WEBVTT - RBC Brooklyn Half Playbook From a Local Elite Runner 0:00:00.600 --> 0:00:04.080 I love the Brooklyn Half course, and I'm obsessed with 0:00:04.080 --> 0:00:06.330 this race. This will be my eighth time running it. 0:00:06.390 --> 0:00:09.420 And what's cool about it is how many different ways 0:00:09.420 --> 0:00:12.240 I have run this race. And I think at this point 0:00:12.240 --> 0:00:15.270 I feel ready to talk about it and talk about 0:00:15.270 --> 0:00:18.660 the best parts and the best strategies around it. 0:00:22.079 --> 0:00:26.610 Thank you. Thank you very much and welcome everybody to 0:00:26.610 --> 0:00:30.150 Set the Pace, the official podcast of New York Road 0:00:30.150 --> 0:00:34.770 Runners, presented by Peloton. I'm Rob Simmelkjaer, the CEO of 0:00:34.770 --> 0:00:37.440 New York Road Runners and co- host of Set the 0:00:37.440 --> 0:00:41.610 Pace. And with me to my left, my amazing co- 0:00:41.610 --> 0:00:43.921 host from Peloton, can we give it up for Becs Gentry. 0:00:43.921 --> 0:00:43.922 Hello. 0:00:43.922 --> 0:00:45.540 Hello, Becs. 0:00:45.540 --> 0:00:45.600 Hi. 0:00:48.300 --> 0:00:48.629 How are you? 0:00:48.629 --> 0:00:49.741 Good. Good to see you. 0:00:49.741 --> 0:00:52.500 It's great to see you. It's been a while since 0:00:52.500 --> 0:00:57.420 I've seen Becs because Becs husband, partner, Austin, went off and 0:00:57.420 --> 0:00:58.051 ran the London Marathon- 0:00:58.051 --> 0:00:58.051 He did. 0:00:58.051 --> 0:01:02.279 Not long ago and you all took a little European 0:01:02.280 --> 0:01:05.280 vacation after that, which sounded lovely. How was it? 0:01:05.370 --> 0:01:08.190 It was amazing. And you're welcome, I brought the sun 0:01:08.190 --> 0:01:11.100 back with me. It just took me to arrive at 0:01:11.100 --> 0:01:12.540 a New York Road Runners event for it to come 0:01:12.540 --> 0:01:15.690 out. But no, it was fantastic. It was so good to 0:01:15.690 --> 0:01:19.650 see everybody crushing London. What a hot day, might be 0:01:19.650 --> 0:01:21.750 a little bit like tomorrow. Wait, what day is it? 0:01:21.959 --> 0:01:24.091 I have no idea what day it is. Whenever the race is. 0:01:24.091 --> 0:01:27.449 Today is Thursday. The race is Saturday. Don't worry. 0:01:27.450 --> 0:01:27.451 The race is Saturday. 0:01:27.451 --> 0:01:27.511 We'll figure it out. 0:01:28.380 --> 0:01:31.860 I've got this. I'm still on a beach. But no, it 0:01:31.860 --> 0:01:34.290 was such a wonderful race. Congrats to anyone who ran 0:01:34.319 --> 0:01:38.400 London Marathon out there as well. Great, great event. 0:01:38.490 --> 0:01:40.110 Well, for those of you who are listening out there, 0:01:40.110 --> 0:01:42.360 you might hear some crowd noise. That's because we are 0:01:42.360 --> 0:01:47.640 live at the RBC Brooklyn Half pre- party presented by 0:01:48.270 --> 0:01:50.011 New Balance. And it's a thrill to be here- 0:01:50.011 --> 0:01:50.371 Yeah. 0:01:50.460 --> 0:01:54.690 At Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier number two. And, yes, it's 0:01:54.690 --> 0:01:55.890 Thursday. We're here- 0:01:55.890 --> 0:01:56.191 Thursday. There you go. 0:01:56.191 --> 0:02:00.720 Speaking, recording this on Thursday. A much nicer day than we 0:02:00.720 --> 0:02:03.870 had yesterday. The sun has come out, it's a beautiful 0:02:03.870 --> 0:02:07.170 day all of a sudden as we watch runners streaming in 0:02:07.350 --> 0:02:10.350 to pick up their race bibs for the RBC Brooklyn 0:02:10.350 --> 0:02:12.900 Half coming up on Saturday. We could not be more 0:02:12.900 --> 0:02:16.139 excited. Becs, the sun came out so suddenly- 0:02:16.139 --> 0:02:17.100 So suddenly. I'm sweating. 