Leisha Grebinski

Leisha is a triathlete from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. On this episode we talk about her running journey and how she used running as a tool to discover new cities and cultures on a recent trip to Europe. We also talk about her knee surgery and how she has been working hard and training smart to get back to the sport that she loves. 

And since I completely butchered the Coal Country Run location here is a link with more info! 

https://raceroster.com/events/2026/115290/coal-country-run-2026

Use this code for 10 percent off any distance in the GMS QCM for 2026. 

26QCMSASKATCHEWRUN

http://www.runqcm.ca/

https://raceroster.com/events/2026/109828/gms-queen-city-marathon-2026

To get in touch with the podcast feel free to email Jason at jasontburns40@gmail.com

Instagram

@SaskatchewRun 

Thanks for listening and remember to like and subscribe! And please share with all of your friends! 

And only leave a five star review if you think I’ve earned a 5 star review. 

Artwork by Gavin de Lint 

http://gavin.delint.ca 

Thank you to the Burning Hell for the use of their song Holidaymakers. Check them out at 

www.theburninghell.com

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:00

Lisha Grabinski is a triathlete and a mother from Saskatoon. She hosts Blue Sky and the This is Saskatchewan podcast for CBC. On this episode, we talk about her running journey and how she used running as a way to experience different cities and cultures on a recent extended vacation in Europe. We also talk about her involvement in the Just Try It program in Saskatoon and how she has been recovering from knee surgery and getting back to the sport she loves.

SPEAKER_01 0:23

Enjoy the last day of the summer vacation. Stop day at the gas station. We walked along the train track.

SPEAKER_03 0:35

We didn't think about going back. You are listening to the Saskatchewan podcast with your host, Jason Burns, a podcast where we talk to Saskatchewan runners about the people and places that inspire them.

SPEAKER_01 0:52

The kind of carbon those little plastic things. I was wearing the wrong shoes that day.

SPEAKER_03 1:00

On this episode of the Saskatchewan podcast, we're joined by Lisha Gorinsky from Saskatoon. How are you today, Alicia? Hi, Jason. I'm good. Thanks so much for uh coming on the podcast. I appreciate it.

SPEAKER_00 1:12

Yeah, I I appreciate it. I will admit, I'm like nervous and also very honored to be a guest on your podcast. I'm a big fan. Um I've listened to to almost all of the episodes. And so to be part of that cast of people that you've interviewed, it feels uh I feel like I've I've got a bit of imposter syndrome, but I also feel um just special to to be part of that running community.

SPEAKER_03 1:38

Well, thank you very much. I'm also a little nervous too because I have to interview an actual professional journalist.

SPEAKER_00 1:43

So it's kind of uh Well, don't worry about that. For uh for uh just no no uh no nerves there. I'm I yeah, I'm no different than than you as a podcast host. So let's just do this.

SPEAKER_03 1:57

For sure. All right. Well, I guess since you're a listener, you know how this kind of all starts the same way. Why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself?

SPEAKER_00 2:04

Yeah, so I'm uh I live in Saskatoon and I do work as a journalist. Uh I've worked with CBC Radio for like a couple of decades already. Um my my current job is uh as a radio host. So I I host our live call-in show at noon across Saskatchewan called Blue Sky. Uh and I also host this podcast that's weekly or twice a week, technically. My part is weekly on Wednesdays. It's called This Is Saskatchewan. So that's that's me and my professional life. Um, but I'm also a mom. I've got two kids who are nine years old and six. Um, my spouse Jordan is a huge supporter of my running, biking, swimming, all of my extracurricular activities. So we're we're a family of four in uh in Saskatoon. And yeah, that's just a little bit about me.

SPEAKER_03 2:58

Nice. And then when did you um kind of start your running journey?

