Inspired Soles

Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text

In this episode, Carolyn chats with Collingwood, ON entrepreneur and endurance athlete Sarah Beairsto, founder and CEO of Send It Cards — greeting cards for those who sweat. 

Sarah shares the origin story behind her brand, how movement and creativity intertwine in her life, and the joy she finds in helping people connect in meaningful, authentic ways. We explore the parallels betwe...

Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text

This episode is brought to you by Lever Movement, the bodyweight-support treadmill system that has been key in keeping Carolyn injury-free this build.

With just a few weeks to go, Johnny and I sit down to talk about how our training is really going heading into The Marathon Project — aka “The Project.” We break down the latest race updates (celebrity pacers, HOKA as presenting spon...

Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text

In this episode, Carolyn sits down with Kristian Warwick — host of The Marathon Podcast, filmmaker, and 2:47 marathoner living in Oslo. Kristian shares how a lifetime in competitive speed skating shaped his rapid rise in the marathon, why he’s dreaming boldly about running 2:25, and what it’s like being coached by Jon Green. He also opens up about his unique approach to supporting...

Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text

Today’s guest is 39-year-old Rachel Hannah, the newly crowned 2025 Canadian Marathon Champion from the Toronto Waterfront Marathon. Rachel is a six-time national champion, PanAm Games bronze medallist, Registered Dietitian, and Sports Nutrition Consultant for Maurten. 

In this episode, we talk about how she’s running some of her best performances nearly a decade after setting most ...

Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text

Today I sit down with I’ll Have Another creator and Sandyboy Productions founder Lindsey Hein to announce that Inspired Soles is officially joining the Sandyboy Productions podcast network. 

Lindsey interviews me about:

·      The mission behind Inspired Soles

·      What’s happening in Canadian distance running

·      Why runner storytelling matters

·      My background in coaching, p...

Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text

Kevin Smith is a 56-year-old masters runner and multiple Canadian record holder from Mississauga, Ontario. When he turned 55, Kevin set out on an audacious mission: to chase 12 Canadian road running records in 12 months. He achieved 6 of them — and “failed” at 6 — but Kevin doesn’t see that as a setback. For him, failure is simply the toll we pay for chasing big dreams. And nobody...

Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text

When Ben Flanagan announced he’d be making his marathon debut at the 2025 Toronto Waterfront Marathon, the Canadian running community took notice — and he didn’t disappoint. On an unseasonably warm and windy day, Ben captured the Canadian Marathon Championship title, adding another major milestone to his already impressive career.

I sat down with Ben just 11 days before race day to...

Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text

My guest today is Kristin Paterson, a 39-year-old runner from Ottawa, Ontario, who’s been married to her husband and coach for 18 years. Together they’re raising four kids, all of whom Kristin also homeschools!

Kristin started running shortly before the pandemic, and has steadily chipped away at her goals ever since. On October 6, 2025, she lined up at the P'tit Train du Nord ...

Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text

Landon Hildebrand is an Edmonton-based Registered Psychologist, trail runner, and co-owner of Approach Psychology. 

When Landon first joined me on the podcast, he introduced the idea of joy as a motivator. This time, he takes that concept further — reframing joy as a litmus test for psychological health in both running and life.

What makes this conversation especially powerful is th...

Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text

When runners talk about “bucket-list marathons,” the conversation almost always begins — and ends — with the Abbott World Marathon Majors: Boston, New York, Chicago, Berlin, London, Tokyo, and Sydney. But here’s the truth: some of the fastest, most historic, and most enjoyable marathons in the world aren’t Majors at all.

In this episode, I’m joined by my older brother, Kevin Beatty...

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...

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 qual...

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 w...

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, help...

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...

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” bron...

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 r...

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 fa...

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, det...