0:02:17.160 --> 0:02:20.460 And we've got this spectacular view of New York Harbor, 0:02:20.580 --> 0:02:23.250 Lower Manhattan. The Statue of Liberty is right in front 0:02:23.250 --> 0:02:23.549 of us. 0:02:23.549 --> 0:02:25.829 Which you haven't been able to see all day because it's been foggy. 0:02:25.830 --> 0:02:27.359 Not for the last two days. 0:02:27.450 --> 0:02:27.690 No. 0:02:27.990 --> 0:02:30.330 But it all opened up. It's gorgeous. And so much 0:02:30.330 --> 0:02:32.820 so that we needed some last- minute sunglasses. 0:02:32.820 --> 0:02:32.821 Yeah. 0:02:32.821 --> 0:02:35.940 So I want to thank our friends at Knockaround Sunglasses 0:02:36.120 --> 0:02:39.151 for giving us some last- second shades. Anybody out there who- 0:02:39.151 --> 0:02:39.241 They're fabulous. 0:02:39.389 --> 0:02:43.290 Suddenly finds themselves blinded by the sun, go get yourselves 0:02:43.290 --> 0:02:45.001 some Knockaround shades. They are fantastic. 0:02:45.001 --> 0:02:47.940 They're so good. They're chic too. I think we all look pretty good. 0:02:48.300 --> 0:02:48.451 All right. 0:02:48.451 --> 0:02:48.452 Yeah. 0:02:48.452 --> 0:02:51.450 Well, Becs, we're so excited. This by the way, this 0:02:51.450 --> 0:02:54.419 party, this pre- party is just the first party of 0:02:54.419 --> 0:02:55.019 the weekend. 0:02:55.770 --> 0:02:55.771 I know. 0:02:55.771 --> 0:02:58.440 Because there'll be another party on Saturday, of course. That is 0:02:58.440 --> 0:03:02.940 the RBC Brooklyn Half, 13. 1 miles to Coney Island. 0:03:02.940 --> 0:03:06.000 And then after that we're going to have another party, 0:03:06.000 --> 0:03:10.410 the epic RBC Brooklyn Half After- Party at Maimonides Ballpark. 0:03:10.680 --> 0:03:15.030 There will be live music, entertainment, and another live recording 0:03:15.270 --> 0:03:17.790 of Set the Pace. And Becs, I know you're not 0:03:17.790 --> 0:03:18.871 going to be with me, so I'll be solo- 0:03:18.870 --> 0:03:19.290 I know. 0:03:19.350 --> 0:03:22.050 For this one, which I'm sad about. But we're going to have 0:03:22.050 --> 0:03:23.010 an amazing guest. 0:03:23.040 --> 0:03:24.150 I have to do my real job. 0:03:24.389 --> 0:03:27.031 Yes, you got to go teach people at Peloton. 0:03:27.031 --> 0:03:28.471 I do. I do. 0:03:28.471 --> 0:03:31.889 That is what you get paid to do. We understand. But we're going 0:03:31.889 --> 0:03:34.590 to have an amazing guest at the after party on 0:03:34.590 --> 0:03:37.980 Saturday. Dancing with the Stars, Alan Bersten- 0:03:37.980 --> 0:03:38.730 Wow. 0:03:38.730 --> 0:03:41.820 Will be our guest. Don't miss that. And I can tell 0:03:41.820 --> 0:03:43.710 you one thing that won't happen... I'm sad you won't 0:03:43.710 --> 0:03:46.080 be there because I was hoping Alan would have someone 0:03:46.080 --> 0:03:48.720 to dance with at that show. And I can tell 0:03:48.720 --> 0:03:50.460 you one thing, it will not be me. I will 0:03:50.460 --> 0:03:51.360 not be dancing. 0:03:51.420 --> 0:03:53.880 I'm a runner. We move in one plane of motion. 0:03:53.880 --> 0:03:57.391 I do not dance well. Austin is embarrassed when I start to dance. 0:03:57.391 --> 0:04:00.660 I think Alan Bersten could teach you a couple of moves. 