We’ve talked a lot about pacing strategies on the show and how to pace yourself well throughout a race. But what about the role of a pacer? What is a pacer and why would you want to ask someone to pace you? What does it take to be a good pacer and how do you go about choosing one? What are the rules and etiquette when it comes to pacers and what types of challenges do they face? We discuss these topics and more as we explore how the use of a pacer and the act of being a pacer differs between road and trail.

Resources we discussed in the episode:

• Kevin Beatty | Pacer for Carolyn's Las Vegas Rock 'n Roll 10K Win

Connect with Carolyn & Kim:

• Email us with guest ideas: inspiredsolescast@gmail.com
• Inspired Soles Instagram
• Kim's Instagram
• Kim's Facebook
• Carolyn's Facebook

We love hearing from you! Connect with us on Instagram @inspiredsolescast or email guest ideas to inspiredsolescast@gmail.com. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend, subscribe or leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.

Adam Neiles is a 27-year-old former football player who now works as a Strength & Conditioning Specialist at Testify Performance in Winnipeg. We first spoke to Adam just a few short months ago (Ep 187) as he was beginning the buildup to his very first marathon…the Manitoba Marathon. At that point he was following a solid plan, spirits were high, and he’d set the goal of finishing in under 4-hours. We thought it would be fitting to have him back to hear how the rest of his training went, and what race day was like. With his signature sense of humour, Adam recounts how he came excruciatingly close to achieving his sub-4 goal, clocking in at 4:02:45.

As a goal-oriented person, Adam talks about what it was like to navigate his feelings of failure but we want to publicly state just how proud we are of him. It’s super gutsy to set a challenging goal and go after it, so whether you knock it out of the park or come up short, there is always something to learn for next time. And it sounds like there will be a next time for Adam!

Connect with Adam:

• Adam's Instagram: @adamneiles
• Adam's previous interview: Football Player Trains for First Marathon

Connect with Carolyn & Kim:

• Email us with guest ideas: inspiredsolescast@gmail.com
• Inspired Soles Instagram
• Kim's Instagram
• Kim's Facebook
• Carolyn's Facebook

We love hearing from you! Connect with us on Instagram @inspiredsolescast or email guest ideas to inspiredsolescast@gmail.com. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend, subscribe or leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.

Miriam Betzner fell in love with trail running while living in South Africa. Born on the other side of the world, she grew up on three continents before her family settled in Manitoba. After nine years abroad, she moved back to Manitoba in 2014 and got involved in the local trail running community by volunteering at several local races that first year and has been part of the community since. When she’s not running trails, you might find her on her road or gravel bikes, or dabbling in triathlon.

Miriam’s involvement in her local sporting community includes being a part of the Manitoba Association of Trail Runners organizer. In this episode we talk about what it is like to run in South Africa, why running community is important, ways one can get involved in their running community and what makes Miriam feel inspired as her best self.

Connect with Miriam:

• Instagram: @miriam_does_sports
• Manitoba Association of Trail Runners (MATR): www.matr.ca

Connect with Carolyn & Kim:

• Email us with guest ideas: inspiredsolescast@gmail.com
• Inspired Soles Instagram
• Kim's Instagram
• Kim's Facebook
• Carolyn's Facebook

We love hearing from you! Connect with us on Instagram @inspiredsolescast or email guest ideas to inspiredsolescast@gmail.com. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend, subscribe or leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.

Hailing from Calgary AB, Polly Moody is a 40-year old mom-of-two, a full-time teacher, and 2:46 marathoner. What makes her story so compelling is just how much adversity she’s had to overcome. After breaking the elusive 3-hour barrier (2:58:38) at the 2015 Boston Marathon without much dedicated training, Polly tried multiple times to go sub-2:55 and came up just a bit short each time. Instead of giving up, she kept mining for lessons and trying again until it eventually happened at CIM in 2018 where she ran 2:53:07. She followed that up with a 2:48:02 in Chicago 2019, but then early in the pandemic she suffered a serious ACL/meniscus injury that required surgery and a lengthy rehab. As her 30s came to a close, Polly figured her best running days were likely behind her but at the Chicago marathon in 2023 – at the age of 40! – she ran the race of her life in 2:46:34, which included a quick porta potty stop and a 90-second negative split! Under the guidance of a new coach, she’s excited to return to Chicago in 2024 with hopes of cracking 2:45.

