684. Emilee Risteen, On Chasing 2:37

Ali on the Run Show

Ali Feller

Fitness, Sports, Running, Health & Fitness

4.9 • 4.2K Ratings

🗓️ 21 December 2023

⏱️ 68 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

"It's not easy to talk about the disappointments. It's not easy to talk about the times that you fall short. Nobody wants to brag about those. It's been hard. There were lots of tears shed in private. And just really accepting the fact that I wanted something so badly, and it didn't happen."

Emilee Risteen has raced six marathons in the past 12 months, each in pursuit of one very specific goal. For the past year, Emilee has been trying to qualify for the Olympic Marathon Trials, which would mean running 26.2 miles in 2:37 or faster. She ran CIM in 2:43, Houston in 2:48, Boston in 2:41, Grandma's in 2:38 (a personal best and so close to that 2:37!), the McKirdy Micro in 2:41, and CIM one more time in 2:44. In this conversation, Emilee — who ran her first marathon in 4:03 and has taken nearly 90 minutes off her time in less than three years — talks about chasing her big goals, and about what happens when you don't quite get there. Plus, she talks about how going for sub-2:37 was initially about the time and the OTQ, but ultimately became about so much more.

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What you'll get on this episode:

How Emilee is feeling post-CIM (3:20)
How Emilee is processing this past year on the run (4:30)
On "getting back out there" (8:10)
Why Emilee loves the process, and what this year of running was really about (11:45)
What the women's OTQ community is like at marathons in the U.S. (19:30)
Emilee's relationship with the time 2:37 (23:50)
Emilee shares her running origin story (27:10)
What Emilee's first marathon was like, and how she's gone from being a 4:03 marathoner to a 2:38 marathoner in less than three years (33:50)
How running fits into Emilee's life (45:20)
How Emilee ran six marathons in 12 months without getting injured (47:35)
Emilee shares her 2024 running plans (51:40)

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to the Alley on the Run show. I'm your host
0:06.9	Ali feller and every week I talk with people who are doing
0:10.0	exciting things on the run and beyond. From professional athletes and
0:14.2	celebrity runners to the everyday amateur and back of the pack runner, we are here to
0:19.1	celebrate everyone and anyone who enjoys a life on the run.
0:23.0	Whether you are running towards something big or away from something that's been holding you back,
0:27.0	I am here to hold your hand and help you pick up the pace.
0:31.0	My guest today is Emily Ristine. Emily has a great running story. She has
0:37.2	spent the past year in pursuit of earning an Olympic trials qualifying time in
0:41.5	the marathon. That means running a marathon in two hours
0:45.4	and 37 minutes and not a single second slower. She made six attempts at that
0:51.2	OQ this year and she didn't quite get there.
0:54.7	So often we talk about these big huge breakthroughs of which Emily has had many.
0:59.0	She went from being a 403 marathoner to a 238 marathoner. This year though Emily had one big goal and she kept
1:06.4	chasing it and she fell short six times in a row. Emily lined up six times hoping to
1:12.2	run under 237. She ran CIM in 243, Houston in 248, Boston
1:18.6	in 241, Grandma's Marathon in 238, which was a new personal best and so close to that 237.
1:26.0	She ran the McCurdy Micro in 241 and then CIM one more time just a few weeks ago in 244. So she's crushing it and she had that really
1:36.8	specific time in mind. So today's conversation is about what happens when you
1:41.5	don't quite hit your goal and how you keep trying and
1:44.5	keep showing up and keep putting in the work. I am super inspired by Emily's
1:49.0	perspective and her perseverance and I think that you will be too.
	...

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