Like A Bigfoot

About a year ago, Thad Burkamper signed up for a Spartan Race. Admittedly, he was out of shape and was starting from step one with this whole running thing. Here's the important part: he embraced the "It's a long way to the top...if you wanna rock n roll" mindset (or the IALWTTTIYWRNR mindset...for "short") and consistently improved little by little as the year went by. As running became easier, he transformed his garage/back yard into a homemade Spartan Race obstacle. Now there are soft balls hanging from ropes, giant tires, Atlas stones and humongous logs. Basically, he went full Spartan Racer. And it has paid off. I'm excited to share this podcast today because Thad hits on quite a few topics: what inspired him to kickstart his physicality, how he overcame a major health related setback halfway through his training, how he used work and home-life as "added workouts" and, of course, his experience racing the Spartan Super in Michigan. I'm proud to say that now he's completely obsessed and is taking

This week we welcome Jennifer Mabus to the show! Jennifer is a backpacker out of Washington and is preparing to take on the epic challenge of hiking the 2,650 mile Pacific Crest Trail. She also writes a fantastic blog at www.thewhimsicalwoman.com. I was so excited to hear her story and preparation. I'm a nerd about all things thru-hiking (although I've never thru-hiked myself). The stories, adventures, and life-changing experiences people have after one of these huge quests always keep me on the edge of my seat. In this episode we talk about Jennifer's journey; how did she start backpacking, what is driving her to chase such a lofty goal, what obstacles is she expecting and how is she preparing herself physically, mentally, and emotionally for half a year in the woods? I hope you guys enjoy the episode! If you haven't delved much into the world of long distance backpacking, I would highly suggest checking out some documentaries or books just to give you some perspective on what these adventures really

This week's guest represents everything the Like a Bigfoot Podcast strives to showcase. Grit, determination, intelligent training, and pushing through devastating obstacles to ultimately achieve greatness. I met Miguel Medina last January during a 50k "fatass" training run from Nederland to Boulder. While running together I instantly realized a few things: Miguel is fast....I mean FAST and he is very intentional with his training, mobility, and recovery. I felt so lucky to spend a few hours picking his brain about living life as a pure well-rounded athlete. I should probably mention he's an elite ultra obstacle course racer who has numerous podium finishers in a wide variety of obstacle course races and in 2014 his team won the World's Toughest Mudder (with Mark Jones, Hunter Mcintyre, and Dennis Wayne Welch). In other words, he's one of the best athletes I've ever had the pleasure of running with. In this episode Miguel shares his story from "Gamer" with chronic back pain to elite athlete. It's inten

Get ready for one of my favorite episodes so far! I left this conversation literally fist pumping in excitement and reinvigorated for life! Bruce Kittle is one of the most motivational, positive people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. He's worn many different hats throughout his career- athlete, football coach, minister, lawyer- and, because he has experienced such variety, he is full of wisdom. Bruce shares his "Open Windows" life philosophy and helps clarify how we all can recognize and seize the opportunities life throws at us. We also discuss how he self reflects in order to live his life with integrity and in-line with his core values. If you want to hear more, check out his awesome blog at www.brucekittle.com, it truly is excellent writing. Through athletics, coaching, and his general mission of positivity, Bruce is a positive role model I've always admired. I'm so glad we reconnected and will always be grateful in the lessons he has taught me. Hope you enjoy and learn some as well! P.

This week we are welcoming back Ryan Chukuske specifically to hear about his adventure racing the Bigfoot 200 out in Washington a couple weeks ago! Ryan does a great job describing his race experience. Everything from the hilarious bus ride to the starting line to sleeping in the sleep stations to the challenges of the actual course. He also shares some strategies and tricks of the trade he observed from the other racers. If you're interested in racing a 200 mile endurance race, you DEFINITELY need to give this episode a listen! Ryan really puts you into the race and will help you truly understand what you are getting yourself into. If you are like me and simply confounded by the whole dang thing, also be sure to tune in! It really gives you the impression that anything is possible. Hope you guys enjoy! We will definitely chat with Ryan again as we approach the release of his book "Bigfoot 200: Because, You Know, Why the $%#@ Not?" which chronicles the event from the perspective of Ryan, a plethora of

