The Shakeout Podcast

Canadian Running Magazine, David Stol

Stories, interviews and discussions about the running world, from the editors of Canadian Running magazine.

  1. Matt Talbot | Canadian World XC Team Member on His Rapid Rise to the Top

    2D AGO

    Matt Talbot | Canadian World XC Team Member on His Rapid Rise to the Top

    As in almost every previous year, in 2025, Canadian elite startlines looked much the same from coast to coast. Whether it was 5,000m on the track, 10K on the road or on the mud and grass of the cross-country course, a familiar cast of national elites toed the line from Vancouver to Montreal, Edmonton to Ottawa. But among the rows of seasoned harriers, one face was relatively unknown: Matt Talbot of Ailsa Craig, Ont.  An OFSAA qualifier nearly a decade ago, Matt went the route of most avid high-school runners, putting his passion aside to pursue education and a career. It wasn’t until nearly a decade later, at a local road race in London, Ont., that his passion to compete was rekindled and transformed into one of the sharpest ascents in Canadian distance-running history.  In just over a year, Talbot has shaved a nearly five minutes off his 10K personal best and begun to establish himself in the lead pack of some of Canada’s premiere distance races. Accumulating a run of personal bests on the road and track, Matt broke through into the collective consciousness of Canadian distance running just over a month ago, when he traded blows with the likes of four-time Olympian Moh Ahmed at the Canadian Cross Country Championships, running to a fourth-place finish and booking his spot on his first national team. He's now set to represent Canada at the World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Fla., this weekend. Today, Matt joins the show to talk about his return to the sport, his rapid ascent and what it means to kick off the year in the red and white.  Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. Check Out Matt Talbot on Instagram @matt.talbott Huge thank you to this week’s sponsor Smartwool. Join the Smartwool mailing list to receive updates and 15% off your first smartwool.com purchase on full price products only. See terms for details.  https://bit.ly/481oMZY Conditions apply: Valid on regular-priced items. Can., 16+. Initial registration only. See terms for details.

    34 min
  2. Make Nutrition a Priority to Fuel your Best Year of Running Yet | Registered Dietitian Sandra Kilmartin

    12/23/2025

    Make Nutrition a Priority to Fuel your Best Year of Running Yet | Registered Dietitian Sandra Kilmartin

    While the holiday season represents a break from training for some, for others it’s the perfect opportunity to start ramping up towards big goals in the year ahead.  Regardless of where you find yourself, the end of one year and the beginning of the next marks a perfect time for all runners to take some time to plan for racing and training goals in the year ahead. And while plenty of athletes will be obsessing over their Strava year-end stats and setting even loftier targets for fast times and high mileage in the new year, many might be overlooking an area for improvement that’s equally ripe for the taking: their nutrition.  This week on The Shakeout Podcast, we’re joined by Registered Dietitian Sandra Kilmartin of No Sweat Nutrition. Sandra’s joint passions for running and nutrition come together in her work helping athletes of all abilities, from the track to Ultramarathons, fuel better, feel better, and get the most out of themselves through real-world nutrition solutions. Today, she joins the show to talk about steps runners can take to make sure they’re giving their bodies the fuel they need to perform, how to avoid some of the common race day fuelling pitfalls, and what it looks like to create a nutrition plan that works with you to achieve all your running 2026 running goals.  Find more Sports Nutrition advice at nosweatnutrition.ca Follow them on Instagram @NoSweatNutrition Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts.

    36 min
  3. The Fight to Save McGill University's Track & Field Program | Derek Covington: Head of Friends of McGill

    12/11/2025

    The Fight to Save McGill University's Track & Field Program | Derek Covington: Head of Friends of McGill

    On November 20th, McGill University announced devastating budget cuts to its athletics programs and the dissolution of 25 varsity and competitive club sports, effective next year. Amongst that list was both men’s and women’s track and field, programs which have existed on campus for more than a century.  The decision to cut the track & field program at one of Canada’s oldest and most prestigious universities has quickly drawn the condemnation of the broader Canadian athletics community while raising concerns about the future viability of similar programs across the country. A petition launched in the wake of the announcement to save the program has already garnered more than 11,000 signatures. Joining the show today is Derek Covington, head of Friends of McGill Track & Field, High Performance Director of Athletisme Quebec, and alumnus of McGill Athletics, where he was a multiple time All-Canadian on the track. Derek highlights the critical role that McGill’s track team has played as a development pathway for Canadian athletics talent, its importance to the broader track & field community in Montréal, and what McGill’s decision means for the state of amateur athletics across the country.  Learn more at Friends of McGill Track & Field Sign the Petition  Follow @savemcgilltrack on Instagram Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts.

