The SaskatchewRun Podcast
A podcast about Saskatchewan runners and the people and places that inspire them. This podcast touches on subjects that are interesting to runners from all over the world and especially those based in Western Canada.
Jason Burns is an ultra runner from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. He started this podcast so he could share all of the amazing stories from the Saskatchewan running community that he is so proud to be a part of.
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@SaskatchewRun
The SaskatchewRun Podcast
Hailey Thompson
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Hailey Thompson is a runner and run coach from Swift Current, Saskatchewan. On this episode we talk about her running history, her future goals in running and how strength training has always played a big roll in her athletic journey. Check her out at
https://www.instagram.com/runwithhails/
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To get in touch with the podcast feel free to email Jason at jasontburns40@gmail.com
@SaskatchewRun
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Artwork by Gavin de Lint
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Thank you to the Burning Hell for the use of their song Holidaymakers. Check them out at
www.theburninghell.com
Before we get started this week, I'd just like to give everybody a little reminder that if you're enjoying this podcast and like what you're hearing, please like, share, subscribe with friends, share with a fellow runner. I think we have a really good loyal following going so far, but I think there's some room for growth. I know we're a big lots of listens in Regina and Saskatoon, but I know there's lots of people out there in the province who may have never heard of this podcast. So if you want to share and spread the word, I would really, really appreciate it. Thank you so much. And as always, if there's somebody that you think would make a great guest on this podcast, please reach out, let me know. Email link is listed at the bottom of the show notes, and I would uh love to hear your suggestions and recommendations. I know there's uh so many inspiring people in this province, so I'd love to interview each and every one of them at some point. Haley Thompson is a runner and a run coach from Swift Current, Saskatchewan. On this episode, we dive into her athletic history, her running career, and her run coaching business. We even get to talk about strength workouts, which is something I love to nerd out on, so I super enjoyed it. I hope you enjoy it as well.
SPEAKER_00The last day of the summer vacation. Walked along the train track. We didn't think about going back.
SPEAKER_01You are listening to the Sketch and Run podcast with your host, Jason Burns, a podcast where we talk to Sketch and Runners about the people and plates that inspire them. On this episode of the Saskatchewan podcast, we are joined by Haley Thompson from SwiftCurrent, Saskatchewan. How are you doing today, Haley?
SPEAKER_02Hey Jason, I'm doing good. How about you?
SPEAKER_01Very good. Thanks so much for uh coming on the podcast. I appreciate it.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, thanks for having me.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, andrea Amy Ott, who's a friend and loyal listener, recommended you a few months back. So I'm making my way through the list of um people that people want on the podcast. So I'm very glad you took your time out of your day-to-day to join us.
SPEAKER_02Oh, well, I appreciate her uh mentioning me. And yeah, thanks for reaching out. It's the first podcast, so we'll see how it goes.
SPEAKER_01For sure. Well, you already sound like a professional, so so why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself?
SPEAKER_02For sure. Yeah, so I'm Haley Thompson. Currently we're residing Swiftcurrent, Saskatchewan, with my husband Adam. Uh I work as a full-time agriculture lender at Farm Credit Canada, um, and as well as a run and strength coach on the side. I'm pretty passionate about staying active and helping others reach their fitness goals. Um, it's something I've always really enjoyed and loved doing. Um, so I thought why not put it to put it to work and uh help others achieve their goals and see what they're capable of. Um aside from that, yeah, I really like running, uh racing, lifting weights, do some golfing, uh, traveling with my husband. Um, yeah, you name it, I will try it. Might not be good at it, but I will definitely give it a go.
SPEAKER_01Nice. That's awesome. Were you uh born and raised in Swift Current?
SPEAKER_02No, I'm actually uh a Manitoba resident or born and raised in Manitoba. Um we moved to Saskatchewan in 2016. We've kind of moved around a few times for Adam's work. Uh he was in the grain industry, he no longer is, but we yeah, we live lived in Kindersley, Battleford, and then moved to Swift Current uh just shy of four years ago now.
