The Shakeout Podcast

For his entire adult life, Olivier Duhaime has been no stranger to taking on hard challenges. Running his first marathon at just 18 years old proved a gateway into endurance sport that would see the Gatineau native tackle events from ironmans to ultramarathons and even a multi-day cross-province run from Quebec City to Ottawa. But when a shock cancer diagnosis in late 2021 put a pause to his endurance-sport lifestyle, it presented a test of perseverance unlike any he’d faced before. From training everyday to barely able to get out of bed, Olivier was faced with a mountain to climb that dwarfed even his longest trail ultras. But from a lifetime spent pushing his body to do the impossible he knew that at rock bottom there’s nowhere to go but up, and after 51 rounds of chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant, he emerged from a years-long battle cancer free. Next week, Olivier will make his long-anticipated return to a marathon starting line close to home at the Tamarack Homes Ottawa International Marathon, where he’ll be toeing the line in support the Ottawa Hospital Foundation whose care helped save his life. Olivier joins The Shakeout Podcast to share his journey of recovery and his return to full the intensity marathon training, and why this marathon carries extra importance as he raises awareness and funds for the future of the cause that gave him back his. Support Olivier's Fundraising Efforts for the Ottawa Hospital Foundation Campaign to Create Tomorrow Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. [This collaboration is part of an advertising campaign led by the Podpass agency for Altitude Sports] Shop now at Altitude Sports and enjoy up to 20% off your first order with the promo code “shakeout2026” Click here to order 👉 https://bit.ly/altitude-shakeout2026 Create an account or sign in to access the discount. Valid on items at regular price only. Valid for a limited time only after sign up. Cannot be combined with any other discount code and/or promotion. Limited to one use per customer. Membership discount not applicable on this offer.

The injury cycle can feel like a game of whack-a-mole, with one nagging pain going away only to be replaced by several different issues elsewhere. For the injured runner, the path to lasting health and getting back to the pain-free running begins with the right diagnosis. Yet while that may sound obvious the reality of getting there can often feel far from straightforward. On this week's episode we're joined by Doctor of Chiropractic Bryan Kent to explore why so many runners treat the same injury over and over without lasting success—and how shifting the focus to accurate diagnosis can break that cycle. Bryan unpacks some of the common myths around dealing with injury and pain, laying out a path for runners to take on a more active role in their long term resilience by working alongside their care providers to create lasting results. So whether you’ve been stuck in the not-so-merry go round of injuries or are looking to protect against set backs on the road ahead, then this is the episode for you. Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts Follow Bryan on social media for more tips on running injury free @forwardspineandsport

So who’s really driving this machine? Today’s guest, Paul Gamble, PhD, has spent his career preparing elite and international athletes. But after years inside professional sport, he started asking an uncomfortable question: Are we developing better athletes—or just burning kids out earlier? In his book, Sport Parenting, Paul introduces the idea of the Sport Parent, a powerful, often invisible force shaping sport more than governing bodies, or even coaches. Whether you’re a parent, a former youth athlete or someone who still has emotional scars from PE class, this conversation hits close to home. We’re talking about early specialization, the rise of “premature professionalism,” why modern kids are actually becoming less athletic, and how well-meaning adults may be trading their kids' long-term confidence and love of movement for short-term results. This isn’t an episode about blaming parents. It’s about unpacking how a culture obsessed with performance turns play into pressure—and what it costs kids, sport and, ultimately, all of us. Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. Follow Paul on social media @PaulGamblePHD and check out his book, Sport Parenting

