400. Emily Infeld, Professional Runner

"I'm a bit bummed with how it went, but that's why I want to get back into more racing. I know I'm fitter than that showcased, and I want to just have fun with racing, because the Olympics are obviously the pinnacle of our sport, but I think there's so much more aside from that. So I want to have fun with all that, and do what I love, and not feel like because I didn't make this team it was a failure of a year or I'm a failure of an athlete."

 

Emily Infeld arrived at the start line for this year's U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials 10K last month with an impressive running resumé. She's a professional runner with the Bowerman Track Club, specializing in the 5K and 10K. She's a 2016 Olympian and a 2015 World Championships bronze medalist. But along the way, Emily has also been plagued with injuries — one major injury, she says, for every year of her professional career. In spite of injuries, surgeries, and setbacks, Emily has persevered and built immeasurable mental toughness along the way. So when she got to Hayward Field, she had one goal: Make another Olympic team. Unfortunately, like all but three of the athletes that day, Emily didn't finish in the top three, and missed out on this year's Team USA. On this episode, she recaps the long road to the Trials, breaks down that hot race in heartbreaking detail, and talks about what's next.

 

SPONSOR: AfterShokz — Visit ontherun.aftershokz.com for 15% off wireless headphones.

 

What you'll get on this episode:

• On racing the 1500m for the first time in eight years (4:30)
• Has running always been fun for Emily? (7:50)
• On racing in all this heat lately (9:10)
• Working on execution vs. focusing on time (13:00)
• The intimidation factor, and relationships in running (15:55)
• All about wedding planning! (22:00)
• On working with Shalane Flanagan as both a teammate and coach (26:00)
• Emily's road to the 2021 Olympic Track & Field Trials (31:30)
• The 10K race plan, and how the race played out (50:45)
• How Emily recovered emotionally from the Trials, and what's next (59:20)
• What Emily's been whipping up in the kitchen (1:03:15)

 

What we mention on this episode:

Shalane Flanagan on Episode 242 of the Ali on the Run Show

Emily Sisson on Episode 394 of the Ali on the Run Show

Karissa Schweizer & Elise Cranny on Episode 395 of the Ali on the Run Show

 

Follow Emily:

• Instagram @emilyinfeld
• Twitter @emily_infeld

 

Follow Ali:

• Instagram @aliontherun1
• Join the Facebook group
• Twitter @aliontherun1
• Support on Patreon
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• Strava

 

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