Welcome to the Allie on the Run show.
I'm your host, Allie Feller, and this is where I talk with people who are doing exciting things on the run and beyond.
From professional athletes and celebrity runners to the everyday amateur and back of the pack runner.
We are here to celebrate everyone and anyone who enjoys a life on the run.
Whether you're running towards something big or away from something that's been holding you back, I am here to hold your hand and help you pick up the pace.
She's back.
My guest today is Molly Seidel.
Molly is, of course, a professional runner, best known as the Olympic bronze medalist in the marathon at the Tokyo Olympics.
Molly has had somewhat of a tumultuous few years since adding Olympic medalists to her resume.
Some highs, including finishing fourth at the 2021 New York City Marathon, where she also ran an American course record in a time of 22442, and finishing eighth at the 2023 Chicago Marathon, where she ran a personal best time of 22307.
But Molly has also dealt with injuries, with mental health struggles, and with sponsorship changes.
Today, Molly is running happily and healthily.
She has a new coach, a new home base, a new relationship and a relationship with running that's truly working for her.
Next week, Molly will run her first marathon since Chicago in 2023.
She's part of the elite women's field for the TCS New York City Marathon.
And in this conversation, she talks about her training, her mindset, and her goals for race day.
Plus, in true Molly fashion, plenty of updates and stories along the way.
Please join me in welcoming Molly Seidel back to the Alley on the Run show.
Fan favorite Molly Seidel.
Welcome back to the Allie on the Run show.
About to run the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon.
How you doing?
I'm so happy to see your face.
I'm so happy to be here.
I'm doing great.
Yay, and I love hearing that you're doing great.
Right off the bat, tell us something that is making you happy today.
Something that's making me happy.
I ran a really good workout this morning with Bat City.
I'm here in Austin for the last few weeks of the build.
And it is so hot and humid.
And I love this weather.
Oh, why?
Because legitimately, I think I only run well in the heat and humidity.
I was, it really took a turn in Flagstaff of starting to get really, really cold and rainy.
And I was like, no, this is not happening.
And so I just immediately flew back to Austin.
Yeah.
I mean, does it make you just want to bust out that bronze medal and be like, this is what I do.
Like, these are my conditions.
This is how I do it.
No, it is just so funny because it's such an immediate like reaction.
I feel like I touched down in Austin was just like, oh, thank God.
Everyone around you is having the opposite reaction and you're just thriving.
Well, that was it.
We did the long run on Saturday and it was really, really sticky.
And one of the guys on the run was like, aren't you so glad you chose this weather?
I'm like, actually, yeah, babe.
I don't know if you know my running history, but I actually do great in these conditions.
I only do well in these conditions.
In fact, if New York in 10 days could crank up the humidity.
Legitimately.
I'm that psycho.
That's like really hoping for it to be like 90 humidity and 80 degrees.
Like it's the only shot I've got.
I mean, that is a good day for the spectators, but I don't wish that for the runners, except for you.
I wish that for you.
What is something that you're into right now?
Shows, books, movies, podcasts.
Is there anything that you're consuming that you want to share with the masses?
I feel like I've done a really bad job of consuming things lately.
That's not a bad thing.
That's the thing.
It was very fun.
We went to ACL a couple of weeks ago and I feel like there were a couple like fun EDM bands that I got really into.
Is that Austin City Limits?
That is Austin City Limits.
Because at first I was thinking Knees.
Yeah.
Oh, my God.
The number of times on my Strava that I kept saying ACL and people were like, don't scare us.
I'm like, context clues, people.
Like I'm not putting this on a 17 mile run for a reason like yeah.
So I feel like ACL was super fun and I got it like discovered a lot of cool new bands there.
I also think I was the last to the party to realize that Sabrina Carpenter is actually a fabulous performer.
Oh my gosh.
I'm very into her right now too.
Manschild, personal favorite.
So good.
But it was very fun because she brought out Shania Twain during it.
And I was like, oh my God.
But she is just the cutest, littlest thing.
I love everybody.
All the women listening to this are going to be like...
What?
Welcome to the party.
She's this little known artist.
She just hosted Saturday Night Live.
Maybe you've heard of her.
Sabrina Carpenter.
But then watching her on SNL, I was like, wow, she's so good.
She is so good.
She's adorable.
I'm also a fan.
All right.
You are about to run the New York City Marathon.
Just top level.
How are you feeling?
I'm actually feeling really good.
I think going into this like.
Definitely wish I had probably like another month of training, like feeling a little bit undercooked.
I'm definitely not as fit as I'd maybe like to be.
But I am healthy and like I'm feeling good about my running.
