members. |
| 0:49.5 | She's the co-host of the Runners of NYC podcast, |
| 0:53.2 | and she's a forensic scientist for New York City's Chief Medical Examiner. |
| 0:57.7 | So her life is like CSI, but in running shoes. |
| 1:01.3 | And those running shoes are fast, or rather the woman wearing them is. |
| 1:05.9 | Last year, Leanne qualified for the Olympic Trials running a 241 marathon at CIM. |
| 1:12.5 | But I promise she was not always a 241 marathoner. |
| 1:16.7 | Leanne talks about what it took to go from a four-hour marathon to that 241. |
| 1:22.0 | And she talks about why for her, the key was running with faster people. |
| 1:26.4 | It was about having the humility to be okay with knowing she might fall back a bit at first, |
... |
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