This episode is all about girl power! We start by chatting with the new Canadian marathon record holder Rachel Cliff, who ran 2:26:56 in the Nagoya Women's Marathon 2 weeks ago. Cliff talks about breaking barriers, and the joy of running in a women's only race.

Sasha Gollish and Jess O'Connell are athlete ambassadors for Fast and Female, a not-for-profit organization that strives to keep girls engaged in sport. Started in 2005 by Canadian nordic skier and Olympic Champion Chandra Crawford, Fast and Female connects national team athletes with girls aged 8 to 18. Girls drop out of sport at a rate 6 times that of their male peers, meaning that they miss out on the tremendous benefits that come from sport participation.

Sasha, Jess and Chandra have not only enjoyed successful athletic careers but they also excel in their non-athletic pursuits. These women have learned the transformative power of sport firsthand, and are each on a mission to help spread the love and dominate the world!

Over the last 2 weeks we saw a Canadian record, a world record, and a USports record each get broken. We bring you results from the NCAA, USports and Canadian Masters indoor track championships. Plus, we bring you juicy news from the roads and the trails. 

We didn't release an episode of The Shakeout Podcast last week, but a lot has happened recently in the world of running. So we decided that we would bring you an extended version of The Rundown to catch you up on everything that has happened since our last episode.

Tune in for the most recent version of The Rundown, and catch a full version of the Shakeout Podcast later this week!

We are officially inside 50 days until the 2019 Boston Marathon. In this episode we talk with one of Canada's fastest marathoners and coaches about how to make the most of your spring race prep. 

In 2013, Rob Watson found himself leading the Boston Marathon. Determined to stick to his race plan, he continued to lead the elite field for almost 25km.  He had the best racing experience of his life, and was on a runner's high, until tragedy struck. Today Rob shares his stories of elation and heartbreak.  And with only 6 short weeks until this year's Boston Marathon, Rob offers his advice on how to make the most of your training, how to be prepared on the start line, and how to enjoy the journey from Hopkinton to Boylston.

This week on the show we connect with sports psychology consultant Dr. Penny Werthner to explore the link between running and mental health. We talk about stigma, resources, and the myriad positive effects that running can have on mental health and wellbeing.

This week on The Shakeout we dive into what it's like to be a runner's partner. We bring you the story of five different couples who are in a relationship with each other, but also with running. 

Today's guests are Osi Nriagu, Alan Bagoo, Maddie Davidson, Jeremy Rae and Will Roumanis. All of these people are in a relationship with a runner. Some of our guests are, or were, runners in their own right and others have only discovered running through their partner. We gain their perspectives on the intricacies, frustrations and joys of being in a partnership with someone who's so invested in what they do.

This week on the Shakeout we dive into the dark world of doping. We bring you the story of the Russian drug scandal that rocked the global athletic community. And we discuss the response, or lack thereof, from the organizations tasked with ensuring clean sport.

In this episode we dissect the culture of state-sponsored doping. We speak with Paul Melia, president of the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport, as well as Iñaki Gomez, a 2-time Olympian in the race walk. Our guests shed light on the complex problem of global doping, and its effects on clean Canadian athletes.

Middle distance phenom Gabriela Stafford set 2 indoor Canadian records in the last 3 weeks. The University of Toronto student and Olympian ran 14:57.45 in the 5000m on January 4th, and 4:24.80 in the mile yesterday. 

Stafford has been busy lately: in addition to her 2 national records, she changed training groups, moved to Scotland, and got married in the space of 5 months. She is temporarily back in Toronto to finish her last season of eligibility with the Varsity Blues, before making a more permanent move to Glasgow this spring. She will be training through the 2020 Olympic Trials with one of the top mid distance runners in the world Laura Muir under the guidance of coach Andy Young. 

Three years ago Rachel Sklar decided to run her first marathon. The ghostwriter from Thornhill had a background in the combat sport of Muay Thai but was far from an experienced runner. That all changed following her first race in 2016. Eight months after her marathon debut, Sklar challenged herself to a 50km trail ultra, and she hasn't looked back.

This year, Sklar is setting a much bigger challenge for herself: to race 12 ultra marathons in 12 countries over 12 months. Throughout 2019, she will travel to 5 continents, covering over 1,300 kilometres on foot. Her destinations will range from desert climates, to snow capped mountains, to tropical rainforests, to regions with active volcanoes. Sklar hopes that her journey will inspire others to set grand goals and to trek boldly into the unknown.  

This episode is a year-end Shakeout Special. We revisit an episode from last year in which former Canadian Running web editor Sinead Mulhern chats with sports psychologist Kim Dawson about realistic goal setting. We also bring you goal setting advice from Cameron Levins, Rachel Cliff and Mohammed Ahmed. All three made our Canadian Running list of Top Ten Canadian Performances of 2018. We close out our last show of the year with a very special musical treat from Canadian Running contributor Alex Cyr and national team member Nick Falk.

This is the time of year for family, fun, and festivities. But it is also an opportunity to give to those in need. Charities use a variety of fund-raising methods around the holidays, but one group employs a unique approach. The Toronto Santa Speedo Run is the brainchild of "Head Santa" Matt Freeman. The premise is simple: your friends and family pledge money to watch you run through the streets of downtown Toronto, in December, dressed in nothing but a bright red speedo. It started in 2005 as a fundraiser for the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children’s Toy and Games Fund. Now in its 12th year, this group of brave, scantily clad runners has successfully raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the fund!