SPEAKER_01So nice. So you're enjoying living there, I presume.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it's awesome. We really enjoy it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, such an such a nice city for sure. When you uh mentioned that you traveled, do you have any um recent big trips you've been on?
SPEAKER_02Or uh we haven't uh trying to think. We went to Denver in November. We uh also billet WHL players here in Swift Current. Um, and one of our past uh billets is playing for the University of Denver, so we got to go down there one weekend to watch them. Uh that was a pretty cool experience. Got some runs in. Otherwise, we've stayed within Canada and kind of gone various different places.
SPEAKER_01Nice. How is that um WHL billet experience? You obviously like it.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, we really like it. Um, when we first moved to Swift Current, we wanted to meet some people, so we thought what better way to meet people than uh dive into billeting? Uh it's a great community, and we've met some really cool friends this way. Um, yeah, had some awesome kids and keep in touch with them. They become family.
SPEAKER_01Nice, that's so awesome. Yeah, I used to be a huge WHL fan, not so much as interest change as you age and stuff, but yeah, I always thought of how people always just view those hockey players as they're just like a, you know, basically like a robot on the ice wearing equipment that's supposed to score goals every time they touch the puck and they don't realize there's like an actual young person in there kind of developing their own perspective on life and away from home and you know, have like these support systems like people like you, and it's uh cool to think of people like you who help these kids out on their journey. It's awesome.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it's pretty cool. Um, definitely, um, especially some of them, it's the first time they've ever been away from home. Um, so trying to make their experience the most comfortable they can being away from their family for the first time. Um, but yeah, you learn to really get to know the kids and see what they like and what they don't like. Um and yeah, they just become family. You do pretty much everything with them because they're away from home for six or seven months of the year and they become your family. Uh, we don't have kids, so that's basically um the way we get our kid fill is taking in hockey players.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's awesome. Yeah, and those are, you know, if you're playing in the WHL, you're definitely an elite athlete. So I'm sure you probably learned some things from them. And yeah, for sure. Do you ever um get to pass on any of your um knowledge of run coaching and strength training? Or did they kind of kind of a whole different thing than running, I would suspect.
SPEAKER_02Um, so they they would have their own program through like the WHL and their uh strength and conditioning coach. But actually, a couple of the billets we had this year, they would come to run club uh with us and they would go on a couple runs. So that was a pretty cool experience. Uh otherwise they have a pretty stringent schedule where it doesn't always allow them or they have something up when we could do something. Um so yeah, we always talk about running and stuff, but yeah, they're pretty much pretty tax during the season, yeah, for sure.
SPEAKER_01All right. Well, yeah, that's cool background. I like that. So uh how did your athletic journey begin?
SPEAKER_02Um, so I would say it's always something that I've been into. Um I started at a young age. Uh I was the youngest of four kids, so our parents um basically allowed us to do or try any sport we wanted. Um, so we grew up a lot at the local rink where started skating at a young age. So hockey was my first passion. Um, and then as I got older to stay in shape for hockey, I started running. Um, we lived on the farm. So besides yeah, doing chores and working with the horses and the cows, um, ways to stay busy was going for a run or kind of taking up different activities um and trying new things. Uh, and then it's something that just kind of has grown over time that I've become more passionate about as I've gotten older.
SPEAKER_01Awesome. Did you make it to a fairly fairly high level of hockey or just more recreational?
SPEAKER_02Um yeah, I played uh AAA and stuff, and I was supposed to go to university to play hockey, but I opted out of it. Um at the time I didn't didn't love school. Um, it was something I was okay at, but didn't love. So I didn't didn't want to go to school and play hockey at the same time. Um, so just opted to go to school.
SPEAKER_01For sure, yeah. I always think back as uh I was athletic in high school as well, too. But it seemed so, you know, if I wanted to play like a higher level of hockey, it seemed like such a commitment because you know you had to be at school from 9 to 3:30, and who wants to practice till five every day or something? But in hindsight, when someone actually like looks after all your food and you live at home with your parents, it actually would have been pretty easy and probably beneficial for life.
