High, Low, High, Low, High, Low, High

Anyone want to play?

Here’s Annie getting Cory McGee and Emma Coburn’s autographs at New Balance Indoor Grand Prix. This was adorable, and Cory and Emma gave her so much love. (There was a very sweet and sentimental moment when Emma looked at Annie and said, “My mommy’s name was Annie, too.”) Photo by Joe Hale.

I love sitting down for dinner — no matter where I am or who I’m with — and going around sharing, “What made you happy today?”

Annie used to groan when I would start the prompt, but now, she’ll sit down and say, “Mommy, do the thing!”

This week has been a series of highs and lows, without as much of the gray stuff in between. (Gray vs. grey: I can never decide which spelling I like better!) A lot of “OMG best day / call / meeting / event ever” followed by a lot of “Are you kidding me with this???”

The lows aren’t necessarily worth mentioning. (But I’m about to do just that anyway.)

Bedtime. That’s been a big one. I don’t know what’s going on with my sweet little four-year-old daughter, but bedtime has been an issue lately. Major meltdowns. A major struggle. A long, long process. Lots of tears (from both of us). It’s such a tough way to end the day. It’s exhausting. It’s hard. And not unlike when she was a newborn and the nights were really unpredictable, I find that I get really anxious leading up to bedtime, just knowing that it’s coming, and that it’ll probably be difficult. So that’s where we’re at with evenings. (Can she feel that anxiety? Maybe! Maybe that’s part of it. I don’t know.) Not currently my favorite, and I hope (for both of our sakes) that it’s one of those phases that passes quickly.

I got sick. I had a gnarly cold on Monday and Tuesday. You know when your nose is so stuffy and nothing helps, and it’s impossible to breathe and thus impossible to sleep? That was me for two nights. I tried everything: cold medicine, sinus stuff, all the really sexy nose sprays (I love a hefty dose of Afrin, and have to force myself to use it sparingly), and I was just a stuffed-up monster. Not ideal in general, and certainly not when you talk for a living! My intros and ad reads were not very cute this week. Sorry about that! (I’m better now.)

A thing about me is that when I’m stressed, little things are huge things. (That’s probably a universal statement, but I’ll only speak for myself here.) So if I’m already dialed up to a 9, and then I’m stuck behind a slow-moving vehicle when I’m in a rush? Or I am finally getting Annie out the door for school, after already enduring many meltdowns along the way, and she decides as she’s getting in the car that she hates her outfit / shoes / hair / has to pee / has to poop / forgot to draw Ellie a picture… Or then I get back home, a full hour later than expected, ready to get to work, and the internet is out and seemingly unfixable? Well. Yeah. (This paragraph could also be called “My Thursday Morning.”)

So I’m writing this in my state of grumpiness. I’m working on it. I’m at my parents’ house, using their internet, and my dad and I have plans for a 3 PM cocktail. (Scotch for him, mimosa for me. It’s my dad’s birthday, so there will also be cake at some point!)

Despite the huffing and puffing, though, this week has actually been pretty awesome! (I’m a firm believer that “both of these things can be true.” Name that T-Swift song.) And in addition to my dad’s 65th, there’s a lot worth celebrating right now, including:

• I had an absolute blast at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix last weekend. (I wrote more about it all here.) It was a total dream weekend that included a dance competition, a track meet, a super fun time with the Citius Mag crew (check out the post-race interviews here and here), and a great long run along the Charles River.

• Trader Joe’s Chocolate Mousse Heart Cakes are in stock. Get them while you can! I bought three and will be going back for more. It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

• I had a really fun call with Keira D’Amato earlier this week, and I can’t tell you much (OK, anything) about it yet, but I think I can say that you might want to block off March 9, 2024, on your calendar. Think about planning a girls’ weekend or something fun. Juuuuuust saying.

This week on the Ali on the Run Show:

• The Everyday Runner, Adina Crawford: The much-loved series returns! Once a month, you’ll get to hear from a runner who isn’t a pro. Adina Crawford, for example, has a demanding full-time job, is a yoga instructor, and is a two-time marathoner who radiates joy and positivity. The feedback from this conversation has blown me away. Everyone is loving Adina — and so am I!

• Chelsea Clinton, 2-Time Marathoner, Author, & Former First Daughter: IT HAPPENED. We didn’t get a ton of time together, but I think we made the most of what we had (and I’m confident she’ll be back on the show again someday). This was very cool. I got to interview a former First Daughter! Wowowowowowow.

• Run Your Way with Colleen Quigley: “Steeple Squigs” is making the move to multi-sport life. So what does that mean for her beloved hurdles and barriers on the track? She returned to the show to tell all, and to talk about how she’s learned to find joy in doing things her way.

What I’m watching: Pamela, a love story, on Netflix. I loved this. I did not know what to expect. Pamela seems lovely. I wish her all the happiness. I really really do.

What I’m listening to: What should I be listening to? Drop a comment below and let me know what you’re listening to on the run. I’m always looking to add podcasts to my rotation, especially now that I’m going to be spending more time on my feet!

On the run: My 14-mile long run in Boston was so great. I’m practicing fueling before, during, and immediately after these runs (“room for improvement”), which I don’t necessarily enjoy, but I’ll keep practicing. I felt happy, the route was flat (such a nice change!), and there was so much to look at along the way. An all-around A+ run. Today I’ll do another 14-miler, and we’ll keep building up from there. (I will say, even after running six marathons, 26.2 miles seems so far. I finished 14 and felt great and then was like, OK, but I’ll do…12.2 more than that? Doable, I know, but daunting in these early weeks of training!)

Everyone keeps asking me if I’ll be at the Millrose Games in NYC this weekend, to which I say, “No, I have tickets to a far more thrilling event: Paw Patrol LIVE in Boston.”

And so…

Take good care of yourselves. Take good care of each other. Get the heart cake. And whatever you’re going through, keep going.

Love,

Ali