62. Gabe Grunewald, Professional Runner & 4-Time Cancer Survivor
Ali on the Run Show
Ali Feller
4.9 • 4.2K Ratings
🗓️ 1 March 2018
⏱️ 61 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
"It's OK to struggle, but it's not OK to give up." —Gabe Grunewald
Gabriele "Gabe" Grunewald is a professional middle-distance runner and four-time rare cancer survivor from Minneapolis, MN. Gabe was first diagnosed with Adenoid Cycstic Carcinoma when she was in college and undoubtedly in the best shape of her life. Instead of finishing her college running career on a high note — or, better yet, a podium — Gabe was faced with a difficult and scary diagnosis. She's undergone several surgeries, including having more than half of her liver removed after the third time the cancer came back. But Gabe keeps fighting, smiling, and running. On this episode, she talks about the difference between fighting and giving up, and explains what it means to be "brave like Gabe." She also talks about her current project: training Fixer Upper star Chip Gaines for his first marathon!
This episode is brought to you by Strava, the leading social network for athletes. Click here to join today, then enter for your chance to win a 2018 TCS New York City Marathon entry and a $500 travel stipend!
What you'll get in this episode:
- How Gabe became a professional runner — and why that was never the plan (3:00)
- Gabe's first cancer diagnosis (4:45)
- Gabe's third — and scariest — cancer diagnosis, and the hug that saved her life (11:00)
- How Gabe handled each diagnosis emotionally (16:25)
- The aftermath of Gabe's liver surgery, followed by her fourth diagnosis (18:25)
- Gabe explains her current immunotherapy treatment plan (20:50)
- How cancer has changed Gabe's relationship with running (23:05)
- How Gabe maintains her optimistic outlook even after four cancer diagnoses (25:55)
- How the running community has supported Gabe throughout her health struggles (27:45)
- The difference between fighting and giving up (28:35)
- How Gabe's diagnoses and treatment will affect her fertility and hopes for a family (32:30)
- What it means to be #bravelikegabe (37:15)
- What it's like training Fixer Upper star Chip Gaines for his first marathon! (40:55)
- Chip's time goal for his debut marathon (47:50)
- Introducing the Brave Like Gabe Foundation (48:40)
What we mention on this episode:
Brave Like Gabe Foundation: bravelikegabe.org — coming soon!
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
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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 Strava, the social network for athletes. |
| 0:10.4 | Welcome to The Alley on the Run Show. I'm your host, Allie Feller, and today you're listening to episode 62. |
| 0:16.4 | My guest today is Gabe Brunwald. Gabe is a professional runner for Brooks and she's a four-time cancer survivor. |
| 0:23.4 | Let that sink in. She's been diagnosed with cancer for different times and she keeps running and smiling. |
| 0:30.4 | Gabe is so tough and so inspiring and this conversation affected me so greatly. I know you're gonna love it too, so let's get started. |
| 0:42.4 | So Gabe, welcome to The Alley on the Run Show. |
| 0:44.4 | Thank you. Thank you so much for having me. I'm excited. |
| 0:47.4 | Yay, all right. So we start every episode of the show with what we call the warm-up. So warm-up, tell us who you are, where you're from, and what it is that you do. |
| 0:56.4 | I am Gabriel Grunwald. I am from Minneapolis, Minnesota, and I am a professional middle-distance runner. I run for Brooks, and I'm also a cancer survivor. |
| 1:06.4 | You have that down pat. That's like, you're ready to go with that warm-up. |
| 1:10.4 | I guess. I hope so. I hope I covered everything there. Well, we're gonna cover absolutely everything. |
| 1:16.4 | So first, the question that I'm sure you probably get asked way too much is how are you feeling? |
| 1:21.4 | Good. No, I mean, you can never get asked how you're feeling too much, right? I can go with people I was going to be checking in and I appreciate that. |
| 1:28.4 | So yeah, I'm feeling good. Yes, I have had a little bit of a struggle running through the winter here in Minnesota, but other than that, I'm doing well. |
| 1:39.4 | Are you just immune to the cold? Are you just like super tough? No joke. I was just there for like 24 hours, and I couldn't hack it. |
| 1:49.4 | Thank goodness for all the, this one of the skyways. So you just never have to go outside. |
| 1:54.4 | It's very elaborate. Yes. No, I think, you know, it is definitely a matter of like toughness and being prepared for the cold, but I think this winter, |
| 2:06.4 | every winter, it has a different personality and different challenges. For me, this winter has been exceptionally rough. |
| 2:14.4 | And so I don't know. I'm sad that I got injured this winter, but at the same time, like I'm kind of glad because I got to miss some of this crappy weather. |
| 2:24.4 | It's like not the worst time. Yeah, I mean, it's not the worst time, but yeah, I feel for everybody who's trying to train through the winter. |
| 2:31.4 | And it is, it is challenging, but I do think there are opportunities there for developing some mental toughness. |
| 2:38.4 | And sometimes it requires modifying a workout or heading indoors, unfortunately, but you know, we're getting there. |
... |
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