SPEAKER_02But yeah, I agree. I sometimes look back and wish I would have, but also still am where I am today uh without doing it. So I've done something right, I guess.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, for sure. That's what I always say as well. No, no need to regret it when you're enjoying what you're doing now. That's what led you there. So that's awesome. Yeah. So how did uh running end up being a big part of your life?
SPEAKER_02Uh yeah, so again, it kind of goes back to uh in school, we would always have uh days called tabloid days where it's like you try various different events. Uh there was always some running involved in it, and it's something that I was good at. I always actually like to chase down the boys and beat them. Um it was something that I always did, and then it kind of grew into like middle school track and field and then into high school, um, where yeah, I did a lot of running, but in middle school, you could basically do all the events that allowed if they didn't overlap, so I would try everything and then kind of fell into the running side of things um and just started, yeah, keeping up with that along with playing hockey.
SPEAKER_01Awesome. So, do you remember what your first um I don't know, I guess you were in it for a long time, but like one of your first big achievements running where you thought you had a talent for it or realized you did?
SPEAKER_02Um, yeah, I would say the 400 and 800 meter were kind of my thing uh in school, and I was pretty good at them. I actually still to this day hold the 400 and 800 meter record for from my high school. So I think that's pretty cool. Um yeah, I'm waiting for some of the young girls coming up to take it down, but no one has yet.
SPEAKER_01Nice. So it's that's awesome. And then after um you were running like the track stuff, did you kind of go into like more of like cross country or 10Ks or half marathons, or how did that journey be?
SPEAKER_02Um so yeah, after high school, um I just ran for fun for a while, and then it wasn't until 20, excuse me, until 2015, uh, when I actually signed up for my first half marathon in Winnipeg. Um, I thought I'm doing all this running anyways, I might as well sign up for a race and see what I what I can do. Um back then I definitely didn't have the knowledge I have now, so I didn't train for them properly, and I did the half marathon and then I didn't run for the rest of the year.
SPEAKER_01Oh wow.
SPEAKER_02Um so yeah, there's lots of learnings for the first couple.
SPEAKER_01For sure. For yourself personally, what do you think was like the thing you may have been lacking or overlooked in your training?
SPEAKER_02Um, I think training for the overall distance. I don't think I trained like near long enough for my long runs. I think I maybe ran like 14 or 15k before it's my longest runs. Um, and just not having the knowledge and yeah, just going out to run to run and not having like a structure um or like workouts or anything. It was just like all one pace. Um, yeah, no hard days, no easy days. It was just just to run.
SPEAKER_01Just like the junk mile, sort of they say, I think. Yeah. I know I have friends who are they run, but they're not really like into running, and they'll always say something like, Oh, yeah, I can run at this pace. Like I go out for five or six K. I could run like this all day. I'm like, well, go try it sometime and see what happens. And usually like 12, 15k and they die.
SPEAKER_02So yeah, exactly.
SPEAKER_01It feels feels easy, but it's not that easy.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, or you're gonna pay pay for it a lot later on.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, for sure. So, what um, how did you learn to get better at the uh half? Did you just do a little research or hire a coach?
SPEAKER_02Or um, yeah, so I would say I just did some more research and then again in 2016 I signed up for the same half marathon. Uh basically did the exact same thing as my first training block, didn't train properly, and then from there, I think I just got hungry where I was like, okay, I need to need to do better, uh, learn more about it. Um, so yeah, did some research research, started training a lot better, and then from there my running journey kind of really took off.
SPEAKER_01Okay, cool. What would your um next step have been after that?