SPEAKER_00 3:03

Yeah, um, you know, it's funny because I I think about this every time you ask someone else on the podcast, right? I'm like, what will I say to Jason about my running story? So, you know, growing up, I was a very active kid. Um, you know, I played basketball, I was in dancing, I, you know, I did a ton of different things, kind of tried every sport growing up and was never very good at any of them. And so never really had that identity of being an athlete. Uh, you know, through elementary school, high school, like sure I played basketball, but I was, you know, third string and uh hardly scored any baskets and you know, but but still had that sense of community from the team and it was still a part of my life. So I was I've always been active. But it wasn't until um adulthood, you know, kind of after university, when I I got into running. And I think a big influence for me was my father, who who was always an active individual and always wanted me to be active, but I wasn't really like the the athlete that I think he had imagined. You know, like I think he wanted me to really like basketball and do all these things. And I did, but it wasn't like my passion, but I watched him run and he always, you know, he he ran fairly consistently. He ran, yeah, I think I don't even know how many QCM races he did. And he always did half marathons, he never did full marathons, but he was always just like consistently running. And so very much so he was part of my inspiration kind of later in life in my 20s, where I was like, maybe I could run. But again, like I didn't really have that athlete's body. Like running was really hard for me. So it took me a while to get into to get into the sport. Um, but then I did. And, you know, I think I was in my 30s and I I kind of like, I don't know, it's it's sort of funny about me. Like I feel this reluctance, but then I like joined the Gilletta Pacers in Regina, which is a running group, like Ted Gillettas along. Yeah, an incredible runner that there I was, like, you know, just kind of like chubby Leisha running alongside these Gillette Pacers, and I was always like back of the pack, but I felt like I belonged in that group. And so I did that for maybe a year. Um, and then I like it, like really took off for me, like in my mind. You know, I um running like every half marathon that came up, and I would sometimes run with my dad. And I think a part of it was like, you know, I was like into my career, I was I was single, I didn't really have a lot going on, and then running kind of became this new thing. So did several uh races, um, a lot of half marathons, a lot of 10K's. And, you know, looking back, I was fast back then because I was younger, you know, I could do anything. I didn't know anything about schooling, whatever, right? Just ran. Uh then I moved out to British Columbia and took a job as a morning show host in Prince Rupert. And I remember like, because I was big into running, I had arrived on like a Wednesday and there was a race on Saturday um in town. And I was like, well, I'll do this. And I always I put myself in these uncomfortable situations where I'm like, I'll do this. I'm outgoing and I'll just run this race. Uh and then I like realized like I don't know anybody and I don't know anything about this town that I live in, and it was super hilly. And and I and like I was like at one point realizing I'm probably gonna be last here, like I'm signing up for this race. But anyway, I wasn't last, I was like third or fourth last. Did that uh and then did a couple of other races in BC. I did this really cool relay race um along the Skina River, where people run from Prince Rupert all the way to Terrace. It's like a hundred and 150 kilometers, and I signed up to do the 20, which was also like nuts, and I hardly knew anybody, but it really helped me form some friendships. So I did that. Uh, then I moved back to Saskatchewan, took the a job for CBC in in Saskatoon, and then life started to get harder because I was working that morning shift, and um, that really takes a toll on one's health. So my running slowed a bit. I did travel out to Vancouver and did the CWs, uh, and I hadn't really trained properly. And that race like kind of sucked. Like it was just a really hard, hard race. And then that kind of was like the last half marathon that I did for a while because my life started to take a slightly different trajectory. So I was like, you know, hosting this morning show, working early mornings. Then I met my partner um and we married, and then I started to have a family and had some very difficult pregnancies and a couple of miscarriages along the way. Um, and so running kind of took a back seat. I just physically wasn't able to do it. Um, you know, at a few different points in time there. It was either like I was trying to get pregnant or I was going through a loss, or then I was pregnant and that was really hard. For me, I wasn't one of those people who ran until the end of pregnancy. Like I gave it up pretty early on. Uh, and then the hustle and bustle of raising small kids. Um so um it wasn't until 2023, I think, that things shifted again for me. And um, I ended up taking a different job. So I moved from the morning show to this noon noon time slot.

SPEAKER_02 8:26

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 8:26

And uh, and this is like post-COVID, right? Where you realize, like, I think I was dealing with burnout that I hadn't really identified, right? Like, as I think for like healthcare professionals, that COVID burnout was significant. And then I realized that for people who were in the media, that was a pretty intense period of time. And so I think I was just ready for a slight shift in life, right? So I took on the noon show. Um, and then to like speed up the story, uh, I uh I signed up for a program called Just Try It and uh sat amongst 120 women who were of all different ages and all different abilities, and realized, oh, like my running life isn't over, like I can still do this. And so that I think it was 12-week a 12-week program where you run, bike, swim. Uh I did a duathlon, and then I did a a short triathlon or a sprint distance triathlon. And then that like set me off on this whole new path of like running all the time, doing all these things, and feeling I finally feel like an athlete. And I am, even though I've gone through an injury recently and am rebuilding, I have never felt more fit. And so that kind of takes takes us, Jason, to uh the more that's that's the backstory of of running, and then that kind of takes us to the more recent years.

SPEAKER_03 9:57

For sure. Yeah, that's awesome. So, how is the um just try it? You're still involved with that too?

SPEAKER_00 10:04

Yeah, very much so. So um, so I did the program uh in I'm getting my years mixed up. Maybe that was 2024. Yeah, I think that was 2024 that I did that and um and was so hooked after. So we we ended up being away last spring. Uh my family, we I took a kind of like a sabbatical from work and we've been planning it for years. And so my husband and I and two and our two kids traveled to France and put our kids in in school. Um, and so I wasn't in Saskatoon last spring. Oh, okay. And I honestly, Jason, I was living my best life. Like we were away traveling, just like it was incredible. And at the same time, I was watching everyone back home participate in JTI and I had FOMO because that program was so incredible. And so I knew for sure that when we got back, like now it's 2026, that I wanted to contribute to that program in some way because it had had such a profound impact on my life. So this spring I'm volunteering uh with just try it, uh, and and seeing women who who aren't who don't who are just like me, who maybe didn't see themselves as ath as athletes. There are some who are exceptional already and just wanting to try a new challenge, but there are a lot of women who have a fear of water and who don't want to swim, who have never run and you know are learning about buffs and like gear and all that great stuff. There's women who hadn't really ridden a bike. We helped um a woman literally learn to ride a bike on just a few days ago. And within an hour she was cycling by herself. So it's been like a really positive thing to be part of. So I I've I've been doing that, and then I even stepped into the role as volunteer race director for the Bridge City Duathlon, which is just a couple of weeks away. So in a very short period of time, I feel like this whole thing is like become my whole identity.

