Inspired Soles

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What if there was a better way to fuel endurance athletes?

Alison McPherson is an accomplished marathoner, trail runner, running coach, and co-founder of Dig Deep Endurance Fuel. Just weeks after running 2:47 at the Ottawa Marathon and days removed from a 5th-place finish at the Manitoba Marathon, Ali joins me to share the story behind the world's first dissolvable carbohydrate sti...

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Johnny Coffin returns to Inspired Soles for what has to be his tenth appearance on the podcast, making him an unofficial co-host—and fan favourite. In this episode, Johnny and Carolyn share a training update since the Boston Marathon, including their recoveries, their experiences racing the Ottawa 10K Canadian Championships and Canadian Masters Championships (where both earn...

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What are the most common injuries marathon runners face—and do you really need to stop running when they happen?

In this episode, physical therapist, running coach, and Healthy Runner Podcast host Dr. Duane Scotti returns to Inspired Soles to break down three of the most common injuries he sees in runners: proximal hamstring tendinopathy (PHT), iliotibial band syndrome (ITB),...

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Whitney Heins knows a thing or two about chasing big goals. The founder of The Mother Runners, coach, podcast host, mother of two, and 2:54 marathoner has spent years pursuing her marathon potential—and like many of us, she's still trying to crack one of the sport's greatest mysteries: how to truly nail the final 10K.

In this conversation, Whitney shares how she went from a 3...

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I’m joined by Winnipeg runner Darolyn Walker for a powerful and perspective-shifting conversation about running, resilience, and redefining what success looks like.

Darolyn’s story spans more than two decades — from competing at a high level in her university and national track days, to navigating a multiple sclerosis diagnosis in her mid-20s, to raising three chi...

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Olympian steeplechaser John Gay joins the show ahead of his marathon debut at the Ottawa Marathon. We dive into his journey through a challenging stretch of injuries, and how it forced him to rethink training, rebuild confidence, and lean on his support system — including his wife Camille, his coach Jon Green, and fellow athletes/friends.

We also explore his evolution from Ol...

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32-year-old Cassandra de Winter ran 2:34:43 in the 2026 Boston Marathon professional field to finish as the top Canadian woman — a nearly five-minute PB in just her third marathon. Cassandra shares her remarkable rise in both road and trail running, her background in rugby and powerlifting, and what it looks like to self-coach while raising three young children alongside a d...

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I’m joined by returning guest Waldo Cheung—physiotherapist, educator with The Running Clinic, and one of my go-to voices for the science of running—for a timely conversation on shoes, injury risk, and what actually matters most. We explore the shift from the minimalist shoe movement of the early 2010s to today’s super shoe era, and whether all this innovati...

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Brant Stachel returns for a powerful conversation about the hard truths runners need to hear — and why they matter.

A mental performance coach, registered psychotherapist, and author of Fast and Free: Mindset Training for Endurance Athletes, Brant has a unique ability to challenge athletes while still meeting them with empathy and understanding.

In this episode, we explore the...

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Johnny is back (basically a co-host at this point) for a  recap from the 130th running of the Boston Marathon. We go deep on everything: training, travel chaos, race weekend energy, my live show with Jeff Cunningham, and of course, the races themselves. Johnny took a bold swing on the early downhills and paid for it with a tough second half, while I ran entirely on effort&mda...

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Recorded in person in Boston ahead of our live show, Carolyn and Jeff Cunningham break down everything you need to know heading into the Boston Marathon. From course insights and race day conditions to memorable moments and elite predictions, this episode is all about the energy, excitement, and anticipation of Marathon Monday.

Connect with Jeff:

• Consistently Good Podcast 
• I...

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With the Boston Marathon less than a week away, Canadian Olympian Ben Preisner takes us inside his build, his Boston debut, and what it means to toe the line at his first World Major.

SPONSOR: Cure Hydration. Staying hydrated isn't just about water — you also need electrolytes. Real ingredients. Real hydration.

Visit curehydration.com/INSPIREDSOLES for 20% off. 

Connect wi...

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Canadian marathoner Thomas Nobbs joins the show after his breakthrough 2:09:25 win at the McKirdy Micro Marathon, moving him to 4th all-time in Canada. We unpack the training, patience, and mindset behind his massive leap.

Connect with Thomas:

• Instagram: @nobbs.not.knobs @coach.nobbs
• Coaching: Team Run Run, @teamrunrun

Connect with Carolyn:

• Instagram: @inspiredsolescast or...

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Four experienced run coaches pull back the curtain on a real mentorship-group conversation to explore the pros, cons, and trade-offs of 1:1 coaching versus training plans—and help you decide what’s right for you.

SPONSOR: Cure Hydration. Staying hydrated isn't just about water — you also need electrolytes. Real ingredients. Real hydration.

Visit curehydration.com/I...

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What does marathon training really look like across a nearly two-hour performance gap?

In this episode, I’m joined by Sara Mandersheid to explore the key differences between coaching a 2:55 and a 4:35 Boston Qualifier. We dig into how factors like time on feet, long runs, workouts, fueling, recovery, and race day strategy should actually scale — and why a one-size-fits-...

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This week, I’m joined by professional marathoner Jacob Thomson, coming off his race at the New York City Half Marathon. We unpack how the race played out, including the moment he found himself running solo, and what it all means with Boston just five weeks away.

We also talk about his unique role pacing some of the best runners in the world, his top tips for tackling the Bost...

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In celebration of International Women’s Day, Carolyn speaks with five Canadian women runners from their 20s to their 60s about identity, belonging, and what running gives us at every stage of life. Their stories are different, but the threads that connect them may feel surprisingly familiar.

Guests:

1. Jazz Shukla (@peanutjazz) – Olympic 800m runner
2. Joelle Tomlinson (@jo...

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My frequent co-host (and husband!) Johnny Coffin is back on the mic for a deeper conversation about what the past few months have stirred up since The Marathon Project. From unpacking a tough DNF to reflecting on the themes emerging across recent podcast episodes, we explore identity, expectation management, and the patterns Johnny has noticed as I’ve processed it all in rea...

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Jeff Cunningham returns for a deeper conversation about the parts of coaching that go far beyond workouts and race plans.

We explore what happens when the real obstacle isn’t fitness, but confidence. When athletes are running 90+ miles per week but not fueling enough. When self-worth gets tangled up in race results. When comparison — amplified by social media — ch...