Inspired Soles

Got feedback about this episode? Send Carolyn a text

When we asked Caroline Wiebe to be on the podcast, she responded with, “I’m not that interesting.  Who would want to hear MY story?”  At Inspired Soles  we want to hear those real life stories from all types of runners and we think you will agree that Caroline has a story worth sharing! 

Caroline is a 49 year old mother of two and a registered nurse who works in multiple hospitals and home care.  She started running 11 years ago and her first race was a 5 km gift to herself on Mother’s Day.  Since then she has racked up such an impressive road running resume she stopped counting her marathons at 20, and she has done many trail ultramarathons including several 100 milers. 

She talks about how positive peer pressure from her running community helped her to stop smoking, how being super organized is the only way she fits it all in, and she fondly reminisces about trips with her kids that always seemed to include a race as well lots of family time before and after. 

Caroline is refreshingly unapologetic about how running is the gift she gives herself, the one thing that she does for her.  Happy Mother’s Day to all those running moms out there. We think there is a lot that will hit home with you during our chat with Caroline!

Connect with Caroline

• IG: @caro4running

Resources we discussed in the episode:

• Favourite Mantra: Convince your mind and your legs will follow; Just one more (lap, mile, day/night)
• Favourite Place to Run: Any trail in warm weather
• Bucket List Race: Marathon des Sables stage race in Morocco in 2022
• Favourite Podcast: Inspired Soles
• Post-Run Indulgence: Long bath, nap, ice cream

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

Trevor Funk is an incredibly versatile runner from Saint John, NB who enjoys running 5k to marathon distances on the road and he recently started taking his runs onto the trails as well!  In fact, Trevor enjoys running so much that at the start of the pandemic he began a year-long streak, running a minimum of 2K every day for 366 days. Trevor talks about why he decided to do a run streak, how he managed to get his runs in every day and how he dealt with injury.  As an accountant, he expresses his love for spreadsheets, data tracking and even how much mileage he managed to get out of his shoes!  

Trevor is a brand ambassador for Salming Canada, Beet It Canada and Nuun Hydration, as well as the proud father of his favourite running partner - his son.  

Connect with Trevor

• IG: @uptownsjrunner 

Resources we discussed in the episode:

• Favourite Running Music: Tremonti;  Firing at the Sky
• Favourite Place to Run: Rockwood Park, NB
• Bucket List Race: Big Sur Marathon, World Major Marathons
• Favourite Movie/Book: Anything Terry Fox
• Post-Run Indulgence: Craft beer
• CBC interview

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

Cassandra Bonn is 45 year old Account and Sales Executive with Quinte Broadcasting in Belleville ON. She took up running in her early 30s and even though her two children were young at the time, she went all in on training to the point that she qualified for the Boston Marathon. In 2013 with her husband, children and mother in the crowd, she absolutely nailed her first crack at Boston in a net time of 3:34:46. 

After collecting her medal and belongings, she was walking rather gingerly towards the family meetup area when the two bombs went off. What followed was utter chaos as she and thousands of others tried to make sense of what had happened and flee to safety. Cassandra walks us through the range of emotions she felt from confusion to terror as she reunited with her family and left the gridlocked city. It’s been 8 years but the sound of emergency vehicles can still trigger a visceral response in her today. 

Cassandra didn’t allow her Boston experience to be defined by that tragedy. The following year in 2014, she and her husband were two of the over 35,000 Boston Strong runners who made the trek from Hopkinton to Boylston Street, crossing the finish line hand in hand. This is one heck of a story, so with further delay let’s get into it with Cassandra Bonn.

Resources we discussed in the episode:

• Favourite Mantra: Treat people the way you'd like to be treated 
• Favourite Place to Run: Vancouver, Country Roads
• Bucket List Race: Wine Run (California), Rock & Roll (Vegas), Disney
• Favourite Movie: Boston Marathon Documentary
• Post-Run Indulgence: Cheese, chocolate and 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

Lynsey Romano is the owner of Skyline Run Coaching, a virtual business based in Airdrie, AB with a team of two coaches and over 35 athletes. They create personalized and evidence-based running and strength training plans with an emphasis on enjoyment of the sport and long term athlete development. Lynsey is a lifelong learner when it comes to both the science and art of coaching, taking into account the unique needs of every athlete on her roster. 

