Inspired Soles

Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text

Greg Athayde is a 62 year old runner who was born in Uganda and immigrated to Winnipeg, MB with his family in 1972. He discovered track and cross country in junior high and took part all the way through his years at the University of Manitoba. In his 30s & 40s Greg dabbled in road running and even raced several marathons, but more recently he’s gone all-in again on the track. 800m is his favourite event and it turns out he’s just as good at it (if not better!) as a 62 year old than he was in his prime…relatively speaking, of course. Greg explains what age-grading is and how it can work to keep masters athletes striving for their goals. Greg runs with Tough Track, the same club that Carolyn's kids and husband (Johnny) belong to, so we had some fun discussions around what it’s like to train with and race against teenagers. In August 2023 at the Canadian Masters Athletics Outdoor Championships in Langley, BC, Greg was part of a world record setting 4 x 800m relay team for his M60-64 age category! This episode really opened our eyes to the many different ways one can enjoy running beyond marathons and ultramarathons. Greg is on several boards and committees aimed at growing our masters track and road running communities at the local, provincial and national levels.

Connect with Greg or learn more about Masters Athletics:

• Greg's Instagram: @athayg1
• Athletics Manitoba Instagram: @athleticsmb
• Learn More: http://athleticsmanitoba.com/masters-athletics-2/

Connect with Carolyn & Kim:

• Email us with guest ideas: [email protected]
• Inspired Soles Instagram
• Kim's Instagram
• Kim's Facebook
• Carolyn's Instagram
• Carolyn's Facebook
• Carolyn's website

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

Rory Linkletter is a professional Canadian athlete who lives and trains in Flagstaff, Arizona, is sponsored by Puma, and is coached by US half marathon record holder, Ryan Hall. At the World Championships marathon on August 27th in Budapest, Hungary, Rory was the top Canadian placing 19th in a season’s best time of 2:12:16. Unfortunately given the hot and humid conditions it was not a day for chasing personal best times. Out of a field of 94 men, Rory had the 65th fastest PB of 2:10:24 but he didn’t let that intimidate him or prevent him from competing as well as he could. He ran by feel, patiently & methodically picking people off throughout each of the four 10k loops until he was passing some of his own running heroes!

We were on the edge of our seats as Rory walked us through his preparation, the details of the race, and perhaps most importantly, what he did to celebrate afterwards! Rory is such a great storyteller and such a fun athlete to cheer for. He’s as hard working as they come but also has a very full life with a wife and two young kids at home, one of whom is a newborn! You’ll have to stay tuned until the very end to hear about Rory’s trail running aspirations but let’s just say they made Kim very happy! 

Connect with Rory:

• Instagram: @rory_linkletter 
• Strava 

Connect with Carolyn & Kim:

• Email us with guest ideas: [email protected]
• Inspired Soles Instagram
• Kim's Instagram
• Kim's Facebook
• Carolyn's Instagram
• Carolyn's Facebook
• Carolyn's website

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

Tyler Blaney is a husband, father-of-three, and a real estate agent from Calgary AB.  He also happens to be a thru hiker turned ultrarunner with a great story.  

He started running cross country in high school while living in Kelowna, BC and fell in love with his ability to cover great distances in a short period of time and the sense of adventure this provided him.  After high school he stopped running and spent over a decade of cycling.  During COVID Tyler felt the need to reconnect with who he was and in 2021 found himself backpacking the Great Divide Trail from Waterton to Jasper - a distance of 850km in 35 days.  On the last day of the thru hike he decided to run the 44km Skyline Trail and found that it was easy!  

Following his hike Tyler wanted to preserve the incredible base he had built and took up trail ultrarunning, completing three ultras in 2022.  As if this wasn’t enough of an accomplishment, he did it all with a significant back injury that added a level of complexity to his adventures.  Hiking and running didn’t necessarily help his back pain, but they didn’t make it worse. Tyler describes himself as a curious human who wants to see what he is capable of in all areas of his life while using a daily practice of gratitude. He utilized this mindset to accomplish feats of endurance that many would never even consider possible.

We close this episode with a discussion on what still scares Tyler after all he’s experienced and his comments reveal the wisdom of someone who has spent many  miles exploring what it means to be the human he wants to be.

Connect with Tyler:

• YouTube: youtu.be/wgQDH0bIrww
• Instagram: @tyblaney
• Facebook: @tyblaney
• Podcast: Game Changers

Connect with Carolyn & Kim:

• Email us with guest ideas: [email protected]
• Inspired Soles Instagram
• Kim's Instagram
• Kim's Facebook
• Carolyn's Instagram
• Carolyn's Facebook
• Carolyn's website

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

Today we’re excited to welcome professional runner Ben Flanagan back to the show! It was about this time last year that we first got to know Ben (episode 95) after he signed his contract with On Running, but during this conversation he delivered an absolute masterclass on everything related to World Championships. 