This week we welcome back my lovely wife Lindsey Ward to the show. She recently tackled a huge challenge when she signed up for the Georgetown to Idaho Springs Half Marathon. Having never participated in an event over 7 miles before, finishing 13.1 is a huge reason to celebrate and I'm extremely proud of her!! She also did it on minimal training in the middle of a crazy busy month and by overcoming possible strep throat. Basically, her message today is best summed up by blatantly ripping off Nike..."JUST DO IT." Sign up for something intimidating and go out, dig deep within yourself and find a way to get it done!! Lindsey and I also share some thoughts on being active parents, tips on hiking with little ones, why you should schedule periodic adventures, along with a lot more. Oh yeah, Lindsey fills us in on what she originally thought "goat yoga" was and it's by far the funniest thing I've heard in months. I'm so dang proud of Lindsey and want to thank her for the billions of things she does every s

This week I'm excited to share a conversation with Adam Jones. Adam is the owner of The Brick, a running store in downtown Danville, Virginia. He and the store have become key in Danville residents rediscovering and reclaiming their fitness. Through opening the store and organizing a variety of different meet-ups, clubs, challenges, and races, Adam really is essential in changing his community for the better and has helped lead many people to healthier, happier lives. Seeing first hand the running community he's been able to establish has been inspiring and, honestly, makes me hopeful for Danville, a town I really miss and think about often. In this episode, Adam shares his story. How did he discover his love of running? Why did he start the business? How did he handle making a leap of faith? How does he approach the challenges of entrepreneurship? What incredible stories has he witnessed through starting the store? How does he nurture the running community in Danville and what events are he most

This week is a very special episode where we spend some time catching up with three previous guests in what we are dubbing the first edition of "BIGFOOT SIGHTINGS" (genius name by Lindsey Ward). CALVIN JOHANNSEN -- EXPLAINING THE JOIN 100 CLUB Up first is the one of the most inspiring people I know, Calvin Johannsen. Since we last spoke at the end of his 14er Project (where he climbed over 100 mountains in 100 days), Cal has been focused on improving all sorts of lives with his "Join 100 Club" which is a daily commitment to a goal, a printable accountability chart to help you visualize your progress, and a devotion to CONSISTENCY and the longterm process of achievement. Tune in to hear all the details about this FREE club, what is it, how to join, Calvin's philosophies, etc. The concepts he uses for success fall directly in line with this podcast and are VERY POWERFUL. Join the 100 CLUB: http://join100club.com The 100 CLUB Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/832978636814272/ JASON SUDDUTH

Welcome to the world of ultra-cycling and the insanity that is the Race Across America. Get ready for a conversation with one of the toughest athletes in the country! Sarah Cooper is about a month removed from winning the Race Across America, an event in which she rode her bike 3,070 miles in 11 days, 18 hours, and 56 minutes. An event requiring extreme grit, incredible endurance, and stubborn forward progress. It is also an event that breeds stories of adventure and shows that to accomplish a goal, you sometimes have to just step up and kick adversity in the teeth! In this episode Sarah shares how to maintain a successful mindset in the midst of hardships like extreme sleep deprival, severe weather, neck injuries, and insanely long distance. We also discuss her training schedule and how she discovered this crazy sport. As a bonus, Sarah shares stories from previous Trans-iowa, "a self-navigated, self-supported, 300-plus mile gravel road event" which is also known as one of the toughest rides in the U.

I'm honored to have a platform to share this week's story. It's all about one of the most beautiful places in the world, the lakes, rivers and wilderness of Grassy Narrows in Ontario, Canada. Grassy Narrows sits on the English River about 40 miles north of Kenora, the nearest town. It's an isolated, wild, gorgeous place full of tranquil watersheds and Canadian wildlife. When I imagine the northern wilderness, I imagine the English River and it's lakes. My dad and I have traveled to the First Nation community (similar to a Native American Reservation) for our last few fishing trips up north and have enjoyed the peace the lake has brought us along with all the delicious Walleye. Ryan Duplassie is part of the department of Native Studies for the University of Manitoba. As we came back to camp, the area we previously had to ourselves was now full of college students. Ryan was teaching a 10 day travel study course focused on the Grassy Narrows Community. Within a 20 minute conversation, two things were ap