Lynsey is extremely modest but she is also one heck of a fast runner! Among accomplishments such as running the Boston Marathon twice, in 2019 Lynsey outright won the Calgary Half Marathon and holds a personal best at that distance of 1:20:21. 

In this conversation we delve deep into: 

• The importance of strength training for runners
• Fueling for performance 
• Reframing the idea of “motivation” 

Lynsey’s Credentials

• Certified RRCA running coach - Level 1
• Training Peaks certified coach - Level 1
• National Academy of Sport Medicine - Performance Enhancement Specialist
• CanFit Pro personal trainer
• NCCP Endurance Coach (pursuing certification status over the next couple of months)

Connect with Lynsey

• IG: @skylineruncoaching
• Website: Skyline Run Coaching

Resources we discussed in the episode:

• Coach Jay Johnson’s SAM (strength and mobility) routines 
• Coach Jay Johnson’s Lunge Matrix and Leg Swings 
• On Coaching with Magness and Marcus (podcast)
• Favourite Mantra: Relax and flow
• Favourite Place to Run: Anywhere it’s not windy or snowy!
• Bucket List Race: Chicago Marathon
• Favourite Movie/Book: Prefontaine/The Science of Running by Steve Magness
• Post-Run Indulgence: A nap

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

Dalip Shekhawat is a passionate educator, mountaineer, and ultra runner who grew up in the Himalayas and now calls Winnipeg home. Dalip has climbed over fifteen mountain peaks including Mt. Everest on May 16, 2019. He works at St. Amant school as a special education teacher and he is also a member of Royal Winnipeg Rifles, a primary reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces.

Dalip found his passion for running during his training for Mt. Everest but has continued racking up the miles ever since. As a way to give back, he has raised funds for multiple charitable organizations through his running including the St. Amant Foundation and Wounded Warriors. Last year he founded the Rising Runners running group. Dalip is a husband and father of two boys as well as a brand ambassador for Salming Canada.

Connect with Dalip:

FB: Shek Dls
Strava: Rising Runner group

Resources we discussed in the episode:

• Favourite Mantra: Metamorphosis; strong and ready
• Favourite Place to Run: Mystic hills of Treherne
• Bucket List Race: North Pole Marathon
• Favourite Book/Movie: Surviving the Extremes / Meru, Mount St. Elias & K2
• Post-Run Indulgence: Sleep

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

This episode marks the end of another quarter where Kim and Carolyn reflect on their own running, what’s new in their lives, and industry news including potential trail and road races throughout Manitoba and around the world. Kim kicks things off with a pretty big announcement that is making for lots of changes in her life and her running, and Carolyn has taken on a new role in the running world that she is really excited about. One update since recording this episode: the WPS half marathon/5k in Winnipeg on May 2 is sadly not able to take place in-person. We finish with a discussion on RED-S as well as some excellent resources should you wish to learn more. 

Once again, we want to thank all of our incredible guests for sharing their stories and we want to thank YOU for helping us surpass the 5000 downloads milestone! If you’re enjoying this podcast, it would mean the world to us if you could take a screenshot, share it and tag us on social media, subscribe, or leave a rating and review. All of this helps connect runners with inspiring stories as they train for their next adventure. 

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:

• Women Run Canada podcast interview with Lynsey Romano (Carolyn's strength coach)
• Lynsey Romano’s website (Skyline Run Coaching)
• WPS half marathon
• Canadian Masters Athletics
• Women Run Canada podcast interview with Karla del Grande
• Boston Marathon
• Manitoba Marathon
• The Barkley Marathons
• MATR trail clean up
• Roar
• Stacy Sims TEDx: Women Are Not Small Men
• The Science of Sport podcast on RED-S with Trent & Hilary Stellingwerff

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

Have you ever been secretly terrified that you have a stress fracture, wondered what RED-S is, or had trouble deciding whether you should run through that tendon pain or not?

Today we're speaking with Dr. Sylvia Loewen,  a Sports Medicine Physician at The Pan Am Clinic in Winnipeg, Medical Advisor to the Pan Am Running & Gait Centre, and an avid runner herself.  She joins us to help unpack information not only about common running injuries, but also some rather less common but equally important injuries.

