Like A Bigfoot

#389: Ray Zahab 5 -- His Recent Crossing of Death Valley by Chris Ward

Lien James has ran 136 marathons since becoming a runner at age 50. In this episode Lien shares stories from her adventures, what it was like to run her very first mile at age 49, we talk about the time she took on the JFK 50 miler, and her recent knee surgery. We also chat about resilience and what it takes to be an athlete in your 60s and 70s. Lien is AWESOME!!! Hope you all enjoy the episode and draw endless amounts of inspiration from her! MORE FROM LIEN: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lien.james Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lienjames51 Article: https://www.marinemarathon.com/mcm-women-running-through-the-decades/

This week we are chatting once again with "the Canadian Berserker" Noel Thomson!! In this episode we dive deep into how mental health, ultra running and fitness all interweave. Noel is very open and vulnerable with some of the struggles he has faced in his life and how "controlling what he can control" with exercise and ultra running has helped him climb out of a hole of depression and drug abuse. We also chat about the importance of talking to someone when we find ourselves in those deep dark places and why it's hard for men to do that sometimes. This was a really important episode and a conversation that will stick with me for a long time! If you need help or are struggling, please understand that there are people out there to help. Reach out. MORE FROM NOEL: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecanadianberserker/

This week we are chatting with author, filmmaker, artist, adventurer, ultra runner, and a guy who is "semi rad" Brendan Leonard!!! Brendan has one of the most unique, creative, and oftentimes hilarious voices in the adventure community. He's the author of many GREAT books (which we do a quick recap of towards the end of the episode) including his newest release "Ultra-Something". This book is the story of what he's found through taking on ultra running, told in a way that only Brendan could tell- through lots of tangents on history, pop culture, psychology, viral videos, and much more. Brendan also is the artist behind "Semi-Rad" (one of my favorite websites) where he writes, draws, and creates. He is able to capture the essence of "why" people do big adventures- simultaneously for life affirming reasons and also for the simplicity of "cause it's fun and pointless and it's what makes me happy." In this episode we talk all about his books, his films "7 Summits of My Neighborhood" & "A Shed of One's Own"

This week we are once again chatting with ultra runner Cody Taylor!! Cody is currently training to attempt the unsupported FKT of the 900km (550 mile) Bruce Trail through his home province of Ontario!! In this episode we talk all about his training and motivation for taking on this challenge, his plan for the summer leading into the attempt, and how his transition from musician to athlete has been. Hope you all enjoy!! MORE FROM CODY TAYLOR: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@livethenewnormal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/codytaylorruns/

All the way from Stockholm, Sweden we are chatting with Marcus Krindvall!! Marcus is a former cheerleader who represented his country on the national level, faced career ending injuries, battled depression, and is now building himself back up through physical health. He runs the instagram account one.meter.man where he dedicated himself to running "one meter per follower" every single day for a year. Through sickness, travel days, and the ups and downs of busy life as a parent, Marcus has stuck with this consistent action. Please follow his account so we an make him run farther!! This is an awesome episode and I hope you enjoy the conversation! MORE FROM MARCUS: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/one.meter.man/

This week we are catching up with the number one guest of the show and the number one guest in our hearts- Brady Manriquez!! In this episode we chat about his very first trip overseas, the adventures of the past year, and why I decided to dip my toe into ballet!! I always cherish my time catching up with Brady and I truly hope you enjoy the show!!

#382: Jude Kriwald -- Biking from England to India, Bikepacking through Liberian Jungle by Chris Ward

This week we are joined by absolute LEGEND Marshall Ulrich!! Adventure Racing, Ultra running, Death Valley, the 7 Summits, if you name it Marshall has taken it on! He's a true adventurer by all meaning of the word, an explorer of our external world and his own internal world. He's created races, helped teach kids on expeditions, wrote a couple incredible books ("Both Feet on the Ground" and "Running on Empty"), and crossed jungles, deserts and mountains. For this episode, I brought on my friend Ray Zahab as co-host. Ray has known Marshall for years and these two have probably crossed Death Valley more times than any other human in history. They keep getting drawn back to the place and I was so excited to hear their reflections on it! A most humble, amazing human being. I'm so honored to have Marshall on the show and beyond excited to share this episode with all of you!! MORE FROM MARSHALL: Website: https://marshallulrich.com/ Route 66 Ultra: https://route66ultrarun.com/ Books: https://www.thriftbooks.c

Jeff Mercier is a world renown Ice Climber and works for the high mountain search and rescue. In this episode we chat all about his journey into ice climbing, reflect on what he's learned about adventure through the years and Jeff shares thoughts on fatherhood and wilderness safety. This is an awesome episode!!! Thank you Jeff for coming on!