So I think I'm willing to like go into this and be like, hey, is my first marathon back in a couple of years? like use this as a building like stepping stone and i think i'm just really happy to like be on the line i think when i signed on in july it was very uncertain how this build was going to go and i've honestly had a lot of fun with it and felt really good so even if the fitness isn't totally there and it's not the best time i've ever run like I'm really okay just going out and letting it be what it's going to be.
That's a good mindset.
I like that.
So back in July was that something where you were like I'm having the itch to run a marathon and I want it to be New York.
Did they come to you?
How did that come together?
No, it was funny.
I actually really wanted to do a trail race this fall.
I was considering doing either Javelina 100K, not the full 100 mile race.
Just 100K.
Yeah, exactly.
Just 62 miles.
Just because I've been doing mostly trail running, like that had been what had been feeling better on my body.
I'd just been doing a lot more stuff in the mountains.
Either that or something like JFK 50 miler, which is like a very runnable thing.
One, and I think I was really on the fence.
I was like, marathon training is very hard on my body.
I just don't know where my fitness is at.
I hadn't done any threshold and I actually had intended to try and do the Sydney marathon and it just didn't come together.
I feel like my body just wasn't. it just wasn't ready for that.
And so I think I was feeling a little bit like, man, like maybe I can't do this anymore.
But I was actually up in Steamboat and New York sent through like a small offer.
And I was like you know what, like let's just try it and see.
Like if I can't do it, then it's like I'm not losing all that much.
And it's like, and if I can, it'll be a good stepping stone to whatever I want to do next.
So I think I really went into it being like, okay, we're just going to focus on process here.
And I just want to try and make it to line healthy.
And I think that that was exactly the mentality that I needed, because over the course of the last few months, I think I've really gained a lot of confidence back.
And just, I mean, the last two years have been hell.
So it's like it's really nice to be able to just gain that confidence and the capabilities of my body to do this again.
Where did the confidence come from?
Is that something that comes from workouts?
Is that a mental shift?
How'd that happen?
I think it's just like the aggregate of all the work that you do.
Cause like, to be honest, the workouts haven't been great.
Like.
I think it's really hard going from being like the last time I ran New York I ran like the American course record there.
So like I know the kind of work that it takes to run that.
And then I think it's just really hard when you're coming back from a lot of time off, like I barely ran in 2024.
And so just coming back to being able to run regularly is like, that's already one big thing.
And then getting back to like running at pace, like marathon pace or threshold pace.
It just looks really different.
Like things were really hard at first.
My threshold pace was like above six minutes and that's just demoralizing, for I know some of your listeners are going to be like you.
That's so fast.
But like No, I will shut that down.
We are not all Molly Seidel.
We are not Olympic medalists.
We are not professional runners.
So people take that like little judgment thing you're having in your head and stuff.
Yeah, this is my whole relative.
Yeah, but I think it's really tough when it's like, okay, like my threshold base was 515 to 520.
The last time I was going into this, that's really, really hard to square that.
I think that that was a really good just like lesson that I had to like become reacquainted with that.
It's like, okay, like.
I lost a lot of fitness over the last few years not being able to do this, but like things can come back.
It's just going to look different.
So I think it's that it's maybe adjusting expectations and being like, even if I'm not with that lead pack, like there still is a lot of value in doing this race.
As a professional runner, I have to imagine, especially in New York, where we know that the men and the women have separate starts and the women start out going over the Verrazano.
Have you done any like visualizing or picturing that about what it's going to take for you to run your own race that day and not get swept up and go with the lead pack if it feels aggressive from the gun?
No, it's funny.
Having a plan.
I find, at least for me personally, that if I go in with a really structured plan in my head, that I don't react as well in the moment to moves that are being made or how my body is feeling on the day.
So I actually kind of go into it with, like I obviously know what the course is like from having run it before.
But I think, going in with a really loose, just like hey, I'm going to react to things as they come and make snap decisions.
And I like.
The one thing that I have enormous faith in is my own ability to make those snap decisions and make the decisions that are going to be right on the day.
Like I really trust my own like race knowledge.
The 2021 New York City Marathon, that was a huge day for you.
Like you said, you ran the American course record.
It is still the course record in New York.
You were fresh off of the Olympics.
It was like life was...
Seemed like it was really good for Molly Seidel at the time, or at least really exciting.
How is that Molly different from the Molly heading into the 2025 race?
So it's really interesting.
The, the Molly that ran that time there was actually like.
I was in a ton of pain.
I was like running the race with broken ribs.
That had been a really difficult build for me because coming off the Olympics I was in a pretty negative mental headspace.
And I honestly didn't know if I was going to run that race.
I think a lot of.
What that race was was just using the fitness that I had still from the Olympics and then going in with like very low expectations honestly, because kind of everything that could go wrong during that build did go wrong, even though I was running very fast.
And I think I mean that was really the last like great marathon that I ran, like obviously Chicago two years ago, like I ran a PR, but I don't think that that was like.
