368. The Everyday Runner, Meg Navatto

Ali on the Run Show

Ali Feller

Run, Health & Fitness, Women, Inspiration, Runner, Entrepreneur, Sports, Fitness, Health, Running

4.9 • 3.7K Ratings

🗓️ 4 May 2021

⏱️ 76 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

"I don’t chase podiums and PRs. I have a tendency to chase clocks and cutoffs. And that’s fine with me."

Welcome to the newest series on the Ali on the Run Show: The Everyday Runner. On this series, we’re hearing from runners who are just like you and me. Not professional athletes — these runners have jobs, families, and responsibilities beyond this sport we all love so much.

Last week, we kicked things off with Jen Correa, the mom of two whose family lost everything in Hurricane Sandy.

Today, meet Meg Navatto! Meg is a cell genetic technologist from Long Island who started running at age 37. Meg's running story began when she and her husband set out to get healthy with a Couch to 5K program. Today, Meg is a 14-time marathoner and ultramarathoner. (She's run Badwater three times!) On this episode, Meg talks about what it took to (finally!) call herself a runner, and talks about why she's proud to be a back-of-the-pack runner. She talks about her emotions around finishing last in a race, and how that's changed over the years, and shares the story of the time she was told she was "too fat to be a runner." Meg is so fun, so inspiring, and so positive — you're going to love her.

SPONSOR: Picky Bars — Visit pickybars.com/ontherun, where code ONTHERUN gets you 20% off. (Join the Picky Club and get an extra 20% off.

What you’ll get on this episode:

What Meg’s childhood was like, and how she decided on a career path (2:45)
How Meg found running and, eventually, racing (6:45)
Meg reflects on her first 5K (16:25)
On identifying as a runner (19:00)
On finishing last at races, and why the back of the pack is awesome (23:30)
The allure of ultramarathons (27:30)
Why Meg runs to raise money for The Herren Project, and why that cause is so important to her and her family (31:50)
The time Meg was out for a training run and overheard two women say, “She’s too fat to run” (42:45)
What life is like for a cell genetic technologist (49:30)

What we mention on this episode:

Couch to 5K

November Project

The Herren Project

Chris Mosier on Episode 13 of the Ali on the Run Show

Follow Meg:

Follow Ali:

Listen & Subscribe:

SUPPORT the Ali on the Run Show! If you’re enjoying the show, please subscribe, and leave a rating and review on iTunes or Apple Podcasts. And, as always, spread the run love by sharing this episode with your friends, family members, running buddies, or favorite internet strangers!

Transcript

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0:00.0	This episode of The Alley on the Run Show is brought to you by Picky Bars.
0:03.8	Go to PickyBars.com slash on the run to get 20% off your next order.
0:13.6	Welcome to The Alley on the Run Show.
0:15.6	I'm your host Allie Feller and this is the everyday runner series.
0:20.0	On this four-part series, I'm introducing you to runners just like you and me.
0:24.5	We're not professional runners, we have jobs, we have families,
0:28.0	we have responsibilities beyond running and recovering.
0:32.0	This series has come by very popular demand and I hope you love meeting the four runners that
0:37.3	I'll be featuring here. Last week, we met Jen Corea, the mom of two who lost her home and everything
0:44.4	they owned during Hurricane Sandy. This week, I have another one of my friends here for you to meet
0:50.0	and oh my gosh, you are going to love her. I said at the end that this was one of my all-time
0:55.8	favorite conversations to record and I mean it. Today, meet Meg Navato. Meg is a cell genetic technologist,
1:04.1	I feel smart just saying that. From Long Island, she started running in her 30s by doing a
1:09.8	couch-to-five-k program with her husband and today, she's an ultra-mirror thonner.
1:15.0	On this episode, Meg talks about those first few steps and eventually those first few miles on the run.
1:21.6	She talks about finishing last in races and why she's proud to do so. She talks about being a proud
1:27.6	back of the packer and she talks about why it wasn't until years into her running journey with a
1:32.9	marathon under her belt that Meg finally agreed to start calling herself a runner. You're going
1:38.8	to love this one. It is such a wonderful and inspiring conversation and I am thrilled to introduce
1:44.4	you to Meg Navato. It is an honor, a pleasure and a privilege to get to be here today with the one
1:56.5	and only, Meg Navato. Meg, thank you so much for being here. Welcome to the Alley on the Run Show.
2:02.4	Thank you for having me. This is so exciting. Yay, it's exciting for me because I miss you and I
	...

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