"I think about when I was a kid and I would just go out and run hard and not worry about the result or what was the worst thing that could happen. I run my best when I run with the same mindset I had when I was 12."

Jackie Gaughan qualified for the Olympic Marathon Trials in her very first marathon. At 24 years old, she was the 18th-fastest qualifier in the field. (Her PR is a 2:27 from the 2023 Berlin Marathon.) In this conversation, Jackie talks about going from being an anxiety-riddled runner at Notre Dame to a four-time marathoner who finished 25th at the Trials. She talks about how running fits into her life as a financial analyst at Goldman Sachs, about her oldest daughter tendencies (she's the oldest of four), and about racing with a Jackie Mindset.

FOLLOW JACKIE @jackie_gaughan

SPONSOR: 

• New Balance. Click here to shop New Balance’s latest releases for the season. (The SuperComp Trainer is my favorite shoe!)

What you’ll get on this episode:

• All about Jackie’s run today (1:45 )
• Jackie’s decision not to run this year’s Boston Marathon (2:45 )
• What Jackie’s job entails, and how she fits running in (5:00 )
• How it felt going into the Trials as the 18^th-fastest qualifier (7:00 )
• What it means to run with a Jackie Mindset (8:00 )
• How and why Jackie became a runner (9:35 )
• On dealing with race-related and running-related anxiety (14:15 )
• Why Jackie decided to move up to the marathon after college (16:10 )
• What Jackie’s Trials training was like (18:05 )
• What it was like in Orlando leading up to the Trials (23:25 )
• On making the decision to walk during the race (28:00 )
• How Jackie got through the toughest parts of the race, and what the finish line experience was like (34:00 )
• What running looks like for Jackie right now (38:00 )
• What it means to run the Jackie Gaughan way (41:00 )

Follow Ali:

• Instagram @aliontherun1
• Join the Facebook group
• Twitter @aliontherun1
• Support on Patreon
• Subscribe to the newsletter

SUPPORT the Ali on the Run Show! If you’re enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Spread the run love. And if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!