SPEAKER_03 12:07

Yeah, that's awesome. And what that's two weeks away you said the dual the bridge city duathlon.

SPEAKER_00 12:15

Yeah, so yeah. So my friend who is also an alumni of Just Try It, she's really the one who that was her Bridge City Duathlon was or sorry, she was an alumni of Just Try It. And her very first race ever was the Bridge City Duathlon. And much like me, she felt like, okay, this program is everything. Like it really did, it really did change her life too. And over time I've learned just like what it takes to actually put these events on that have been such a big part of my life. And then you realize, like, okay, there's like a whole crew of volunteers, and someone has to do this, this work for us to have these amazing experiences. So my friend Nicole put up her hand and said, I'll do that. And I looked at her and said, Well, I'll help you. And so then suddenly we're co-directors of a race, um, our very first time. And it's been an awesome learning curve. Um, you know, we're we're planning a party on one hand, and then we're also having to learn all the rules of of triathlon and timing chips, and where are you gonna put the mats and you know, mapping out a course and all of that? So um it's our small way of giving back to the to the community and and also just learning a whole new skill set that um has been really fun.

SPEAKER_03 13:31

For sure. Yeah, when you go to a race or an event, you always everything generally moves so smoothly, and somebody has put a lot of thought and effort into that. But some people overlook that, I think. You don't realize all the logistics and the all the planning and the kind of predicting you have to do.

SPEAKER_00 13:47

Yeah, and it's a whole other uh side of the community. You know, like a big reason why why running has been so important to me. Like I think back to those days with the Giletta Pacers, and as a young adult, I was introduced to people and their stories, right? Like you, you you end up running with people who are going through divorces, people who might be struggling with their mental health or overcoming cancer, and and you know, you you form these friendships in a very short period of time because you're out on a run together. And that's always been really important to me. And now I'm seeing how that sense of community can be built on the volunteer side of it too. And you get people who are passionate about these sports and they come together in a different way and are supporting it on the other side. But I think at the end of the day, for me, uh all of it is about meeting people and and feeling that sense of community.

SPEAKER_03 14:40

Yeah, I agree with that 100%. It's kind of just yeah, you just feel a connection with everyone else who runs. It's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 14:46

Yeah, yeah, it really is.

SPEAKER_03 14:48

For sure. Why don't you tell us a little bit more about your uh sabbatical you took? That sounds pretty interesting. And did you were you able to take in a few races when while you were in France?

SPEAKER_00 14:57

Yeah, I did do one race, just one, um, a big one. I ran my first marathon in northern France. And and the reason for that all does it stems from from just try it. So I finished that program and was like, what's next? What else can I do? And I knew that this big trip was coming up for my family. So triathlon wouldn't have been as possible. I wasn't gonna be traveling with a bike, um, you know, whether or not there'd be a pool around. Like I just didn't know. And really running is my first love. I I love the simplicity of running. You don't need a lot of equipment. And I just I just love that you can go out the door and explore. So I thought, okay, I want to do something big. Like this, this felt it felt like a good time to set a really big goal. And I wanted to find a way to be consistent. Consistency is key, right? In um in running. And I had struggled with consistency for a lot of my life. And I I had to figure out like, well, what works for me? You know, classes at 5:30 p.m. or run groups at 6 p.m. don't really work for me as a parent. Um, and they didn't work for me when I worked such early mornings. And so I'd sign up for things and I'd never complete it. And I thought the problem was me, but the problem wasn't me. I just didn't know myself well enough at that point to just be honest and say, like, that doesn't work for me. So I ended up hiring a coach and a coach that came recommended to me by a physiotherapist because I was also, you know, feeling some aches and pains that likely came after, you know, some the pregnancies and just a sort of a new body. And so I was, you know, working with a physiotherapist and said, I want to keep, I want to be consistent. I want to keep this level of activity up, but I don't really know how I'm going to do it. And she was like, Well, what have you thought about hiring a coach? So I ended up working with Coach Brandy, who's been a guest on your podcast. She's now yeah, she's now got her own her own business. She's working solo and uh and it just seemed wild. I was like, what am I doing? Like, I'm just like a mom and I have a run coach. Like, what okay? Um, but I thought I'm gonna try this. And it's a system that works so well for me. It takes off any pressure for me to think of a workout or how to build. Like, and of course, like I've used the Nike app and stuff, but it just never felt, I just didn't follow it the way I'm so keen to follow a plan written by a coach. Like I feel accountable to Brandy. I get excited when I find out what my workouts are for the week. And like nothing gets in the way of me finishing them. And so, in a very short period of time, I was like, this is it. This is the magic to get me doing it. Like, and I and I found that if I could just figure out the time of day that worked best for me and my family, I could do it. And the best time of day is before my kids get up. So thank goodness I had that morning show job for all those years because it trained my body to just like the mornings, even though I didn't love how early that was, I still gravitate getting up early. So I'll set my alarm 5, 5:30 and um and head out for a run. So I was focused on, I said to her, okay, like I've never done this before, but we're going on this big trip. Do you think I could run a marathon? And she's like, Yeah. So like developed a plan for me to run. So I started the training in Saskatoon, and another guest on your podcast, Margie Brown, ended up being my running partner and savior through a very difficult winter of very long runs. The race I picked was in May, and I hadn't really thought through how long of like the distance of those runs in your training plan long before the marathon and what the weather would be like in Saskatchewan. So you're running through like minus 30, and it's and I was going so early in the morning, it's dark, I didn't feel safe. And luckily, I had a buddy, Margie Brown, who always said yes to me, even when she ended up slightly injured and was walking. We had a plan where she was like my safety net, right? So I would run and then I'd run back to her. And I swear, like the reason why I was able to build those kilometers is because I had her. So she like she was everything to me at that point. But then we had to leave. We left Saskatoon and off we went on this big adventure. So we were living in Calais, uh, France, in the in the north, which is sort of this the spot where people will take the ferry to England, right? Okay. It's right on the on the ocean there, uh, the English Channel. And I was probably at like 28K, 30K by the time we got there. And so I'd, you know, we landed in Paris and I did a couple of early morning runs that were just short to get me, you know, loosened my muscles a bit after traveling. And that felt like a huge accomplishment. I was like, oh my God, I'm in this like new place and I have to run by myself. And that felt daunting, but I did it. But then I got to Calais and was like, oh, I've got 28k on my schedule this week, and I don't have Margie with me, and I don't know this place and I don't know where I'm gonna go. And I like I I I felt so overwhelmed by that because and I was like, is it safe here? Like I just oh, I just felt beside myself. And then I woke up and I was like, well, Brandy has it on my schedule. I gotta do this for this marathon. So, you know, I went out and did that first run and I did it. And uh, and then I did it again and kept going, going, going, and ended up like running, you know. I think it by the time we got back from our trip, we had been in, I don't even know how many countries, nine, ten countries, and I ran everywhere we went. Um and I and I did them all by myself, which was pretty remarkable. I'm I'm I'm very like, I love friends and I love running in groups, but I also love running solo. The challenge with being a woman and running solo is you never often you don't feel safe, right? Sure, yeah, yeah. That's a huge thing. But I did it and I felt safe there and it was fine. So I trained and then I uh we traveled an hour by train from Calais to a city called Balance-sur-Mer, which is also on the ocean. And the marathon was called uh the marathon by the sea, marathon de la mer, or whatever it was called, en Francais. And you know, I don't speak French and I didn't know anybody. It's just like, what am I doing? Um and I did it. I ran freaking 42K along the ocean through like French villages, and it was the best. Sounds gorgeous. It was the best, it was the best. It was so great. And I Still can't believe I did it. But I did. And if I can do it, uh anyone, anyone can do it.