0:04:00.720 --> 0:04:01.260 I'd take it. 0:04:01.320 --> 0:04:03.030 And there's no way he could teach me anything. So 0:04:03.030 --> 0:04:04.980 anyway, you can look forward to that. That'll be another 0:04:04.980 --> 0:04:08.430 special episode of Set the Pace, and we can't wait. 0:04:08.730 --> 0:04:11.910 Try the Peloton app for free and access classes for 0:04:11.910 --> 0:04:14.610 every type of runner, whether you're training for your first 0:04:14.610 --> 0:04:18.060 race or you're a seasoned pro. From outdoor runs and 0:04:18.060 --> 0:04:22.260 intervals to strength, yoga, and stretching, you'll find a perfect 0:04:22.260 --> 0:04:25.230 fit for every part of your routine. Whether it's long 0:04:25.230 --> 0:04:27.960 run day or you just need a quick five- minute 0:04:27.960 --> 0:04:30.960 reset, the Peloton app meets you where you are and 0:04:30.960 --> 0:04:34.950 helps you become a stronger, faster runner because it's designed 0:04:34.950 --> 0:04:37.890 for someone like you. Try the app for free for 0:04:37.890 --> 0:04:40.470 30 days and download it now from the App Store 0:04:40.470 --> 0:04:44.790 or Google Play. Terms apply. Peloton, the official digital fitness 0:04:44.790 --> 0:04:48.240 partner of New York Road Runners. Our event schedule at 0:04:48.240 --> 0:04:50.940 the RBC Brooklyn Half pre- party presented by New Balance 0:04:50.940 --> 0:04:53.400 is packed. So to keep things moving, we're going to 0:04:53.400 --> 0:04:56.339 have a super speedy show today, a quick show that 0:04:56.339 --> 0:05:00.510 celebrates the stars of the RBC Brooklyn Half, our local 0:05:00.510 --> 0:05:03.900 elite runners. This is a race, Becs, that does not 0:05:03.900 --> 0:05:08.159 have a professional field. Instead, we pay tribute and highlight 0:05:08.220 --> 0:05:11.100 some of the fastest runners here in our New York 0:05:11.100 --> 0:05:12.089 City club scene. 0:05:12.090 --> 0:05:12.541 Yep. 0:05:12.720 --> 0:05:15.570 And we've got one of those runners here with us today. 0:05:15.900 --> 0:05:15.900 Yeah, we do. 0:05:15.900 --> 0:05:18.750 As well as the woman who makes it all happen, 0:05:18.990 --> 0:05:21.719 booking those guests. First I want to introduce New York 0:05:21.720 --> 0:05:26.790 Road Runners own Dorian Kail, our Director of Professional Athletes. 0:05:27.060 --> 0:05:27.840 Yeah, Dorian. 0:05:28.080 --> 0:05:31.470 She's got one of the coolest jobs in running. She 0:05:31.470 --> 0:05:36.029 recruits pro athletes to our big races like the Marathon, 0:05:36.240 --> 0:05:40.320 the United Airlines NYC Half. And for the RBC Brooklyn 0:05:40.320 --> 0:05:45.540 Half, she recruits our incredible local field of elite runners. 0:05:45.570 --> 0:05:49.620 And one of those runners with us today is we 0:05:49.620 --> 0:05:52.470 call them sub- elite athletes. We're going to talk about 0:05:52.470 --> 0:05:53.070 that because I feel it's kind of like- 0:05:53.070 --> 0:05:53.190 Yeah. 0:05:53.880 --> 0:05:55.200 A little insulting. Sub- elite. 0:05:55.201 --> 0:05:55.561 Sub-elite. So elite. 0:05:57.000 --> 0:06:00.630 These runners are pretty elite. But Alana Levy is here 0:06:00.630 --> 0:06:03.510 and she's one of the fastest amateur women in New 0:06:03.510 --> 0:06:04.200 York City. 0:06:04.290 --> 0:06:04.680 Oh, yeah. 0:06:05.040 --> 0:06:08.700 Alana ran at Cornell where she received All East Honors 0:06:08.700 --> 0:06:12.630 at the ECACs. She has personal bests of, get this, 4: 0:06:12.660 --> 0:06:19.980 42 in the mile, 16:29 in the 5K, and 2:40. 33 in 0:06:19.980 --> 0:06:22.950 the marathon. All those records were set within the last 0:06:22.980 --> 0:06:26.400 18 months. And she was the first woman, New York 0:06:26.400 --> 0:06:30.750 City resident, to finish the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon 0:06:30.990 --> 0:06:34.890 with a time of 2: 42. 