Inspired Soles

Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text

Jonathan Torchia is one of the most energetic and passionate people you could ever meet, and fortunately for the Winnipeg running community he has directed a large chunk of his energy there. Not only is Jonathan a dedicated runner, he’s also a running store owner, race director, coach, pace bunny and philanthropist. Jonathan has been actively giving back to the Winnipeg running community ever since lacing up his own shoes for the first time in 2008, and now as a brand new co-owner of City Park Runners with his wife, Robyn, he has an even bigger platform to continue spreading the running love to our community and beyond.

In this episode we discuss:

• Jonathan’s foray into running as an overweight ex-football player
• Why he used to tuck himself away on the corner treadmill at the YMCA
• What inspired him to start the Winnipeg Run Club and later the WFPS Run, now celebrating its 10th year
• What he loves so much about coaching and helping others succeed
• How he got cold feet before eventually purchasing City Park Runners this past summer
• The funny story surrounding how he and Carolyn first met and 
• A pretty big announcement about them joining forces thru City Park Run Coaching.

By the end of this conversation we think you’ll agree that Jonathan is doing precisely what he’s meant to be doing in this world. 

Connect with Jonathan and City Park Runners:

• Jonathan's Instagram: @jtwinnipeg
• City Park Runners website: https://cityparkrunners.com 
• City Park Runners Instagram: @cityparkrunnersywg
• City Park Run Coaching website: https://cityparkrunners.com/pages/city-park-run-coaching
• City Park Run Coaching Instagram: @cityparkruncoaching

Connect with Kim & Carolyn:

• Email us with guest ideas: [email protected]
• Inspired Soles Instagram
• Kim's Instagram
• Kim's Facebook
• Kim's website 
• Carolyn's Instagram
• Carolyn's Facebook
• Carolyn's website (sign up for her free weekly newsletter on the homepage)

Resources we discussed in the episode:

• Favourite Mantra: Never give up
• Favourite Place to Run: Wellington Crescent in Winnipeg 
• Bucket List Race: Boston Marathon
• Favourite Running Movies: Brittany Runs a Marathon; Patriots Day
• Favourite Post Run Indulgence: A solid 15,000 calories of delicious food!

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

Brent Manke is a runner, web designer and writer who lives in Steinbach, Manitoba with his wife, three daughters, and new pup.

After an initial venture into sprinting in grade school, Brent became more serious about running over the last decade. After competing in many 5k, 10k, and half marathons, he ran his first marathon in 2018. The following year he found his love for trail running and participated in his first ultra. Since then, Brent has competed in many of the ultras and other trail races in Manitoba.

For Brent, running is a medium for exploring his world, and also for creating art. In 2018 Brent began writing a daily “run haiku” based on his morning run, and has compiled nearly 1000 little poems since. In the fall Brent released a book based on this project called “Morning Rounds.”

Also in 2018 Brent started the Longest Night Run as a way to show support and solidarity to a friend diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. The overnight relay has become an annual tradition, in 2020 seeing 160 participants and raising $14,000 for the family. In the wake of this friend’s passing, the event carries on this year as a memorial as well as a way of showing support for others who are suffering in the community.  Although the Longest Night Run was founded with one person in mind, prolonged suffering, extreme presence, grief, acceptance and hope are part of the shared human experience for us all. Learn more at longestnightrun.com.

Connect with Brent:

• https://brentmanke.com
• https://brentmanke.com/morning-rounds/
• https://runhaiku.com/

Resources we discussed in the episode:

• Greg Penner,  Steinbach's running coach: http://areteendurance.com
• Two previous guests from the Steinbach area: Steffan Reimer, Jaala van Dongen
• Donate to The Longest Night Run through Eden Health Care Services
• Favourite Mantra: Keep moving forward
• Favourite Place to Run: Sandilands Forest
• Bucket List Race: Chamonix 
• Favourite Running Books: Born to Run; North
• Favourite Post Run Indulgence: Coffee

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

Jenn Walton is a road runner turned trail ultra runner from Winnipeg, MB.  She is a former professional ballet pianist who was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at the age of two.  After spending her childhood developing the skills and discipline needed to become a concert pianist, Jenn found herself struggling with overuse injuries and debilitating arthritic pain.  Thanks to the influence of a few great physios and friends, she made some big changes to her lifestyle, discovered running, and can now gratefully say that she has not seen a rheumatologist or taken medication in decades. 