A lifelong athlete, Polly only began taking running seriously after her kids were born but she’s gained a ton of wisdom alongside her speedy times. We especially loved hearing how she uses trail running and 10k races to enhance her marathon training.

Connect with Polly:

• Instagram: @mommytosubthree

Polly's Podcast Appearances:

• Rambling Runner with Matt Chittim: Massive Knee Injury to a 2:46 at Chicago
• Run Chats with @RonRunsNYC: Focusing on Joy & the Process to Find Her Best

Connect with Carolyn & Kim:

• Email us with guest ideas: inspiredsolescast@gmail.com
• Inspired Soles Instagram
• Kim's Instagram
• Kim's Facebook
• Carolyn's Facebook

We love hearing from you! Connect with us on Instagram @inspiredsolescast or email guest ideas to inspiredsolescast@gmail.com. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend, subscribe or leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.

Chantelle Erickson, known as "the mother runner," has enjoyed running for 15 years. Originally from the Greater Toronto Area, she moved west, living in Saskatchewan and Alberta. Her running journey spans obstacle races, marathons, ultras, and multi-stage races, all initially in the pursuit of health and wellness. Starting on a treadmill, she soon embraced the outdoors, running on Saskatchewan's gravel roads. Running became crucial for her mental well-being, offering a positive self-image and goal-setting opportunities.

Chantelle's structured approach has kept her consistent for over a decade. After her son's birth, she completed her first half-marathon within eight months, living by her mantra, "If you can believe it, you can achieve it." She has raced in numerous Canadian cities and achieved a podium finish in Fernie in 2016. Her passion for mountains was ignited after a challenging 70-mile backpacking trip in the Bob Marshall Wilderness.

She entered ultra marathons in 2017, completing her first 50k at the Lost Soul Ultra. With podium finishes in subsequent races, Chantelle realized the importance of consistent training and coaching. Despite facing injuries and harsh conditions, she remains resilient, using running to overcome life's setbacks. Chantelle coaches for Personal Peak and writes for Canadian Running magazine. Outside running, Chantelle runs a pre and postnatal fitness business called Be Well Chantelle, advises on financial fitness, and enjoys various outdoor activities.

Connect with Chantelle:

• Instagram: @runningmama85
• Website: bewellchantelle.com
• Personal Peak Run Coaching
• Facebook: chantelle.erickson

Connect with Carolyn & Kim:

• Email us with guest ideas: inspiredsolescast@gmail.com
• Inspired Soles Instagram
• Kim's Instagram
• Kim's Facebook
• Carolyn's Facebook

We love hearing from you! Connect with us on Instagram @inspiredsolescast or email guest ideas to inspiredsolescast@gmail.com. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend, subscribe or leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.

Kevin Barata is a 46 year old trail ultrarunner who lives in Abbotsford, BC with his wife and three daughters. He has been a police officer with the RCMP for 21 years and currently works with the Emergency Response Team in the Vancouver Lower Mainland.

Kevin has been running ultra marathons since 2014 in various distances from 50km to 250 mile races. In fact he recently completed the Coccodona 250 and has run well over 150 miles in multiple backyard ultras. You have also heard us talk about Kevin on the show as the person who provided navigation and a police escort for Dave Proctor as he neared the completion of his record breaking run across Canada.

In this episode we talk about how Kevin started running trails and what it takes to train for and complete a 250 mile race. We discuss how he absolutely loves the challenge that running long distances brings and how he always embraces the journey along the way. Running for Kevin is therapeutic and a way for him to stay grounded and feel accomplished while striving to seek new challenges and surprise himself with what's possible!

