Like a Bigfoot

This week we are welcoming back physical therapist, lifelong endurance athlete, and one of my personal endurance sport inspirations, my cousin Susan Nowell! In this episode Susan shares how she has recovered from an injury to take on an Ironman. We also explore the idea of having our best races when we are relaxed and have little expectations. Susan has had quite the adventurous life and has lived...

This week's guest is ultrarunner, race director and fellow "dude from Iowa who moved to Colorado" Don Reichelt. Over the last few years Don has really pushed his limits in the ultrarunning world. Through his experiences in various 100 mile races, he learned, developed and adapted into the fantastic (and fast!!) runner he is today. All in preparation for his biggest challenge yet- Big's Backyard Ul...

We are a few days out from stepping up to the start line of round 2 of the Desert RATS Kokopelli 150 Stage Race, Phil Pinti is in town getting ready to go, so I wanted to sit down with him and give you guys a glimpse into our pre-race mindsets!! In this episode, Phil and I chat about the idea of rituals and what going back to the desert means to us. We also give you an idea of our expectations for...

This week we are welcoming fellow podcast host, running enthusiast and all around awesome dude Denny Krahe to the show! Denny is the host of the excellent running podcast "Diz Runs Radio" and through his journey has learned all sorts of lessons about the sport, both through being an athlete and talking to a wide range of runners. At this point, his show has over 735 episodes which is incredible an...

In a trip unlike any that has come before, twin brothers Casey and Ryan prone paddled 18' boards from the coast of Alaska all the way down to Mexico. It is an endurance feat that is nearly impossible to imagine. Day in day out, 2,200 brutal miles of paddling, with no support for months and months. In their pursuit of adventure they braved the ferocity of Mother Nature- freezing cold temps, powerfu...

This week we are talking with lifelong athlete, ex-Navy, powerlifter, and all around awesome dude Dave Ruppert! Dave is extremely dedicated to his health and exemplifies the power of consistency. He has also led an incredible life through his time in the Navy which led him into body building and powerlifting. In this episode, we chat about the time he played semi-pro football, his journey into pow...

This week we are welcoming back my favorite person in the world, my lovely wife Lindsey Ward. On this week's show, Lindsey and I discuss a wide variety of topics some related to running and exercise and some not. We chat summer training plans, my mindset and preparation for my second year of the Desert RATS stage race, how self care affects our lives, and the mountain goat kids trail running serie...

Travis Macy is an endurance athlete, adventurer, mountain hunter, coach and the author of the excellent book "The Ultra Mindset." When it comes to taking on incredibly difficult events in the mountains, there's only a small few with the experiences Travis has. He's competed in a variety of endurance events all over the globe and in 2013, he set a record for the Leadman, the iconic series in which...

In 2017, John Kelly became only the 15th finisher of the Barkley Marathon, an epic race through the rugged mountains of Tennessee. He battled through pain, exhaustion, sleep deprivation and three years of preparation in order to achieve one of the biggest accomplishments in ultra running. It was an incredible accomplishment that only someone with a solid physical foundation and mental stoicism can...

For the past 26 years, legendary race director Rick Nealis has put all he has into the iconic Marine Corps Marathon in Washington D.C, a race that is widely known as one of the absolute best marathons in the United States. One that is an unforgettable experience as it guides the runner on a tour past the monuments and history of the Capitol, ending at a finish line full of Marines. This year Rick...

Our last mountain biking podcast took us to the South Pole. This time we're heading up North to one of the most iconic races on the planet, the Iditarod! 1,000 miles through some of the most pristine, awe-inducing wilderness in the whole entire world, the Iditarod takes competitors, be it dogsled teams, runners, or bikers, across Alaska from Anchorage all the way to Nome. Through this journey, com...

This week we are chatting with one of my favorite people in the whole entire world, Adam Crews! Adam became one of my closest friends in high school. Many days were spent playing football and getting into shenanigans together. Recently, he began working out and running, focusing on reclaiming his health. In this episode he talks about the why and the how of his fitness journey. He also happens to...

Andrew Zeck lives in California and is the CTO and Founder of the delivery app Saucey. He's also an old high school football teammate of mine who is has discovered of a love of endurance racing. And he's pretty damn fast too!! In this episode we discuss his recent preparation for his first Ironman Triathlon and all the peaks and valleys along the way. We also delve into his endurance racing journe...