This week we are continuing the tale of Shane Dowty's quest to coach in the world of college football. Over the course of starting this podcast my unofficial theme song has become "It's a Long Way to the Top, If You Wanna Rock n' Roll". The idea to accept that anything worth wanting in life is not instantaneous, instead taking patient consistent hard work to achieve. Shane's journey fascinates me because it is the embodiment of that philosophy. And really, when you start from the bottom, embracing the journey and becoming a sponge absorbing knowledge from various mentors is absolutely key. In 2009 Shane had the opportunity to work as a student assistant for the Iowa Hawkeyes, an experience that set him down this path. (Going to the Orange Bowl probably had something to do with hooking him!) In this episode we hear about the lessons Shane learned from his time spent at the absolute bottom of the coaching food chain, how he embraced the stoicism philosophy of legendary coach Kirk Ferentz, why you should

A few months ago I watched a TED Talk from today's guest, Caroline Paul. It was called "To Raise Brave Girls, Encourage Adventure" and, as a father of two daughters, to say it connected with me is not a strong enough sentiment. Her talk was not just something I watched thinking "huh...that was interesting", rather it made me fully self assess what I was doing as a parent, how we are unintentionally nurturing fear in our girls, and what strategies we can use to change fear into bravery. It's my favorite TED Talk EVER! Because let's be honest, we all want our daughters (and sons) to grow up to be courageous, happy, brave members of society who are confident in their decisions. We want them to experience life and all that it has to offer, to go out and embrace their own adventures, and use those adventures to develop self understanding and realize just what they are capable of. Caroline has embraced a "jack of all trades" attitude and has spent her time throwing herself into all sorts of experiences. Jus

This week we welcome ultra endurance athlete and writer Ryan Chukuske to the podcast! Ryan is in the middle of training for one of the premier endurance events in the country, the ultimate challenge, the Bigfoot 200. Since starting this podcast I've been utterly fascinated with each conversation I've had about these insane ultra runs (see the episodes with Melissa Sinclair and race director Candice Burt). Chatting with Ryan was no different. A 200 mile race is so mindblowingly crazy and I love hearing about various training strategies, mental and emotional preparation, and the stories that led these athletes to stepping up to the plate of one of the biggest challenges the sport of ultrarunning has to offer. In other words, I'm curious to find out if these 200 mile participants are simply out of their freaking minds! Ryan has added another twist into his story: he's an author who is planning on telling the story of this year's Bigfoot 200 from his perspective along with the perspective of other runners,

Taking the leap to chase a massive goal, uprooting your life and heading out into the wilderness, and running through the most beautiful places in the United States. This week's episode has it all! About a year ago, Bill Sycalik quit his comfy job in New York City and hit the road, starting his quest to run a marathon in every National Park in the country. Flash forward to now and he's through number 47 and has adapted to his new nomadic life, exploring new places every single week. In this episode Bill shares stories from his adventures through various National Parks, describes what it takes to step completely outside of your norm to follow your dreams, explains how he plans each and every marathon, and discusses his plans for the big events in his future (aka- the 8 REMOTE parks in ALASKA!!) Hope you guys enjoy listening to Bill as much as I did. Really a ridiculously inspiring dude who had a great since of humor and drive. From his website: One Nation National Parks are our antidote to the seeming

This week we are honored to welcome Susan Nowell back to the show! Susan is an accomplished endurance athlete, a lifelong runner and adventurer, and a physical therapist in Northern California. She is also my cousin and is someone whose fearlessness and discipline I've looked up to since I was a kid. She is a wonderful resource for all of us athletes who are concerned about injury prevention and pain management. In this episode we discuss the four most common running injuries. How do you prevent them? How do you rehab them? We also talk about how she found success at the recent Carrara de Baja stage race and how she is going about training for an Ironman later this summer. Hope you guys enjoy and hope you learn something! More from Susan: Stage race article she wrote for Trail Runner Magazine: http://trailrunnermag.com/destinations/international/9-destination-stage-races-to-add-to-your-bucket-list.html Last time she was on the podcast: https://soundcloud.com/chris-ward-126531464/like-a-bigfoot-episo

