Sole Sisters TalkHER

Episode 13 is a conversation between Stacy and Sole Sisters Ambassador Jocelyn. The original plan was to discuss how to take the perfect running/race photo. Trust us, you have never seen a happier runHER so we wanted Jocelyn’s tips and tricks because she looks so good every time we see her running! And if you hang in there, we do get to that. However, since the podcast was recorded on day two of Nova Scotia’s Covid-19 circuit breaker lock down it was hard to not address the pandemic too. Jocelyn tells us her running story that began with a couch-to-5K and culminated in a virtual marathon last spring. She keeps it real and talks about having anxiety and how that was her super-power in being prepared for that marathon. Plus she took all Coach Stacy’s advice (the perfect athlete we might add as so few listen!) regarding slowly building up her distance and how to best recover. So we ramble a bit but there are definitely many nuggets in there that you will enjoy!

Dr. Christina Bagnell, is a member of the Council of the Nova Scotia College of Chiropractors (“NSCC”) which promotes the profession, works to improve the delivery of chiropractic services in Nova Scotia through continuing education and professional development, and strives to improve inter-disciplinary collaboration in order to enhance patient outcomes.

In today’s conversation Dr. Christina and Stacy discuss what it is like to treat patients during the pandemic. The issues she is seeing in her patients, the changes to treatment that are a direct result of the pandemic and the things she thinks will stick around after we are past it.

Thankfully, even with the ebb and flow of our current health restrictions, chiropractic clinics are open so please make sure you are taking care of your body.

And finally we talk a bit about being a mother runner or a pregnant runner.  Many women talk about pelvic floor issues post babies, but Dr. Christina mentions the preventative work she is doing now to help her swollen feet to avoid a case of plantar fasciitis. Coach Stacy wants moms and soon to be moms to remember to think of their health as much as that of their babies! 

Stacy has a new HERo, her name is Lisa Wilson and she is local! Lisa has completed 70 marathons including 20 Boston’s and all the World Majors.  

In our episode we follow her through her many marathons which often were the same ones Stacy was doing. Lisa did Chicago 2 years before Stacy but Stacy did Boston 2 years before Lisa. Lisa did London 2 years after Stacy did it. Lisa has done 70 marathons, Stacy has done 79. Do you see what we mean about numerology?  So many patterns! But Lisa for sure loves Boston more than Stacy. Speaking of that.

When you listen, we bet you learn a little secret about the Boston Marathon (her favorite) that you might not know. 

Curious how she has done so many marathons. We have an idea. She takes her own advice. Lisa has 33 years experience as a physiotherapist; she is the owner of Wag Physio. We started following her on instagram [wagphysiotherapy] for her helpful video posts. You can also find more information here:

www.wagphysio.ca 

In today's episode we celebrate all Mother's. We may not all be mother's but we all have one!  Special props to the Mother's that run with their daughters. Diana describes how she and her daughter Nora trained together for a 5K last summer. And then Stacy talks about how she got her momma to do her first and only race by bringing Elvis into the picture (sort of)!

In today's episode I talk with Pamela ("Pam") who I initially met at the inaugural Sole Sisters Women's 5K. It was her first race and she walked it at a time that a lot was going on in her life. Since then she has done every single Sole Sisters Race.  That consistency is why I call her a streakHER. She doesn't run naked but she does run all the Sole Sisters events. Pam shares with us how and why she started walking and how that progressed in time to running which then progressed to marathons. Yes, I said plural. And now she is training for a trail ultra. 

I believe strongly that the greatest thing we can do as athletes is share what we love and to hopefully inspire others to see themselves as athletes too. Pam has absolutely inspired me and she will you too! 

Have you ever heard of the all girls running club called Girls Gone Gazelle with the motto: "I don't chase boys, I pass them!"?

In today's episode, Coach Stacy speaks with two women that are bringing the Gazelles to their local community. Coaches Dayna and Laura are leadHERs in their local communities and we couldn't be more excited to have them.

Girls Gone Gazelle gives girls an opportunity to participate in a non-competitive running group that creates an enjoyment of physical activity and is often referred to as a confidence club because of it. 

With childhood obesity on the rise, the goal of Girls Gone Gazelle Run Club is to help young girls become active before junior high. By incorporating regular cardiovascular activity between the ages of 9-13 we hope to increase the probability of them staying active through their teen years, thereby reducing the chance of weight related issues during puberty and giving them a healthy outlet.

Part one of two episode(s) on the Boston Marathon In this first part you'll hear from Coach Dayna and Sole Sister Deb about the Virtual Boston Marathon they will be doing later this year and we'll also chat with Sheila, a Boston Marathon veteran. In the second half you'll hear from Stacy as well as a local running legend, Denise. In case you don't know EVERYTHING about the Boston Marathon we've included some highlights here.

The Boston Marathon is celebrating 125 years this year. The marathon was first held in April 1897*, having been inspired by the revival of the marathon for the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. Until 2020, it was the oldest continuously running marathon. But for you Canadians you know it is not the oldest foot race in North America. That distinction belongs to the Around the Bay 30K which proudly proclaims "Older Than Boston" on it's race shirts.