Miriam Gilbert is an ultra runner, writer, and adjunct professor from New Jersey. She describes herself as an "ordinary runner" but, in my opinion, is anything but. Having ran eight 50 milers, three 100 milers, and a handful of 24 hour timed events, Miriam is an experienced ultra runner who has a lot of insights and wisdom to share. On top of all that, ultra running quite literally saved her life....

George Black is an entrepreneur, a father, a traveler, and a business strategist. He's the author of "The Next Level Entrepreneur" which is focused on finding that passion in life and using it to sustain a business. George is also a guy who loves a good adventure- whether that is backpacking through some of the more remote wilderness in the U.S., traveling the world, or constructing his own busine...

This week we are reconnecting with our friend and one of my absolute favorite people in the whole entire world, Calvin Johannsen. Calvin always brings his A game for the podcast and this week is no different. He is a lifelong learner seeking to discover the most about himself, the world, and his many passions. Recently, he completed a 200 hour yoga teacher training and now instructs his own yoga c...

Endure. Sometimes that's all you can do. Keep putting one foot in front of the other as you battle your way through. No matter how hard, how terrible you feel. Just keep moving. Our ability to endure at times is a means to make it through an ultra run, bike ride, test of will. While other times this is what we fall back on when life sends us down unexpected devastating paths. That's the most impor...

This week we welcome back ultra runner and author of "Bigfoot 200: Because, You Know, Why the #@&% Not?" Ryan Chukuske. Two years ago Ryan trained incredibly hard for the Bigfoot 200- sleep deprivation training, exhaustion training, spending hours and hours on his feet- only to be forced to DNF due to his foot being absolutely demolished by gangrene. Instead of giving up on his dream, Ryan has bec...

Josh Milich and Brian Tjersland are ultrarunners who want to run for more than a belt buckle, a medal, or an ice cold finish line beer. Next November they are planning on running the 500 miles from Massachusetts National Cemetery to Arlington National Cemetery to bring awareness to Mission 22, a foundation established in support of all veterans after their service to our country. 500 miles is a lo...

A few weeks ago, during the Polar Vortex, Ryan Wanless was the baddest man in North America. Or, at least he was the coldest. Ryan endured what most people would deem impossible, surviving 56 hours in brutally cold -30 degree temperatures while running 135 miles from the border of Canada deep into the Northern Minnesotan woods. In ultra running, last place is its own special honor. DFL is not cons...

Over the last few years Courtney Dauwalter has exploded onto the ultrarunning scene with legendary performance after legendary performance. She won the Moab 240 outright by over 10 hours, she set the second fastest time in women's history while winning Western States 100, she endured a 4 mile loop over and over again for 67 hours chalking up 279.2 miles in the insanity that is Big's Backyard Ultra...

Can you imagine what it would be like to ride a bike to the South Pole? Traversing one of the harshest landscapes on the planet, battling wind, cold, altitude, snowdrifts, isolation, and crevasses for over 50 straight days? That's exactly the adventure this week's guest took on. Back in December 2013 Daniel Burton set out to become the first person to bike to the southernmost point on the Earth. A...

This week we welcome back professor Jake Reed to chat all things Sports Science, Endurance Racing, and Optimum Performance! Jake has a Ph D. in Sport Performance and is a professor of Kinesiology and Physical Education at the University of Northern Iowa. He just recently finished training for and running his very first 50k ultra marathon and is also one of my absolute favorite people on the planet...

This week we are chatting with Rebecca Walker all about her recent adventure in Antarctica! Rebecca guided blind runner Vladmi Virgilio Dos Santos through the last of his 4 Deserts stage race series which also consisted of the Sahara, Atacama, and Gobi deserts. She first started working for the Racing the Planet company as their expedition emergency physician where she assisted runners by using he...

This week’s show is with the awesome Greg McHale! Greg is an adventure athlete, endurance racer and hosts a phenomenal hunting show on Sportsman Channel called “Greg McHale’s Wild Yukon. His goal is that by being a conduit between outdoor adventure athletes and the hunting world, he can inspire the love of the outdoors and conservation. In this episode we talk about numerous adventures he has had...