A few weeks ago cousins Andy and John Anderson became the first Iowans to summit Everest from the North Side. I was honored to chat with them only a few days removed from the top of the world. On this week's show they share their journey, the experience of summit day, their purpose and preparation. How did they train for such an endeavor in the (relatively) flat state of Iowa? How is the North Side experience different than summiting from the South? Why forming a community and being clear on a purpose is so important in life? What must your mindset be to handle the intensity of seeing a dead body on the mountain? How will this experience influence their lives going forward? The higher purpose of Iowans for Everest is to positively influence the lives of veterans by reintroducing them to the tight bonds of a community. In this case, getting them involved in the climbing community and solidifying those bonds by taking them on hiking and climbing trips around the country. If you feel the need to support

This week we send out a huge welcome back to our friend Adam Casey. In this episode Adam continues his story and explains the next period of his life as a U.S. Marine officer which leads into the absolute brutal day that unexpectedly knocked him onto a whole different path. We also discuss why he reads the "Tao of Pooh" once every 6 months. The book explains the essentials of Taoism using examples from Winnie the Pooh. Based off of Adam's suggestion I am currently in the middle of it and it is absolutely wonderful. This conversation has brought up some really important questions in my life and I hope it helps you consider some of them too. How can you use the concept of being the "Uncarved Block" to navigate your life? How do you respond when life sends you the ultimate curveball? What drives/motivates you and are you letting that completely define you? How do you view obstacles- do they stop you or are they necessary at getting you to where you are today? When you are at your absolute lowest moment

Every single person, at least once in their life, should climb a mountain. As we quickly approach mountain climbing season out here in Colorado, my inner mountain geek is beginning to get antsy. To appease my own restlessness, I decided to put together a podcast that essentially could be the "intro to climbing a mountain." Specifically a 14er, the biggest mountains in Colorado (though the info could be applied to any mountain I suppose). In essence, if you have never before stepped foot on a mountain, what are the basics that you absolutely should know in order to have a safe, fun experience? If you think summiting a big peak is an absolute impossible task, you are wrong. There are plenty of easier "beginner" peaks that, while still requiring hard work to get up, lack exposure (cliffs) and technical skills (using your hands and actually...climbing). Though easier and less dangerous, there still are plenty of things you should understand going into these hikes as you are above treeline and still in remo

"All profound things are preceded and attended by Silence." - Herman Melville This week on the podcast we are honored to bring you wilderness survival expert Alan Kay. Alan was the season one winner of Alone on the History Channel, which is probably the best (aka least reality showish) demonstration of wilderness survival on TV. Ten people were dropped off in separate locations on northern Vancouver Island with minimal supplies, they could quit whenever they wanted, and whoever outlasted the rest was the winner. After 56 days of remote survival; foraging for food, filtering water, building shelter and creating fire in one of more soggy and untamed wildernesses in North America, Alan was declared the winner. More impressive than the physical aspect, he also managed to stave off loneliness as he faced what is a rarity for most of society these days, complete and utter isolation. In this episode, Alan shares how to prioritize your needs in a survival situation, what his mindset was going into the challenge

This week is all about long distance mountain biking as we chat with Scott Morris. Scott and his girlfriend Eszter Horanyi live nomadically on public lands and spend their days working remotely and exploring beautiful areas on their mountain bikes. Growing up in Utah he fell in love with mountain biking. As his rides got longer and longer and he overcame the "limits of daylight", he began "bikepacking". What in the world is bikepacking (besides a word that keeps trying to autocorrect....)??? Simple- It's backpacking with a mountain bike.....or mountain biking with a backpack. Essentially, you ride your mountain bike all day and then at night you throw out a sleeping bag and set up camp. The next morning, you set back out down the trail on your bike. Scott's bikepacked the Continental Divide Trail (the parts he was allowed to), explored the "bikeable 14ers", and started the first single track bikepacking event on the Arizona Trail, a journey from Mexico to Utah with a brief jaunt down and up some littl