The Shakeout Podcast

The pre-race carb-load is a right of passage in the sport of distance running, but in recent years runners’ obsession with carbohydrates has reached a level of fanaticism that puts other running trends to shame. 

A growing canon of research is rewriting what we thought we knew about the body’s ability to process fuel during hard exercise, and with some recent studies going so far as to advocate for nearly 5 times the carb intake previously deemed effective, we’ve entered into what many are calling a full-blown “carbolution”. 

Add to this an ever-expanding selection of goos, chews, and specially-formulated drink mixes and what used to be the domain of elite athletes has now become the norm for those serious about maximizing their race day performance at every distance, with runners of all abilities chewing, slurping, and guzzling a growing buffet of sugary rocket fuel. 

This week on The Shakeout Podcast we welcome science writer and lifelong runner Alex Hutchinson back to the show to sink his teeth into the research fueling the hype and find out whether the “carbolution” is just another running fad or if that mountain of pasta the day before a marathon truly is just the tip of the carbohydrate iceberg.

Follow Alex on Instagram @Sweat_Science

Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts.

With Spring around the corner, Canada Geese aren’t the only animals reappearing along the park paths and greenspaces of Canadian cities. They’re joined by another species emerging to embrace warmer weather and sunnier days ahead: the spring road racer. 

Whether you’ve been counting down the days while slogging out the miles on the treadmill, or find yourself doing a double take at your calendar and wondering where the time went since you signed up for that spring marathon, racing season is here and the time is now to put in the work that will get you across the finish line at your best.

This week on The Shakeout Podcast we welcome Olympian and 2:10 marathoner Dylan Wykes to the show. Dylan spent years as one of Canada’s top marathoners before turning his attention to helping all athletes get the most out of their running experience as a coach and founder of Mile2Marathon. Nowadays, he's passionate about guiding athletes to breakthrough performances at every distance, age group, and experience level. Dylan lends his expertise as both athlete and coach to help you focus your training, avoid the mistakes that can derail a build, and ultimately make the most out of your marathon experience, not only on race day but in the days, weeks, and months leading up.

Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts.

Check out Dylan and the rest of his coaching team @Mile2Marathon and mile2marathon.com

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! Find CanPrev products at your friendly local health food store!

If Rookie cards were a thing in the sport of Track & Field, then Foster Malleck’s would be one you’d kill to get your hands on. 

After a 6 year NCAA career at Boston University where it took right up until his final collegiate season to qualify for the national championships, the Kitchener Ontario native wasted no time making a splash in his first year as pro. 

Less than a week after his final race in the BU Kit, Malleck was back on the track in a different shade of red, this time representing Canada at the 2025 World Indoor Championships in Nanjing China. His first-ever appearance at a senior international championship would kick off a rookie year as a pro that has been, quite literally, one for the record books. 

Since Nanjing, Malleck has lowered his Personal bests at the 1500,  Mile, 2000, and 3000m while breaking three Canadian records and becoming the second-fastest Canadian in the 1500m of all time. Add to that a NACAC Gold Medal last summer and trip to the World Championship semi-finals in Tokyo in September and it’s safe to say that jump to the big leagues was not a leap too far for the 24 year old. 

Now, a trip around the sun and countless laps around the track later, and Malleck returns to the World Indoor Championships this week in Poland no longer a fresh faced rookie but a battle-hardened vet ready to mix it up with the very best in the sport. 

Follow Foster @fostermalleck

Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts.

This week's episode is presented by Under Armour

Racing season is here and if you’re on the hunt for your next personal best, why not reach for the shoe that’s propelled the best athletes in the world to theirs? The Velociti Elite 3 combines Under Armour’s HOVR+ super foam with a specially tuned carbon plate and a light but durable outsole to give you all the tools you need to break through on race day.

 

Cover Photo: Jan Figueroa

It’s been common wisdom in endurance sports that the further the race distance gets, the longer it takes to figure it out.

But every rule needs an exception to prove it and on this count one needs look no further than the career of Molly Seidel. 

After a gold-studded NCAA career at Notre Dame winning titles at 3000, 5000, 10000 and cross country, Seidel’s star only seemed to rise higher as the distances grew greater.

She made her marathon debut in 2020 at the US Olympic Trials, proving a quick-study at the event with a stunning 2nd placing showing and a spot on the US Olympic Team headed to Tokyo. 

A year and a half later, at those pandemic-postponed Olympic Games, She’d once again outperform expectations to run away from the best of the best en route to a brilliant bronze medal.

Fast forward to today and it seems her reputation for moving up in distance and throwing down continues to hold true, even with yet another change of surface.

In January she marked the start of a new chapter on the trail scene with a win and course record clocking at the Banderas 50k in Texas. Weeks later, she would take another huge leap forward at the famously competitive Black Canyon 100k in Arizona. 

Facing some of the best trail talent in the world, Seidel turned a lack of experience into gold, claiming a 4th-place finish and snagging an elusive “Golden Ticket”, securing her a place in the biggest ultra of them all, the 100-mile Western States Endurance Run. 

Today, Molly joins the show to recap her incredible rise through the trail running ranks, what it’s looked like to double her race distance with every start, and how she’s applying the lessons of a legendary career on the roads and track to a the new challenges of the trails.

Check Molly out @bygolly.molly

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! Find CanPrev products at your friendly local health food store!

Cover Photo: Misty Wong

It’s the first week of March and that means one things for Canadian track & field fans: the U Sports track & field championships have arrived. This week on The Shakeout Podcast we’re joined by Canadian Running staff writer and U Sport insider Cameron Ormond, who joins the show to give us the rundown on the top storylines, podium picks, and athletes to watch heading into an action packed weekend.

The University of Manitoba is set to play host to Canada’s top student-athletes from March 5-7 as they vie for podium places and men’s and women’s team titles. The University of Guelph looks to reclaim titles in both men’s and women’s team competitions after being thrown from the top of the podium in 2025 by a dominant home-track showing from then-host Western.

Meanwhile, the individual competition sees a mix of returning U Sports stars such as Guelph’s Max Davies looking to cap off his university career with a four-peat in the men’s 1500m and emerging talents like Western’s Maria Linton, who will look to carry the momentum of a breakout season into a podium performance in the women’s 3000m.

Checkout Runningmagazine.ca and @Canadianrunning on Social Media so you don't miss any of the action!

Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts.

This episode is brought to you by Under Armour: all season long Under Armor has highlighted the top performances of the USport track and field season through their Athlete of the Week awards and this week the action reaches it’s boiling point at the 2026 USports championships. Check out their line up by visiting the link below. 

https://www.underarmour.ca/en-ca/p/ua_velociti_distance_mens_running_shoes/6006030.html