01. And Alana is 0:06:34.890 --> 0:06:38.850 a true Brooklyn runner because she's been running with the 0:06:39.029 --> 0:06:43.710 Brooklyn Track Club since 2018. Outside of running, by the 0:06:43.710 --> 0:06:46.410 way, Alana, your resume is ridiculous. She has an MBA 0:06:46.410 --> 0:06:49.830 from NYU Stern School of Business, an MPH from the 0:06:49.830 --> 0:06:53.160 University of Edinburgh, and she's the director of product management 0:06:53.160 --> 0:06:57.240 at Pearl Health, which is a healthcare technology startup. Hello, Dorian 0:06:57.240 --> 0:06:57.960 and Alana, welcome to the show. 0:06:57.960 --> 0:06:58.020 Hi. 0:06:58.770 --> 0:06:59.400 Wow. 0:06:59.520 --> 0:06:59.940 Wow. 0:06:59.940 --> 0:07:00.450 Hello. 0:07:00.510 --> 0:07:01.980 I did not know you went to Edinburgh. 0:07:02.100 --> 0:07:02.610 I did. 0:07:02.610 --> 0:07:02.970 As in Scotland. 0:07:02.970 --> 0:07:03.930 I love it there. 0:07:04.380 --> 0:07:04.860 Yes. 0:07:04.950 --> 0:07:06.750 It was the most beautiful city, beautiful place. 0:07:06.750 --> 0:07:07.229 Isn't it stunning? 0:07:07.229 --> 0:07:07.710 Yes. 0:07:07.770 --> 0:07:09.450 Oh my gosh. Can you do a Scottish accent? 0:07:11.040 --> 0:07:12.300 Not on this podcast. Not right now. 0:07:12.570 --> 0:07:12.660 Oh, no. 0:07:12.660 --> 0:07:12.751 That was great. 0:07:12.751 --> 0:07:12.960 There we go. 0:07:16.230 --> 0:07:18.330 Wait, wait, wait. It's Alana's birthday. 0:07:18.330 --> 0:07:18.420 Yes. 0:07:19.080 --> 0:07:20.429 Everyone, it's Alana's singing. 0:07:20.430 --> 0:07:20.671 So wait, can we sing happy birthday? 0:07:20.671 --> 0:07:23.670 We will be getting to a little happy birthday singing. 0:07:23.670 --> 0:07:24.300 Yeah, we will. 0:07:24.300 --> 0:07:25.981 We're going to finish with that. We're definitely going to wish her- 0:07:25.981 --> 0:07:26.041 All right. Okay. 0:07:26.460 --> 0:07:27.181 We have to make sure she's out of here- 0:07:27.181 --> 0:07:27.182 A happy birthday. 0:07:27.182 --> 0:07:27.183 For her dinner reservation. 0:07:27.183 --> 0:07:30.090 I'll have to dread it the entire time. 0:07:30.090 --> 0:07:31.920 That's right. We want to hold that over your head 0:07:31.920 --> 0:07:34.380 for the entire podcast. All right, Dorian, I want to 0:07:34.380 --> 0:07:39.660 start with you and your incredibly fun job of recruiting 0:07:39.660 --> 0:07:42.720 these amazing athletes to our races. But let's talk about 0:07:42.720 --> 0:07:44.910 the field for the RBC Brooklyn Half for a second. 0:07:45.150 --> 0:07:48.030 How does one get to be a, what we call 0:07:48.180 --> 0:07:51.090 seeded runner, one of the folks who get to start 0:07:51.180 --> 0:07:54.540 right in front at the RBC Brooklyn Half running with the 0:07:54.540 --> 0:07:56.460 very best runners we have in New York City? 0:07:56.790 --> 0:08:00.690 So Alana is part of our Seeded Athlete Program, and 0:08:00.690 --> 0:08:04.380 this is an elevated experience for the fastest athletes in 0:08:04.380 --> 0:08:08.490 the area. It's pretty cool because they get to start, 0:08:08.640 --> 0:08:11.610 they kind of have a VIP start at the Brooklyn 0:08:11.610 --> 0:08:15.900 Botanical Gardens. They get indoor bathrooms by the way, indoor 0:08:15.900 --> 0:08:18.001 bathrooms. That's key for your VIP start, right? 0:08:18.001 --> 0:08:18.990 Fancy, fancy. 