I don't think that that was as good of a race for me.
I think that was kind of like a B plus race for me.
So I think, like 2021, New York was almost the epitome for me of like putting speed and fitness above everything else in my life.
I think at that point I was still very of the opinion like I can sacrifice my own mental health and physical health In order to get a good result.
And I think that that approach definitely showed when I like completely crashed out in Boston and then was injured for the next two years after that and had to like really take a lot of time to like work on getting myself back.
And I think that the thing that I've done really well this time going into New York that makes it really different is I think I've really prioritized my mental and physical health over necessarily, the short-term fitness, which that might be really hard on the day of going in and potentially not running as good of a time or something that people look at and be like Oh God, what happened.
But like just where I am in my life, like I'm really, really happy and like enjoying what I'm doing.
And even just like the decision to come back to Austin here to train, that was like a big growth moment for me of just being like I'm willing to sacrifice maybe a couple points of fitness training an extra three weeks at altitude, knowing that I'm going to be a lot happier in Austin training over the next three weeks.
So I think for me that was kind of being like oh, like these are the things that are important to me now.
Like I'm willing to sacrifice like.
Maybe it won't be my best race ever, but like I'm really enjoying what I'm doing, even if I'm not at my absolute fastest right now.
Oh, this makes me so happy to hear.
Let's talk about the Austin piece of it.
For a long time, Molly Seidel was Flagstaff.
Like I associated you with Flagstaff.
Molly is Flagstaff.
Flagstaff is Molly.
And now, like you said, Austin, can we call Austin home now?
I like my my my physical like residency technically still is Flagstaff.
But I think I'm definitely splitting my time a lot more.
I think it's probably 50 50 at this point.
And it's definitely feeling a lot more like home, I think.
I don't like.
Obviously I don't know how the next few years are going to go, but I kind of see it shifting a bit, as like Flagstaff being the place that I go when I really need to like lock in, do a lot of like mountain specific training or like do an altitude stint.
And then Austin being the place that I come back to, to like be my like self.
Can we talk about what brought you to Austin?
Was it Austin city limits?
Was it ACL?
It was ACL music festival.
ACL and training for high rocks.
That's the assumption.
This is my announcement that I'm switching to high rocks.
No, I do not have the upper body mass for that.
Yeah, as I saw on the track this morning with all the hybrid athletes, that's a different kind of beast.
But no, I originally started going out because what was it in?
Like when I broke my kneecap right before trials in 2024.
I was just like dealing with so many health problems and just really feeling in a place where it was like my knee was not healing.
I just felt so bad all the time.
And Colleen Quigley said, linked me up with a doctor that she had been working with here named Noel Moose, who has a clinic out in Cuernavaca, which is like southwest of austin.
And so i came out she was like, keep an open mind, like he's kind of different but like he's been super, super helpful to me, and like i like i would follow colleen into battle, like i i really do trust her judgment on a lot of things, and so I was like Hey, I'll go out and try it.
And it ended up being like truly some of the most like transformative work that I've done.
Like I felt just like all around.
It was incredibly helpful, not just for like healing my body, but like also just getting my head in a really good place.
Um, And so was coming out every couple months.
And then after I had my appendectomy last God, last September, I want to say, and I was just like I got to get things figured out.
And like I'm just going to drive my car out to Austin and just stay as long as I need to until I can be back running healthy.
So I stayed with my friends Megan Turner in town and was just living here and Yeah, then met a girl here and we started dating and it's been really good.
So that's honestly been the major reason that I've kind of been doing a bit more back and forth.
I think a lot of people are like, wow, you really like this doctor.
I'm like, yeah, like I really like Noah Moose, but also like my girlfriend is in Austin.
So that's been like one of the major reasons.
What was it about Mr. Moose, Dr. Moose, whatever he prefers, Dr. Moose?
What was it about the work that was so different or transformative?
A lot of what he does is like.
I would describe it as kind of like somatic therapy.
So, like the approach that he took which, like stay with me it sounds like really hippy dippy, but a lot of it is like the idea that like, trauma is stored in the body.
And so just the approach that he took, where it was like hey, like we're going to work through a lot of these like really like emotionally difficult things that I think are actually like contributing to some of these chronic injuries that you have, or like this chronic pain problem.
And that approach was so radically different from anything that I'd done before.
A lot of the physical therapy that I had like done in the past.
It was very much like you just got to like grind your body and like we're just going to like work through it.
And Noah's actually like pretty gentle with like his actual physical body work.
It's very like functional medicine too.
But yeah, it was just like, it was so different from anything that I had done before.
And my body responded really well to it.
I really struggled to like get a period for years, was able to like have a consistent cycle.
Like it was all of these things that like my body was just showing like, hey, this is working.
