Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text

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 Olympic finalist in the 3000m steeplechase to first-time marathoner, what it means to start a new chapter in his running career, and what he’s learned from hosting The Shakeout Podcast.

Connect with John & The Shakeout Podcast:

• Instagram: @John_e_gay, @ShakeoutPodcast
• The Shakeout Podcast
  • Live podcast recording at the Ottawa Race Weekend Expo Friday, May 22nd @ 6:00 PM EST
• World Athletics: https://worldathletics.org/athletes/canada/john-gay-14678397

Connect with Carolyn:

• Instagram: @inspiredsolescast or @carolyn.c.coffin

You can help spread the running love! The best way to SUPPORT Inspired Soles is to share your favourite episode(s) with friends, subscribe, or leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Connect on Instagram @inspiredsolescast or email guest ideas to [email protected]. 

Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text

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 deeply supportive husband. We also talk about the difficult decision to withdraw from the Oldman Backyard Ultra due to SI joint issues, after using the event to raise funds for Youth One, a Lethbridge-based organization providing free mentorship and support services for youth ages 11–18.

Connect with Cassandra:

• Instagram: @cassdewinter.runs 
• Website: https://cassruns.com/

Connect with Carolyn:

• Instagram: @inspiredsolescast or @carolyn.c.coffin

You can help spread the running love! The best way to SUPPORT Inspired Soles is to share your favourite episode(s) with friends, subscribe, or leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Connect on Instagram @inspiredsolescast or email guest ideas to [email protected]. 

Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text

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 innovation has meaningfully changed how and why runners get injured. Waldo shares what he’s seeing clinically, how footwear may influence (but not determine) injury patterns, and why training load—more than anything on your feet—remains the biggest driver of both performance and breakdown. If you’ve ever wondered whether your shoes are helping, hurting, or just distracting you from the bigger picture, this one’s for you.

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Connect with Waldo:

• Instagram: @rehabinapinch
• Website: https://runrehab.pro/
• LinkedIn: rehabinapinch
• Waldo's previous Inspired Soles episodes 
  • 209: Understanding & Managing Running-Related Pain
  • 174: Shoes, Technology, Research & Masters Running
• Resources Waldo mentioned: 
  • The Running Clinic Course: https://therunningclinic.com/
  • Minimalist index: https://therunningclinic.com/minimalist-index/
  • @thepostrunsnack

Connect with Carolyn:

• Instagram: @inspiredsolescast or @carolyn.c.coffin

You can help spread the running love! The best way to SUPPORT Inspired Soles is to share your favourite episode(s) with friends, subscribe, or leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Connect on Instagram @inspiredsolescast or email guest ideas to [email protected]. 

Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text

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 many counterintuitive principles of endurance training — from slowing down to get faster, to the reality that fitness is built in recovery — along with the uncomfortable patterns that often hold runners back. 

This is an honest, thought-provoking conversation about growth, self-awareness, and what it really takes to reach your potential.

If you’re ready to think differently about your training, this one’s for you.

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. 

PROJECT-99 Application Form: https://forms.gle/h3fihkbD3Ag8J3UF6

Connect with Brant:

• EP 272 of Inspired Soles on his new book, Fast and Free
• Instagram: @fastandfreecoaching @brant_stachel
• YouTube: @FastandFreeCoaching
• Podcast: The Fast and Free Podcast
• Website: runfastandfree.com

Connect with Carolyn:

• Instagram: @inspiredsolescast or @carolyn.c.coffin

You can help spread the running love! The best way to SUPPORT Inspired Soles is to share your favourite episode(s) with friends, subscribe, or leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Connect on Instagram @inspiredsolescast or email guest ideas to [email protected]. 

Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text

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—no watch—and somehow managed to hit every goal, including a Boston Qualifier. It’s a long one (2:40—same as Johnny’s finish time), a little emotional, and very much a time capsule of a weekend we won’t forget.