Everyone has their own path to discovery when it comes to running.  Some fall in love in their youth.  Some find that after a period of struggle and refinement, putting on a pair of running shoes and hitting the road or a trail is like coming home to a place their body and their soul needed to be for a very long time.  Jenn talks to us about how motion really is lotion and we are so thrilled to share her story with you.

Resources we discussed in the episode:

• Favourite Mantra: This is what’s happening right now
• Favourite Place to Run: Whiteshell trails (Falcon, High, West Hawk, Caddy)
• Bucket List Race: UTMB
• Favourite Running Book/Movie: Amongst the Evergreens (movie); The Happy Runner 
• Favourite Post Run Indulgence: Shorty's sweet potato fries (Falcon Lake); Lay on the couch and watch NFL (Steelers)

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

Jaala van Dongen is a 41-year-old mother of three from La Broquerie, MB, who recently completed her first ultramarathon. She didn’t train for it nor did she have more than a couple week’s notice, but after hearing the devastating news that she’d lost her older brother to suicide, she knew she had to tackle something challenging in his honour. Jaala decided on 43-miles, one mile for every year of Jonathan Ross’ life as a way of mourning his loss and raising awareness about depression so that others can be spared from the pain and heartache her family is now going through. Dubbed Forever 43, Jaala partnered with Eden Health Care Services  and managed to raise over $3300 on October 24th while running the same 3-4 mile loop for 6:40:35 with members of her community, including complete strangers who’d come out to support her cause.

Jaala is no stranger to running, but a marathon was the furthest she’d ventured before this ambitious undertaking. She had recently placed 5th at the 2021 Manitoba Marathon in a speedy time of 3:24:42, and she’d won the 5K provincial cross country championships the day before Forever 43. This April, if all goes well, Jaala will be fulfilling her dream of running the Boston Marathon for the very first time.

This is a very powerful and important episode, so feel free to share it widely. In Jaala’s words, if you or someone you know is suffering with mental illness please know you aren’t alone and you can reach out for help. And now onto our conversation with Jaala van Dongen.

Resources we discussed in the episode:

• Donate to Jaala's Forever 43 Run
• Favourite Mantra: You can do this!
• Favourite Place to Run: Wherever she is on vacation
• Bucket List Race: Boston Marathon (or any of the Abbott World Major Marathons)
• Favourite Running Book/Movie: Barkley Marathons, Breaking 2
• Favourite Post Run Indulgence:  Large coffee

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

Rick Canning grew up in Nova Scotia as a competitive paddler before discovering road running, trail running and eventually ultrarunning where he now loves testing his limits the most. Although a bridge engineer by day, Rick dedicates much of his time to his coaching business, New Leaf Running Company, where he helps beginner and experienced runners embrace the fundamentals of training he wishes he’d known about before struggling through his first 10K, half marathon and marathon. We nerded out on various training philosophies and coaching tips, including the importance of being consistent, slowing down, and why the long run just might NOT be the most important run of the week! You’ll also hear Rick explain why he believes being curious is a key ingredient for success in this sport. And finally, we touch on his recent DNF at the Bromont 100-mile, why he has no regrets about attempting such a lofty goal on less-than-ideal training, and how it’s made him a more empathetic coach. We cover a lot of ground in this episode, but at the same time we barely scratched the surface of all the interesting topics we could have explored. In a future episode we’ll have to dig into all the reasons why we’ve dubbed him “the Canadian Rich Roll,” but until then, please enjoy this jam packed conversation with Rick Canning.

Connect with Rick: 

• Instagram: @newleafrunco
• Website: newleafrunco.com 
• Podcast: New Leaf Running Podcast

Resources we discussed in the episode:

• Favourite Mantra: Mood follows action
• Favourite Place to Run: Mabou Highlands (Nova Scotia), Baxter State Park (Maine)
• Bucket List Race:  Zion 100-mile
• Favourite Running Book/Movie: Endure, Western Time
• Favourite Post Run Indulgence: McDonalds hash browns

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

Dala Bortolussi is a 53 year old masters sprinter from Brossard, QC. While she ran some track in high school, it wasn’t until her mid-40s that she rekindled her love for short events from 50m to 100m. After discovering how much fun it is to compete locally and across Canada over the past five years, Dala is now on a mission to bring others along with her. She serves on the board of directors for Canadian Masters Athletics and is using her platform to promote the sport and encourage more people, particularly women, to consider athletics (running, throwing, jumping, race walking) as a way to be active, challenge themselves, and meet inspiring people.