SPEAKER_03 22:07

For sure. So when you're in a new place like Calais and you have 28 kilometers, how do you how did you end up picking a route to run that far? I know sometimes at home, even the place I've run my whole life, I've it's tricky.

SPEAKER_00 22:20

It's a weak it's a weakness of mine. I don't really read maps very well, and I'm not good with Strava. And so I just like tell my husband, I'm like, okay, I'm gonna run this direction for 14K, and then I'll turn around. The nice thing about um Calais was that you know, we were a kilometer, about a kilometer from the water. And so I would head out my our apartment door, you know, run through this square, then take this one street down that took us right to the beach. And then there was this beautiful promenade that, you know, it wasn't, but also when you start running these long distances, you're like, Jesus, I gotta run like to the next city practically. Um, so like along the ocean was only so far. Um, but it was beautiful. So I was able to like, I just like ran that far in that direction. And then, you know, and then I ran through this like old World War One cemetery, and then that took me through another uh village called Sangat, and then I would end up on the highway and on like there'd be you know green fields on the left and then kind of like these sand dunes um to my right. And so I couldn't always see the water once I got to that highway. Um, but it was still quite scenic. And so, you know, the first time I ran, I thought, geez, like who's living in the bushes? No one was living in the bushes, it was fine. But you know, like I just it's unfamiliar territory, right? And I was like, who else is gonna be on this path? But you know, there were a lot of runners. Um, you know, I think there's this uh idea that, you know, French people don't like the gym, they don't work out, but there has been this growing movement of running uh that I witnessed, like even the number of races that I saw, and then races added since we were there. Like there's now a marathon in Calais that would have been amazing to do. They that was like or along the water too. So yeah, I I never did master a way to figure out a route. Like I'm not very good at that. Um, my husband would help me, and like especially when we ended up in new places, we were like, hey, where's the where are we staying? Like um, and then just kind of guessing, like, you know, like we were in Turin in northern Italy, and we were fairly close to the river. And so, you know, you run a couple kilometers to the river, and then you just see other runners, and you're like, Oh, I'm in the right place. I'll just run along the river for 15k and so I don't know, like it's it's not the best uh method, but and I loved that I would just end up in places like I'd see parts of cities that I didn't get to see with my family because we were always on foot. You know, we would take trains and buses and rent bikes and that kind of thing. But it was the running that always took me further than what I would have done in a day with with my kids. And so running became this like like it became my thing on this trip. It was like, you know, I wasn't working, it provided me with routine. Like I really like structure and routine. That's something I've learned about myself. And so I'd run, and that would be this vehicle to explore. And then I would write about it. I kept a daily Substack journal. And I hadn't intended to make running like the biggest thing of the experience, but I found that it be it was just so easy to write about running because I was always doing something, seeing something. And in real life, that was my way to reflect on everything. And so then that would turn up in the Substack. Like, and I didn't want to be someone who's like, look at me, I'm running all the time. Like, aren't I? Like, you know, in that kind of like wellness culture uh crap. I just wanted to have this like Instagram persona of like, look at me on these like scenic runs. But it became so important to me and like my processing that I did end up writing about it, and it just became a part of like the everyday experience of of traveling for me.

SPEAKER_03 26:33

Yeah, that's awesome.

unknown 26:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 26:35

Was there a couple times in particular where you were running somewhere and you just kind of were taken aback at like, wow, I'm running in this like super cool place. I'm sure it probably happened every day, but is there a couple that stand out?

SPEAKER_00 26:46

Oh well, I mean, we were so we we stayed in Cala for four months, and then we had six weeks of travel and ended up spending three weeks in Northern Ireland as well. So um, which we were just so lucky. Like, I just have so much gratitude that we had this experience. Like, even talking about it is just like, oh yeah, we did that. That was really special. Um, but yeah, I mean, every time I went on a run, it was incredible. But I think the the varied landscapes, like so talking about Turin and running along their river, and then the architecture, architecture was just like incredible. And then, you know, I have really fond memories of running along the water in Helsinki and like the rocks that kind of like that, you know, pop out of the water, and um, you know, I ended up running into sort of more of a not a suburb, but like, you know, a neighborhood where I was like, oh, my family would live here. And uh, you know, I was running fairly early in the morning, and you'd see I saw this like family of three, and the parents were drinking coffee out of their mugs and they were wearing house coats, and they like they really had finished like a sauna, and then their kid was on a scooter and they were off to the water to cold plunge, right? And I was like, Oh wow, this is something. So that was like really cool just to see apartment buildings and like how people like I think I liked running so much because it made me feel like I was part of the fabric of the place. Like I love that, yeah. See like kids walking, like we were in Berlin, and you know, I ran along the Berlin Wall, which was like super cool. But then what was even better was getting into a neighborhood and seeing kids, you know, biking to school and what their backpacks looked like, and those daily habits and people commuting and uh on bikes and that sort of thing was was really neat. And then, like, so like a lot of urban running, but then we ended up in this small town in Northern Ireland, thanks to a friend whose sister lives there. We rented her house for three weeks, and then I was running on like back roads that were super hilly, and then there were cows and like you know, just like the stereotypical Irish landscape, uh, you know, and I'm running in these fields and it's green and it's raining, and it was just like the yeah, the varied nature of all the places I went was was pretty pretty cool.

SPEAKER_03 29:11

Yeah, it sounds like it. Were you able to like connect with anyone on your runs, like and tell them your story and what you were doing?

SPEAKER_00 29:17

And no, no, it was so funny because I'm I um I am definitely an extrovert. And here at home, it is all about community. So it was a very different experience being away when I first got to Cala, and because I was so scared of running such a long distance by myself, I was panicked. Um, and I started reaching out to people on Instagram, but I didn't speak the same language as them, and they probably thought I was crazy, and so nobody wrote, which was like um, and at that point, because we were there in the spring, there wasn't there wasn't a running group that I found. But then sure enough, like two weeks before we're leaving, there was this bar and everybody would meet, but you know, it didn't kick, it didn't really start up until the weather had turned, right? It was more like summer, and then we were off to our next location. So never did connect with anybody there. And then traveling around, like, no, didn't even do a park run um because it didn't all, you know, it didn't land on we weren't in the right place on a Saturday or whatever. So, no, it really forced me to um embrace it as this solo like activity where there was a lot of self-reflection.

SPEAKER_03 30:32

Yeah, well, that's awesome too. Was there a place in your travels where you could picture yourself living, like a particular neighborhood or something where you're like, oh wow, this is where I want to be someday. Or did you just oh gosh.

SPEAKER_00 30:45

I mean, like so many. I mean, I I do come back to Helsinki a lot. There's a there's a lot about that city that you know, I just loved. Because I not only did I run, like I did go to public pools every chance I got. Um, and I love being in a new city and going to like just the city pool. Like I did have a pool in Calais that I would walk to the odd morning, and you know, and then you start seeing those regular people, you know, the older women slowly doing their laps, and that rhythm of a pool is just like super cool. Um, so in in Helsinki, it was just next level because they have this pool and sauna facility that really like it does have a lot of tourists, a lot of locals use it too, but it's so inexpensive. Like I was like, this is like this is like the Nordic spas everybody's talking, you know, everybody's dying to go to in North America. But it was like, it was like dropping in at the Shaw Center in terms of price. And so I did have one early morning where I went by myself and I swam laps and the the pool, like the facility is like on the water. It's like a floating pool. And then I've been watching on Instagram like through the winter, they still had people lane swimming with like snow falling and like it's just spectacular. And you think, wow, like I want to live there where I can have my early morning swim, do a sauna, run along the North Sea, like um, and it was yeah, there was just a lot from Helsinki that I was like, oh yeah, this is my vibe. But I could I and I won't live anywhere. I love Saskatoon, I won't live anywhere else. I'm not sure. I love Hicksinky so so much. But there were so many lifestyle things that I saw when we were away that I came back thinking, okay, it's like not quite the same, but I love the YMCA and I love my Steam Room and I love that pool. So, you know, I just gotta like think like the finish and just make the best of what I have.

SPEAKER_03 32:42

Yeah, for sure. I like your um theory on traveling too. It seems like I always say I like I like to see like real people doing real things when I travel. And I'm not interested in like the I mean I do like a good tourist trap too, but don't not not the whole time, but I I just love going into a neighborhood and like I don't know, just watching somebody walk around the block drinking coffee or just trying to picture how their life is the same as mine, or how you know also shows you how much humans are all so much alike.

SPEAKER_00 33:09

Yeah, oh absolutely and languages, yeah. Like traveling for me is like coffee shops, grocery stores, swimming pools, running routes. That's it. That's all I need.

SPEAKER_03 33:18

Yeah, those are the best, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:19

The best thing that's how you learn you learn you're you learn about a place through there, through those things.

SPEAKER_03 33:24

Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_00 33:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 33:26

So you had mentioned um you were battling a little bit of an injury earlier. Is that all back to normal now?

SPEAKER_00 33:31

Or oh yeah. So I had this like magical six months running off, yeah. And then um yeah, got back August 18th, went for a run, and then suddenly had knee pain and couldn't finish a run. I think I did three runs when I landed back in Saskatoon and realized I had a a torn meniscus, which is a pretty common injury, whether you're a runner or not. Um, I felt very reassured by all of my healthcare practitioners that this can happen to anyone. You could be, you twist the wrong way in the shower and you could tear your meniscus. Because a lot of people who aren't runners started to say to me, Well, you clearly ran too much. And I mean, that hurt. And you think, like, well, is this injury my fault? I mean, like, maybe, but also to be active is like such a gift. So screw them. So I and no healthcare practitioner said to me that I had run too much, and nobody said you're not gonna run again or anything like that. So I had to really keep that front and center. Like all these activities that I do are good for me, and I need to find a way to get back to that. So I had to take a break for sure and and followed the advice of rehab and strength training and all of that. But then I did end up needing surgery. I had um my knee kind of locked when I was out biking with my kids, just a you know, easy bike ride, Thanksgiving weekend. And we had got gotten off our bikes to walk up the hill, and uh, my knee just kind of locked, and then I couldn't put weight on it. So I actually ended up on crutches for about three weeks. Oh, wow. So it was rough. Like I it was I had a really rough return, you know, where I had hoped to, you know, continue walking everywhere and you know, that sense of uh adventure. And then suddenly I was on crutches, like it was really hard. But I got in uh for surgery very quickly. There was a cancellation. Um, so things moved fast for me. So I had surgery to um, I couldn't, they couldn't repair the meniscus. It was just um, they were only able to clean it up. So I'm kind of guaranteed to get arthritis later in life because when you scrape some of that meniscus, you know, you might, but that's okay. We're all gonna get arthritis.

unknown 35:51

I'm not gonna worry about it.

SPEAKER_00 35:53

Um, so I had the surgery in November, and it has been a bit of a long haul uh in terms of recovery. I think I'm a bit impatient and just wanted, you know, I'm like, I have that spirit to move and be active and and I couldn't, I couldn't run. So I spent the winter swimming and biking and listening to the Saskatchewan Run podcast. I swear you brought me through some really long bike rides where I thought this is hard being in this gym and this sucks, but there's great stories out there of people who run, and that really kept me motivated. Uh, and it's only been in the last few weeks that I've I've started a return to run program, and it's coming along. And so I've set a goal of doing a standard distance triathlon June 20th, which is a 1500-meter swim, a 40K bike, and a 10K run. Awesome. The swimming and biking will still be challenging for me, but I've really had a great winter of focusing on those two sports. Um, and so now I'm just working on that running and I ran 10 minutes yesterday for the first time, uh, like 10 consecutive minutes, because I've been doing intervals. Um, so that was a test to see how that would feel. And it it felt okay. I'm still not perfect. I still have pain, it's still tender, but it's coming. And I, you know, everyone around me who's helping me get through this says you're gonna get there. So I'm just gonna keep moving forward. And if I walk in that standard race, that's fine. But I'm I'm back to setting some goals and feeling like it's all gonna be possible. So I'm gonna do that. And then I have signed up for the Beaver Flat 50 10K, um, which will be very challenging. Uh, but that's a ways away. So I've got lots of time to keep building and getting that uh, you know, like the motions of running didn't feel as natural as they used to.

SPEAKER_03 37:43

It's so it's a yeah to come back to it. For sure. Are you still using uh Brandy as your coach too?

SPEAKER_00 37:50

Yeah, she's stuck with me through this whole injury, which I, you know, like is maybe a little nuts. I've had a running coach and I haven't run, but that's why she's so great. Um, because she's she's so encouraging and and I think I was able to maintain a level of fitness through this injury that I wouldn't have been able to on my own. So she was a huge support with bike workouts, swim workouts, you know, when I started using the elliptical, like she still planned all these workouts for me, and that was great. And then I also just got more into swimming. Like I did a triathlon swim lesson uh for two sessions this winter. I signed up for the this new master's program at the YMCA for a session. And so yeah, just got to focus on some other sports in a in a really great way. Like I yeah, and I bought a new bike. So like things are rolling along. And I do credit Brandy for keeping me consistent.

SPEAKER_03 38:48

Yeah, that's awesome. Which uh triathlon are you gonna be doing?

SPEAKER_00 38:53

The Living Sky. So this is the Saskatoon Triathlon Club uh out at Pike Lake. It's and it's the one I did through Just Try It. I did the sprint distance um that year. So this year I'm hoping to accomplish the standard. And it's gonna be there's like a lot of women who have gone through that just try it program who are now setting new goals. So we'll have the support of each other and then thinking about people who are doing it for the first time through the just try it program. Uh and to yeah, like just see their nervous energy. And then when you actually cross that finish line, as you know, Jason, it's just like it's just such a wonderful feeling. And so I can't wait to see like it's just such a great race to to be part of because of those connections and and and whatnot.

SPEAKER_03 39:39

Yeah, the finish line always makes you forget that an hour or so before that you were contemplating new hobbies and gonna quit and never never do these stupid things again.

SPEAKER_00 39:47

Yeah. Well, that takes me back to the marathon at like, you know, 38k. I was like, this is the dumbest thing I've ever. And then you finish and you're like, when's the next one?

SPEAKER_03 39:57

Yeah, yeah, it's weird how our minds work. So when um you're all healed up and back to full strength, do you have any like long-term goals that you would like to do?

SPEAKER_00 40:08

Like some destination races or yeah, I mean, okay, so the thing about destination races that I learned, uh you I mean, I was there for a longer period of time. So I like I didn't have access to a physiotherapist, you know. I'm like, so I'm like not quite as keen to be like, I'm gonna travel a great distance to do a race because you know, you're dealing with jet lag and new foods, and yeah, um, so I don't know. I don't like I would love to travel for another race, but I don't have anything on my radar necessarily. I am like really keen to do more close to home. And I think like that's also the beauty of being away, and then you think like like I just couldn't wait to register for Beaver Flat 50. Um home and like, you know, do these races that are really like rooted here and make us feel so proud to be from uh and so you know, and and like listening to your podcast and and getting to know more and more people in the running community. I'm like, could I get into trail running? Um, you know, I want to do that. I I can't this year, but that Canada Goose thing that you guys do in Regina, whatever that races. Like it's uh I just want to like try all these different things that yeah, that's a weirdly, weirdly fun race.

SPEAKER_03 41:22

That one, you just yeah, for those who aren't familiar, you just kind of all hang out at the marina parking lot kind of on by Broad Street there and just run four kilometer loops from Broad Street to Albert Street around Wiscana Lake in whatever direction you like, and you can do a six, twelve, or twenty-four hour. And yeah, it's just uh sounds horrible, but it's it always ends up being needed. I my favorite part of it is like in the morning, it's like the dog walkers and the runners, and then in the afternoon it gets maybe like families are out walking, and then it gets like kind of weird and creepy in the evening, and there's like like people singing karaoke out of their car speakers dressed like Elvis Presley, and like then like the the teenagers with like the you know, 30 or 40 like loud cars with the weird mufflers drive around the park a few times, and then overnight, um I don't know, you can just just gets quiet, I guess. But but yeah, it's kind of cool overnight because there's actually like um volunteers on bikes who kind of go around for safety. There's like three or four people, so there's they're always just you know making sure the runners are not running into anything weird out there, but yeah, yeah, I love I love that.

SPEAKER_00 42:26

Like that's just there's just so many random, cool things. And I think like I mean, I I love Regina, I grew up in Regina, um and I did do a triathlon that it was in August, um like Patrick Ash's race, I forget what it's called now, the endurance, endurance triathlon. Uh, and you got to swim in Wascana pool and then go around the lake. Um and I just think like I have an appreciation for you know Wascana Lake and Regina, and I have such an appreciation for the Miwasan Valley in Saskatoon. And anytime you you can take in an event that just reiterates like how special these places are to us, like I think to me, that's what it's about, right? So yeah, absolutely. Canada goose thing seems absolutely ridiculous and weird, but it's like we get Regina people out, and you know, like that just sounds awesome to me.

SPEAKER_03 43:18

Yeah, it's like what we always get back to, just community. You get to hang out with people, share some laps with other people, and yeah, it's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 43:24

And appreciate the environment, right? Like wherever you are, there's like something to appreciate.

SPEAKER_03 43:28

Yeah, yeah, that's for sure. I like um even last year I went and did the uh Moosh Jaw Running Festival. I think they've just had their first half marathon distance. I did the 10K last year, but uh yeah, that was a cool thing that's been going on for years, and like for us, it's only like a 40 minute drive, and just so cool to be in Moose Jaw, such a cool city as well, and just kind of started downtown, did a 10K and just met some new people, and yeah, it's just right in our own backyard.

SPEAKER_00 43:52

Love it. See, I I'm gonna do the Echo Lake triathlon too.

SPEAKER_03 43:55

Okay, nice, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 43:56

Shorter distance in July. And um, I've Been to Echo Lake in years just because being in Saskatoon, it's now it's that much further to go to Echo. But we booked a camping spot. I'm taking my family, my kids are gonna do the the shorter the kids of steal distance. Um yeah, and I just can't wait to camp and spend a weekend doing that kind of activity at Echo Lake, you know. Like haven't been there in a long time, and I think it will be really awesome.

