Podcast: Re-Run with Aliphine Tuliamuk

Mario Fraioli | December 20, 2021

“When I’m dealing with pressure from racing and stuff, I just tell myself, ‘This is an opportunity of a lifetime.’ When I was growing up, or I started running, I never thought that I would be the person that I am today. I never thought that I would be living in America, that I would be an independent woman doing my own thing. I have an opportunity that not a lot of people have—like not even my role models when I was in Kenya, they don’t have the opportunities that I have here. And so when I have that pressure, I just tell myself that I am in a better place and I don’t want to complain because this is not going to last forever and so I try to just enjoy the process.“

We’re taking the next couple weeks off to recharge so we’re re-running one of my favorite episodes from the early days of the podcast, a conversation I had in May of 2018 with Aliphine Tuliamuk. It was episode 15, I am fairly certain it was Aliphine’s first podcast, and at the time not many people knew her story despite the fact that she was nine-time national champion! Since then she’s added another national championship to her resume—the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials title—and now she’s a household name in American distance running. This is a great episode to revisit if you listened to it a few years ago and certainly one to check out if you didn’t. You’ll learn all about Aliphine’s upbringing in Kenya, how she got into running, what it was like coming to the United States and assimilating to a new country and culture, how she deals with pressure, and a lot more. (You might also want to listen in to episode 102 with Aliphine, which we recorded shortly after she won the Olympic Trials in Atlanta.)

Aliphine Tuliamuk: Instagram | Twitter

the morning shakeout: Instagram | Twitter

Mario Fraioli: Website | Strava

This episode is brought to you by:

— Tracksmith. Tracksmith crafts performance running apparel, inspiring publications, and distinct experiences that allow runners to indulge in the sport’s rich culture. Go to tracksmith.com/mario to check out some of my favorite apparel picks and use the code MARIO at checkout to get free shipping on your order while also helping support #LASAVESTRACK.

— Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Half Marathon, 10K & 5K: Join me at the Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Half Marathon, 10K & 5K on February 6, 2022. This is one of my favorite races and there’s something here for everyone. Register today at getfitkpsf.com/race and use the SHAKEOUT when you check out before January 31 to save 10 bucks on your registration fee.

Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford.