Like A Bigfoot

This week we welcome TJ Anderson back to the show! TJ is the author of "The Art of Health Hacking" and this week we chat about a wide variety of topics including how to empower people to better health, the best way to communicate, TJ's methods on recovering from an injury, and why we should all seek to ask more questions of ourselves. I hope you guys enjoy the show and be sure to check out TJ's book! It is fantastic! MORE FROM TJ: Art of Health Hacking: http://www.healthhackerbook.com Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Art-Health-Hacking-Personal-Performance/dp/1683507738 TJ's website: http://www.thisistj.com MORE LIKE A BIGFOOT: Subscribe and Review on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/like-a-bigfoot/id1160773293?mt=2 Soundcloud Archives: https://soundcloud.com/chris-ward-126531464 Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/likeabigfoot/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/likeabigfoot/

We are one week out from the Desert RATS Kokopelli Stage Race- a 6 day run through the desert- and this week I'm chatting with fellow racer and all around AWESOME guy Phil Pinti. When it comes to stage races, neither Phil or I have any experience which means one week out we cannot be any more excited and nervous! When you break the race down into the most simplistic terms, it seems fairly straight forward- keep putting one foot in front of the other. But, as you will find out in this episode, there is an insane amount involved when planning and training for a multi-day event: food, hydration, self-care, sleeping arrangements, mandatory equipment, and safety procedures, and many more concerns. In this episode Phil and I discuss our training and preparation, our expectations for the race, what we are looking forward to, and, most importantly, our why- the reason to sign up for something that is going to push you physically and mentally. I really hope you enjoy listening to the show! I really loved chatting w

This week we are continuing our chat with Travis Steffen about his experiences in a wide variety of athletic endeavors. In this episode we dig into his late teens/ early twenties when he was fighting MMA, a time I've never really heard him speak in depth about. Every time Travis is on the show I always learn something new and fascinating about him and this week is no different! When he was 17 he used his "Bias for Action" to pursue something that was completely outside the norm for us growing up in smaller town Iowa, MMA fighting. Luckily, one of the best training facilities at the time, Pat Miletich's gym, was 30 minutes away. So, always being one to forge his own path, he did what I have to imagine was the scariest possible thing, he stepped completely outside his comfort zone and signed up. This conversation is about the lessons and experiences he had throughout the 7 or 8 years he spent training and fighting MMA. We chat everything from training to realizing that professional fighters were just reg

On this week's episode of the podcast I got to sit down in my back yard and enjoy a conversation with one of my best buddies Brandon Swett. Brandon was previously on episode 9 of the show discussing his experience at a 10 day silent meditation retreat (I highly suggest you check out that one!) This week we chat about a wide variety of topics: Heroism, Swimming, Canoeing in Maine, and why I can't watch horror films. We also chat about one of the many things that make us both exactly like Indiana Jones- our fear of snakes. I hope you guys enjoy this episode as much as I did! After recording Brandon looked at me and said "that was a random smorgasbord of topics...." and I high fived him! After weeks and weeks of picking people's brain for running tips in the lead up to my stage race (two weeks away!!!!) it was such a stress reliever for me to just hang out and catch up with a friend. EXTRAS: Also at the end of the podcast during the Outro I recommend an adventure book and crazy sports documentary that abs

This week I was lucky enough to sit down and pick the brain of sports psychologist, author, speaker and athlete Scott Welle! We chat about a wide variety of topics all based around achieving peak performance. Scott shares tips and tricks for forming a healthy mindset and explains how to push through difficult times, both in training and in competition. We also chat about his experiences as an Ironman triathlete, trail racer and his experiences running a 100 miler. Selfishly, it was super beneficial to chat with a sports psychologist as I was in the middle of my big training week for the upcoming Desert RATS stage race and desperately needed a kick in the butt to get motivated. The hope is that Scott's philosophies will also help you crush your own goals this week and motivate you to success as we kick off summer! Be sure to check out the links below for all of Scott's books for a wide variety of training tips (triathlon, running, nutrition) and "Outperform the Norm". Much gratitude to Scott for taking ti