SPEAKER_03 44:22

Yeah, that's a nice spot. And there's the Pasqua Peaks. I don't know if you've heard of that one. That's a new trail race that uh put on by some friends here from Regina. That's an awesome event as well. Then I think there's what else? There's like that cool uh Echo, it's like the road race. I think it's the maybe the even the oldest like running event in Saskatchewan. I feel like it's been going on since like I'm gonna sound stupid here, but like 1920 or something. Yeah, you basically you just run around Echo Lake, and I think it's like 21, 22 kilometers, and it's really, really nice because the whole like north side of the lake is all still pretty natural, and the south side's you know, kind of like running through like a little resort village. And yeah, they do that. Um, I think it's in May sometime, but yeah, that's that sounds cool.

SPEAKER_00 45:02

Yeah, the other spot for us in Saskatoon is to go up to Waskasiu, yeah, for sure. Limits fun run, um, which is a great event in September. And uh another one I'd like to do at some point, didn't organize my life properly to get in on it this year is the Frank Dunn triathlon. Um yeah, and just appreciating Prince Albert National Park and seeing it on bike and you know, on foot, and then also swimming in the lake. So one of the one of these years I'll try to do that one as well.

SPEAKER_03 45:31

Yeah, it seems like a pretty popular one with people for sure. Then there's the uh have you ever done the Prince Albert, like their summit run they do?

SPEAKER_00 45:39

No, see, there's always there's actually so there's so much. Yeah, like there's just not enough, they're not enough hours and free weekends to make it all happen. But I like all of them I I would love to do.

SPEAKER_03 45:50

And I'm sure, yeah, there's all kinds of neat little ones. I think there's like a couple in the southwest now, too. There's like a oh I'm sounding stupid today, but like a coal race or something. I forget. I just saw it at the running room the other day. It's a neat little trail race down by Ben Golf or something like that.

SPEAKER_00 46:04

Oh, Ben Golf. Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 46:05

I could be could be wrong on the exact location, but yeah, there's all kinds of neat little races popping up all over.

SPEAKER_00 46:10

So yeah, it's just it's great. It's great to see that for sure.

SPEAKER_03 46:14

Yeah, so you don't don't really need to travel that far, do you? You don't, you really don't get into our neighboring provinces, there's even more.

SPEAKER_00 46:20

So yeah, absolutely. Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_03 46:23

All right. Was there anything else you wanted to chat about, or do you think we got it all covered?

SPEAKER_00 46:27

I think well, we've I've talked and talked and talked. Um, I just want to say, Jason, that I I really do appreciate you profiling so many people in our province who have great stories. Like everyone has a story. And and you've profiled like some really incredible athletes, like I think of Maddie Curry, and you know, and then I just love the medium of podcasting. It's uh I just feel like I'm getting to know people through your podcast, and that's super cool. Um so yeah, keep it up. I just think what you do.

SPEAKER_03 46:58

I should put you on the spot and ask you what your um favorite one is since you've listened to most of them. Oh gosh, other than brandy, other than Brandy's, of course.

SPEAKER_00 47:06

Brandy's Margie's, like Terror Crosschild. Like, what a great episode. Love the last one with Meg. I I I don't know her. Um, you know, that she's doing the I don't is her name Megan? Megan?

SPEAKER_03 47:17

Megan, yeah, Megan Weatherspoon. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 47:19

Yeah, from the north to the south. I love them all. Every single one has a different thing. Like even um the Beaver Flat 50 race director whose name escapes me. Jeff. Jeff Dudar. Yeah. Um, I loved hearing from him because now that I'm in this race director role, I appreciated knowing that he still has a full-time job too, and that this is like a side thing, and you do it because you care, and he's got family involved helping. And, you know, um, so I yeah, I just think each and every one has offered something different, and I and I really like that.

SPEAKER_03 47:51

Nice, yeah. What I like about it too is I've heard stories of people like connecting, you know, like this person, heard this person on the podcast and reached out and offered them a a race entry or little little snippets like that, which I really like. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 48:04

Yeah, yeah. It's a cool thing, very cool thing to cool way to connect to connect runners in the province.

SPEAKER_03 48:10

Yeah, I love it. Sure. I would listen to other podcasts like from other places, and then I'd email them and be like, you should have this person and this person. Then I finally just thought it's not really their job to like make a podcast that I want to listen to. I'll just make my own podcast that I want to listen to. So yeah, and it's worked out well.

SPEAKER_00 48:26

I'll say too is that you've you've really through these profiles, you've reminded me like I mean, I'm not like Mandy Curry, but she's inspirational, right? And so I can set my own goals and um that anything really is possible. Like all these people are doing are setting a goal that suits them and they're making it happen. And that's cool.

SPEAKER_03 48:48

Yeah, we're kind of yeah, just all after the same result, aren't we? Just community and health and fitness, and it's it's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 48:55

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_03 48:57

For sure. All right. Well, thank you so much for uh coming on the podcast today. Appreciate it. Thanks so much, Jason. Thank you. Have a good rest of your day. You too. Yay, bye-bye. 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 this song, Holidaymakers. Check them out at theburninghell.com. And until next time, keep putting in the work.