SPEAKER_02Uh so then I did, I ended up training better, and then I signed up for a couple half marathons the following year, but I was like running consistently for a good portion of the year instead of just like running to train for the race and then stopping. Um, I would keep it consistent and then I would also keep strength training consistent then. Um strength training is something that I've always loved. But when I first started running, I thought I had to drop it. The typical to be a runner, you can't be big or whatever. Yep. Um but then I learned that yeah, it definitely plays a huge part in keeping healthy, keeping strong, um, being able to race and run at like a high level. You need to be able to yeah, be strong and your bones and muscles have to be able to support what you're doing.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, for sure. Yeah, I love that too. I know um I've always lots of runners say they don't like strength, but I would I think if I had to pick, I would actually rather just do like CrossFit workouts than than run. I love them both, but I do I love the strength stuff too. I actually came from more of a CrossFit background, and then especially at like say 21k and under, I was fairly quick for my age, just really without even running that much, just from being stronger and having like the big VO2 max from the hard workouts and stuff. And obviously, as you age and get into the longer distances, the whole formula changes. But yeah, I I was always pretty impressed with just um how the strength training prepared me for for that uh those especially the smaller distances for sure.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, for sure. Strength training has definitely been like crucial um to keep me healthy, keep me strong. Um, and yeah, as you mentioned, it definitely like they coincide with each other. You need them both. Um but strength plays a lot into being able to like run fast, run hard, run strong, um, and keep healthy.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, for sure. And do you have um a favorite strength like uh movement that you like, like squatting or deadlifting, or what what's your your favorite if you had to pick a couple?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, for sure. Uh so yeah, leg day would all be my favorite day by far. Um so I I love the workouts or exercises. A lot of people don't like Bulgarian split squats or like lunges. Um I do also like a good squat, but yeah, I like the the hard single leg movement ones.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, for sure. You're a strength coach. I always have this question that I like to ask people, being that I'm kind of a strength nerd myself. I know lots of um programs and coaches recommend they always say like squatting, but yeah, I know there's different nuances to front squats and back squats, and they they do both do different things. What's your opinion on front or back? Which one would you do? Or would you do both?
SPEAKER_02Or um so mostly I actually implement when I'm programming, depending on where someone's at, I will have them do both. Probably not in the same like workout, but yeah, if depending what it is, I have them do back squats or the odd time it's the front squat. Um yeah, I have them do a lot of the primary lifts and then add in the secondary things that are gonna help help keep strong and uh move forward with running.
SPEAKER_01Nice. Yeah, that's one of my my nitpicks when I look at or hear other coaches talk, they say squats. I'm like, well, what kind of squats? It's it's not just squats, maybe they're just doing like air squats or something. I don't know, but for sure.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I would say the back squat, I do I program that probably a lot more than the front squat, but I do like to add in the nice challenge of a front squat.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, for sure. I'm naturally kind of a chicken, so I I actually I back squat more than I front squat too, but I like the front squat because if you get in trouble, you can just bail whereas a back squat bale can be nasty. So for sure.
SPEAKER_02No, that makes total sense.
SPEAKER_01Especially when I'm squished into my furnace room, and I'm not sure what would even happen if I dropped the barbell, it would hit a few things and probably knock out some water lines and break my back.
SPEAKER_02That probably wouldn't be good.
SPEAKER_01No, it wouldn't be good for sure. So you um when would you have started? Like you were already like fairly into strength training when you first started running halves, or did that um start more when you got a little more focused in your training?
SPEAKER_02Um no, I would actually say strength came. Uh strength training came before running consistently did. I had a mentor um when I was in high school. He actually had a local gym and I was good friends with with him, or he like mentored me through. Um, so he would program me some work strength workouts um that I really enjoyed doing, and then I would add in some running from there. Um, it basically started to stay in shape with hockey again and track and field. Um he saw that I had some like potential, so he just wanted to work with me to help me get stronger. And then yeah, it kind of just flourished from there. That he until I left Manitoba, he was still programming me workouts um that I really enjoyed doing that were challenging but good. Um, and then that's when I really saw the benefits of strength training and running going together first, doing one or the other.
SPEAKER_01For sure.