As you’ll hear in this interview, you don’t have to be fast or powerful to find your place and belong in this sport. There’s not even such a thing as being too old to take part, only too young since masters begins at age 35 and progresses from there in 5 year age categories. As with any new sport, there may be some nerves or even injuries to overcome, but after listening to Dala’s passion and enthusiasm for track and field, perhaps a tiny seed will be planted to reframe those fears as worthwhile challenges.

Connect with Dala and Canadian Masters Athletics (CMA):

• Dala's Facebook: @dala.bortolussi 
• CMA Facebook Group: Canadian Masters Athletics 
• CMA Website: https://canadianmasters.ca

Connect with Kim & Carolyn:

• Email us with guest ideas: [email protected]
• Inspired Soles Instagram
• Kim's Instagram
• Kim's Facebook
• Kim's website 
• Carolyn's Instagram
• Carolyn's Facebook
• Carolyn's website (sign up for her free weekly newsletter on the homepage)

Resources we discussed in the episode:

• CMA Online Seminars
• Coach Jay Johnson’s strength and mobility SAM videos
• Carolyn’s Injury Prevention Seminar for Canadian Masters Althletics -  summary notes
• Favourite Mantra: Focus on what you CAN do
• Favourite Place to Sprint: Indoor training facility that Montreal Canadiens play at (Complexe Sportif Bell)
• Bucket List Race: 4x100m relay in QC; Full heat of women sprinters in a race
• Favourite Post Competition Indulgence: A glass (or two!) of red wine

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

Christian Stenner is a man with very diverse interests. We invited him on this podcast because Kim connected with him when he was running the Sinister 7 100 miler this summer, however as she got to know him she discovered ultrarunning is just one of the many things to which he devotes his time.  Christian lives in Calgary, AB with his wife and his dog.  In addition to his day job, he is an officer in the Canadian Armed Forces specializing in leadership development of youth in the Army Cadet Program. He is a search and rescue coordinator specializing in cave rescue, a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and the Explorers Club, and is dedicated to sharing unknown parts of the world with others while  contributing to citizen science.  If you aren’t sure what citizen science is...keep listening!

This summer Christian did the Canada Army Run “Sandbag Edition” by combining all the distances offered to run approximately 42km with a 40 lb sandbag on his shoulders in order to raise awareness and funds for Soldier On.

Although Christian describes himself as “a low performance athlete who runs and attempts to run ultramarathons with mixed success,” one could question his meaning of success.  A member of the Altra Running Team, he placed third man in the Sinister Triple this year, completed the 2019 Lost Soul 200K, and raised $11,000 for Wellspring Calgary in the 2018 Challenge the Chief firefighter stair climb.  We don’t know where he gets all his energy, but Christan Stenner is a man on a mission and we hope he inspires you to challenge yourself, combine your passions, and help someone in the process!

CORRECTION: Kim incorrectly stated that the ground reaction force increases by 5-10% with each foot strike.  It should have been 5-10x.

Donate to Christian's Fundraiser:

• intothesummit.ca

Resources we discussed in the episode:

• Favourite Mantra: Put yourself in the place of greatest potential
• Favourite Place to Run: Mountains (west of Calgary, Canmore, Crow’s Nest Pass)
• Bucket List Race: Qualifier for Western States, 200M (Moab, Bigfoot)
• Favourite Running Book: Range by David Epstein, Quiet by Susan Cain, Relentless Forward Progress by Byron Powell
• Favourite Post Run Indulgence: Big Mac (greasy burger)

More info on Christian's caving:

• https://www.canadiangeographic.ca/article/rcgs-supported-expedition-discovers-deepest-cave-canada
• https://www.canadiangeographic.ca/article/how-canadas-deepest-cave-bisaro-anima-got-its-name
• https://www.canadiangeographic.ca/article/new-insights-canadas-deepest-cave-bisaro-anima

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

Welcome to the fall edition of Catching Up With Kim and Carolyn, where we meander our way through various current events in the road & trail running worlds, including some of our own racing and pacing experiences. 

Kim kicks things off by sharing about her DNF at the Canadian Death Race, why that really concerned her and what she’s doing to remedy her situation. She goes on to tell us a crazy story about pacing a former guest, Heidi Schmaltz, overnight at the Lost Soul Ultra 100M and why she was so scared for Heidi. Carolyn touched on her slow but steady comeback from injury that culminated in a few fall races, including her first cross country race in over 30 years! We cap things off with a discussion on Shalane Flanagan’s challenging endeavour to complete all six world major marathons in under 3 hours, despite them all taking place within a six week period of time, and weigh in on Big’s Backyard Ultra that was taking place live at the time of this recording. 