I like hearing that.
What about the running community in Austin?
What has your experience been?
What's it like there?
The running community is so fun here.
Like there's a bunch of like, I feel like there's one, it's such an active city.
Like you go around town lake and so many people are running.
Like it's, it's frankly packed on a weekend.
Which, um, great names for both.
I'm obsessed.
Excellent names, but it's like it's really nice, like I think I missed that aspect of when I lived in Boston.
I worked out with a lot of like the amateur elite runners there.
Like I was working out with the tracks with people all the time with heartbreak.
This morning I worked out with Bad City and like nobody's a pro there, but everybody's running at a really high level and also having jobs and like doing normal things.
I think it's a really good like perspective shift on it.
And I don't know.
It's just like it's a fun group of people to be around.
Like everybody is wanting to get together and run.
Everybody wants to do things.
They go so far. early.
So that's been a hard thing to get used to is like waking up at 5 a.m. to go run.
But it's like when it's hot, like you kind of have to.
So I think it's good for me.
And when there are, like you said you know, hundreds of people at the track on a Tuesday morning, and Are they lining up to meet Molly Seidel, or are you just another girl at the track?
Absolutely not.
I'm just the annoying girl that's calling track and lane one.
Cause like the, I think there were probably like not kidding 300 people at the track this morning.
And a lot of them are more like hybrid athletes or like general athletes.
But I think that that's really cool.
It's just like, seeing people getting out and doing track workouts.
Like when you see 300 people at a track at 6 a.m., like that's wild.
That's awesome.
It's really, really cool that there is just like that structure for that to happen within the city.
It was so funny too, because there were so many cameras, a lot of like there's just a lot of like running influencers too.
And it's like, I'm not going to harsh anyone's mouth.
Like everyone's just trying to get their bag.
So I don't know.
It's, it is fun.
Like It's definitely a little bit chaotic, but it's like it distracts you a little bit from the workout anyway, when you're kind of dodging people.
And like for the most part everybody was really respectful of seeing like we're trying to run like pretty fast not crazy fast, but relatively pretty fast.
And so they're like letting us have lane one.
So what is your, you know, training, training plan or training?
What does it look like?
Cause you are still working with John, correct?
No, I'm actually not.
You're not done.
No, no.
John and I like basically uh, A couple months ago, like I had been kind of writing my own training for a while and he'd really been giving me a lot of space just while my body recovered, just because it was so unpredictable of like what my running was able to look like as I came back from injury.
And I think I kind of came to the really hard realization that it was kind of time for me to move on, which is really tough because John is still one of my best friends.
And I think it came with a lot of sadness, of just being like oh, I feel like a chapter in my life is really closing, like something is changing here.
And so...
I had a conversation with him and like I was crying and just like I think it was really hard, but also expressing like Hey, like I still want to, like contribute to Verde track club.
Like I, I really believe in what you're trying to do here.
And so I think that that's been really cool because it's feeling like Verde, is like my flagstaff community.
And like, those are my friends.
Like I want to be helping out in any way that I can um, so I think it's that, but no, I've been coached by Cliff Pittman for the last few months, or at least through this build, so that's been like a fun transition.
It's been very different.
Okay, tell me, tell us all, tell us about Cliff Cliff, basically one of my friends here in Austin.
He was a big trail runner and he was coached by Jason Koop, who coaches, like Katie Scheid, a couple of those people.
I had kind of been ideating about.
I want to do a little bit more of a split between road marathons and longer trail events over the next few years, at least for the next two years, definitely doing a heavier trail focus.
And so I had been floating the idea of like hey like, I just don't know what this kind of training would look like.
He's like, hey, you should talk to Coop.
Had a call with Coop and Coop was overloaded with people.
So he was like, you should talk to my guy Cliff.
Like, I trust him.
He knows my whole system.
I talked to Cliff and we kind of immediately hit it off.
And I think a lot of Like kind of what he was saying and the goals that I had really aligned.
And it definitely was very like, hey, let's try this out and see if it works.
And just this was at a point to where like my running was so. hit or miss unsteady.
It was like, Hey, we're just going to take actually like quite an easier approach than you've done.
Like you've really kind of hammered your body the last few years.
Let's just like do a mix of trail and roads.
We'll aim for a fall race and then we'll just see where it goes.
But with the intention of doing the black Canyon 100 K next february.
And then when i came to him it was like what if i run a marathon this fall?
He was probably like, but he like kudos to him.
He was immediately like hey, we'll work this in, like we'll figure out a way to make it work.
So it's been fun just getting to like think of training a bit more creatively, Okay.
So what have been, have there been workouts?
Like how has this training looked particularly different than what you've done in the past?
And are there workouts that have been Either ones you've loved or confidence boosters.
What did training look like?
