The Shakeout Podcast

Between the two of them, there isn't much in the world of global running championships that sisters Gabriela DeBues-Stafford and Lucia Stafford haven't tackled. Both two-time Olympians and multi-time national champs, the Stafford sisters have come to define middle- and long-distance track for a generation of Canadian athletics fans. Between them, they hold Canadian records at 1,000m, 1,500m, 2,000m, 3,000m and 5,000m.But in careers that have ticked virtually every box, this weekend's World Athletics Road Running Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark, will present a novelty as they toe the line in the road mile, a first crack at the discipline for both Gabriela and Lucia.This week on The Shakeout Podcast, the sisters join the show together for a preview of the upcoming champs, talking training for the roads, managing track seasons that have endured into the fall, and what it's been like to train together in preparation for a new challenge on the roads of Denmark. Plus, they offer timely coaching advice to one another from the unique perspective of a sibling and fierce competitor.Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts.Shop now at Altitude Sports and enjoy up to 20% off your first order with the promo code "SHAKEOUT2026"Click here to order 👉 https://bit.ly/altitude-shakeout2026Shop The North Face Summit Series https://www.thenorthface.com/en-ca/collections/summit-series 

We’ve all got one, but what does it actually mean, and does the number your smart watch gives you actually matter? This week on The Shakeout Podcast we're setting out to understand the science of VO2 Max, a metric that seems to be everywhere in the saturated world of endurance training advice. From its correlation to performance to its proven effects on longevity, VO2 Max might be one of the most all encompassing indicators of fitness available. But is a higher number always better? And if more is better how do we go about raising ours?Joining the show to lend his expertise is Dr. Mick Leahy, professor of cardiovascular exercise physiology at The University of British Columbia. As an expert on all things aerobic, Mick walks us through the science behind VO2 Max, shedding light on what the term actually means, what the hype around VO2 Max is all about, and how runners can use the metric to improve their performance on race day. Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts.Mick's Google ScholarShop now at Altitude Sports and enjoy up to 20% off your first order with the promo code "SHAKEOUT2026"Click here to order 👉 https://bit.ly/altitude-shakeout2026Shop The North Face Summit Series https://www.thenorthface.com/en-ca/collections/summit-series

If you wanted to know which athlete was at the top of Canadian trail running, a safe bet, at least in the most literal sense, would be Alex Ricard.  The Squamish based athlete has established a reputation as the best vertical runner in the country, clocking off wins and KOMs on some of Canada’s most iconic climb trails and mixing it up with the very best in the world at past editions of the world mountain and trail running championships. More recently, he’s adding distance to vert and finding success in over longer race distances, claiming another Canadian national championship title over the 50km distance at this summer’s Quebec Mega Trail. With a long history in the sport that includes early success on the track and cross country course, Alex joins the show this week to talk about his journey in the world of trail racing, life in the trail-running hot spot of Squamish, and what makes him so fast when the terrain gets steep. Follow Alex @Alex._Ric Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. Shop now at Altitude Sports and enjoy up to 20% off your first order with the promo code "SHAKEOUT2026" Click here to order 👉 https://bit.ly/altitude-shakeout2026 Shop The North Face Summit Series https://www.thenorthface.com/en-ca/collections/summit-series

Jadyn Keeler will be the first to admit that the further the race distance, the happier she is.  That love for going long was on full display last weekend in Edmonton at the Canadian Half Marathon Championships, where even a measurement error that added nearly 700m to the stated race distance couldn’t dampen her professional, and half marathon, debut. In just her second-ever road race, Keeler ran away from an historically deep women’s elite field to claim her first national title. With the win, the 23 year old out of Barrie Ontario punched her ticket to next Month’s World Road running Championships, where she’ll look to keep the good times going against a world class field in Copenhagen, Denmark.  Fresh off a move to Flagstaff Arizona to join the adidas Golden Peaks Track Club and kick off her pro career, Jadyn joins the show to recap her breakout half debut, set the tone for next month’s World Championships, and share what she’s most looking forward to as she takes on the world of professional road racing. Follow Jadyn @jadynkeeler Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. Push past the finish line with nutrition that fuels you. CanPrev is proudly Canadian and has been delivering supportive natural health supplements for over two decades. Whether you’re training for your next goal race or looking to maximize performance when the gun goes off, make CanPrev's top-quality products part of your well rounded nutrition plan. Discover more at canprev.ca Shop The North Face Summit Series https://www.thenorthface.com/en-ca/collections/summit-series

Based on running accomplishments alone, Stephanie Case’s career is nothing short of remarkable, boasting a raft of ultra victories and podiums across some of the globe’s most iconic and challenging courses in a career that spans the better part of two decades.  Yet while her accomplishments in the sport are enough to astound, it is her work on the sport of running that has made the most lasting impact.  Through a career as a lawyer in some of the most war-ravaged and crisis-stricken regions on the planet, Stephanie has experienced first-hand how much of a privilege the simple act of running freely can be, especially for women living through conflict and under repressive regimes. While training for her own lofty goals in the sport she has also worked towards creating opportunities for other women and girls to pursue big dreams and experience a more equitable sporting landscape through her organization Free to Run.  This week on The Shakeout Podcast, Stephanie joins the show to preview her return to the iconic UTMB festival and the TDS 100 miler, how the race factors in to her preparations for an assault on the Antarctic 100–mile speed record later this fall, and why going where no woman has gone before at the bottom of the world is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to forging a trail for all runners. Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. Learn how you can support a more equitable sporting landscape for women and girls at freetorun.org  [This collaboration is part of an advertising campaign led by the Podpass agency for Altitude Sports] Shop now at Altitude Sports and enjoy up to 20% off your first order with the promo code "SHAKEOUT2026" Click here to order 👉 https://bit.ly/altitude-shakeout2026 Shop The North Face Summit Series https://www.thenorthface.com/en-ca/collections/summit-series Follow Stephanie @theultrarunnergirl