Connect with Kevin:

• Instagram: @kbar_runs

Connect with Carolyn & Kim:

• Email us with guest ideas: inspiredsolescast@gmail.com
• Inspired Soles Instagram
• Kim's Instagram
• Kim's Facebook
• Carolyn's Facebook

We love hearing from you! Connect with us on Instagram @inspiredsolescast or email guest ideas to inspiredsolescast@gmail.com. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend, subscribe or leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.

Rory Linkletter and Ben Flanagan are elite Canadian distance runners and friends who have both been on the show twice. Although they have different primary disciplines, they occasionally compete against one another and that is always a great day for fans of the sport.

On May 25th, 2024 they lined up at the Canadian 10k Championships in Ottawa and they’re here to break it all down with us. As a 5k runner, Ben was treating this race as strength work and as a marathoner, Rory was looking at it like speed work on his road to the summer Olympics in Paris. In this conversation they held nothing back when describing their pre-race preparation and in-race tactics to try and win. In the end Ben came out on top in 28:09 and Rory finished second in 28:40. Both had small personal bests and Ben’s was also good for a new Canadian record. We think it’s safe to say that they put on an exceptional show for the thousands of fans lining the streets of our nation’s capital.

Both in their late 20s, Rory & Ben seem wise beyond their years and have an undeniable mutual respect for each other. Ben has achieved the 5000m Olympic Standard and will be racing the Canadian track trials on June 27th in hopes of another win. Either way, it is looking very likely that he’ll also be named to the summer Olympic team, and he and Rory have requested to room together in Paris.

It’s not every day that you get to hear two competitors break down a race together like this, including what was going on in their heads every step of the way.

Ben’s Past Appearances

• Episode 151 - Deep Dive on World Championships
• Episode 95 - Canadian 10k Champion

Rory’s Past Appearances

• Episode 180 - On Running Olympic Standard at the Seville Marathon
• Episode 153 - Top Canadian Men’s Marathoner at 2023 World Championships

Connect with Ben:

• Instagram: @ben_flanagan

Connect with Rory:

• YouTube: @LinkletterRory
• Instagram: @rory_linkletter

Connect with Carolyn & Kim:

• Email us with guest ideas: inspiredsolescast@gmail.com
• Inspired Soles Instagram
• Kim's Instagram
• Kim's Facebook
• Carolyn's Facebook

We love hearing from you! Connect with us on Instagram @inspiredsolescast or email guest ideas to inspiredsolescast@gmail.com. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend, subscribe or leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.

Melvin Yumang is a 40-year old flight nurse & runner from St. Agathe, Manitoba who was one half of a recent Couple of the Quarter episode with his wife, Jonelle. Melvin & Jonelle are proud parents to 8-month old baby Jameson and in that episode they opened up about their fertility & health struggles. Today we’re shining a spotlight on Melvin’s running.

Inspired to do something meaningful to mark the one year anniversary of his father’s passing in May of 2018, Melvin decided to take up running. It started with a 10k at Ottawa race weekend but by 2019 it had escalated to a marathon. He finished the Manitoba Marathon in a very respectable time of 3:45 and has been able to shave off another 7-10 minutes every year since. He now boasts a personal best of 3:19 and wants to keep chipping away until he qualifies for Boston. Although Melvin dabbles in many distances on the roads as well as the track, his favourite distance is the marathon because of its difficulty to master. You’ll hear about changes he’s made to his fueling strategy as he’s gone along, and how he’s gotten creative with training because of his role as a shift worker and new parent.

Melvin gives back to the running community as a pace bunny, ambassador, and regular local run club attendee.

Connect with Melvin:

• Instagram: @emjaywhy
• Couple of the Quarter with Melvin & Jonelle

Connect with Carolyn & Kim:

• Email us with guest ideas: inspiredsolescast@gmail.com
• Inspired Soles Instagram
• Kim's Instagram
• Kim's Facebook
• Carolyn's Facebook

We love hearing from you! Connect with us on Instagram @inspiredsolescast or email guest ideas to inspiredsolescast@gmail.com. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend, subscribe or leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.