Dr. Loewen has an insatiable curiosity for learning and is a wealth of information. We know you will have many of your questions answered as you listen to her share her wisdom as both a sports medicine physician and a runner.

Connect with Dr. Sylvia Loewen:

• Pan Am Clinic, Sport Medicine Department

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

Kathy Wiens is the Executive Director for the Manitoba Runners’ Association and has had an avid relationship with running for decades.  We invited her on the podcast to talk about organized running in 2020 and 2021 and the challenges faced by race directors and event organizers going forward.  We get her take on the cancellation of the Stonewall Quarry Race, and what we hope will come from the exposure the planned event provided the running community with regards to Public Health Orders.  It has been one year since the world ground to a halt.  Races were cancelled, flights and hotels were cancelled, and many events flipped to virtual.  Some silver linings have become apparent in the last 12 months and one thing that has not only remained unchanged, but been amplified, is how runners are still desperate for community and seek to support each other in any way we can. 

Connect with Kathy and the MRA:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 204-477-5185
MRA Website: https://mraweb.ca
IG: @manitoba_runners
FB: @manitobarunnersassociation

Resources we discussed in the episode:

• Stonewall Quarry Race cancellation
• Virtual Stonewall Quarry Run
• Winnipeg Police Service Half Marathon & 5k
• Islendingadagurinn 53rd Annual Road Race
• Favourite Mantra: It is what it is
• Favourite Place to Run: Fish Creek Provincial Park (Calgary)
• Bucket List Race: London Marathon (in a previous life), 5k by the end of 2021 
• Favourite Book: James Bond series
• Post-Run Indulgence: Coffee and an egg scramble

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

Roslyn Smith is a 72 year old road runner from Comox, BC who holds Canadian masters records in the 8k (37:44, W70), half marathon (1:39:06, W65) and marathon (3:39:35 W65; 3:52:20 W70). In 2019 she flat-out won her 70-74 age group at the Boston Marathon, beating her running idol Jeannie Rice by over 10 minutes in a true display of the tortoise and the hare tale. Roz’s over 40 year running career began in the western arctic where she taught physical education, but it really took off in 2005 when she retired to Comox and had more time to train. 

In this episode we discuss:

• Her 2019 Boston win
• What’s changed about the sport and her approach to training as she’s gotten older
• Who’s in her support network, and
• The importance of challenging herself through speed work.

Roz is a fierce competitor but she’s also incredibly down-to-earth. If you’ve been searching for evidence that we can run strong into our 8th decade of life, look no further than this inspiring interview with the one and only, Roslyn Smith.

Resources  discussed in the episode:

• Our interview with Roz's coach, Dr. Wayne Crowe
• Favourite Mantra: Feel strong; You’re doing well; Feel the crowd
• Favourite Place to Run: One Spot Trail; Victoria (Oak Bay, Uplands, Dallas Rd)
• Bucket List Race: Berlin Marathon; Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon
• Favourite Book: Older, Faster, Stronger by Margaret Webb; Girl Runner by Carrie Snyder
• Post-Run Indulgence: Burger, fries and a beer

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

Will Barkan is an accomplished ultrarunner from San Francisco, CA who is legally blind. He was diagnosed with Stargartd’s disease at age 10 and has had progressive vision loss since then.  He has been legally blind since high school, but has not let his disability limit his lifestyle. In addition to completing the Pacific Coast Trail in four months, he has completed the Boston Marathon, Tahoe Rim Trail Endurance Run 100, Lake Sonoma 50, Sean O-Brien 100K and many many more races. He runs with a guide, and has not let his anatomical vision loss limit his vision for what he can accomplish in racing and in life. 

In this episode we talk about:

• the unique challenges of running with vision loss in urban vs. trail environments
• what it’s like to run with a guide 
• the hazards of falling
• how Will has developed resiliency for running and for life within the contexts of his disability.  

Resources we discussed in the episode:

• Favourite Mantra: Work hard, have fun, be safe; Take good care of your team, they'll take good care of you
• Favourite Place to Run: Desolation Wilderness in Tahoe Basin
• Bucket List Run: Infinitus 500k 
• Favourite Book: North by Scott & Jenny Jurek
• Post-Run Indulgence: Beer and lunch (tacos)

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].