0:08:19.020 --> 0:08:23.040 They get bananas, they get a little breakfast, they get 0:08:23.040 --> 0:08:25.950 to warm up, and then we put them right on 0:08:25.950 --> 0:08:29.070 the start line. When they are on the start line, 0:08:29.130 --> 0:08:32.910 we, our team, our great team takes their bags right 0:08:32.910 --> 0:08:35.760 to the finish line. So literally they cross the finish 0:08:35.760 --> 0:08:38.939 line and they get their bags right away. It's truly 0:08:38.940 --> 0:08:43.439 a VIP experience for these amazing athletes. And what's really 0:08:43.440 --> 0:08:46.559 cool about all of these athletes is that many of 0:08:46.559 --> 0:08:49.410 them are the fastest in the area. And this year's 0:08:49.440 --> 0:08:53.760 group represents 13 local running clubs and we're really proud 0:08:53.760 --> 0:08:56.130 of that. And Alana is part of the Brooklyn Track 0:08:56.130 --> 0:08:58.620 Club, so give it up for the Brooklyn Track Club. 0:09:00.210 --> 0:09:00.690 Amazing. 0:09:00.720 --> 0:09:04.050 Yeah. And this year we had the defending champion in 0:09:04.050 --> 0:09:07.380 the men's division, Ryan Cutter from the Brooklyn Track Club, 0:09:07.650 --> 0:09:10.140 and he happens to be running for the first time 0:09:10.230 --> 0:09:13.530 with our New York Road Runners Team for Climate, which 0:09:13.530 --> 0:09:15.719 is really cool. And we're very, very proud of that. 0:09:15.720 --> 0:09:16.530 Yay. 0:09:16.740 --> 0:09:16.741 We love that. 0:09:16.741 --> 0:09:16.742 Absolutely. 0:09:16.742 --> 0:09:20.730 So for those who don't know, Team for Climate is a 0:09:20.730 --> 0:09:23.760 new thing at Road Runners that helps raise funds to 0:09:23.760 --> 0:09:27.660 help us offset or actually inset, which is prevent the 0:09:27.660 --> 0:09:30.270 carbon emissions from all the things we do and all 0:09:30.270 --> 0:09:32.760 the runners flying to the marathon and other races. So 0:09:32.970 --> 0:09:35.490 thank you to him and everybody else who's running for 0:09:35.490 --> 0:09:35.820 Team for Climate. 0:09:36.360 --> 0:09:37.410 Absolutely. 0:09:37.440 --> 0:09:40.050 And what I love is that last year Ryan ran 0:09:40.050 --> 0:09:43.410 a 1:04. 08, that is a 4. 54 pace. So 0:09:43.410 --> 0:09:46.110 these people are fast, they're really fast. 0:09:46.110 --> 0:09:46.231 That's moving. 0:09:46.231 --> 0:09:46.232 I know. 0:09:46.232 --> 0:09:50.370 And it's not, I mean, we've got this on another podcast episode. The course 0:09:50.370 --> 0:09:51.449 is not easy. Okay. 0:09:51.450 --> 0:09:51.660 Yeah. 0:09:51.960 --> 0:09:55.439 Alana, you have run this race before. It's not a 0:09:55.440 --> 0:10:00.420 new one for you. And so what do you love? 0:10:00.420 --> 0:10:03.390 What is your favorite part? Because I feel like this 0:10:03.390 --> 0:10:06.300 race has got chapters to it. It could be three 0:10:06.300 --> 0:10:08.309 races. What's your favorite part? 0:10:09.030 --> 0:10:12.450 I love the Brooklyn Half course, and I'm obsessed with 0:10:12.450 --> 0:10:14.699 this race. This will be my eighth time running it. 0:10:14.790 --> 0:10:17.850 And what's cool about it is how many different ways 0:10:17.850 --> 0:10:20.670 I have run this race. And I think at this point 0:10:20.670 --> 0:10:23.670 I feel ready to talk about it and talk about 0:10:23.670 --> 0:10:27.540 the best parts and the best strategies around it. But 0:10:28.559 --> 0:10:33.090 I think my favorite part is leaving Prospect Park, you 0:10:33.450 --> 0:10:38.220 hit the downhill, you've done all of the hills, the majority 0:10:38.220 --> 0:10:40.530 of the work, and then you just hit cruise control 0:10:40.530 --> 0:10:42.719 and you go through all of these crowds and you 0:10:42.720 --> 0:10:43.470 