42 year old Canadian marathon record holder Natasha Wodak is back!

This is Natasha's 3rd time on Inspired Soles and since we last spoke just four months ago, she’s competed in numerous road races across Canada and even went over to Australia for a half marathon. She recently announced that she will be running the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon on October 20th, which serves as the Canadian Marathon Championships. In addition to the many meaningful reasons she chose this as her goal fall race, it’s a full circle moment since this is where Natasha’s marathoning career began back in 2013. And as you’ll hear in the episode, she is a completely different athlete and person than she was 11 years ago.

We touch on the CBC Documentary, Running a Revolution, where Natasha's attempts at making the 2024 Paris Olympic team were featured prominently . Even though her Olympic dream did not become a reality this time around, it gave her the opportunity to be a special analyst on the CBC broadcast team.

This was a fun and unique episode where I gathered several listener questions. We go all over the map talking about hair crimpers, enthusiast fans, and cats on the putting green! We hear about her approach to nutrition, her friendly rivalry with Malindi Elmore, and what she finds so inspiring about the everyday runner. She leaves us with a beautiful message for those who didn’t get into the 2025 Boston Marathon.

Resources we discussed in the episode:

• CBC Gem Documentary: Running a Revolution
• Ep 190: On Missing the Olympic Marathon Standard
• Ep 124: Canadian Marathon Record Holder

Connect with Natasha:

• Instagram: @tashawodak

Connect with Carolyn:

• Email me with guest ideas: inspiredsolescast@gmail.com
• Inspired Soles Instagram: @inspiredsolescast
• Carolyn's Instagram: @carolyn.c.coffin

You can help spread the running love! The best way to SUPPORT Inspired Soles is to share your favourite episode(s) with friends, subscribe, or leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Connect on Instagram @inspiredsolescast or email guest ideas to inspiredsolescast@gmail.com.

Landon Hildebrand is an Edmonton-based Registered Psychologist who loves working with athletes. As a trail runner himself, he can relate to his competitive clients and help them develop mental tools to thrive in their sporting environments. He and his wife own and operate Approach Psychology in the heart of Edmonton, but they can often be found sponsoring/volunteering at local ultramarathon races. How cool would it be to roll up to an aid station that not only offers physical aid, but mental & emotional aid as well?!

If you want to learn to perform better under pressure, then this is the conversation for you. We cover:

• What mental resilience is and how it differs from “positive thinking”
• The importance of knowing your why
• How our attachment style & self-talk impact the way we handle stress
• How to tap into joy as a motivator
• Why he has a gut reaction to the phrase “Running is my therapy”
• And how to work through common scenarios a runner may face such as taper tantrums, pre-race nerves, and pushing through when a race gets hard.

Landon brings a refreshing amount of humour to this important topic and I hope it helps you to put some of his great advice into action in your own running life.

Connect with Landon:

• Instagram: @approachpsychology and @landon_ approachpsych
• Website: approachpsych.ca

Connect with Carolyn:

• Email me with guest ideas: inspiredsolescast@gmail.com
• Inspired Soles Instagram: @inspiredsolescast
• Carolyn's Instagram: @carolyn.c.coffin

You can help spread the running love! The best way to SUPPORT Inspired Soles is to share your favourite episode(s) with friends, subscribe, or leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Connect on Instagram @inspiredsolescast or email guest ideas to inspiredsolescast@gmail.com.

Lynsey Romano is the founder of Skyline Run Coaching, a virtual coaching business based in Airdrie, Alberta. Since 2017, Skyline has been a leader in online coaching, offering personalized and evidence-based running and strength training plans to over 120 athletes. With a team of six professional coaches, Skyline is dedicated to helping athletes not only achieve their goals but also enjoy the process of long-term development in the sport.

Lynsey is an accomplished runner who recently broke the 3-hour barrier in the marathon, and today, she’s here to share her expertise on a critical topic for marathon success: tapering.

In this episode, we dive into the art and science of tapering for the marathon, including:

• What exactly is a taper?
• How much could it improve your performance?
• When to start your taper and how to balance volume and intensity.
• Nutrition and hydration strategies.
• Strength training adjustments during taper.
• The importance of rest and recovery.
• How to manage pre-race anxiety.
• Common mistakes to avoid, like overdoing your final workouts.
• And how to tailor your taper based on individual factors like experience level.

This conversation is packed with actionable insights and is one you’ll want to return to before every marathon.

Connect with Lynsey

• Instagram: @skylineruncoaching
• Website: runcoach.org

Resources we discussed in the episode:

• Lynsey's first appearance on Inspired Soles: Why Runners Can't Afford to NOT Strength Train
• Fueling Your Next Marathon PR with registered dietitian Jessica Wylychenko

Connect with Carolyn:

• Email me with guest ideas: inspiredsolescast@gmail.com
• Inspired Soles Instagram

You can help spread the running love! The best way to SUPPORT Inspired Soles is to share your favourite episode(s) with friends, subscribe, or leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Connect on Instagram @inspiredsolescast or email guest ideas to inspiredsolescast@gmail.com.