SPEAKER_02As a coach, do you ever get any pushback about, like you said, the you know, if you lift weights, you're gonna get bulky or gain weight or no, actually all the people that I coach are pretty pretty open and see like what I've been able to do or accomplish. Um so it's been really good. And then I honestly tell them like women can't bulk like men can. Um it's honestly almost impossible. For sure. Yeah, it would take a lot to to get there. Um, so I just like look at the benefits of what they can when they're being done together.
SPEAKER_01For sure. I read a thing once where someone said you won't accidentally train to be like a sub-three-hour marathon, or just like you won't accidentally get big by lifting weights if you don't know exactly what you're doing.
unknownExactly.
SPEAKER_01Exactly. I remember when I was in CrossFit, there was this young guy, I can't remember his name, doesn't matter, but he was a pro hockey player, played in like the adult, or not the adult safe, but the uh American Hockey League. And he in the summer he lived in Regina and we would pair off because we were the same height, so our squat racks were the same, and he was like just super lean and a hockey player. And I think he could do like I want to say like 325 pounds, like 10 times. So I mean, he was strong as strong as can be, but he was lean. He was he wasn't bulky and he was lifting huge weights, so but he also said that's basically all they did in you know further training for hockey was so much back squatting, like get those heavy reps and lots of reps for sure. All right, so what would have been um after you did your half marathon and kind of um tried that distance out? Did you graduate to like the full at some point, or do you kind of always mix up your distances? Or I always assume everyone does like the progression from you know 5k to 100 or whatever you end up doing. But yeah, so what what where did your journey take you after that half marathon in the 2020?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so I think I did um four or five half marathons, and then in 2019, um my husband and I are actually I think boarding a plane to go to Mexico, and when at the time when the planes had like those magazines in the back of the seats, we were flipping through it and we came across the Calgary Marathon, had an ad in there, and he's like, um he just kind of handed it to me and he's like, Have you ever thought of doing this? Or like would you try going to Calgary? And then I was like, it gave me like the instant to just sign up for a marathon. Um, so yeah, I signed up for my first marathon in 2019. Um, and I knew a little bit about like Boston Marathon, but at the time I still wasn't big on it. But I was like, eventually from there, I was like, I want to qualify uh for Boston, and it was kind of crazy. I did my first marathon and I just missed the BQ by 42 seconds. Oh wow. So it made me like super hungry to train and get better, stronger, faster, uh, and BQ.
SPEAKER_01Nice. And you were eventually able to do that?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I ended up uh running two marathons that year. I did Calgary in May, and then I did Queen City in September. Um, and then in Queen City I qualified for Boston.
SPEAKER_01Nice. What would your uh time had to be at that time?
SPEAKER_02Uh I think it was 325 at that or 330 maybe. Yeah, it's 325 now. So it would have been 3.30, and I qualified with a 318.
SPEAKER_01Awesome. Good for you.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and then COVID happened.
SPEAKER_01Yo, yeah. So what happened to your Boston qualifier? Then were you able to eventually use it?
SPEAKER_02Or um, so then yeah, it was kind of crazy. Like when COVID first came in, um, Boston was still going on, and then it kept getting worse and worse, and then they finally they had to cancel it. Um so then that's actually when uh I met Tarren Crosschild, and he actually made a course up for me in Saskatoon. Um so I did a virtual Boston with him, his family, my husband was there, and a couple of friends. And yeah, we actually just ran the Boston Marathon like on our own, but uh we still used it just to do something. Um, so it was a pretty cool experience they made for me.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I know that sounds awesome. Yeah, and and for those listening, I always say I give myself a shameless plug. You can go back and listen. Terrence has been a guest on the podcast uh a couple months ago. I'm sure you'll be able to find it. But yeah, that was a great interview, great guy. It's not surprising to me that he uh helped you out with that and set up a course and you guys went out together. He's a pretty pretty awesome human.
SPEAKER_02He is, yeah, he really is.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, for sure. So then you never have you ever done the Boston marathon then?