Connect with Johnny:

• Instagram: @bestjohnnyever
• Previous podcast appearance discussed
  • EP 279: Reflecting on the Season of Deep Conversations
  • EP: 271: The Marathon Project: PBs, DNFs & Perspective 

Connect with Carolyn:

• Instagram: @inspiredsolescast or @carolyn.c.coffin

You can help spread the running love! The best way to SUPPORT Inspired Soles is to share your favourite episode(s) with friends, subscribe, or leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Connect on Instagram @inspiredsolescast or email guest ideas to [email protected]. 

Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text

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 
• Instagram: @jdcunningham97 @cunninghamrunning @theconsistentlygoodpodcast

Connect with Carolyn:

• Instagram: @inspiredsolescast or @carolyn.c.coffin

You can help spread the running love! The best way to SUPPORT Inspired Soles is to share your favourite episode(s) with friends, subscribe, or leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Connect on Instagram @inspiredsolescast or email guest ideas to [email protected]. 

Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text

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 with Ben:

• Instagram: @bensmarathontraining
• Strava: https://www.strava.com/pros/22274135

Connect with Carolyn:

• Instagram: @inspiredsolescast or @carolyn.c.coffin

You can help spread the running love! The best way to SUPPORT Inspired Soles is to share your favourite episode(s) with friends, subscribe, or leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Connect on Instagram @inspiredsolescast or email guest ideas to [email protected]. 

Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text

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 @carolyn.c.coffin

You can help spread the running love! The best way to SUPPORT Inspired Soles is to share your favourite episode(s) with friends, subscribe, or leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Connect on Instagram @inspiredsolescast or email guest ideas to [email protected]. 

Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text

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/INSPIREDSOLES for 20% off. 

Previous Episode with these coaches:

• Ep 227: Insights From 5 Expert Run Coaches

Connect with Janelle Brade:

• Inspired Soles Interview: 
  • Ep 148: Level Up Your Mental Game
• Website: https://www.motivatedinmotion.com/
• Instagram: @motivated.in.motion @motivated.mrs

Connect with Lynsey Romano:

• Inspired Soles Interviews: 
  • Ep 31: Why Runners Can't Afford to NOT Strength Train 
  • Ep 206: The Science of Marathon Tapering
  • Ep 221: Navigating Changes in the Coach-Athlete Relationship
• Website: https://www.runcoach.org/ 
• Instagram: @lynseyeromano

Connect with Jocelyn Fredine:

• Inspired Soles Interview: 
  • Ep 280: Strong at Every Stage | 5 Women on Running, Identity & Belonging (International Women's Day Special)
• Website: https://www.runcoach.org/ 
• Instagram: @coach.jocelyn

Connect with Sarah Carroll:

• • Inspired Soles Interview: 
    • Ep 218: How to Get Started (or Re-Started) With Running
  • Website: https://www.underdogscoaching.com/
  • Instagram: @underdogs_coaching

Connect with Carolyn:

• Instagram: @inspiredsolescast or @carolyn.c.coffin

You can help spread the running love! The best way to SUPPORT Inspired Soles is to share your favourite episode(s) with friends, subscribe, or leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Connect on Instagram @inspiredsolescast or email guest ideas to [email protected]. 

Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text

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-all approach to marathon training often misses the mark.

Along the way, Sara shares thoughtful truths about mileage, performance, and what really moves the needle — while also reminding us that joy has a place in the process.

Whether you’re chasing a BQ or simply looking to train smarter, this conversation might just change how you think about your running.

Connect with Sara:

• Instagram: @sayrahrunshappy @elevateyourrunning
• Podcast: Elevate Your Running 
• Coaching: elevateyourrunning.com

Connect with Carolyn:

• Instagram: @inspiredsolescast or @carolyn.c.coffin

You can help spread the running love! The best way to SUPPORT Inspired Soles is to share your favourite episode(s) with friends, subscribe, or leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Connect on Instagram @inspiredsolescast or email guest ideas to [email protected].