Episode Ep 284 September 30, 2020 1 hr 9 min

284. Cory McGee

"There's an excitement to each of the races for sure, and it's great to see your times and know you've run your fastest 800 or mile, and that's huge. That always feels good… But I definitely don't feel the same pride. It's different."

Cory McGee is a professional runner for New Balance. She specializes in the 1500m distance, and lives in Boulder, CO, where she trains with "Team Boss," under the coaching of Joe Bosshard and alongside powerhouse women including Emma Coburn, Aisha Praught Leer, and Laura Thweatt. Despite 2020 playing out in a way no one intended or planned for, Cory is still having a fast year on the run. In a series of intra-squad competitions and small meets, she has run personal bests and broken records. But on this episode, she gets honest about whether those races carry the same weight and the same amount of pride as "regular" races. She also talks about her earliest days as a runner (including fun stories from her time living in Athens during the 2004 Olympics, when her dad was working security with the FBI), and talks about last year's disqualification at the USATF Outdoor Championships.

Thank you to AfterShokz for sponsoring this episode of the Ali on the Run Show! Go to ontherun.aftershokz.com for 15% off wireless headphones!

What you'll get on this episode:

Cory talks about being at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, and how that impacted her life and career (3:40)
Running for fun vs. the desire to win (12:15)
Focusing on the present vs. the future (20:50)
On getting sponsored by New Balance (23:30)
Why Cory decided to move to Boulder and to join Team Boss (31:00)
Cory talks about getting disqualified at last year's USATF Outdoor Championships (44:20)
All about racing in 2020 (51:30)
"Cory Ann, the woman with the plan," talks about what's next (1:03.00)