418. Abbey Cooper, Professional Runner for New Balance

Ali on the Run Show

Ali Feller

Fitness, Sports, Running, Health & Fitness

4.9 • 4.2K Ratings

🗓️ 2 September 2021

⏱️ 81 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Photo by Jason Suarez, @notafraid2fail

"It's not who I am. It's something that happened to me."

Abbey Cooper was the talk of this year's U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials. She may not have ultimately made Team USA, but Abbey, who is sponsored by New Balance, threw down not one but two of the most inspiring, gutsy performances at Hayward Field. First, in the 5K prelims, when she broke away from the field and ran the majority of the race solo in pursuit of the Olympic Standard (and she hit it, with a few seconds to spare!). Then, in the 5K final, when she was with the lead pack until the final moments, when she ultimately finished fourth, just one and a half seconds off the podium. Abbey is perhaps best known for her performance at the 2016 Rio Olympics, when she fell during the 5K prelims. But people don't talk about the fall — they talk about how Abbey got right back up and helped her fellow competitor to the finish. On this episode, Abbey talks about how Rio has — and hasn't — defined her, and she reflects on the highs (like her recent 5K personal best at the Prefontaine Classic!) and those just-missed moments on the track.

SPONSOR: AfterShokz — Visit ontherun.aftershokz.com for 15% off wireless headphones.

What you'll get on this episode:

Abbey reflects on her 5K PR at the Pre Classic, and why she feels like she's been "running on house money" this year (4:50)
On working with a sports psychologist: Abbey's husband (9:40)
What it means to be "relationally healthy" (11:00)
What it was like watching friend Molly Seidel win bronze at the Olympic marathon (18:30)
On entering the off season (22:00)
Reflecting on this year's Olympic Track & Field Trials (25:45)
On all those just-missed moments along the way (40:35)
On being defined — or not — by Rio 2016 (44:20)
More thoughts on just-missed moments and the lessons that come with them (55:00)
On "trusting the process with both commitment and surrender" (1:00:45)
What does "Running with Heart" mean right now? (1:05:15)

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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.
0:04.4	Go to ontherun.aftershocks.com to say 15% on all wireless headphones.
0:15.3	Welcome to The Alley on the Run Show. I'm your host, Allie Feller, and every week I talk
0:20.4	with people who are doing exciting things on the run and beyond. We all share that love for
0:26.0	running and that's what brings us all together, but of course we know that there's more to life
0:30.9	than what happens on the run itself. This show is about those in-between. The moments and decisions
0:37.1	that have shaped who we are today and the wise. Why do we do what we do and how does getting sweaty
0:43.2	factor in? And I am just so excited to welcome today's guests to the show because Abby Cooper is here.
0:50.4	Abby is a professional runner for new balance who specializes in the 5K and she was the talk of
0:57.1	this year's US Olympic track and field trials. Abby competed in the 5,000 meters and during the
1:03.3	first round of competition, Abby didn't just take the lead, she commanded it and gaps the entire
1:10.5	field. By a lot. Because as it turned out, Abby wasn't just in it to advance to the finals,
1:17.6	she was also trying to run the Olympic standard in the process. So she was no longer racing her
1:23.3	competitors on the track, she was racing the clock in an effort to come across the line faster
1:28.8	than 15 minutes and 10 seconds. Which she did, 1507 with a few seconds to spare. It was one of the
1:37.1	gutsyest and most inspiring performances of the trials and Abby followed that up with another
1:42.6	gutsy and inspiring race in the finals. Ultimately though, Abby finished fourth in the final
1:49.3	just one and a half seconds away from making the podium and getting to go to the Olympics for
1:54.5	the second time with Team USA. Abby made her Olympic debut in 2016 and that's a race that comes
2:01.6	up a lot when you hear about Abby Cooper who was then Abby Diagostino. In the 5K prelims, Abby was
2:09.1	tripped and she fell, but people don't talk about the fall. They talk about the way that she got up.
2:14.8	I think that's really powerful and important. She reached down to her competitor, she helped her
	...

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