On this week's episode of the podcast I got the opportunity to chat with endurance coach and mountain athlete Travis Macy. Travis is an experienced adventure athlete who has participated (and won) a wide variety of events . He's competed in elite adventure races all around the world, 100 mile ultra marathons and ultra endurance mountain biking events. He is also the author of the Ultra Mindset one of the best books I've read about motivation and mental techniques that will not only help you be successful as an athlete, but will be useful in your everyday life. In this episode, we chat about how he embraces the Ultra Mindset. We also touch on a wide variety of topics like hunting, parenting, adventure racing and how he survived Leadman (competing in every ultra endurance event in Leadville, CO in one summer). If you enjoy this episode check out Travis's website for information about his coaching and be sure to read his excellent book the Ultra Mindset. Thanks for listening!! (P.S.- My computer messed u

This week I'm very excited to welcome ultra runner and writer Cory Reese to the podcast. First of all, Cory recently finished running a 100 miler on the deck of a cruse ship! That's 16 laps per mile- 1,600 laps around and around and around the same teeny tiny track, fueling on an endless supply from the ice cream machine as he took on some self-imposed suffering. All the while overlooking people lounging around at the pool. Just had to get that out there! I cannot even begin to wrap my head around a 100 miler, let alone one on a cruise ship.... Insanity! Cory is one of my favorite writers in the sport of ultrarunning. His first book "Nowhere Near First" is one of the absolute best views of this crazy sport from a "regular", non-elite, perspective. Most of us are not elite athletes and Cory fully represents the spirit of why an everyday person participates in something so seemingly bizarre as running for hours and hours through the woods (or on a cruise ship). He comes across as a "regular" dude, but hi

This week I'm joined by Gemini Adventures race director Reid Delman to talk all things Desert RATS Stage Race, race directing, and the mindset needed to power through big time endurance events. ......and cage fighting! Reid is a wonderful race director inspired by his own experiences to design events that push participants beyond what they think is possible. He has organized all sorts of different adventures in western Colorado and Utah that range from ultra marathons to multi-day stage races to ultra distance mountain bike races. In this episode we dig into Reid's past as a multi-faceted athlete who has wrestled collegiately at Ohio State, competed in MMA, ran numerous ultra marathons and even participated in the Eco-Challenge. We also discuss his mindset and how he applies toughness and adventure to his events. Mostly, we discuss the Desert RATS stage race in which I'm participating in this June. What are the biggest obstacles to overcome when running multiple days through the desert? How do you go

This week's guest is ultrarunner, dad extraordinaire, beer lover, and Iowan Brad Dains. Brad is a midwesterner spreading awesomeness by helping introduce Iowans to the joys of ultrarunning. Specifically, we talk all about the Booneville Backyards Ultra, a race Brad co-directs. Booneville is a special race near Des Moines that allows runners to explore the beauty of my home state Iowa. It also is surprisingly challenging as the constant rolling hills and the extremely muddy "B Roads" suck the energy and motivation right out of you. Look at the cover of this week's episode or google B Roads to get an idea of how gnarly these things can get. We also get into Brad's training routine and how he balances running with raining 4 kids, his full time job, and coaching soccer. He shares a couple EXCELLENT tips. "Invisible training" where you train at such insanely early hours that your family hardly notices. And his super intense midwestern elevation training, aka a stair workout where he throws on a heavy back

This week's episode is an extremely powerful example of the power of perseverance, gratitude, and a "learning how to suffer" mindset. Maudie Jordan is a wonderful, incredibly positive, and completely badass mountain athlete from the Pacific Northwest. She has completed multiple 100 milers, climbed numerous mountains, and spends her times exploring all sorts of wild areas. In this episode, she shares the ups and downs of her journey, what it's like to run a 100 miler with anemia, and how failure led her to personal growth and how she learned to embrace an adventurous life. Most importantly she teaches us perseverance. She set a goal to finish a 100 miler, failed four separate times, quit running, rediscovered her love of trail running, and eventually accomplished her goal! Her story is so incredibly inspiring and my hope is that we can all apply some of these lessons to our own lives. This was one of my absolute favorite conversations! Maudie is well-spoken, hilarious, extremely positive, and authentic

