FIND YOUR STRIDE:

ALYSIA MONTAÑO

"When I realized my truth mattered."

08-31-2020

Growing up with six boys, Altra Athlete Alysia Montaño learned to be tough and to be considered an equal. This is where her competitive spirit was born. Alysia tucked a flower in her hair to show that a girl can hang with the boys just fine. Looking at her resume, “just fine” is quite the understatement. Alysia used her toughness, her determination, and her vision of equality to realize her truth mattered and ultimately helped her find her stride.

Tell us about how you were able to find your stride:

I was able to find my stride by continuing to move towards the tangible, towards what I could control, and towards the dream of getting to my destinations of goals I have set for myself. I was able to find my stride by speaking my truth and inviting my community to speak theirs so that we could unite and support one another towards the greater good that this life has to offer.

How do you incorporate it beyond running and into your everyday life?

I have always thought about how running transcends the act of. Running gives me the clarity of thought and the metaphorical alignment I need to go forth and prosper. Running has its challenges, whether during the process or the act of trying to get to running, there are lessons in it all that teach me what I need to take into my daily life. Whether it be to prosper, to fight for where I know I should be, to remember to rest, to try again, to dream big, to accomplish hard things, to ask for help... the list is endless.

You are currently on the cover of Runner’s World Magazine highlighting your advocacy and strength. What do you hope your cover can inspire for others?

I hope that my presence on the cover of Runner’s World Magazine will be the jump off point and catalyst of representation in the run world, as Runner’s World is a prominent running magazine. I hope that my story encourages people to not only advocate for themselves, but to advocate for others. I hope that my cover will not only be representative of my strength, but of the strength that is within each and every one of us. I hope that my story of what it means to be in a Runner’s World will flip this narrative that running happens only a few ways and is only for a certain group of people, namely, white, skinnier, muscle-laden people. I hope that my cover will inspire more people to take up space and know that running is theirs too, however they show up in their bodies, and to never let anyone or any entity try and take that away from them. They matter, their stories matter, their running matters.

What advice would you give to other athletes to help them find their stride?

Just keep moving. Forward is forward, it shows up in many different forms.

What’s your favorite shoe to help maintain it?

My favorite shoe to help maintain this... such a hard question. Because I truly consider myself a runner, that means I cover all sorts of distances, short sprints, medium distance speed endurance runs, longer threshold runs, long trail runs, long road runs!

I'd say the Solstice and the Provision are among my go-tos right now! They are great for the grab and go's and "get the job done" mentality with all of my mix up of places, space and time. If either one of those I throw in my car for the tiny windows I sometimes have at home with the kids in the middle of global pandemic, while nursing, facilitating distance learning, training and work, I know I am in good hands and that my body will remain healthy in those shoes, the work will all get done and we will all be happier and better for it.

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