Not only is Ben a wealth of knowledge on all things track, he also recently qualified for his first ever World Championship team. We recorded this interview just days before he travelled to Budapest Hungary for the 2023 World Track & Field Championships, where he represented Team Canada in the 5000m. On August 24th, Ben ran a strong & gutsy race finishing 11th in a field of exceptionally talented world class runners (in a time of 13:38.69). Unfortunately only the top eight advanced to the finals, but Ben has every reason to be proud of his debut performance on the world stage and we’re pretty confident that we’ll be seeing him in the Team Canada kit for many years to come. 

Connect with Ben:

• Instagram: @ben_flanagan

Resources we discussed in the episode:

• Ben's first interview (episode 95)

Connect with Carolyn & Kim:

• Email us with guest ideas: [email protected]
• Inspired Soles Instagram
• Kim's Instagram
• Kim's Facebook
• Carolyn's Instagram
• Carolyn's Facebook
• Carolyn's website

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

Kara Leinweber is a trail and mountain runner from Calgary, Alberta where she lives with her husband and two children.  In addition to working in the oil & gas sector, Kara is also the owner and race director of Lewiston Ultra Events through which she enjoys hosting trail running events and socials for all levels of runner. Kara is active in both the road and trail running community and is devoted to encouraging others, giving back & sustainability. 

In this episode we talk about how Lewiston Ultra Events came to be and the vision that has guided the direction she has taken the company.  We talk about her own running experiences and explore the topics of sustainability and diversity & inclusion in the sport. 

Connect with Kara or sign up for one of her races:

• LUE's Instagram: @lewistonultraevents
• Kara's Instagram: @karaleiny
• Website: lewistonultraevents.com

Connect with Carolyn & Kim:

• Email us with guest ideas: [email protected]
• Inspired Soles Instagram
• Kim's Instagram
• Kim's Facebook
• Carolyn's Instagram
• Carolyn's Facebook
• Carolyn's website

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

It’s time for another Couple of the Quarter episode!  This time we welcome Reinier & Melissa Paauwe from Calgary, Alberta to the show.  They are quite the power couple who met at work at a lunch run club.  Both have excelled at both cycling & running.

Reinier placed second at Canadian Nationals in the Duathlon in 2017 before he ran his first marathon in 2018 and soon found himself podium finishing at trail ultras.  Most recently he placed third in Sinister 7, his first 100 miler.  He is currently VP of Technology at Getty Images.

Melissa is a coach, entrepreneur and CPA.  She is founder of We Run The World Coaching and the Run Lounge and is currently coaching Reinier!  She has had many notable athletic accomplishments of her own, including multiple top national finishes in the duathlon, top 10 Canadian in Marathon and Half Marathon Championships (2017-2019), 1st Lost Soul 50k (2021), 2nd Canadian VK Championships (2022) and currently has a marathon PR of 2:39.

In this episode we talk about how Reinier & Melissa met, how they support each other and balance their priorities both daily and in their yearly training cycles, and how they challenge each other.  We talk about Reinier’s Sinister 7 race in July, Melissa’s non-stop energy and entrepreneurial adventures, and what’s coming up for them next!

Connect with Melissa & Reinier (and their businesses!) on Instagram:

• Melissa: @puppymamrunner
• Reinier: @rens.toes
• We Run the World Coaching: @weruntheworldcoaching
• The Run Lounge: @therunlounge

Connect with Carolyn & Kim:

• Email us with guest ideas: [email protected]
• Inspired Soles Instagram
• Kim's Instagram
• Kim's Facebook
• Carolyn's Instagram
• Carolyn's Facebook
• Carolyn's website

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

Janelle Brade is a running & mindset coach from Calgary, Alberta.  She founded her business Motivated in Motion when she became aware of the transformative impact running had on her own life, both physically and personally. Recognizing the immense value it brought, she aspires to share this gift with fellow runners. She firmly believes that anyone, regardless of their pace, can embrace the joy of running and accomplish their aspirations with the right motivation and unwavering determination.  Her mission is to empower runners of all levels to achieve their goals while nurturing a resilient athletic mindset.

In this episode Janelle tells us about her running experience and explores the topics of mental health, well-being, resilience, and the power of mental preparation as part of your run training. If you’re looking to level up both your running and your life, this episode is for you!

