Bobbi and I watched the “Molly Seidel* on Ali on the Run Live Show!” last night and it was so much fun to see Ali interviewing Molly. Molly is so down to earth and FUNNY – I laughed so many times! One thing she said has me particularly shook though!

All those times we saw her move away from the lead pack in the race? She was not looking for shade. She was getting away from the pack because they were throwing so much shade – actual trash talk and pushing and elbowing her!

WHUT?!

She said this is really common in the lead pack in major races. I was so surprised because I’ve never heard of it, in all the years I’ve been listening to running podcasts and reading running stuff. It came up because Ali said it looked like they were talking, and asked what they were talking about, and Molly said trash talk (specifically calling out Chemtai Salpeter – who approached her at the closing ceremony to say something about not liking her but maybe respecting her now but to watch out because she is coming for her. Whoa.) I love how honest Molly was!

A few other highlights:

• Molly clarified that the guy on the flight telling telling her how to train based on her training, but not knowing it was her, was a jerk who was totally mansplaining. (See Twitter story here)
• There was a lot of (joking) talk about Molly not hearing back from Callum Hawkins (a British Marathoner).
• Molly said she is a super nice Midwesterner whose favorite word is “sorry” in real life, but in races she’s a completely different person – she called herself a shark.
• Molly doesn’t like to read running stuff. One of the books she read on her flights to Japan was Atlas Shrugged. Just some light reading for ya, ha.
• She was very humble about having a bronze medal and saying it “doesn’t mean sh*t” about how she will perform in other races – that she still has to show up.
• She swore a lot, which I loved. Ha.
• Molly brought googly eyes to place all over things at the Olympic Village.
• She is planning to race the NYC Marathon – she’s not considering it a victory lap.
• Molly is really close with Sally Kipyego, who she says is one of the funniest people she know – I want to see that side of Sally!
• Molly and Sally were definitely working as a team during the Olympic Marathon (and Aliphine too, but they knew she was having hip pain).
• Molly hoped the race would be hot to level the playing field and because she excels in heat.
• Molly is going back to school for her MBA.
• Molly rents out the two bedrooms in her Flagstaff home and plans to put her bronze medal somewhere funny for her housemates to find.
• I’ll add more as I think of it!

This interview will be on the Ali on the Run Podcast in a few days (and Patrons can listen to it now)!

*Molly won the bronze medal in the marathon in Saporro last month