*The race did not allow women to participate until 1972! However, we know some brave pioneers that ran it anyway and we briefly discuss them.

The Boston Marathon is open to runners 18 or older from any nation, but they must meet certain qualifying standards. To qualify, a runner must first complete a standard marathon course certified by a national governing body affiliated with the World Athletics within a certain period of time before the date of the desired Boston Marathon (usually within approximately 18 months prior).

With approximately 500,000 spectators, the Boston Marathon is New England's most widely viewed sporting event.  For the entire distance of the race, thousands line the sides of the course to cheer the runners on, encourage them, and provide free water and snacks to the runners.

Due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 Boston Marathon was initially rescheduled from April 20 to September 14. It was the first postponement in the history of the event. However, it was ultimately cancelled. In its place, the Boston Athletic Association ("B.A.A.") announced a virtual race. This became the first year in the race's 124 year history that the event was canceled, and the second time it had been modified, the first time being in 1918, when the race was changed from a marathon to a military relay race because of World War I.

For 2021, the race now includes a virtual marathon open to 70,000 entries with no time qualification. And registration will open on April 20, 2021 for those runners with a Boston Qualifier to register for a reduced field on October 11, 2021.  That race may also be cancelled but the BAA is hopeful that it will be able to occur safely. If you are interested, you can register at baa.org.

Part two of two episode(s) on the Boston Marathon. You've already hear from Coach Dayna and Sole Sister Deb about the Virtual Boston Marathon they will be doing later this year and you've heard from Sheila, a Boston Marathon veteran. Now you will hear from Stacy as well as a local running legend, Denise. In case you don't know EVERYTHING about the Boston Marathon we've included some highlights here.

The Boston Marathon is celebrating 125 years this year. The marathon was first held in April 1897*, having been inspired by the revival of the marathon for the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. Until 2020, it was the oldest continuously running marathon. But for you Canadians you know it is not the oldest foot race in North America. That distinction belongs to the Around the Bay 30K which proudly proclaims "Older Than Boston" on it's race shirts.

*The race did not allow women to participate until 1972! However, we know some brave pioneers that ran it anyway and we briefly discuss them.

The Boston Marathon is open to runners 18 or older from any nation, but they must meet certain qualifying standards. To qualify, a runner must first complete a standard marathon course certified by a national governing body affiliated with the World Athletics within a certain period of time before the date of the desired Boston Marathon (usually within approximately 18 months prior).

With approximately 500,000 spectators, the Boston Marathon is New England's most widely viewed sporting event. For the entire distance of the race, thousands line the sides of the course to cheer the runners on, encourage them, and provide free water and snacks to the runners.

Due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 Boston Marathon was initially rescheduled from April 20 to September 14. It was the first postponement in the history of the event. However, it was ultimately cancelled. In its place, the Boston Athletic Association ("B.A.A.") announced a virtual race. This became the first year in the race's 124 year history that the event was canceled, and the second time it had been modified, the first time being in 1918, when the race was changed from a marathon to a military relay race because of World War I.

For 2021, the race now includes a virtual marathon open to 70,000 entries with no time qualification. And registration will open on April 20, 2021 for those runners with a Boston Qualifier to register for a reduced field on October 11, 2021. That race may also be cancelled but the BAA is hopeful that it will be able to occur safely. If you are interested, you can register at baa.org.

According to Wikipedia, "Confidence comes from a Latin word 'fidere' which means "to trust"; therefore, having self-confidence is having trust in one's self." In this episode we hear the words of six runners as they discuss confidence. And Stacy manages to tell a story of her favorite unexpected race win down in Lynchburg, Tennessee at the Oak Barrel Half Marathon. That win would never have happened without a healthy dose of confidence. 

Races are returning to our community this weekend and possibly yours very soon. We hope that you will take some of these words to channel your own confidence but also recognize that it has been over a year without races. Be kind to yourself. Do not compare to your pre-pandemic self. In the words of Deena Kastor "Find a way to be your best in this moment." 

We will be taking a short break from our weekly podcasts but when we return it will be with several new speakers and topics so you'll have more to listen to at once. Until we speak again, remember to BE THE INSPIRATION.

In today's podcast I speak to Eve, Melissa, Lawton, Colleen and Cheryl who are or have been my running partners over the years. Eve and I reflect on what it was like to run in New York City in the 1990s. Then I talk to Melissa and Lawton who were my running partners also in New York City in the early aughts. We remember what it was like to run on 9/11 because we didn't know what else to do! And what it was like to go to another big city to race a marathon just a month after the attack. Thanks to my conversations with Colleen and Cheryl (my current running partners) we discuss what it has been like to continue running during a Pandemic here in Nova Scotia. The one thing that has remained most consistent with me over the 23 years of running partners isn't who I am running with or where I am running but that I am running. Running partners are better than "just" friends because you usually get to see them more often and there is just something about what is said on the run stays on the run. I encourage you to find a running partner if you want to take your running to the next level or just to find motivation to keep putting one foot in front of the other. 

