Like a Bigfoot

This week Phil Pinti and I are sitting down and chatting about our experience running the Inaugural Marine Corps Marathon 50k through the streets of Washington DC. The day was my very first big time road race and Phil's 6th MCM. It was a rainy, action packed, and incredibly moving event. I would highly recommend everyone to add this one to your bucket list, road runners and ultra runners alike. It...

This week we welcome back ultrarunner, filmmaker and host of the excellent "Training for Ultra" podcast Rob Steger. Rob is fresh off of completing the Triple Crown of 200s, a race series that consists of all three of Destination Trail's gigantic 200 mile adventures. In the past three months he has ventured over miles and miles, battled extreme obstacles and experienced an adventure of a lifetime a...

This week we are chatting with Juddson Vance fresh off of finishing the Centennials, Colorado's 100 tallest mountains!! Juddson has spent many weekends over the last few years chipping away at his big adventure, driving and camping all around the state and climbing not only the 14ers but also some of the most rugged and remote 13ers. This is a quest that many strive for and few complete, so it's a...

This week I'm very excited to sit down and chat with former Iowa Hawkeye and Philadelphia Eagle offensive Lineman Julian Vandervelde! Julian has had quite the athletic journey. Finding success at a young age in the little league world series through becoming a four year football starter at the University of Iowa to becoming a 5th round draft pick in the NFL to throwing heavy stuff while wearing a...

This week we welcome Danny "Oreo" a world traveler from Germany fresh of of completing her hike of the Pacific Crest Trail! Over the 2,653 miles from Mexico to Canada Danny experienced all the ups and downs that the trail brings. Forming beautiful friendships and pushing her own boundaries, she battled everything from the dry heat (and hills!) of the desert to postholing through insanely deep snow...

On this week's episode we are chatting all about the epic Tahoe 200 mile endurance race with my friend Thomas Mullins! I was recently asked to think about a person I look up to and have great respect for. Instantly my answer was Thomas. This is a guy who shows up, gets the work done, is incredibly driven to accomplish great things all while never forgetting the real important part of life, how we...

In this episode we are reconnecting with our friend Phil Pinti as he prepares for two big races- the Yeti 100 (his first 100 miler) and the inaugural Marine Corps Marathon 50k (which I'm flying out to run with him). Phil is a few weeks ago from the Yeti 100, a hugely popular race in Virginia. We chat about how he's preparing, his expectations going into the race, and what strategies he is going to...

This week we are celebrating three years of the Like a Bigfoot Podcast!! In September 2016 I was a stay at home dad with two of my kiddos, a 2 year old and a newborn. I knew I needed some sort of creative outlet to work on each and every week (and an excuse to chat with grownups!), I had a handful of friends who had some incredible stories, and as a huge podcast fan I had always wanted to start on...

This week we are chatting with the awesome North Carolina Ultrarunner Jacky Hunt-Broersma after her recent adventure taking on the TransRockies Stage Race. In 2001 a cancerous tumor was discovered on a nerve in Jacky's foot. One week later she had her leg amputated. A decade and a half later she decided to become a trail runner. Now she's paving the way for other amputees to get out onto the trail...

This week on the show we are bringing you two, count them, TWO guests!! We're back with our 4th edition of "Bigfoot Sightings", the episodes where we catch up briefly with a few of our favorite people from previous shows. First, we have the awesome Calvin Johannsen fresh off of his 2nd successful summit of the iconic Mt. Rainier. In this episode he shares the story of his new adventure. The import...

(Cover Photo by Randy Ericksen) This week on the show we are reconnecting with public speaker, coach, ultra runner, and creator of Right to Shine Jayson Sime. We last spoke with Jayson on Episode #85 about Brendan Leonard's fantastic short film "How to Run 100 Miles", one of the best ultra running films out there and the story of Jayson and Brendan's very first 100 miler. This time we are chatting...

This week we are chatting with ultra runner Erica Rackley fresh off of running 100 miles through the mountains! For the past few months Erica has put in hours and hours of work training for her first 100 miler and a few weeks ago she crossed the finish line of the High Lonesome 100 out here in Colorado. In this episode, we chat all about what led her to toeing the start line of such an epic event,...

This week we are sitting down and chatting with Emily Wanless, an ultrarunner who has been putting up awesome times in races all over the midwest! Emily lives in South Dakota and after discovering a passion for running ridiculously long distances, she dived head first into the ultrarunning scene. From crewing, pacing and being an exemplar aid station worker to racing and winning races herself, she...

This week we are chatting with someone who has used his discovery of passion in running and endurance sports to transform his life. Gene Day was never an athlete growing up. Years of alcoholism and a sedentary lifestyle left him in a spot of depression, anxiety and dissatisfaction. But life isn't defined by where you were. It is not about being stuck in a moment in time, unable to break the chains...

This week I'm very excited to bring you a conversation with leadership coach and owner of Elev8 Educ8 Rejuven8 Tyler Johnson. This year I get the opportunity to teach a 12 week leadership course to middle school students at my school. I'm really excited for this opportunity because I feel like it plays right into my strengths and has the potential to be a really fun, effective class. I wanted to s...

This week we are bringing you tales from my fellow Desert RATS racers and crew members for our final podcast about this year's Kokopelli Stage Race! I was lucky enough to share my time in the desert with these absolutely incredible people and I am honored to be able to share their experiences with all of you. In this episode, runners Kayla Howell, Morgan Hall, Laurie Miller, and Theresa Zordan unf...

Desert RATS. It's the race that I've completely been enamored by over the last two years. The race that has taught me so much. Why would any sane person want to run 140ish miles through the desert in June?? To push beyond self doubt to discover what your actually capable of? To process life events, tragedies, joys? To experience the solitary nature of the desert? To explore areas unknown and disco...

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...