SPEAKER_02Uh yes, Boston, yeah. Yeah. Um, so yeah, then after that, um, I kind of trained for a couple more marathons, and I had a coach at the time, and he's my goal at that point was then I wanted to run a sub-three marathon.
SPEAKER_00Oh, right.
SPEAKER_02Um, and I wasn't quite there yet. I think my fastest at the time was it might have been 310 or something. So my coach at the time was like, why don't you try to get a sub-three before you go back to Boston? Because Boston can be a tough course. So then I was like, Yeah, sure. So then I worked at it. Um and then in 2023 I ran 257-57 at the Toronto Marathon in October. Um, so then I was like instantly, I knew I wanted to sign up for uh Boston. And then yeah, I just ran Boston in April of 2025.
SPEAKER_01Nice. What what is your time in that?
SPEAKER_02Uh it was 305.16.
SPEAKER_01Okay, cool. Still very impressive.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I was it was like on track for a sub three until halfway, and then the race kind of things weren't feeling good, so then I just backed off and soaked in the experience. Um, yeah, it's such an iconic and unreal course. Uh the city caters to it. It was such a cool experience.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it sounds sounds awesome. It's um on my bucket list to do a big city marathon at some point.
SPEAKER_02A lot of fun.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I love love traveling and I like big cities and groups of people and especially while you're running, I think it would be an amazing experience.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it's a perfect excuse for a vacation.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, absolutely. We've actually come to learn we only like vacations that involve running now. If we go try to do like something else for a week, we're like, this sucks, I'm bored.
SPEAKER_02Let's have to that's how that's almost how we are now. We make sure like my husband, like big into hockey, so we'll always try to like plan around a hockey game or like uh some sporting event, and then I can get my runs in. And he'll he'll do like a casual 5k, but he's not quite as competitive as I am. So he's more there for fun and to take in the sights and yeah, awesome.
SPEAKER_01Um, other than the Boston Marathon, is there some other and you just mentioned the was that the Toronto waterfront you did?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, nice. Any other yeah, I've also done uh BMO Vancouver. Um that was that's also a lot of fun, a nice course running along the seawall. Um, where else have I done? I've done yeah, Queen City a couple times. Um I guess that would probably be all for marathons. I would say one of the funnest half marathons I've ran. We went to Mexico right before COVID. That was a lot of fun.
unknownYep.
SPEAKER_01Whereabouts in Mexico was that one?
SPEAKER_02Uh that was in Cobo. Oh, nice. So yeah, it was awesome. I don't think they do it anymore, which is unfortunate, but it was a lot of fun.
SPEAKER_01Awesome. Yeah, that sounds good. Do you have anything uh you're trading for currently?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so um for the spring, I usually like to pick just like shorter distances, just because given in Swift Current, we get the tail ends of Chinooks where it like thaws and freezes. So the weather can be so unpredictable, and the pathways and streets aren't the best here those times, so it's a lot of treadmill running. Um and then yeah, I'm hoping to do a fast ball marathon. I just haven't nailed down which one yet. I have a couple ideas, but cool.
SPEAKER_01And then you have your shorter spring one picked out.
SPEAKER_02Uh yeah, so I uh will I'll do something at Sask Marathon. Um, and then I think I'm thinking something in Calgary as well. And then I actually signed up for a um HyRox competition with a friend, so we'll in Ottawa in May. So we'll give that a try. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And for those who aren't familiar, tell us a bit about HyROX. I know a little bit about it, and it's another thing on my bucket list. I think I would like that.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so it basically it almost um it's like running a joint with CrossFit where you do like eight times one kilometer runs and then you do eight stations of like sled pulls, pushes, um, burpee broad jumps, um, sandbag lunges, uh wall balls, um, ski erg, rowing. Uh I might be missing a couple. It's my first one, so I'm kind of learning about it as I go, but I'm super excited because it's like two things I'm really passionate about. So I think I think it might be something I really enjoy.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, for sure. Sounds like it might be right near wheelhouse. That's that's awesome. Yeah, for sure. And they're all kind of the like when you do that high rocks portion that you're doing, it's all kind of like are they all like the same reps and the same, or is there different like levels? I forget.