I think it's been cool.
Just the threshold reps have been a little bit longer.
Like in the past I've gotten so used to be like very regularly doing double threshold where it's like mile repeats in the morning 800 meters to mile repeats in the afternoon.
And doing like sets of those, at a very specific pace and just like over and over and over, you hammer that specific pace.
And I think a really fun thing that we've been doing is just longer sets of intervals, like I had never really done, like two by 20 minutes before, as crazy as that sounds.
So like just stuff like that, where it's focusing on a little bit more like length in the reps and then also being able to have space to keep more trail running in there.
Just because I think that was the worry of like going back to marathon training this fall.
I'm like I really enjoy just like getting to do stuff on trail, getting to do stuff in the mountains, and And so there's been a lot more space for that.
But it's actually like it's nice because he's let me like keep a lot of aspects of what's worked for me marathon training in the past.
And then after New York, we'll go into like a higher mileage block.
Once we've laid down this really solid threshold base going into black Canyon.
So are there when we look at New York?
Are there times in your mind, whether it's paces, a finish time?
Where are you at with the numbers side of New York?
I don't know.
I think just like loosely, like I would love to be able to run sub 230 there.
I think just like pretty realistically.
But I have no idea.
Like it's really only been in the last couple of weeks that like I've been feeling really solid in the threshold work.
Like I think.
Like mileage came back pretty easily like long runs and like long runs at pace.
Like felt pretty good, but I just haven't been able to do like a crazy amount of marathon specific work.
And so I think I'm trying to be very realistic of knowing like okay, I'm probably not going to be able to like hang with like the very low five minutes pay stuff when it starts cranking down, but i'm just hoping to like get to go out.
Maybe my main goal from this is to be able to come off of new york not feeling totally wrecked and be able to go into a really strong training block in the winter, because typically i come off a marathon and i'm like ruined and have to take a bunch of time, and so i'm like I really just kind of do want to use this to like propel myself forward.
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What sort of what do you picture that would make it a great day, other than not being beat up after the fact?
But is it running with certain people?
Is it the crowds?
Is it, you know, a nice, hot, humid day?
Like what would be great?
Oh, I'm always dreaming of a hot human day.
But no, I think for me, because New York is so course specific.
For me, I believe that that race truly doesn't start until you come off the Queensborough Bridge.
And being able to maybe that's it.
I I think less of like.
I don't necessarily want to be a fast runner.
I really want to be a dynamic runner and like be able to be making moves, be responding to things that are happening in the race.
And so I think that's my hope, that I'm like.
My dream is to be feeling strong enough coming off the Queensborough Bridge that I'm still able, wherever I am in that field, to be racing the final 18 to 26.
Rather than just like holding on by my fingernails, which I think the last time I was there I was holding on for dear life coming up first half.
Oh yeah.
And then you've got that whole fifth half climb.
Like that is, I think I was hallucinating coming up fifth half.
Did you say anything good?
Well, it was funny because there was like somebody in the road, like the middle of the road yelling.
And I was like, God, that looks like Ian Nurse.
And my Cairo from Boston.
And then I was like, wait, that is Ian Nurse.
And it was like such a positive, like little bump for me.
But I was just like, surely there can't be someone in the middle of the road right now.
That's also such a nice thing.
Like there's no person on the planet nicer than Ian Nurse.
What a lovely thing to potentially hallucinate.
I know.
I was just like, yeah, that's what, like, that's what my brain immediately went to.
Like, there's no way this wonderful man could like possibly be in the road.
Yeah.
So behind the pro women, there are 55,000 runners who will be running the New York city marathon.
No American woman has done it faster than you have.
So you know this course, you know what it takes to run well on this course, even if there is a little suffering and hallucination along the way.
What is your advice to the everyday listener who is running New York next week?
My biggest piece of advice is that New York is a very hard course.
The bridges the, the turns, just the.
Everything about it makes it so that it's like you are really racing the terrain in the course of New York, but also the fact that it is end to end probably the coolest race you will ever run the most cheering, the most energy, just the most going on as you go through each borough.
Like there's so much excitement there and it's really hard not to get swept up into that in the first half of the race.
So, like I recommend anybody who's doing it like the whole first half of the race, you really have to be like thinking like, stay controlled, stay within myself, even if you feel really good, because the back half of it is going to be really tough, no matter how fit you are.
And so I think, like trying to remember like you got to get over Queensborough, and that's when the race starts.
Keep that in mind and then let the crowd's energy kind of propel you along.
New York is my favorite major.
It is so much fun.
There is so much energy.
There is not another race like it in the world.
I am so excited.
I mean, it's also my favorite.
I'm not afraid to admit.
Also, shout out to everyone who's run New York and your fastest mile was mile two.
Just bombing down the Verrazano.
