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Inspired Soles

Inspired Soles
Author: Carolyn Coffin
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© 2025 Inspired Soles
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Inspired Soles is a podcast that fuels your passion for running and helps you achieve peak performance with every stride. Host Carolyn Coffin talks with industry experts, coaches, Olympians and everyday runners to educate and inspire you to take your running to the next level.
258 Episodes
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Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text Matt Fitzgerald is the bestselling author of more than 30 endurance-sport books, including 80/20 Running, How Bad Do You Want It?, and his captivating memoir Running the Dream. In this episode, we dive into what it means to go all-in on a bold running goal, why goal setting is such a deeply human instinct, and how the ability to “compete against ourselves” is a surprisingly recent development in the history of sport. Matt also opens up abou...
Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text Pacing a marathon is simple in theory but brutally hard in practice. Go out too fast, and the fire-breathing dragons will find you in the final 10K. Go out too cautiously, and you’ll spend the last miles wondering if you left time on the table. In this episode, I’m joined by Jeff Cunningham — a lifelong runner, NCAA Academic All-American, and coach of countless Boston Marathon qualifiers and multiple U.S. Olympic Trials qualifiers. Jeff has...
Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text We're back for an Ask Us Anything episode, and this one might be our most entertaining yet. My husband Johnny joined me behind the mic, and let’s just say—we aired a little bit of dirty laundry along the way. You all sent in fantastic questions covering everything from running to parenthood to guilty-pleasure TV shows, and we had so much fun answering them. Here’s a taste of what came up: Were you angry when Johnny registered you as a 45–49...
Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text With fall marathon season quickly approaching, now is the perfect time to revisit one of our most popular episodes on a topic that can truly make or break your race: the taper. My guest is Lynsey Romano, founder of Skyline Run Coaching in Airdrie, Alberta. Since 2017, Lynsey has been coaching athletes through personalized, evidence-based running and strength training programs, helping them reach their goals while enjoying the process of lon...
Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text This week I'm re-airing one of my most popular episodes from about this time last year—a powerful conversation with Landon Hildebrand, an Edmonton-based Registered Psychologist and trail runner who works extensively with athletes. As co-owner of Approach Psychology, Landon helps his clients develop the mental tools they need to perform under pressure and enjoy their sport more fully. He’s also a familiar face in the local running community,...
Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text Sasha Gollish is a Team Canada athlete, engineer, researcher, gender equity advocate, empowering coach, and community leader. She’s also the Director of Knowledge Mobilization for Youth Sport at the University of Toronto, where she makes sport research practical and usable. In this episode, Sasha returns to Inspired Soles to reflect on the 10 years since her “Cinderella story” bronze medal performance in the 1500m at the 2015 Pan Am Games, ...
Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text With fall marathon season on the horizon, there’s no better time to revisit this essential conversation with Winnipeg-based Registered Dietitian Jessica Wylychenko, founder of Speed & Savoury. Originally released in August 2024, this episode is packed with practical and actionable advice to help runners dial in their fueling and hydration strategies for training, racing, and recovery. Jessica specializes in performance nutrition for run...
Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text When Shirley Ramos showed up to Tracktastic 2023 in Winnipeg, she thought she was just going to watch. Little did she know, by the end of the day, she’d be standing on the podium after an impromptu 4x400m relay — and officially hooked on track. In this episode, Shirley shares her journey from recreational road runner and marathon mom to becoming a proud track athlete. Since that fateful day, she’s joined the Manitoba Runners’ Association tr...
Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text Ben Rosario is back! The Co-Founder & CEO of The Marathon Project returns to Inspired Soles just four months after his first appearance to share exciting updates about the race’s 2025 edition—and so much more. Since our last conversation, TMP has announced partnerships with Blanks Sports Nutrition (yes, everyone gets bottle service!) and FloTrack, revealed a new start time, detailed the prize purse, and continued registration for the Go...
Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text If you're just tuning in for the first time and wondering, what exactly is the Mic Check Relay? — allow us to catch you up! On July 16th, Inspired Soles went head-to-head against our friends Rob & Charlie Tétrault at The Running Journey podcast in a 2-person, 5K-per-runner track relay at Victor Mager track in Winnipeg. The stakes? $5000 donated by the losing team to the charity of the winner’s choice — and, of course, serious podcast br...
Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text 🎙️ With just days to go until the Mic Check Relay, my husband Johnny and I sat down for a quick and candid preview of what’s shaping up to be the ultimate podcast showdown between Inspired Soles and The Running Journey. On Wednesday, July 16th — also Johnny’s 44th birthday — we’ll go head-to-head against Rob & Charlie Tetrault in a 2-person 5K relay, where the losing team donates $5000 to the winning team’s charity of choice. But this e...
Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text This episode features Andrea Amiot, a 42-year-old runner, coach, business owner, and mom from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, who recently returned to the marathon after a 6-year break—and did so in style. Andrea ran a beautifully executed 3:18:13 at Grandma’s Marathon on June 21st, pacing herself with remarkable consistency despite rising temperatures. But as you’ll hear, this race was about so much more than just the finish time. For Andrea, Gra...
Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text This episode of Inspired Soles features 28-year-old Daniel Heschuk — a highly accomplished and versatile runner who thrives across road, trail, and mountain terrain. Born and raised in Neepawa, Manitoba, Daniel competed for five years at the University of Manitoba in cross country, indoor and outdoor track. He now works at the U of M’s Science Innovation Hub and gives back to the running community by co-leading a weekly track group for recr...
Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text My husband Johnny is back in the co-host seat, and we're thrilled to be joined by our favourite running brothers, Rob & Charlie Tetrault from The Running Journey podcast, for a fun and feisty crossover episode. On July 16th, the four of us will go head-to-head in a team 5K relay at Victor Mager track, with podcast bragging rights—and $5000 to the charity of the winning team’s choice—on the line. It’s also a community event with 1500m ra...
Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text Glynis Sim is a 27-year-old elite distance runner based in Vancouver, BC, where she trains with the Vancouver Thunderbirds under coach Steve Weiler. She’s the 2022 U Sports Cross Country Champion, recently won the Vancouver Sun Run in 32:54, and holds a 5000m PB of 15:35. But Glynis’ story is about much more than podiums and times. After a difficult chapter at Arizona State University, where she faced a long and stubborn tibial stress fract...
Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text Erin Mawhinney is a 28-year-old elite runner, full-time nurse, and proud Hamiltonian who recently ran her way onto the podium at the 2025 Canadian 10K Championships with a personal best of 33:09. In this fun and wide-ranging conversation, we discuss: Erin’s race-day patience and strong finishing kickHow working with coach Reid Coolsaet since late 2021 has kept her injury-freeHer marathon debut at Toronto Waterfront in 2024Her McMaster Marau...
Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text Rory & Jill Linkletter are the ultimate marathoner + mom duo — and this conversation is everything you’d hope for: real, funny, insightful, and inspiring. Just 34 days after running a 2:07:02 PB at the Boston Marathon, Rory followed it up with a 2:08:31 in Ottawa to firmly secure his spot as the second fastest Canadian marathoner of all time 🥈🇨🇦 But what goes into a decision like that? How does Jill hold it all down on the homefront wit...
Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text Today I’m joined by my favourite repeat guest — and husband — Johnny Coffin, who just smashed through the 35-minute barrier with a 34:49 at the Canadian 10K Championships in Ottawa! 🇨🇦🔥 We recap our whirlwind weekend at the Ottawa Race Weekend, which came together very last-minute after a chaotic week of travel, a blown tire, and minimal sleep. Despite it all, we both rallied — Johnny with his biggest 10K breakthrough to date, and me with a...
Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text Ashley Wiles is a mental performance coach & Founder of Sole Girls, which is dedicated to helping young athletes build confidence, resilience, and the mental tools they need to thrive—not just in sport, but in life. She’s also a 3-time Ironman athlete and 70.3 World Championship competitor, so she walks the talk when it comes to pushing limits and staying mentally tough. Inspired by Amanda Todd’s story back in 2012, Ashley created Sole ...
Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text What happens when you go all in on a bold goal — and let the whole world watch? In this episode, writer, runner, and content creator Alex Cyr reflects on his journey to run sub-30 for 10K before turning 30. It took six tries, a chaotic travel schedule, and a whole lot of humility — but on April 27th, he finally did it in 29:41 at the Vancouver Sun Run. We talk about the pressure of public accountability, imposter syndrome, how sharing a goa...