Getting the worst flu of your life isn’t a perfect plan for anyone’s marathon race-week, but if there’s any athlete who's used to less-than-ideal prep it’s Hamilton’s Erin Mawhinney, a nurse educator who balances training upwards of 150km each week with the demands of full-time healthcare work. At last month's Marathon Project in Arizona, Mawhinney's hopes of capitalizing on a flat, fast course against world-class competition were dashed by a nasty race-week flu that forced her to withdraw just 10K into the race. Yet for her and coach Reid Coolsaet, a 2xOlympian at the marathon himself, letting the months great training go unused was never an option. Fast forward to January 11th and Mawhinney was back on the starting line of a marathon for the second time in under a month, this time in Texas at the Aramco Houston Marathon. Free from the illness that had derailed her previous attempt, Mawhinney would go on to run a massive 7-minute personal best of 2:29:36, finishing 5th in the women's elite field and making her the 12th fastest Canadian marathoner of all time. Today on The Shakeout Podcast, we’re joined by Erin Mawhinney and Coach Reid Coolsaet to talk about the work behind the breakout performance and how they approach elite marathon training while balancing the demands of a full life outside of sport. Follow Erin @ErinMawhinney_ Follow Reid @ReidCoolsaet 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 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.

If the early days of 2026 are any indication, the year ahead might be one for the history books in Canadian road running. This past weekend saw the fall of not one, but two national records in two of the most hotly-contested distances, the 10K and the half-marathon. Within the span of just a few hours, the duo of Kieran Lumb and Rory Linkletter lowered the all-time best marks at the 10K and half, breaking new ground for Canadian distance running by eclipsing the elusive 28-minute and 1-hour marks, respectively. After a mid-season coaching change in 2025 to begin working with Gjert Ingebrigtsen–the estranged father and former coach of multi-time Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen–Lumb’s pivot and subsequent move to a new training base in Europe paid off on Sunday morning in Valencia, Spain. His mark of 27 minutes and 50 seconds over 10K made him the first Canadian to dip under 28 minutes on the roads, eclipsing Charles Philibert-Thiboutot’s 2025 mark of 28:10. Mere hours later, in Houston, Texas, Linkletter continued the momentum of a career-defining 2025 season by reclaiming the Canadian half-marathon record with a 59:49 clocking, besting Cam Levins's mark by nearly 30 seconds and becoming the first Canadian man to break the one-hour barrier. Lumb and Linkletter join this week's episode of The Shakeout Podcast to recap their record-breaking weekend and to set the tone for a year of action in Canadian running that is off to an historic start. Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. Check out @Kieran.M.Lumb & @Rory_Linkletter on Social Media 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.

The Shakeout Podcast kicks off 2026 with a special New Year's Day episode featuring guest host Rory Linkletter. Rory joins John Gay for a conversation with recently crowned The Marathon Project champion JP Flavin, fresh off his win and new lifetime best of 2:09:18. The pros-only event was held in Chandler, Arizona last week. Flavin, a member of the Michigan-based Brooks Hansons Original Distance Projectteam, discusses his build up for his most recent event and his year-over-year progression in the marathon, with a personal best in each of his last five showings. In addition, JP talks about his decision to move up to the event right out of university, and whether other young distance runners should consider making the jump earlier in their careers. The crew also talks training, fuelling and marathon peaking, while laying out the biggest storylines heading into the new year. Give JP Flavin a follow @JFlavinP Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. Check out the Out & Back Podcast on Instagram & Spotify

After being named to lead the Canadian marathon team at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Malindi Elmore had some injury struggles through the spring and summer and was forced to withdraw. She decided to focus on returning to full health in hopes of finding a later starting line where she could arrive in top shape. She built steadily through the fall, and her decision to delay returning to the marathon paid off in Valencia, Spain, last week, where Malindi crossed the finish line in 2:24:53, breaking the Canadian 45-49 age group record by a staggering 14 minutes. Malindi now owns five of the six fastest times in Canadian history. The time also eclipsed the men's Canadian 45-49 record, making Malindi the fastest Canadian of all time, male or female, in the age group. Today on The Shakeout Podcast, Malindi joins the show to discuss how she built back from injury to make it to the starting line in Valencia healthy and fit–and how in this, the 10th marathon of her career, she continues to grow and evolve in pursuit of her best performances. Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts.

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. 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. 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