SPEAKER_02No, I'm pretty sure it's like all the same reps, and then if you do it with a partner, like you and your partner can split it up however you want, but I do know the running, you have to like stick together and you have to be like close by, otherwise you're penalized. Okay, for like the stations, yeah. I could do like 50 wall balls, and she could do 50, or she could do 75, and I do 25.
unknownOkay.
SPEAKER_02Um, but yeah, so that you can split up. I just know the running portion you have to stick together um and do it all together.
SPEAKER_01Okay, cool. And then on like the wall balls and stuff, is there like a standard weight, or is it just everyone does the same?
SPEAKER_02Um, I think it depends on um like if you're doing it as singles, mixed doubles, or doubles. I think our wall ball, I think it's 10 pounds. And then each like the I know the um uh lunges and stuff also have a different weight, but I haven't fully read up on what all those weights are.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, nice. You just kind of looked at the basic idea and thought it looked cool.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I think sometimes ignorance is bliss.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, for sure. So do you have any other um like longer-term goals of things you want to do with running in the future?
SPEAKER_02Or you uh yeah, I so I still want to get faster. Um I would love to yeah, run like a sub-250 marathon. Nice. Um, yeah, break like 38 in the 10k, 18 and the 5k, and 120 and the half. Yeah. Um, but yeah, we'll see, we'll see where it takes me. It's kind of one race at a time. Uh each has their own learnings. Um and yeah, kind of go from there.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, awesome. And when you're aspiring for these goals, will you coach yourself or do you hire a coach?
SPEAKER_02I know there's no I hire a coach. I always find it's nice to not have to worry about my own plan and someone else make it. I am a coach and I could program my own, but I like having someone else plan and structure my workouts for me. Um, yeah, and I have a pretty great coach who understands like my needs of running. I'm kind of like a unique runner where I kind of struggle with easy runs, so I don't do a lot of easy running. I do a lot more workouts uh with tempos and then a couple extra rest days.
SPEAKER_01Oh, nice. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, it's so cool all that. Uh the the formula or the recipe, how it's different for every athlete. That's it's always cool to hear.
SPEAKER_02For sure.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, for sure. And then you've mentioned that you are a coach as well. Why don't you tell us a bit about your run business?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, uh, so yeah, I have a coaching business. I would say I think I started in 2017. I first got my strength certification and then um kind of just evolved into people asking me about run coaching. Um, so then I ended up getting certified in that, and that's just something that's kind of taken off. Um, I'm honestly not great at advertising it myself. It's more word of mouth that has gotten me the clients and the athletes I've got. Um, but I think word of mouth is one of the best, best ways to go about it. Um, and yeah, it's kind of something that I'm pretty passionate about, but don't do it full time. Um, so I think that's what keeps me really engaged and love doing it. I love seeing my athletes like exceed, excel, seeing what they're capable of when they have their own doubts. Um, yeah, it's pretty cool.
SPEAKER_01Nice. So how many um athletes would you have when you're also uh so right now I have about 12. Nice, nice. Yeah, it's and you do you have like a distance or a certain type of race that you prefer training, or do you kind of enjoy it all?
SPEAKER_02I actually enjoy it all. I like seeing like everyone's different levels um and what they're capable of. Um a lot of them started at like a 10k and then wanted to move to a half and then the full. Um, and some just like certain distances. So it's kind of fun just to play around um and challenge each athlete in a unique way that works for them.
SPEAKER_01For sure. I noticed you're um a USCA certified run coach as well.
SPEAKER_02I am, yep.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, nice. And then what does that mean for people who might not know?
SPEAKER_02Well, uh United Endurance Sports. Oh, geez. Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_01I actually don't know the uh, I just know it's kind of like the uh pinnacle of run coaching, I think, in North America.
