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.

Every July, brave runners from Western Canada and around the world descend upon Crowsnest Pass, Alberta for Sinister 7, one of several popular events within the Sinister Sports umbrella. Sin 7 boasts a 50k, 50M, and 100M ultramarathon, as well as a 7-person 100M relay. Each race takes runners through “the most rugged, remote and beautiful terrain in Alberta’s stunning Rocky Mountains.”

This interview features two prairie girls who made the trip west for 2024’s race. Brandy Adolphe, a 3:15 marathoner and past Inspired Soles guest, was making her ultramarathon debut in the 50k. And Cat Brown, even though no stranger to the 50M distance, was tackling this daunting course for the first time…with a known ankle injury! Despite facing some challenges on the day, both ladies finished with huge smiles on their faces. And they even managed to make this hilly, grueling event sound … fun!

If you’ve been thinking of adding Sin 7 to your 2025 bucket list, this chat may help to make up your mind.

Connect with Brandy & Cat on Instagram:

• Brandy: @brandyadolphe3
• Cat: @therunningkat

Resources we discussed in the episode:

• Brandy's first interview on Inspired Soles
• Sinister 7 Ultra

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.

Jessica Wylychenko is a Winnipeg-based Registered Dietitian who specializes in helping runners optimize their performance through her company, Speed & Savoury. With fall marathons on the horizon, Jessica shares essential strategies for marathoners to effectively manage their fueling and hydration, aiming to prevent injuries, maximize training gains, and ensure a strong performance on race day – any beyond! Her advice is practical and actionable, so you’ll walk away with a clear understanding of what to consume, as well as when and how much.

Throughout our conversation, Jessica draws on her experience as a competitive runner. After facing a series of injuries & setbacks in 2019 due to unintentional underfueling, she relied on her expertise to develop a tailored nutrition strategy along with advice from her coaches for strength and run planning. This approach paid off, allowing her to shave nearly 15 minutes off her marathon PR, achieving an impressive 2:54 at the 2024 BMO Vancouver Marathon.

Connect with Jessica:

• Instagram: @speed_and_savoury
• Website: https://www.speedandsavoury.com/
• Fueling the Fall Marathon (virtual course Sept 9th): https://www.speedandsavoury.com/product-page/fall-2024-half-full-marathon-group-coaching
• Food Tracker: https://www.myfitnesspal.com/

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.

For anyone who may be experiencing Olympic withdrawal like I am, fear not, this episode is for you!

We get to relive many of the memorable races from the 2024 Paris Olympic Games alongside one of Canada's elite distance runners and two-time Olympian in the marathon, Reid Coolsaet.

Reid was first on the show to celebrate our 100th episode and he also happens to be my coach, so I wasn't shy about asking all of my silly questions about racing at the global level, and in particular how championship style racing differs from going for a fast time. We get into why the athletes who lead a race often don't win and, conversely, why some who hang back for most of it end up victorious.

Have you ever wondered:

• How the heats are selected
• Which lanes are the best
• The etiquette when it comes to being lapped in a race
• Whether you should say 5000 meters or 5k
• What makes a track fast, and
• What it means to "make a move" or "go through your gears"?

Reid answers all of these questions (and more!) while weaving in stories from his own career of racing at a high level. He even makes a case for why recreational distance runners might consider jumping into some 1500's on the track! 😉

Connect with Reid:

• Instagram: @reidcoolsaet & @coolsaetgo
• Coaching: https://coolsaetgo.run/

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.

I don't know about you but my family has had a very exciting couple of weeks taking in all of the Olympic action from Paris, and joining me to break down our highlights and takeaways from the athletics program is my husband and two-time Inspired Soles guest, Johnny Coffin.

We don't claim to be experts but I think it's fair to say that we are track & field super fans so we had a thing or two to say about the phenomenal performances we just witnessed on and off the track. We tried to keep this episode short but were unsuccessful (not once but TWICE! 🙈) so you might want to save this one for your next long run!

Resources we discussed in the episode:

• Jakob Ingerbrigsten's song

Connect with Johnny:

• Previous Inspired Soles episodes:
  • Road to the 2021 Boston Marathon
  • Slow the BLEEP Down
• Instagram: @bestjohnnyever

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.

Have you ever been told that you need to “know your WHY” when it comes to running and racing? What does that even mean and how do you figure out your WHY? That’s the topic of today’s discussion and I’ve brought on a special guest to help uncover my personal reasons for racing the Chicago Marathon on October 13, 2024!

My special guest is none other than former Inspired Soles co-host and knowing-your-WHY advocate, Kim Sankey! (I didn’t even make it one episode of solo hosting before inviting her back again :-)

My hope with this episode is that you’ll walk away with tools to discover why you run or race. Because as Kim said in our 200th episode, knowing your WHY is … everything.

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.