    28 min
  4. Solving Pain from the Inside Out to Build Robust Runners | Strength Coach & Manual Therapist Jesse Prescott

    12/04/2025

    Solving Pain from the Inside Out to Build Robust Runners | Strength Coach & Manual Therapist Jesse Prescott

    When a debilitating back injury derailed Jesse Prescott's own athletic endeavours over a decade ago, it created in him an obsession with better understanding the root causes of pain, learning how to strengthen his body against future injury, and sharing what he learned with athletes of all ages and abilities. What followed was a journey into the inner workings of movement and performance and a career teaching others how to overcome their own pain and unlock the best version of themselves through his corrective manual therapy practice and strength coaching.  Soon, Jesse was working with some of the fastest runners in North America in Flagstaff, Arizona; constantly tweaking and improving his programming to be tailor-made for the needs of runners. Combined with his manual therapy practice, runners began finding a solution to years spent dealing with chronic pain and vicious injury cycles and The Robust Human Project was born.  Today, Jesse joins the show to share his unique approach to pain management and his strength training philosophy, one that he believes is at the heart of helping runners of all abilities get healthy, stay healthy, and bring out the best performances of their career. Learn more about Jesse Prescott at The Robust Human Project website and on Instagram @the.robust.human Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. Thanks to this week's sponsor, CanPrev Prime your preparation, power your performance, and prioritize your post-run recovery with CanPrev. Learn how natural health formulas can help you reach your running goals! canprev.ca

    48 min
  5. Why 80% of Canadian Olympians Rely on Charitable Donations | CANFund Founder Jane Roos

    11/27/2025

    Why 80% of Canadian Olympians Rely on Charitable Donations | CANFund Founder Jane Roos

    As a teenager, Jane Roos was one of the country’s most promising young talents in track and field, with Olympic aspirations to represent Canada in the heptathlon. At age 18, those aspirations came to an abrupt halt after a devastating car accident brought an end to her athletic career. While tragedy marked the end of her personal pursuit of Olympic glory, it also served as a catalyst for a new pursuit that would help countless other Canadians achieve their own sporting dreams. While recovering in hospital from the spinal surgery needed to repair the broken back suffered in the accident, Jane set about raising money to fund fellow athletes pursuing the upcoming Olympic games [Sydney]*, creating the vision for a charity that would help bridge the gap between good and great for promising Canadian athletes by providing them with direct financial support. Shortly thereafter, the Canadian Athletes Now Fund was founded. Fast forward to today, and CANFund has provided direct financial support to 80% of Canadian Olympians spanning every Games from Athens 2004 to the upcoming Games in Milano-Cortina in 2026. In recent years, reliance on the funding CANFund offers has become even more acute for many, as rising costs place an added squeeze on athletes. Add to this the Federal government’s announcement earlier this month that they would not increase core funding for National Sport organizations from their most recent increase 20 years ago, and the prospects of competing on the world stage for many of Canada’s top athletes have become evermore unfeasible.  Today on the shakeout podcast, CANFund founder Jane Roos joins the show to discuss how CANFund is gearing up to meet a record number of applicants and why it’s more important than ever for Canadians to support the athletes that represent our country on the global stage. Find out more about CANFund HERE Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. Huge thank you to this week's sponsor Smartwool. Join the Smartwool mailing list to receive updates and 15% off your first purchase.  https://bit.ly/4hCway5  Conditions apply: Valid on regular-priced items. Can., 16+. Initial registration only. See terms for details.

    40 min

Ratings & Reviews

4.6
out of 5
30 Ratings

About

Stories, interviews and discussions about the running world, from the editors of Canadian Running magazine.

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