You're doing it wrong if that's the case.
Don't do what I've done.
What do you remember about the New York city marathon finish line?
I think It's so funny because I feel like that finish.
As you're coming up through all the flags, I barely remember the finish.
But I remember coming into Central Park and coming down like as you're going down, because it's a weird part of the course.
There's not as many people cheering there, but that's where my sister posted up.
And so, like I remember seeing Izzy, I was in so much pain, but I was just like I am so close to finishing the New York city marathon.
And like all my favorite people are here.
Like, this is great.
So like I don't remember much about the finish, but I do remember that spot of like you come down past the like cat statue and And like your, your legs are just destroyed at that point.
But it's like this is so cool.
It's so cool.
And then your sister made her way to the finish, where she sweet, socked a security guard and got into the grandstands.
I remember from that finish line.
Never, never doubt Izzy Seidel's ability to get someplace that she's not supposed to be.
She did it in her cute little workout dress.
Yeah, her cute, yeah, her running dress.
Always.
Yeah, shout out to Izzy.
Okay, so one thing that I think about a lot with you is that, As the runner that you are and the runner that you have been, which you know, you will forever be Molly Seidel, Olympic bronze medalist.
That's, that's your bio for the rest of your life, whether you want it or not.
That's what it is.
That's there.
That's important.
That's great.
The running community and the media, the running media are never going to forget that.
So what does it feel like for you to run a race like the one that you are preparing to run, where you have your own goals and you're like I'm not necessarily trying to win this race today?
I'm dialed into what I can do.
Do you feel like you can ever just like go run a race and run your race?
Is there always going to be this outside chatter, media, whatever that looks like?
I'm not articulating this question well, but I'm just curious.
Do you know what I'm like?
I know what you mean.
The marathon.
I think when you sign on to be a pro runner, like you have to be aware like that chatter is always going to be there.
Like it's kind of, it comes with the territory.
And I think part of the job is being able to be okay with knowing like People are going to chatter and say what they want, but like you kind of got to stay grounded and like what your own goals are, what your I don't know, just like your own approach to the race.
And I think I'm taking a very different approach to this race than I have in the past.
Like, I think I approached back in like 2020, 2021.
I approached racing in a very different way than I do now.
And that's just like where I was in my life, like the kind of athlete that I was, what I was trying to do.
And I think now I have a very specific vision of what I'm trying to do over the next four years, heading into 2028.
And even if people can't understand what, like each individual puzzle piece of it, of how things fit in.
Like I know how that fits in for me.
And so I think being able to stay grounded in what I'm trying to do over the next three years is the most important part.
Like people can say whatever they want, but at the end of the day, I know what my bigger picture is.
I know what my why is here.
And so I'm going to try to just really stick to that, knowing like okay, I feel very confident in what I'm trying to do, even if people might not understand it right now.
It's all just a process, baby.
It's all just a process, baby.
Well, you did say 2028.
We of course know that the 2028 Olympics are going to be right here in the United States, in Los Angeles.
Is that the you know, as you're talking about your why your greater purpose, your bigger picture?
Is this all part of a build to 2028 and hoping to make another Olympic team?
Yeah, I think that's definitely part of the overarching goal.
Like obviously you never know how it's going to turn out.
And I think. like three years is a long time.
Like I really want to see how things evolve over the next few years.
But I think like that is definitely like one of the major things that I'm shooting for.
Anything can happen in that time.
But yeah, I think just the way that I'm trying to set myself up it definitely like is aiming towards running a marathon in Los Angeles in 2028.
I love that plan.
Yeah.
You have been honest about talking about the business side of this sport and about sponsorship and how that has changed and evolved for you over the past few years.
What does that look like now, the business side of running?
Are there sponsors that you're working with?
Are there brands you want to mention?
How are you making money in the sport, I guess, is the question.
I'm not making much money in the sport right now.
I like going into this year.
I like, after I left POOM, I really kind of wanted to give myself the time and the space to be like I really want to figure out what, like.
I want to align with the sponsor that also aligns with what I want to do over the next few years.
And I think for me like being able to find that balance of road and trail is really important to me, or someone that's just going to support me in doing a little bit more of a trail focus over the next two years.
So I think for me, I didn't want to sign with anyone before I was ready, just out of like, I need cash now.
Like, I think I was lucky enough to make enough over the last few years.
I'm like I can afford to almost like, quote unquote, pay myself and give myself the time and space I need to figure out what I want out of this.
Basically, since college like, I've been in this loop of like.
I've always got like either a university that I'm running for, a sponsor that I'm running for, and I think it can kind of sway your decisions in the events that you want to do, the the way that your career proceeds, and I think right now me trying to figure out what I want.
Knock on wood, 10 years of my career to look like I think is very important to me.
