701. Rachel Schneider Smith, Olympian, Professional Runner, & Mom

Ali on the Run Show

Ali Feller

Fitness, Sports, Running, Health & Fitness

4.9 • 4.2K Ratings

🗓️ 29 February 2024

⏱️ 67 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

"Hands down, the most courageous thing I've ever done is walk into trying to get pregnant and walking through pregnancy after loss."

Rachel Schneider Smith just might be the most-loved woman in the professional running world. Everyone adores her — and in this episode, it's easy to see why. Rachel is a HOKA-sponsored professional runner who competes in everything from the 1500m on the track to the half marathon on the roads. (Girl's got range!) She lives in Flagstaff, AZ, where she is coached by her husband, Mike Smith. In this conversation, Rachel talks about pregnancy after loss, and about the role running played during her grieving process in the wake of a miscarriage. She talks about returning to running and racing, and about how she's feeling heading into the USATF 15K Championships this weekend in Florida.

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What you'll get on this episode:

All about Rachel's run today, and how her body feels returning to running after having a baby (2:25)
Where Rachel finds her flow state (5:00)
Rachel reflects on her performances at USA Indoor National Championships last weekend (6:00)
On running with teammates in Flagstaff, and running with nose strips at USAs (11:45)
Rachel's New Hampshire roots (14:20)
What Rachel's return to racing has been like (16:40)
Navigating life as a professional runner and mom (22:45)
The sisterhood of professional runner moms (27:40)
Rachel's experience with loss, and the role running played in her grieving process (30:25)
Rachel's bout with skin cancer (38:00)
What Rachel was like as a kid (45:30)
Rachel's goals for the USATF 15K Championships (50:15)

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to the Alley on the Run Show. I'm your host
0:07.1	Ali feller and every week I talk with people who are doing
0:10.1	exciting things on the run and beyond.
0:13.0	From professional athletes and celebrity runners
0:15.4	to the everyday amateur and back of the pack runner,
0:18.7	we are here to celebrate everyone and anyone
0:21.7	who enjoys a life on the run.
0:23.6	Whether you are running towards something big
0:25.4	or away from something that's been holding you back,
0:28.3	I am here to help you pick up the pace.
0:30.7	My guest today is Rachel Schneider Smith. Rachel is absolutely beloved in the running world.
0:37.0	She's a hoke-sponsored professional athlete who lives in Flagstaff Arizona where she's coached
0:42.0	by her husband Mike Smith.
0:44.0	Last year Rachel and Mike welcome their first child, a daughter, Nova.
0:48.0	And so in this conversation we're talking a lot about Rachel's return to the roads and the track. This woman can do it all. She competes in everything from the 1,500 meters on the track to the half marathon on the roads. Rachel's an Olympian. She competed in the 5,000 meter race at the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
1:05.5	She had a baby and now she is back. Not only has she been competing well as of late, she's
1:10.3	having fun and enjoying the process.
1:13.0	This weekend, Rachel will compete at the US ATF 15K
1:16.0	championships in Florida.
1:18.0	Please join me in welcoming Rachel Schneider Smith
1:21.0	to the Alley on the Run show because you are everyone's favorite.
1:40.0	Do you know that I swear anytime I record with any professional runner they bring you up and everyone's like my friend Rachel my friend Rachel do you feel like the most loved woman in running?
	...

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