A convo with Alexi
"You can do difficult things and still bring a little whimsy along along the way. Why not have some fun while you're at it?"Limited Edition
Scalloped Edge Quarter Tall
Trail Max Cushion
How do you preserve the joy in running while maintaining your competitive spirit?
"I'm trying to hold two things at once. One is having integrity as an athlete because I like the feeling of seeing what my body can do. I think we all enjoy that feeling of expansion that comes from trying our best.But at the same time, I try to hold an awareness of how wonderful and silly the whole thing can be. I recently did my first Sky Race, and I was so in over my head. It was almost an Alice in Wonderland feeling... I might tumble down. And I did fall down.
If you can have buoyancy with it, the things that are unkown become gifts to discover. The hard parts feel a little easier because the whole thing doesn't feel so heavy.
I think we may tend to misunderstand "having fun" to mean there's no density behind it. But true joy and fun actually have quite a powerful density."
You wrote in Bravey that the best tools are the ones you already have. For newer runners who think, “I’ll be a runner once I have ___,” how can they recognize what they already have?
“You are a runner if you run. I think that’s just true. But to go deeper, sometimes we outsource things we need—whether it’s our confidence, our joy, or our sense of comfort when things are tough. I’ve had to learn a lot about myself by noticing what I’ve outsourced.Let’s say I’m on a start line and I think, “If I don’t do X, Y, or Z perfectly, I’m not going to have access to my strength.” But I’m the strong one. If I miss a water bottle at an aid station, I’m not suddenly not strong.
The tools around us are tools, but the most important tentpole for yourself is you. Start to notice those little voices that tell you that you need something outside yourself. Those things can be nice, but you need you first.
Running is a journey. You earn your fitness over time. You earn your lessons. Fitness, confidence, joy, gratitude, they’re available to us by starting wherever we are.”
When things get tough, do you have a mantra you return to?
Stay.Stay on your own team. Stay with the girl in front of you. Stay with keeping one foot in front of the other. Stay calm.
When you put in a body of work to prepare for a big race—whether it’s a marathon, a 5K, or anything you’ve committed to—when race day comes, we’ve all heard, “The work is done.” But what does that really mean?
It means you’ve created the opportunity to enjoy the race for everything that it is, beyond the work you already did. If you’re already running a marathon, that’s an accomplishment in and of itself. Wear glitter. Run with a friend. Leap across an intersection. You’re allowed to do that because you’re already doing a hard thing.On race day, you’ve already done the part that requires commitment and seriousness. It’s almost like you’ve woven a little carpet for yourself that you then get to run on. You already wove it. It’s already there—now you get to go dance on it.
Alexi’s Favorite Feetures
Training for a marathon PR one day. Pitching her business the next. Jetting off to a race or a red carpet. Alexi Pappas wears lots of hats—and even more Feetures.