In today's episode I talk about having the goal of qualifying for Kona, the Ironman World Championships. Initially this was not a goal of mine but when I saw the results of my third Ironman and discovered I missed the podium by one spot and Kona by five minutes. It was game on. Ironically my good friend Eric told me as I ran past him in in the marathon portion of the event that he thought I was going to Kona and I said "No, I am not!" I just couldn't believe I was fast enough to go to Kona but if I had believed him. If I had dug a bit deeper with the knowledge of how close I was, then I very likely would have gone to Kona that year. Instead, I spent a year training with the knowledge that I was a contender for Kona. But, I knew I needed to be five minutes faster. In this episode I discuss with my husband Tim some of the things I did differently in training to make sure I was faster. And when race day dawned with the worst conditions Lake Placid had ever had for an Ironman I need those precious minutes. There are a couple of funny stories thrown in to boot.

Back in the day, Juan and I used to run together in New York City (where he still lives). In today's podcast Juan and I have a conversation about how he is using running to stay active and to stay positive during Covid.  Over the years Juan and I have raced together a lot. I have often told the story of our "AWESOME" New York City Marathon when he taught me how important what you say/think matters. And while we have done too many New York City and Boston Marathons to count, he does remind me in this podcast he saved my Boston Marathon in 2012 by having sunflower seeds for me at mile 17.  That salt was exactly what I needed.  In our conversation Juan shares some really good advice about positive affirmations, using stairs to improve running, surrounding yourself with high achievers and how he has never regretted a run once it's done so that motivates him to get out of bed most mornings to run. I appreciated the walk down memory lane and getting a chance to reminisce with my good friend, I think you'll learn a little something too.

Our third episode of Sole Sisters - The Podcast will be launching on Friday, March 12th. Over the years Juan and I have raced together a lot and in this conversation he gives me some AWESOME running advice and reminds me of the time he saved my Boston Marathon by giving me salty sunflower seeds at mile 17. 

Back in November 2016 I completed a 100 mile trail race. This is the story of my limited training (100 days that included a 36 mile self supported practice run on the actual race course and 4 marathons to "practice") and a conversation with the complete stranger that stepped up to be my crew and pacer. I had an amazing VIRTUAL CREW back at home in Nova Scotia that supported me by sending good vibes, going for an organized run and watching my progress; a few of the toughest/craziest stayed up for the entire 21 hours 33 minutes and 16 seconds it took me to finish my race. They sent so much good energy to me that I felt it. But, I wasn't able to talk to any of them or my coach so as my Momma says, "you get what you get" in this podcast and maybe I'll get someone to talk to me later about their experience of virtually crewing. If you stick around to the very end I hope you laugh at my story of trying to get an elevator once I returned to my hotel after the race. All I wanted was to get to my room but I was moving so slowly I missed three elevators. If you think you've had a bad marathon shuffle, you ain't seen nothing until you see it for the 100 miles. 

This Friday we will be uploading the next episode (#2) from Sole Sisters - The Podcast. 

For my 100 mile trail race I had an amazing VIRTUAL CREW back home in Nova Scotia that gave me the best virtual support you can imagine. However, I did not have a crew, a pacer or even someone that would be at the start or finish with me. I was gonna go do the biggest thing I had ever attempted alone. Until a complete stranger decided to give up her weekend and drive 19 hours to be there for me. We’ll talk about that and the race on Friday when the episode is released. 

In honor of Valentine's Day, Stacy takes a trip down memory lane with her friend Melissa as they talk about how their love of marathons began. Both women trained together for their first marathon back in 1992. The girls followed a two-week training plan that only worked because they were 18 and 21. In this podcast they reminisce about what it was like to want to do a marathon before marathons were cool.* Despite doing everything wrong, they agree that they both loved the marathon right away. Between the two runHERs they have done 87 marathons and at least one of the runHERs is a marathon addict. Stacy's favorite marathon accomplishment is running a 2:59:05 in her 30th marathon before the invention of those speedy carbon shoes.

Melissa and Stacy didn't let lack of knowledge stop them from trying something new. We feel the same way about this podcast. It is not polished and we clearly have a lot to learn in recording and editing. But, we hope you'll stick around as we get better at podcasting. We certainly got better at marathons.

* We believe, one individual more than any other is responsible for the marathon boom that has made doing a marathon a bucket list activity. The runHER responsible for it, is Oprah Winfrey who did her marathon in 1994. Ms. Winfrey brought marathons to the masses and more importantly she brought it to women. In a future podcast we'll discuss the history of women's long distance running that we all take for granted now. 

Sole Sisters Women's Race is launching a podcast this winter. Race Director (aka "Coach Stacy") has a big goal. She wants to have the first episode done by her 50th birthday. But, that is in 13 days so we need your help now.  Do you know a Sole Sister with a story that you think is inspiring? Are you a Sole Sister with a story to tell? Remember you have to BE THE INSPIRATION. Email: stacy@solesistersrace.com or you can message us on our social media channels if you have ideas. There is no telling where this podcast will go but you have a prolific talkHER in Coach Stacy so she has high hopes this will be something that "almost" makes up for us not being together in person.