275. Rolanda Bell, Elite Runner

Ali on the Run Show

Ali Feller

Sports, Fitness, Health & Fitness, Running

4.9 • 4.2K Ratings

🗓️ 27 August 2020

⏱️ 78 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

"You know when you're not done yet. There were goals I wanted to accomplish, and I knew they were still in me. I just needed to keep going and see what I could do."

In 2015, Rolanda Bell was living the dream. She had graduated from the University of Tennessee, where she was a member of the historic 2009 Women's 4x1500m relay team alongside Chanelle Price, Phoebe Wright, and Sarah Bowman. Together, they broke the existing Penn Relays, National Collegiate, American, and world records — several of which still stand, 11 years later. She went on to run professionally representing Panama — a lifelong dream. But at the 2015 World Athletics Championship in Beijing, Rolanda was competing in the 3000m steeplechase when she went over the water barrier, and landed face-first on the way down. On this episode, Rolanda, who works in marketing for Hoka One One, talks about falling in love with running, going pro, and getting back up and finishing that race in Beijing. She talks about bouncing back, training with the NorCal Distance Project, and why, even after a career as a professional middle-distance athlete, she felt pressure to run a marathon. (Rolanda runs a 4:38 indoor mile, a 1:16 half marathon, and ran a 2:49 in her marathon debut.) She also talks about her experiences with racism living in New York City.

Thank you to AfterShokz for sponsoring this episode of the Ali on the Run Show! Go to ontherun.aftershokz.com for 15% off wireless headphones!

What you'll get on this episode:

Why Rolanda felt "pressure" to run a marathon (5:45)
How Rolanda got started on the run (9:15)
Why Rolanda decided to keep running after college (22:15)
Rolanda reflects on that "traumatizing" race at the 2015 World Athletics Championships in Beijing (26:00)
What life as a pro athlete with NorCal Distance looked like, and why Rolanda decided to move back to New York (41:00)
On finding "balance" when you work in the running industry (49:00)
On attending the "All Crews One Run" in NYC earlier this summer, and Roland shares her own experiences with racism (56:00)

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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.
0:04.3	Go to ontherun.aftershocks.com to save 15% on all wireless headphones.
0:10.5	Welcome to The Alley on the Run Show.
0:16.9	I'm your host, Allie Feler, and every week I talk with inspiring people who lead interesting
0:22.0	lives on the run and beyond.
0:24.6	And while running, is that thing that brings us all together, on these episodes, we cover
0:28.8	more than what happens on the run, we learn the wise behind the runs.
0:33.4	The decisions people have made to get where they are today and how getting sweaty has
0:37.7	factored in.
0:39.3	My guest today is Rolanda Bell.
0:41.7	I first connected with Rolanda a few years ago when I was part of the Hoka Ambassador
0:46.0	program and she was my local Hoka rep.
0:49.4	But I already knew her name.
0:50.9	A lot of people in New York City know Rolanda's name as they should.
0:55.8	But only is she crazy fast.
0:58.8	She has a really remarkable life and running story.
1:02.5	And of course I'm going to let her be the one to tell it, but to peak your interest in
1:06.4	case you don't know Rolanda yet.
1:08.4	She fell in love with running early on and ran collegially at the University of Tennessee.
1:13.7	She was part of the 2009 Tennessee Women's 4x1500 meter relay team, along with Chanel Price,
1:20.0	Phoebe Wright, who's been on the show before, and Sarah Bowman and together they broke the
1:24.5	existing Pen Relays, National Collegiate, American, and World Records.
	...

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