And so coming off New York, I really want I really wanted to be independent going through New York.
My only official sponsor is Morton at this point.
But I think, going through New York and then being very clear of like I'm going to do primarily trail racing in 2026 and just be ultra clear about that with sponsors and be like Hey like, if you believe in like the vision that I've got here, I would love to work with you.
If not, like, I'm not expecting like.
I don't feel entitled enough to be like you have to pay me just because I won a medal in 2020 or 2021.
Like.
I don't think what you've done in the past garners you anything or you're not owed anything in this sport.
I think a sponsorship is more of a reflection of like hey, we believe in what you're trying to do over the next few years.
So. whatever company wants to like believes in what I'm trying to do.
I think like I just go with them.
Oh, wait until after New York.
Sorry if that was kind of like word bash, but first of all, I'm here for it.
Built a career out of word mash, so you're in the right place.
Also, that whole answer spoken like a true MBA.
Congratulations.
Congrats, grad.
Business lady right here.
Yes.
Thanks.
Congrats.
You completed your MBA earlier this year.
So maybe my question is, what are you like in a group project setting?
Which I know that that might not have come up because I believe you were doing online.
Oh no, we had a ton of group projects.
You did?
Okay, tell me more.
It was so funny because especially this was like right, like...
So my capstone project was from basic like all of our semesters were like two months long.
So I would take basically one class at a time very intensively for two months.
I guess that's a quarter system.
But.
It was so funny because our final capstone was a group project.
But all of my group members are a little bit older than me and they all are either working full time in jobs or have families.
And so a lot of times, like for our group projects, they'd want to be having meetings at like 9pm on a Saturday and I'm like I'm out with friends doing things, like I'm on a date, like I've got things that I'm doing.
And so I constantly having to be pop out like, hey, guys, I'm so sorry.
I have to go sit in my car and do this group meeting for like 45 minutes or so.
And so it like became this joke that I'm like, like my group members, always wanted to meet at the worst times, but it ended up working out okay.
Like I actually really loved like.
I loved getting to do that MBA.
I think it was really worthwhile.
I feel great that I got a completely free MBA out of the fact that I qualified for the Olympics.
I think it's given me a lot better just understanding even of like the business side of the sports world and giving me a lot more confidence to do things my own way, because I'm like I kind of know this shit now.
Yeah.
So what what do you hope?
Was this something that you chose to do because you were able to?
And actually, can you talk a little bit about that?
Is that like congrats?
You made Team USA.
Here's a list of perks.
And one of them is like, you can go get your graduate degree.
Well, that was.
It is because they weren't giving us health insurance.
But they're like but we'll give you a scholarship.
And I'm like, okay, I'll do that.
Thank you.
So yeah, it ended up being like this cool side benefit that I don't think a lot of people take advantage of.
And it was like very time intensive.
Like I had to like very much focus on like what I was doing.
Like it's been really nice the last few months being like, oh my God, I have so much free time.
Um, but I think for me, like, it's important to know, like, I, I have to do something after running.
And I think like, in order to like, I would love to be able to remain in the sports in some way.
And I think being able to be as knowledgeable as I can and understand some of like the reasons behind why things are the way they are is very important to me.
So like someday after I come, like having this great experience of being a professional athlete and then being able to combine that with the actual like education that will get me there.
Like I'm hoping, even after I'm done running, that I'll be able to have some sort of impact on the sport.
Was it?
Hey, you can go pursue any type of continuing or higher education or, was it specific to you, can get an MBA.
Like, was that your choice?
It was any sort of degree that was offered through this program.
And I, in all honesty, just chose the most expensive program.
Wait, I love that.
They weren't giving me health insurance.
Okay.
I, this was like, stay petty bitches back in.
It was probably, I think it was 20.
It was the year of the New York city marathon got canceled.
So it was 2012.
And this, you know, the landscape of a lot of things was very different.
And at the time Lululemon would do all these like cool events and maybe you could get in.
You got to get like invited to them.
And this was really before influencers, but it was blogging was a thing then.
So anyway, I got invited to this event at Lululemon and it was like I forget what they called it, like a fit test or something.
And you got to go in and try on like all these things after hours.
And they were like, and at the end, you can pick the top and bottom of your choice.
No stipulations.
Wait, what?
And I was like, cool.
Like that's what you could keep.
And so you get to like try on all this stuff and snack on like overnight oats or something while you're there.
And at the end, most Lululemon coded thing I've ever heard.
And I chose a pair of little like high waisted booty shorts that I was like these will be cute for hanging out at my apartment and a tank top.
And I leave and I'm all excited.
And I'm walking back to my apartment with my friends.
They all chose like puffer coats.
And they were like, what were you thinking?
You chose the 39 outfit that you could actually almost afford which, like I, couldn't afford anything from Lululemon.