We referenced loads of past guest interviews that are all linked up in the show notes and talked about some heartwarming interactions we’ve each had with our amazing listeners recently. There really are no words to describe how grateful we are to all of you who listen and share about the show. 

Connect with us:

• Email us with guest ideas: [email protected]
• Inspired Soles Instagram
• Kim's Instagram
• Kim's Facebook
• Kim's website
• Kim is an Ambassador for Salming and you can receive 20% off your order at shopsalmingcanada.com (CAN) or shopsalming.com (US) with the discount code SENECHALFRIENDS.  
• Carolyn's Instagram
• Carolyn's Facebook
• Carolyn's website (sign up for her free weekly newsletter on the homepage)

Resources we discussed in this episode:

• Kim’s Sinister 7 50-Mile Race Recap (Episode 45)
• Heidi Schmaltz’ interview (Episode 37)
• Sally McCrae’s interview (Episode 50) - Carolyn met her in Boston
• Sarah Seads’ interview (Episode 4)
• Calvin Reimer’s interview (Episode 54)
• Johnny Coffin’s Boston Marathon interview (Episode 55)
• Dave Proctor’s interview (Episode 13)
• Running Rogue Podcast with host Chris McClung (who Carolyn met in Boston)
• Inside Tracker
• Bravey by Alexi Pappas
• When the Body Says No by Gabor Maté
• Gabor Maté on Rich Roll's podcast

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 had the pleasure of interviewing brand new Guinness World Record Holder, Steffan Reimer. Steffan is a 32 year old Physical Education teacher and accomplished runner with a marathon PB of 2:37:16, so naturally when he discovered that the world record for dribbling a basketball while running a marathon was 3:00:25, he knew he had to go after it. Steffan was ultimately successful in this quirky but seriously challenging pursuit in the Manitoba Marathon, crossing the finish line in an impressive 2:50:33 and beating the previous record by almost 10 minutes. 

In this episode we discuss:

• How the idea came about & why he was reluctant to tell his running friends about it
• The hoops he had to jump through to ensure that Guinness would ratify the record
• What his training looked like
• The critical mistake he made on race day that almost cost him the record
• What a basketball looks like after >10,000 dribbles
• And why it was important to him to involve his 4 kids (ages 10 and under) in his fueling plan.

Never in his wildest dreams did Steffan imagine his efforts would gain much attention other than perhaps with small local news outlets, so he got a real kick out of Runner’s World reaching out for an interview, which we’ve included in the show notes.

Resources we discussed in the episode:

• Runner's World article 
• Favourite Mantra: Choose between what you want now and what you want most
• Favourite Place to Run: Rural isolated gravel road
• Bucket List Race: Athens Marathon, ultra in the Rockies
• Favourite Running Book/Movie: Unbroken
• Favourite Post Run Indulgence: Pizza, ice cream and salt & vinegar chips

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 welcome our first repeat guest to Inspired Soles, Carolyn's husband Johnny Coffin. He was also on Episode 12: Slow the Bleep Down.

We've been documenting Johnny's long and winding road to the 2021 Boston Marathon for several months, which began with him qualifying in the 2019 Manitoba Marathon in a time of 2:59:22. On October 11th, Thanksgiving Monday, he completed the challenging trek from Hopkinton to Boston in a personal best time of 2:53:54.

In an attempt to comply with physical distancing, Boston reduced their field size from 30,000 to 20,000 runners, meaning 10,000 people who BQ'd (Boston Qualified) for the 2020 race were turned away and only those who ran at least 7:47 faster than their BQ were given entry. Despite it being the smallest field size since the early 2000s, there was representation from 100 countries, including 913 Canadians.

In this episode, we talk to Johnny at five different points during his four month training cycle, including the night before and a few hours after his race. For anyone who loves a good race debrief, you're in for a treat. Sit back, relax, and enjoy our conversation with Johnny Coffin.

Connect with Kim & Carolyn:

• Email us with guest ideas: [email protected]
• Inspired Soles Instagram
• Kim's Instagram
• Kim's Facebook
• Kim's website 
• Carolyn's Instagram
• Carolyn's Facebook
• Carolyn's website (sign up for her free weekly newsletter on the homepage)

Resources we discussed in this episode:

• Episode 12 with Johnny Coffin
• Episode 50 of our podcast with Sally McCrae, who Carolyn ran into in Boston.

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].