This week we are catching back up with three of our previous Like a Bigfoot guests: Ryan Chukuske, Jason Sudduth, and Jennifer Mabus. Ryan recently finished his Bigfoot 200 book "Bigfoot 200: Because, you know, why the **** not?" and is preparing it for publication. Jason randomly called me last Friday and told me he's camping in Hungry Mother State Park (actual name) and is running a trail marathon the next day. He is also preparing for one of my favorite ultras ever, the Quest for the Crest 50k. Jennifer is two days removed from beginning her hike of the 2,650 mile Pacific Crest Trail and is preparing her gear and her mind for the biggest adventure of her lifetime. SUPPORT TODAY'S GUESTS: Please Support Ryan's Awesome Book: https://publishizer.com/bigfoot-200/ The Whimsical Woman Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIUPDURNSrgUg96rxhlr5rA The Whimsical Woman Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewhimsicalwoman/?hl=en PREVIOUS EPISODES: Ryan's Bigfoot 200 Race Report: https://soundcloud.com

If you've listened to recent episodes, I've mentioned that I'm signed up for the Desert RATS stage race. This big crazy 6 day run from Fruita, Colorado to Moab, Utah this June. Leading up to the event, a few episodes of the show will be devoted to helping me prepare for what will be the most difficult thing I've ever taken on. On this week's episode my friend and frequent Like a Bigfootian Brady Manriquez helps me do a deep dive on the event. What is it? What hardships should I expect? How freaking hot does the desert get in June? And why does this one scare and excite me more than any other ultra? Basically, Brady opens my eyes to everything I hadn't really considered yet. We talk training, equipment, race details, and a bunch more! I've always said you should sign up for something that intimidates you. Something just beyond your comfort zone that you yourself aren't even sure is possible. Using these big adventures as ways to expand your own belief in what you are capable of and all the possibi

his week we are welcoming Adam Casey back on the show. If you have yet to listen to the first two episodes with Adam, I highly suggests going back and checking those out. He's a fascinating dude, a great story teller, and has been incredibly open about his life experiences. Adam continues from where his story left off- discovering that he had a brutal form of cancer- stage four lymphoma and progressing from the diagnosis, to the treatment, to the aftermath, and eventually to this insane horse race he decided to take on through the wilderness of Mongolia. The Mongol Derby...the longest and most difficult horse race in the entire world. 1,000km through the wild Mongolian Steppe retracing the Horse Messenger System put into place by Ghengis Khan. Look up the event. Riding semi-wild horses across an untamed wilderness for miles and miles and miles. Forgot to mention that when he signed up, Adam didn't know anything about riding horses. That's the kind of person he is. The never back down from a challeng

This week we are chatting with adventure athlete Richard Kresser. You will be absolutely blown away with what he has accomplished: first place at the Bigfoot 200, 2nd place at Arrowhead 135, finished the Moab 240 (yes...two hundred and forty freaking miles), second in the triple crown of 200s, along with a handful of other ultra marathons. The episode starts with me being very perplexed by the Arrowhead 135, an ultramarathon that takes competitors 135 miles through the frozen northern Minnesotan woods in the middle of January....with only 3 aid stations! In this episode we also discuss a few events of his own twisted creation. The first being RAGBRAI, which is normally a bike ride (party) across his home state of Iowa. Richard chose to RUN it. That's 400 plus miles across Iowa during the hottest week of the year. How did he survive this insanely brutal event? What kind of mindset does it take to keep pushing through when there's absolutely no penalty for quitting? His second big project was the RASH. C

(Cover Photo by Josh Perez) This week I was lucky enough to have Brendan Leonard and Jayson Sime come over and chat with me about their excellent film "How to Run 100 Miles". We recorded this "live" in studio....aka outside on the porch in my back yard (It was a 60 degree day and this is an outdoor podcast...so I thought "what the heck?") If you have not seen the film, do yourself a favor and check it out immediately. It is the inspiring, touching, and often hilarious story of these two friends and their quest to train for and run their first 100 mile ultramarathon through the rugged mountains of Northern Colorado. Their 100 mile experience connected on so many levels, but to me the film is an ode to true friendship and, more specifically, to the people in our lives who always say "why not?". My absolute favorite type of people who push us and challenge us to do more and be more than anything we ever thought possible. These two are shining examples. They come up with crazy ideas, train their butts off