lock in. 0:10:43.470 --> 0:10:43.920 Yeah. 0:10:43.920 --> 0:10:47.280 And that's probably like a moment when you flip the 0:10:47.280 --> 0:10:48.990 switch and it's like, now is my time. 0:10:49.080 --> 0:10:51.030 I would agree and I feel like it's the coolest 0:10:51.030 --> 0:10:53.520 thing as a human to be running on a on- 0:10:53.520 --> 0:10:55.890 ramp or an off- ramp onto a, as you call 0:10:55.890 --> 0:10:58.050 them, highways, freeways, whatever. I don't know what this one 0:10:58.050 --> 0:11:01.410 is, a motorway to us Brits, but it's cool because 0:11:01.410 --> 0:11:03.450 you're like, I didn't do this in the car, but 0:11:03.450 --> 0:11:05.490 today I get to do it as a human machine. 0:11:05.490 --> 0:11:06.360 It's pretty funky. 0:11:06.420 --> 0:11:08.819 No, it's so special because I think all of the biggest 0:11:08.820 --> 0:11:11.069 New York Road Runner races have this where you're on 0:11:11.070 --> 0:11:13.590 these massive roads and these on- ramps that you're never 0:11:13.590 --> 0:11:17.640 on before. So you have it on the FDR. In 0:11:17.640 --> 0:11:19.979 the NYC Half, you're running over the bridges, in the 0:11:19.980 --> 0:11:22.110 New York City Marathon, of course you're all over the 0:11:22.110 --> 0:11:24.840 place and whenever you're running on these empty streets, it is 0:11:24.990 --> 0:11:26.670 a really surreal experience. 0:11:26.670 --> 0:11:27.150 It is. 0:11:27.390 --> 0:11:31.890 Dorian, how does someone get to be Alana Levy and 0:11:31.890 --> 0:11:36.120 get this experience of running in this competitive elite field? 0:11:36.330 --> 0:11:41.400 Well, Alana's nice, but she's also really fast. Alana I 0:11:41.400 --> 0:11:44.520 think last year came in fourth and ran a 115. 0:11:45.000 --> 0:11:49.590 So women have to run at least a 118, non- 0:11:49.590 --> 0:11:53.460 binary athletes have to run 118 and men have to 0:11:53.460 --> 0:11:57.001 run a 108 to qualify for this group. So they're fast. 0:11:57.001 --> 0:12:00.719 That is so speedy. Alana, what did it feel like the 0:12:00.720 --> 0:12:02.069 first time you qualified for it? 0:12:02.730 --> 0:12:05.610 It felt amazing. Again, what's cool about this is that 0:12:05.610 --> 0:12:08.340 I didn't just kind of start running and then here 0:12:08.340 --> 0:12:11.309 I was. I very much worked my way into this. 0:12:11.490 --> 0:12:13.890 So the first time I ran this in 2012, I 0:12:13.890 --> 0:12:16.920 ran a 132 and then each year I kind of 0:12:16.920 --> 0:12:19.170 set these new goals for myself and kept chopping off 0:12:19.170 --> 0:12:21.750 time and getting faster and faster. So then it was, 0:12:21.990 --> 0:12:23.730 what's the goal? Let's get to corral A, let's get 0:12:23.730 --> 0:12:25.830 to corral double A, and then finally we got to 0:12:25.830 --> 0:12:28.890 this and you have your own private little start and 0:12:28.890 --> 0:12:31.500 it's really fun and you get to know all of the people around with 0:12:31.500 --> 0:12:34.800 all of the local clubs. So you get to run together 0:12:34.800 --> 0:12:37.020 and it really feels like a community out there, which 0:12:37.020 --> 0:12:37.800 is amazing. 