Gotta think, Allie.
Gotta think.
So I respect that you knew to choose that degree.
Well, yeah, it's all about ROI, return on that investment, baby.
I mean, I do still have those shorts.
Okay.
See, it's paid off.
The cost per wear is what's paying off.
You can only wear that parka part of the year.
Right though, I have also now bought puffy coats from Lululemon, and I will tell you they're not 39.
I'm sure Lulu would send you a puffy coat at this point.
Also, I'm just moving closer to the charger because I'm perpetually on 10% battery.
I like it.
We're going for a little walk.
If I get lower than like 94% on any of my devices, I start to panic.
I think my phone lives on 3% battery.
We're different.
I can't even hear that without it stressing me out.
Well, I want you to keep your battery fully charged.
So I will let you go in a minute.
But before we send you off to New York City, what does the weekend look like for you?
Are you feeling overloaded with commitments?
And I also want to know.
If people see you out and about in New York which they will what's the right way to react as someone who will be racing on Sunday?
So this is a work trip for you.
Do you like when people stop you on the street to say hi and take a selfie?
Do you want to just be dialed?
What's what's the good etiquette?
I love getting to kind of connect with people that, like, follow anything that I do.
I always feel super awkward with photos.
So if I'll be honest, like, I am almost always, like...
I don't really love when I have to take photos with people, but I love getting to have a conversation.
So like if you see me on the street, like, please say hi.
Maybe like. you don't have to like, if you really want a photo, sure.
But like honestly, I'd really love to just like have a conversation with you and yap about the race, because there is nothing this nerd loves more than talking about running.
And I always really appreciate when people like tell me good luck or whatnot, like I.
That's very special to me.
But yeah, honestly, it's not too packed of a weekend.
I have to do a couple show pony things when I get in, but I think Saturday should be pretty chill.
I'll just try and be like laying a little bit low.
Midtown is so overwhelming anyway, where we have to stay.
So I'm like, Not looking to like go out to Times Square or anything.
I'll probably just like be back and forth to like ABP or something.
Yeah.
Or the Whole Foods in Cleveland circles. columbus circle yeah columbus circle columbus circle cleveland circles in boston oh my god you can take the girl out of boston i know uh and then how will you celebrate after the race Ooh, I don't know.
My whole family is going to be there.
Um, like I'm going to have a ton of people there.
So I figure I'm just going to go where other people want me to go.
I'm sure Richard, he says like throwing some sort of party somewhere, but, um, Yeah, I don't know.
I think, honestly, I usually just kind of let the wind take me anywhere afterwards.
If there's a party going down, please, guys, let me know.
Okay, but also you have big plans in New York.
Later in the week, you're going to a show.
Going to O'Mary.
I'm so excited.
Take me with you so jealous.
No, jay krakowski's gonna be amazing, so this is like the longest i'll have stayed afterwards.
I think we're staying till like wednesday in order to be able to see it on tuesday night, so hopefully we'll be able to get some like good dinner reservations, but I think it'll be nice to like actually stay in the city a couple of days post marathon.
Yeah.
Especially if, if all goes according to plan which I think and hope it will that you're not feeling totally beat up after the fact and you can actually enjoy those couple of days.
Yeah.
Actually be able to walk.
Yeah.
Well before I let you go, for those 55000 runners listening, can you send us out with a pep talk heading into New York?
Ooh, pep talk.
Um, I'm trying to think like what would be an inspiration, like inspiring thing?
No.
What inspires you? the faster you run, the faster you're done.
There it is.
Perfect.
Perfect.
Do you have a favorite part of the New York city marathon course?
I actually really love.
I think it's the section coming through Queens where you're kind of like weaving around.
And the cheering is always so great there.
But also, I really love Harlem, because it's like, it's a little bit chiller up there.
But like, I don't know, the energy is always great.
Great recommendations, great points.
And I love knowing that, as these runners are weaving through the course, they'll get to those points and be like oh, this is what Molly said was her favorite part.
And this is awesome right now.
I love that.
Well, Molly, it is always such a delight to get to catch up with you.
Thank you for coming back on the show.
Good luck in New York.
Have fun in New York.
And we'll do a catch up afterwards so we can talk about how things are going on the trails.
Oh, thanks, Allie.
See you soon.
Bye.
Thank you so much for being here for this episode of the Allie on the Run show with my guest, Molly Seidel.
To Molly and, of course, to everyone running and you'll hear me say this over and over again over the course of the next week good luck in New York City.
Good luck wherever you're running.
I appreciated hearing from Molly.
I'm super happy for her.
And I'm guessing you probably feel the same after listening to this episode.
So take good care of yourselves.
What else do I want to tell you?
I'm Allie on the run one on Instagram.
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And thank you for joining me on the run.