SPEAKER_02Hey, yeah, yeah. United Endurance Sports Coaching Academy. Nice. Yeah, and I think I liked it because it was like very hands-on um and very like in-depth, but not overwhelming to learn the um content and kind of easy to adapt to when programming um stuff for my athletes, and it had like a mix of like a little bit about nutrition, but not like in-depth, but like enough to get a good grasp on it to be able to help my athletes understand some basic fueling for their runs.
SPEAKER_01Nice. And then there they have like the different distances too. You can get accredited. So do you have like the uh kind of like the 5k the marathon or what?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, that's that's the one I have. Um, I've contemplated of doing like the ultra one, and I've had athletes reach out. I just haven't had time to do it.
SPEAKER_01Um okay, cool.
SPEAKER_02Uh so that I think eventually is on my bucket list just to add another another credential to my um list. But yeah, right now it's just like the five 5k to marathon.
SPEAKER_01Nice, that's awesome. And then if someone listening was looking for a coach, are you do you take on new clients or are you pretty fully?
SPEAKER_02I do, I do have a couple open uh spots. Um, you can actually go to my website, it's runwithhails.com. Uh, and it kind of shows my different offerings that are available at the moment. And then if I were um busy, it'd just be like a wait list. But um, yeah, capacity kind of opens up as as someone is done or not needing coaching anymore. Um, but I do have a pretty consistent and solid base, which is super helpful.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, no, that's awesome.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_01I was gonna ask you, I was mentioned in the little preamble how I know runners are generally curious people and they're experimenting and trying to learn things. I was just wondering if you have a book or a podcast or a magazine that you would recommend that maybe people haven't heard of, or maybe maybe they have.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, um, I really like the um book 52 Marathons by Mev Koples Koplevsky. However, um that one's really good, or like Born to Run um by Des Linden, or yeah, there's a few different ones that I like. Um, I listen to I'm not a huge podcast person, but the odd time I will. Um Allie on the Run has some good ones, especially if you're like planning for a big race or something that she's been to. She kind of does like breaks it all down um to what someone can expect.
SPEAKER_01Okay, yeah, that's good. I know, yeah, it's kind of nice if you just have a few, isn't it? I find sometimes if I listen to like too many podcasts and I feel like I don't even know how to run anymore, like I'm doing everything wrong, I don't eat right, I'm not sleeping enough, my training is stupid.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I try to keep uh the lighter and lighter, more humble ones, um, and try to stay out of my own head because sometimes it's uh it it can be a mental battle and getting in your own head isn't the best. So I try to just stay in my own lane and keep up with my training, but be able to listen to something that's like fun, has some good content, but also you don't have to like really listen to um to yeah, be able to understand and get to where they're going.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, for sure. And I'm sure as a coach, you probably know that as well as anyone that I'm sure different things work for different people. So you don't do something exactly like this one person does online or something, you you can still meet your goals and get things done. Yeah, for sure. Was there anything else you wanted to add or talk about today, or did you think uh we touched on everything?
SPEAKER_02Uh yeah, I think we touched on the uh the pretty broad spectrum of everything. I don't know if I have a ton more to add. Um yeah, it was nice chatting with you. Happy you reached out to have me on the pod.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, for sure. It was uh not not the longest one I've ever done, but you're very very well spoken. So I just got it packed into like 35 minutes, so it's perfect.
SPEAKER_02Awesome. All right. Thanks for having me again, Jason.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, well, thanks so much, and we'll uh hopefully see you at a race someday or or anywhere. Yep. Keep up. You have been listening to the Saskatchewan podcast. Please subscribe and leave a review wherever you listen to pods, and remember to get in touch at jason tburns40 at gmail.com for suggestions of who you think may make a great guest on this podcast, or for comments in general. And as always, thanks to this wonderful Canadian band, The Burning Hell, for the use of its song Holidaymakers. Check them out at theburninghell.com. And until next time, keep putting in the work.