Connect with Janelle:

• Website: https://www.motivatedinmotion.com/
• Instagram: @motivated.in.motion or @motivated.mrs
• Facebook: @motivatedinmotioncoaching

Connect with Carolyn & Kim:

• Email us with guest ideas: [email protected]
• Inspired Soles Instagram
• Kim's Instagram
• Kim's Facebook
• Carolyn's Instagram
• Carolyn's Facebook
• Carolyn's website

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

Patrick Seymour is a 39 year old oil and gas engineer, mountain runner and proud father of two boys.  He lives in Bragg Creek, a quaint little town surrounded by provincial parks, mountains, and trails not far from Calgary, Alberta.  Like a true Canadian kid, he has spent his fair share of time on the ice playing hockey, but over the last few years has found he has a natural ability to move efficiently in mountainous terrain.  All one has to do is check out his Instagram feed to understand why he has become a mountain running explorer as it is filled with stunning summit pics, rugged ridgelines, mountain meadows and lakes…and the odd Pepsi.  

In this episode we talk about Patrick’s running origin story, what a perfect running day looks like for him, how running has helped his mental health, and what he has learned about himself over the last several years through running.  

Connect with Patrick:

• Instagram: @seymourruns

Rapid Fire

• Favourite Mantra: Just Do It
• Favourite Place to Run: Elbow Valley
• Bucket list Race:  Assiniboine, Hard Rock
• Favourite Book/Movie: The Cane Scrambles
• Favourite Post Run Indulgence: Slurpee

Connect with Carolyn & Kim:

• Email us with guest ideas: [email protected]
• Inspired Soles Instagram
• Kim's Instagram
• Kim's Facebook
• Carolyn's Instagram
• Carolyn's Facebook
• Carolyn's website

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

Derek Kaufman is a trail runner and business owner who lives in the beautiful Vancouver Island running local of Comox, BC.  He began running in 2017 with the goal of completing a ½ marathon goal and steadily progressed into long distance trail running. Although Derek has experienced races in Utah and Kelowna, he states he absolutely loves running on Vancouver Island where he has twice completed the Finlayson Double (50 miles on Sat followed by 28K on Sunday). Derek recently opened a new running store in the Comox Valley called Foveo Running, and is the Race Director of Perseverance Trail Run and Co-Director of Devil’s Ladder Ultra. As if that isn’t enough, he organizes Run to Beer Comox Valley, a casual, local run club that attracts 40-60 runners weekly.

Connect with Derek:

Foveo Running
IG - @foveo.run (https://www.instagram.com/foveo.run/)
FB – Foveo Running (https://www.facebook.com/foveo.run/)

Run to Beer Comox Valley
IG - @runtobeercv (https://www.instagram.com/runtobeercv/)
FB – Run to Beer Comox Valley (https://www.facebook.com/groups/runtobeercv)

Devil’s Ladder Ultra
IG - @devilsladderultra (https://www.instagram.com/devilsladder/)
FB – Devil’s Ladder Ultra (https://www.facebook.com/devilsladder/)

Perseverance Trail Run
IG - @perseverancetrailrun (https://www.instagram.com/perseverancetrailrun/)
FB – Perseverance Trail Run (https://www.facebook.com/perseverancetrailrun/)

Connect with Carolyn & Kim:

• Email us with guest ideas: [email protected]
• Inspired Soles Instagram
• Kim's Instagram
• Kim's Facebook
• Carolyn's Instagram
• Carolyn's Facebook
• Carolyn's website

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

Priscilla Forgie is a trail ultramarathon runner currently living in Edmonton, AB.  She discovered running during a period of her life when she felt the need for connection and quickly found the trail running community provided exactly that!  A few weeks ago she was the top Canadian and 8th female to cross the finish line at Western States Endurance Run! 

Priscilla broke onto the elite scene in 2021 with a first place finish at the 125K Canadian Death Race and Grizzly Ultra 50K. In 2022 Priscilla not only won the Near Death Marathon outright, but set a new overall course record.  She continued on to place first at the Squamish 50/50 (and set the course record!) and Ultra Trail du Harricana, and earned her golden ticket to Western States with a 2nd place finish at Canyons 100K this spring.  

In this episode we talk about:

• Priscilla’s introduction to trail running
• Her experience at Western States this year
• How her vegan diet supports her training and recovery
• How important it is to be inclusive in our running community
• Her plans for the rest of the season!

There was a lot of laughing in this episode and it was a pleasure to get to know this up and coming Canadian runner.

Connect with Priscilla:

• Instagram: @prissyforgie

Connect with Carolyn & Kim:

• Email us with guest ideas: [email protected]
• Inspired Soles Instagram
• Kim's Instagram
• Kim's Facebook
• Carolyn's Instagram
• Carolyn's Facebook
• Carolyn's website

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].