Running to the Castle
A podcast for injury-prone runDisney runners on a journey to running magical miles. Join me, Dr. Ali, as I share the secrets I've gathered as a runner, Doctor of Physical Therapy and coach. You'll learn the exact ways I get my clients to the castle strong without feeling broken or held together with KT tape as they cross the finish line. Dr. Ali and this podcast are lovers of runDisney and are not affiliated with runDisney.
- Update frequency
- every 3 days
- Average duration
- 17 minutes
- Episodes
- 157
- Years Active
- 2024 - 2025
RTTC #157 Race Day Strategy How to Cross the Finish Line When Training Didn't Go As Planned
In this episode of Running to the Castle, Dr. Ali shares practical race-day strategies for runners who weren’t able to train as planned due to illness, surgery, or life circumstances, a…
RTTC #156 My Physical Therapist Recommended These Shoes for Trails, Should I Wear Them?
In this episode of Running to the Castle, Dr. Ali tackles the common question of whether runners should wear new shoes right before a race.
She breaks down why the golden rule of “nothin…
RTTC #155 Your Workout Isn’t Happening in A Vacuum (So Don’t Worry if One Workout is Bad)
In this episode of Running to the Castle, Dr. Ali reminds runners that a single bad workout doesn’t define their training—because workouts don’t happen in a vacuum.
Using her “rule of t…
RTTC #154 My Easy Pace Is Too Slow for My Plan
In this episode of Running to the Castle, Dr. Ali answers a common question: “What if my easy pace feels too fast for me?”
She explains why relying on apps that calculate training paces…
RTTC #153 The Often Forgotten Parts About a Healed Injury
In this episode of Running to the Castle, Dr. Ali dives into the often-overlooked side of injuries: what happens after the bone, tendon, or muscle technically heals.
Using real-life exa…
RTTC #152 How to Stay Consistent Training for a runDisney Race (For Runners Who Running Isn’t There Life)
In this episode of Running to the Castle, you’ll learn 5 practical strategies to stay consistent with your runDisney training—especially if running isn’t the center of your life.
Dr. Al…
RTTC #151 Achilles Pain Recovery Tips
In this episode of Running to the Castle, you’ll learn about Achilles pain—what it feels like, why it happens, and how to both recover from it and keep it from coming back during your r…
RTTC #150 The Finisher Framework Part 8 Putting It All Together
In this episode of Running to the Castle, you’ll learn how to put all the pieces of the Finisher Framework together so you can train smart, avoid injury, and cross your runDisney finish…
RTTC #149 The Finisher Framework Part 7 Fueling and Hydration
In this episode of Running to the Castle, you'll learn why fueling and hydration are essential for slow, back-of-the-pack, or “not really a runner” runners training for a runDisney race…
RTTC #148 The Finisher Framework Part 6 Shoes and Equipment
In this episode of Running to the Castle, you'll learn how shoes and equipment fit into the broader Finisher Framework—and why, despite what you’ve heard, they’re not the most important…
RTTC #147 The Finisher Framework Part 5 - Stretching and Mobility
In this episode of Running to the Castle, you'll learn the difference between stretching and mobility, why both are essential parts of the recovery process, and how to use them strategi…
RTTC #146 The Finisher Framework Part 4 - Rest and Recovery
In this episode of Running to the Castle, you'll learn about the Rest & Recovery pillar of the Finisher Framework and why it’s just as essential as strength and training when preparing …
RTTC #145 The Finisher Framework Part 3 - Training
In this episode of Running to the Castle, you'll learn how to approach the “Training” pillar of the Finisher Framework—the part that covers your long runs, speed workouts, and cross tra…
RTTC #144 The Finisher Framework Part 2 - Strength
In this episode of Running to the Castle, you'll learn how to incorporate strength training into your runDisney race prep without overdoing it or making your pain worse.
Dr. Ali breaks …
RTTC #143 How to Actually Cross the Finish Line Without Feeling Broken The Finisher Framework - Part 1
In this episode of Running to the Castle, you'll learn about the Finisher Framework—Dr. Ali's signature method for helping slow, back-of-the-pack, injury-prone, or “not really a runner”…
RTTC #142 Hip and Groin Pain Training for Wine and Dine and Dopey - What to Do Now
In this episode of Running to the Castle you’ll learn how to decide how to move forward with training for your race if you have hip and groin pain with running.
Dr. Ali received a questi…
RTTC #141 runDisney Training - Fix the Long run, Finish without Pain
In this episode of Running to the Castle, you’ll learn how to train for your runDisney race—whether that’s Dopey, Goofy, Wine & Dine, or another event—without being wrecked after every …
RTTC #140 How to Stay Motivated for Dopey and Marathon Training
In this episode of Running to the Castle, you’ll learn why motivation isn’t something you either have or don’t—it’s something you build.
Dr. Ali unpacks why so many runners lose motivat…
RTTC #139 How to Train for a Race When Your Schedule Is Wild (Nurses, Shift Workers, and the Overloaded!)
In this episode of Running to the Castle, you’ll learn how to train for a marathon when your schedule is anything but predictable.
If you’re a nurse, shift worker, or someone juggling l…
RTTC #138 The Most Important Weeks in Training When You’re Slow or Injury-Prone
In this episode of Running to the Castle, you’ll learn why the first and last four weeks of your training plan matter more than most runners realize… especially if you’re slow, back-of-…