Inspired Soles

Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text Before we get too far into 2026, I’m taking a moment to reflect on some of the most powerful conversations from Inspired Soles in 2025. This “Best Of” episode features seven standout clips from elite athletes, coaches, and everyday runners—each chosen not just for performance, but for the insight, humour, vulnerability, and perspective they brou...

Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text Why is habit change so hard? Registered Clinical Psychologist Dr. Sarah Rigby and I explore motivation, self-compassion, and real-world strategies to break bad habits and build better ones—without shame or perfectionism. Resources we discussed in the episode: Healthy Habits Suck by Dayna Lee-Baggley Atomic Habits by James Clear How to Change by...

Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text In this episode, Johnny and Carolyn Coffin recap their unforgettable weekend at The Marathon Project, from chaotic winter-storm travel and behind-the-scenes access at the expo, to a race weekend filled with both breakthrough highs and gut-punch lows. Johnny runs a massive personal best, Carolyn faces a DNF, and together they reflect on what the...

Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text Just days after running a historic 2:24:53 at the Valencia Marathon, Canadian marathoner & 3-time Olympian Malindi Elmore joins Inspired Soles to break down one of the most remarkable performances in Canadian distance running history. At 45.75 years old, Malindi placed 12th in one of the deepest marathon fields in the world, ran the fourth-f...

Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text Jess McClain joins Inspired Soles ahead of The Marathon Project , where she’ll serve as the celebrity pacer for women chasing the sub-2:37 Olympic Trials qualifying (OTQ) standard. We talk about what that responsibility means, how she prepares for a pacing role, and how she plans to support the group both physically and mentally on race day. Jes...

Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text I’m joined by Calgary-based sub-elite runner and coach Leanne Klassen, who is heading to Chandler, Arizona to race in the professional field of The Marathon Project. A two-time past guest and friend of the pod, Leanne returns with an inside look at what it’s like preparing for one of the fastest marathon stages in North America. We talk about he...

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...

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 (cel...

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 ab...

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 performance...

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 ma...

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 pa...

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 wit...

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 line...

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...

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 joi...

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 agai...

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 co...

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 fu...

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 runnin...

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 un...

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 ye...

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 s...

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...

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 Flo...