I'm so thankful for you. (But you knew that already.)

I'd say I get extra sappy this time of year, but let's be honest: This is me, 365.

Happy Tuesday Before Thanksgiving!

I had grand plans to close my computer this evening and not re-open it until absolutely necessary, likely sometime Sunday evening.

But today got away from me, I have a long list of important to-dos left unchecked, and so I’ll likely be spending at least a bit of time planning and editing during the early mornings or late nights this week.

The good news: That’s OK.

Because I’ll also spend a lot of time eating, sitting, playing with Annie, and addressing holiday cards by the fire (my favorite holiday activity).

I am very protective of my time. I’ve learned that I can’t be everything to everyone (finally! I finally learned that!), and that I don’t have enough of myself to give to everyone. I can’t say yes to all the things all the time.

Today, I took a call with a young woman who works as a production assistant in the sports industry. An “informational interview” as we called them in my day. (I hate myself right now. “In my day?!” Gross.)

We talked for 45 minutes. She asked a lot of questions about “how I got where I am.”

And I’m a wordy girl. I had to try and sum it all up concisely, which is hard to do. The reality is that this — all of it — has all been a long, slow, steady grind. It’s been a lot of hard work. A lot of mistakes along the way. (I’ll share those in detail soon! That’ll be fun!) A lot of consistency, which I don’t give myself much credit for, but consistency — showing up regularly, for myself and for others — can be hard.

What’s my point? I’m getting to it. (Remember on The Office, when Michael Scott says he sometimes starts talking, having no idea where he’s going with his words? That’s me, more than I’d like to admit.)

I’m here thanks to you. Because of you. With you!

I get to do the things I do because you read, because you listen, because you have chosen to come along for the ride.

And so, on this Thanksgiving Eve Eve, as I make my lengthy list of all the big (health, family, a roof over our heads, clean drinking water, our life here in New Hampshire, my friends) and little (Lindt Peppermint Cookie truffles, Pilot G-2 .07 pens, the basket aisle at Target) gratitudes in my life, I hope you know that you top the list. The big list.

So thank you. For everything. I hope you are able to rest and relax and run over the next few days. If you watch something good, please let me know what that is. Here’s what’s top of mind over here:

On the Ali on the Run Show

Today is the final episode in the 26 Questions series. I loved this series and had so much fun with it. Since all of the guests on this series were fall marathoners, it seemed fitting to close out the series with American record holder in the marathon, Emily Sisson.

On Thursday, I have an episode with professional middle-distance runner for On Athletics Club, Sage Hurta. And Friday, a Beyond the Run conversation with 2022 Ironman World Champion Chelsea Sodaro.

What I’m watching

• Top Gun Maverick. I never saw the first Top Gun, but I Googled it, so I feel like I’m good. I get it. I did not expect to love this movie but oh my god, I loved it. I’m normally more rom-com than action, but this movie was great.

• Inside Out. Annie is into it, so I’ve watched that with her the past three nights in a row (we love evening screen time, whatever), and I’ve sobbed appropriately each time. One of my all-time favorites.

• The first two episodes of Fleishman is in Trouble. I dislike it as much as I disliked the book. Everyone loved this book. I did not. Everyone loves the series. I do not! Everyone is so unlikable! But will I keep watching it? You bet! (I’m watching in large part because my lifelong love, Adam Brody — AKA Seth Cohen — is in it.)

What I’m listening to

• Musically, my most recent boppy discoveries include “Love Grows” by Smyles, “Work This Body” by Walk the Moon, “Make It Look Easy” by Dita, and “Higher” by Vincint. I don’t know if these songs are old or new, cool or uncool. But they are in heavy rotation over here.

• “Kelly Ripe is a Live Wire” on Celebrity Memoir Book Club

• “WTF with The Five Love Languages?” on We Can Do Hard Things

• “Matthew Perry’s Memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing” on Celebrity Book Club with Chelsea Devantez

• “Smokeprogramming (Love is Blind Recap)” on Be There in Five

On the run

It’s been a great week on the running front! I have no more races lined up for this year, and it’s been cool and crisp lately, which has felt great. Just easy running, keeping the effort comfortable, exploring new routes and loops from our new home. (There are hills in every single direction. Unavoidable. What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger, sometimes, and sometimes it makes me want to take walk breaks. I’m fine with that!)

OK! This is too long.

I have like eight other “categories” I wanted to include here. Just so many updates and favorite things!

But for now, I’ll shut it down.

I’ll get into a groove with this new newsletter. I’m excited to write. To be back to my roots, at least a little bit.

Take good care of yourselves. Take good care of each other.

Love,

Ali