0:12:38.280 --> 0:12:41.910 That's pretty incredible, the journey that you took, Alana, from 0:12:42.179 --> 0:12:45.660 132, a great time down to where you are now 0:12:45.929 --> 0:12:48.480 in this group. You also, by the way, were in 0:12:48.480 --> 0:12:53.340 the pro field at the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon 0:12:53.520 --> 0:12:56.910 lining up with the Helen Obiris and the Sharon Lokedis 0:12:56.910 --> 0:13:00.330 of the world as well. So I mean, how do 0:13:00.330 --> 0:13:03.510 you reflect on where you are now as a runner? We 0:13:03.510 --> 0:13:05.970 read your resume at the start of the show and 0:13:05.970 --> 0:13:09.840 it's a great running resume in college and you've obviously 0:13:09.840 --> 0:13:12.809 got talent, but what has it taken to go from 0:13:12.809 --> 0:13:15.689 a talented college runner to someone who really is now 0:13:15.690 --> 0:13:18.179 showing up at some big time starting lines? 0:13:18.600 --> 0:13:21.870 Yeah, it's amazing to be on the start line with 0:13:21.870 --> 0:13:26.100 some of those women. It's really, really special to be 0:13:26.250 --> 0:13:28.709 at least just part of that group, knowing that they're 0:13:28.710 --> 0:13:33.990 obviously so incredible and very inspiring for everyone. After college, 0:13:33.990 --> 0:13:36.990 I kind of took a break from running, not fully, 0:13:36.990 --> 0:13:39.420 just competitively, and I kind of was just running on 0:13:39.420 --> 0:13:40.860 my own a little bit. I was running in these 0:13:40.860 --> 0:13:44.250 races, but I didn't have as high expectations for myself. 0:13:44.490 --> 0:13:46.950 But then when I joined Brooklyn Track Club, I started 0:13:46.950 --> 0:13:48.885 racing a lot more and then I ended up getting 0:13:48.885 --> 0:13:51.809 a private coach during the pandemic and just kept running 0:13:51.809 --> 0:13:55.920 more and more. So now I've been seeing all of 0:13:55.920 --> 0:14:01.079 that effort kind of turn into much better race results, 0:14:01.080 --> 0:14:03.780 which has been really, really cool to see how when 0:14:03.780 --> 0:14:05.670 you put in that time and when you put in that 0:14:05.670 --> 0:14:10.050 effort every day, it really ends up turning into these 0:14:10.050 --> 0:14:15.090 better performances. So running 70, 80 miles a week, just every 0:14:15.090 --> 0:14:19.410 single week, just staying really, really consistent is what's been 0:14:19.410 --> 0:14:20.970 doing it for me. And I don't think this is what 0:14:20.970 --> 0:14:24.090 I ever saw for myself. I don't know if 10 0:14:24.090 --> 0:14:25.830 years ago I would've said I would be here, but 0:14:25.830 --> 0:14:29.190 I'm so excited that I am here. It's really amazing. 0:14:29.460 --> 0:14:32.550 Wow. And that's it. Persistence pays off. It really does. 0:14:32.880 --> 0:14:35.820 It's almost more impressive with this group because they all 0:14:35.820 --> 0:14:36.930 have full- time jobs. 0:14:36.930 --> 0:14:37.170 Yeah. 0:14:37.350 --> 0:14:40.200 Right. They're working really hard. They have to train. I 0:14:40.200 --> 0:14:41.490 mean, what's your schedule like? 0:14:42.150 --> 0:14:48.900 Wow. It's busy. No, I typically run in the mornings 0:14:48.900 --> 0:14:52.350 and then I work all day and I often double. 0:14:52.350 --> 0:14:55.350 So I usually double two or three times a week 0:14:55.380 --> 0:14:57.810 either with a run or some sort of a swim 0:14:57.810 --> 0:14:59.430 and I'll do a little bit of a lift or 0:14:59.430 --> 0:15:04.890 some core exercises and then yeah, cook dinner and go 0:15:04.890 --> 0:15:05.640 to bed. 0:15:05.790 --> 0:15:09.180 And do it again. Rinse and repeat. That's it. Well, talking 0:15:09.180 --> 0:15:12.210 of rinse and repeat and doing it with full- time 0:15:12.210 --> 0:15:17.040 jobs and getting it done, that is for the local, the 0:15:17.040 --> 0:15:19.890 everyday runner as well. Dorian, let's talk about that field 0:15:19.890 --> 0:15:23.520 this year. How big is the local competitive field each year? 0:15:23.550 --> 0:15:26.731 So this year it always hovers around 40. We're at 36. 