David Alm is a Brooklyn-based writer, an editor, and a professor of journalism at Hunter College of the City University of New York. His work has appeared in GQ, Running Times, The Daily Beast, Forbes, and Runner’s World. His 2021 story for GQ, "The Marathon Men Who Can't Go Home," was named one of the six best features of the year by Longreads and helped two men receive political asylum.

David inspires change through his writing and also through action. In 2019, he founded the East River Track Club and East River 5000, which is a series of community-focused track and road races throughout New York City. With East River 5000, David’s mission is to restore the simplicity and accessibility of competitive running in New York. While looking to the past to create a more inclusive present, he is inspired by the less commercialized style of racing in the 1970s and ’80s. Each of his events is a collaboration with local partners that highlights the unique histories and cultures of the local neighborhood. These events are creative, accessible, inviting, supportive, and incredibly fun.

David is a wonderful storyteller, and this conversation is a great story about New York, building community, taking chances, and putting down roots.

Dr. James Kinderknecht, MD is a physician of Primary Sports Medicine at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York City. Dr. Kinderknecht has 30 years of experience caring for athletes of all ages and levels. He is a team physician for the New York Giants; the current medical director for the HSS outreach program for high schools participating in the Public School Athletic League in New York City; the medical co-director of the HSS Sports Safety Program and he is the program director of the Primary Sports Medicine Fellowship at HSS. With all of these appointments and accolades, you could say that youth athletics, education, and helping to support and facilitate active lifestyles for the New York City community are all important to Dr. Kinderknecht.

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This is a fascinating and intriguing conversation about health, athletics and injury. It is also a delightful conversation about coaching, the importance of mentorship in creating opportunities for diversity in sports, the value of fun over achievement, as well as the importance of the human element in medicine.

You asked, we answer. Join us for a special episode in which Ann and Ali answer all of your training questions. We cover topics such as stretching and tapering, the benefits of caffeine, as well as offering a few mental tricks for race day performance. This episode is filled with experience and suggestions, a few gaffes and even some unedited bloopers. We hope you enjoy this special edition show.