This week I'm incredibly excited to chat with author, speaker, family man, and incredibly nice guy Mitch Matthews! Almost two years ago I listened to my buddy Calvin Johannsen on Mitch's podcast "Dream. Think. Do." talking about his 14ers project. I checked out a few more episodes of the show and completely connected with Mitch's advice about going after big, intimidating goals and his dream to "Inspire 1,000,000 Dreams." I thought to myself "what have I always wanted to do but just can't seem to pull the trigger on??" The answer was clear as day - a podcast. I had actually started one a few years earlier, released two episodes, and promptly gave up once I felt a bit outside my comfort zone. Using the encouragement and enthusiasm I was hearing through "Dream. Think. Do." I finally made the commitment and promptly started this show. I'm serious....within three episodes of Mitch's podcast I was all "LET'S DO THIS!" His enthusiasm is contagious and he is THAT motivational! In this episode we chat all

Today the always fascinating Travis Steffen is back to the podcast. If you haven't listened to the previous episodes, Travis is one of my absolute best friends in the whole world. He's also one of the wisest, strangest, most successful and genuine people I know. I never know what to expect when we do a podcast. This week as I sat at my kitchen table, watching him put his hair up in a 'Manbun' I thought... "What direction is he gonna take this one?" The conversation is extremely introspective, at times both heartbreaking and hilarious, and inspirational. There's always lessons to be taken away from listening to Travis. Today is all about mindset, self reflection and failing in order to succeed. Travis shares the importance of being completely transparent and genuine, why we need to take time to self reflect, how a strength in one area of life could be a weakness in another, and how epic failures have helped him let go of fear and driven him towards success. Please go back and check out Travis's previo

On this week's episode "Plantriotic" Jackson Foster shares wisdom he's gained from his years adventuring through the world on his bike. Currently, he's on a journey riding his bike all the way from Alaska to Argentina, spreading goodness, experiencing the power of the present moment, and embracing all the adventures along the way. This interview was recorded during a brief break in his tour as he emerged from the Alaskan wilderness and the chilly Canadian Yukon through the Pacific Northwest and into the Urban Jungle of Los Angeles. Through this conversation, Jackson shares what he's learned along the way. We talk about compassion, gratitude, living outside your comfort zone, what it's like to live nomadically from your bike and why you should give jumping off the beaten path a shot. He also explains what his journeys have taught him about humanity and the kindest of strangers. Hope you guys enjoy the show! Be sure to follow and support Jackson and his dog Maggie as they venture through Mexico and into t

This week we are catching up with previous guest and all around awesome guy Bill Sycalik!! Since we last spoke, Bill has wrapped up running a marathon in all of the continental U.S. National Parks as well as the parks in Hawaii, U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa. Now he's preparing to level up as he is working out details for the extremely challenging and remote parks of Alaska. He's also dealing with settling into a new life out here in Denver and is busy setting up his new passion project in which he'll guide people to achieve their own life goals and find happiness. I love the idea of leading by example and sharing your Goodness in which Bill is an outstanding role model. He is using the skills, habits, and lessons he's learned through his experience "Running the Parks" and is helping others apply those ideas to their own lives. Can't get much more awesome than that!! This episode really was one of my absolute favorites to record as Bill came over and we recorded right in my tiny office. I al

This week we are celebrating our brand new logo design by revisiting special moments from episodes #1-40! For new listeners this episode will give you an idea of what the Like a Bigfoot podcast is all about and for long-time listeners this episode will let you return to some of the stories from a variety of our guests. I've organized the clips into 4 categories that show what you can expect from this podcast: BIG TIME GOALS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS ADVICE COLUMN MISADVENTURES WEIRD STUFF YOU SEE IN THE WOODS At first I wanted to do this for all 79 episodes of the podcast, but realized very quickly that there are way too many great moments to put in. That being said, at some point in the future we will put together an episode that is clips #40-80. HUGE THANKS to all the guests who have been nice enough to share their stories for the show! I truly wish I could have chosen clips from every single one of you. So apologies if I didn't get you on this one...we'll do another one in the future :) Enjoy! Also, if