0:15:26.731 --> 0:15:26.732 Okay. 0:15:26.732 --> 0:15:29.820 And some people get their niggles and they pull out, 0:15:29.820 --> 0:15:34.920 but it's pretty much even split. And we're really excited. 0:15:35.070 --> 0:15:39.330 Actually, the non- binary athlete in this seeded athlete field 0:15:39.420 --> 0:15:42.840 has the record here in the non- binary division. 0:15:42.840 --> 0:15:43.230 Amazing. 0:15:43.230 --> 0:15:48.540 So we're really happy about that. 1:12:55 Galo Vasquez. We're really 0:15:48.540 --> 0:15:50.040 excited to see what they can do- 0:15:50.040 --> 0:15:51.210 Woo. Wow. 0:15:51.720 --> 0:15:54.180 On Saturday, but we have a great field. And on 0:15:54.180 --> 0:15:56.430 the women's side, I know Alana didn't want to hear 0:15:56.430 --> 0:15:57.270 this because... 0:15:58.440 --> 0:15:59.070 Tough for me. 0:15:59.100 --> 0:16:01.740 Yeah. We have the defending champion from last year, Kim 0:16:01.740 --> 0:16:04.440 Conley, who was a two- time Olympian in the 5, 0:16:04.440 --> 0:16:08.250 000. She ran really well last year and she's back 0:16:08.310 --> 0:16:10.110 to defend her title. So we're really psyched about that. 0:16:10.110 --> 0:16:11.520 Oh my gosh. Competition from the get-go. 0:16:12.090 --> 0:16:15.000 Alana, what are you thinking going into the race on 0:16:15.000 --> 0:16:18.570 Saturday? You finished just off the podium last year, fourth 0:16:18.570 --> 0:16:21.930 place. Do you have a strategy or do you want 0:16:21.930 --> 0:16:24.660 to do things differently than you've done in this race in 0:16:25.020 --> 0:16:27.330 the past? Go to the lead, stay close to the 0:16:27.690 --> 0:16:28.740 lead, what's your plan? 0:16:30.780 --> 0:16:34.920 My plan for races like this, for long races is 0:16:34.920 --> 0:16:37.500 really just to run your own race. I'm not thinking too 0:16:37.500 --> 0:16:41.040 much about who else is out there. If there's a 0:16:41.040 --> 0:16:44.940 pack, that's always amazing to try to stay with. But 0:16:44.940 --> 0:16:46.260 for the most part, I just kind of want to 0:16:46.260 --> 0:16:48.780 hit consistent splits, see where I'm at, see where I'm 0:16:48.780 --> 0:16:52.680 feeling at about halfway and then hopefully pick it up 0:16:52.680 --> 0:16:54.990 a little bit for the second half. I think this is 0:16:55.080 --> 0:16:57.540 a great course to negative split and then you can 0:16:57.540 --> 0:16:59.970 start picking people off. It's a long race. 0:17:00.030 --> 0:17:03.780 Oh yeah, definitely. If you start counting the alphabet. Oh, 0:17:03.780 --> 0:17:04.830 I hate that on the streets. 0:17:05.280 --> 0:17:07.740 Oh wait, wait, that's right, that's right. Do you do that? 0:17:07.830 --> 0:17:08.310 Do you do it? 0:17:08.340 --> 0:17:09.180 I do not. 0:17:09.720 --> 0:17:11.100 Now she's going to cut. She's going to be like 0:17:11.129 --> 0:17:11.398 Becs, ugh. 0:17:11.398 --> 0:17:16.680 So the one good thing about running on Ocean Parkway 0:17:16.710 --> 0:17:19.560 where I never run is I actually have no idea 0:17:19.560 --> 0:17:20.310 where I am. 0:17:20.369 --> 0:17:20.580 Yeah. 0:17:20.640 --> 0:17:22.650 So I'm not thinking about the... 0:17:22.890 --> 0:17:25.320 No, that's very true and in a good way, stick to 0:17:25.320 --> 0:17:28.619 that. Okay. Dorian, what is your best advice for people 0:17:28.619 --> 0:17:31.650 to get noticed by your team if they're out there 0:17:31.650 --> 0:17:34.169