Run Your Story Podcast · Allison Gaillard

David Steudlein (Ainsley's Angels) - "You don't have to run, you get to run"

·32 min·2 clips

David calls the Marine Corps Marathon his top running experience after pushing for Ainsley's Angels.

1. Run Your Story Podcast features David Steudlein and Ainsley's Angels, with Allison Gillyard recording at the Battleship 12K Expo in Mobile. 2. Allison introduces David as a Fresh Junkie ambassador, an Ainsley's Angels runner, and someone she had heard about before meeting him. 3. The episode centers on David's line that "you don't have to run. You get to run," which frames the whole conversation around gratitude and inclusion. 4. David says his run story began at 19 when he joined the Marine Corps and heard the drill instructor say, "let's run." 5. He says running in the Marine Corps felt natural to him, even while many of the men around him treated it like a chore. 6. After leaving the Marines, David says running stopped being enjoyable, so he moved into CrossFit for about five or six years. 7. He says CrossFit took a toll on his body, then he shifted to weightlifting before returning to running about two and a half years ago. 8. David says Ainsley's Angels brought the joy back to running about a year and a half ago. 9. He describes guardians and parents thanking him for "lending our legs," and says he tells them, "don't thank me. Thank you for giving us this opportunity." 10. Allison says she only got to push once at the Crescent City Classic, and David agrees that the team flags and the cheering for athletes like "Team Owen" and "Team London" matter. 11. David says his biggest lesson is that running is something you "get to" do, not something you have to do. 12. He says he has already done 47 races this year between Ainsley's events and regular races because running brings him joy. 13. His favorite race is the Marine Corps Marathon, which he says was his first marathon and the top running experience of his life. 14. He says the 50th anniversary race in Washington had shoulder-to-shoulder crowds for all 26.2 miles, plus a blue mile marked by signs for soldiers who made "the ultimate sacrifice." 15. David says he cried for about 20 of the 26 miles and will do the Marine Corps Marathon every year from here on out. 16. He also says his first Ainsley's Angels push was the Louisiana Marathon half marathon, which happened as an emergency fill-in the morning of the race. 17. David says his favorite race fuel is UCAN, his favorite post-race food is hot dogs, and in South Louisiana he also counts jambalaya as a recovery meal. 18. The interview style is conversational and emotional, with Allison reacting strongly to several stories and David answering quickly and candidly. 19. Listeners who like adaptive sports, inclusive running, and Marine Corps stories will get the most from it. 20. Listeners who want technical training advice or a fast recap may skip it.

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