This week we are sitting down and chatting with Stan Gaskell (Cameraman Stan!!) about his experience adventuring and filming Russ Cook’s historic “Project Africa” run across the continent!! A few weeks ago Project Africa wrapped up in Tunisia, the northernmost point on the continent after nearly a year long journey. Stan was a linchpin of this project. From the logistic planning months before Russ set out to the final dip in the ocean, he was responsible for filmmaking, problem solving, and crewing. From “Harry Potter who hit rock bottom” to one of the biggest badasses in the history of badasses, Stan’s excursion across Africa is LEGENDARY! Stan, Nelly (their trusted ‘Ship of Theseus’esque van), Russ, and the rest of their amazing team consistently battled problems both small and seemingly insurmountable- including food poisoning, visa issues, border crossings, getting the van on a rickety wooden boat to cross the sea (you truly have to see this to believe it), getting stranded in the middle of the Sahara

The fact that I got the opportunity to sit down with three INCREDIBLE human beings a few weeks off of completing the 1,000 mile Iditarod is something I will never take for granted. These three guys are some of the most interesting people I’ve ever had the chance to meet Ryan Wanless has traversed from Anchorage to Nome THREE times at this point, one on foot and two on bike. He’s sweet, he’s funny, he’s incredible humble in spite of being one of the toughest people on the planet. Gavan Hennigan is the most interesting man in the world. I was lucky enough to interview him in 2020 for what I’ve always stated as my favorite episode of this pod (194- check it out). In my eyes you get to be the most interesting man in the world through a mix of life experiences, big challenges/adventures married with introspection. The wisdom he’s gained from life and adventure is completely captivating and his ability to communicate that is top notch. Asbjorn Bruun, the man, the myth, the legend. Gavan told me “this is the mos

MORE FROM JOSIAH: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/josiahfilm/

This is the story of Sunny Stroeer's Iditarod. What she experienced in the wilds of Alaska as she became the first woman ever to ski the 1,000 miles from Anchorage to Nome!!

Chelsea Jackson is an avid hiker and trail runner who works for the New Hampshire State Parks on the summit of Mt. Washington! Mt. Washington is notorious for having the "world's worst weather" and consistently has days where windspeed is over 100 mph. The summers can have major temperature swings when storms blow in (or as Chelsea calls the storms..."Impending Doom") and the winters can be absolutely brutal with extremely low temperatures on top of crazy powerful winds. Chelsea has a very unique experience of living and working on the summit through the busy summer season but also the isolated winter. In this episode we hear all about how she made a major life transition and took a major leap to pursue this job, what the day to day life of living in extreme weather is like, and how trail running led her to this adventure! I hope you enjoy!! MORE FROM CHELSEA: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chelseap.jackson/

#374: Tyler Lyson -- Discovery, Adventure, Science and the Joys of Paleontology by Chris Ward

This week we are chatting with photographer and filmmaker Francesco Valentinuzzi!! Francesco is in the midst of a production called "Ephemeral", an adventure film about world renown Ice Climber Jeff Mercier. In this episode we chat all about the genesis of this idea, what he is envisioning for "Ephemeral", and what excites Francesco about filmmaking! We also dive into his passion as a photographer and the various ways he has pursued big adventures in his life! Hope you all enjoy!! MORE FROM FRANCESCO AND "EPHEMERAL": Website: https://www.francescovalentinuzzi.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/francesco_valentinuzzi/ Jeff Mercier's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeff_mercier_/

"We are meant to seek, engage, be filled up with wisdom from sources far more attuned to the truth than ourselves" - Paul Scheuring, The Far Shore Paul Scheuring is an author, a filmmaker, a show runner, and a screenwriter. More importantly, Paul is my friend, a mentor, a smart-guy-I-talk-to-in-order-to-make-sense-of-the-world, a fellow adventurer, a dude who likes to surf, a father, and someone who encourages folks to chase their dreams! In this episode we dive into a deep discussion about creativity and the process of how one expresses themselves. We base this chat around his novel "The Far Shore", a deeply meaningful novel Paul wrote a few years back. I've always been a fan of Paul as a person but now that I've read a couple things he has written I'm a HUGE fan of Paul as a writer!! I HIGHLY recommend this book!! "Some fundamental thing drives us, and we cannot catch a direct glimpse of it. But it must be an unease, for if it was anything otherwise, a calmness, a contentment, we would not search so

This week we are chatting with adventurer, gym teacher, and a man who chases audacious goals Jason Hardrath!! Jason recently led an expedition to attempt an Infinity Loop on South America's tallest volcano Ojos del Salado in Chile. Though him and his team were not able to complete the infinity loop (summiting twice and running completely around the base of it) every single one of them summited the 22,000 foot peak. In this episode we talk about what lessons we can learn through a failed attempt, how we learn more from the journey than the destination, and what he plans on doing differently next time! Jason also shares stories from his summer taking on the Rocky Mountain Grand Slam - summiting all the 14ers in Colorado, 13ers in Wyoming, and 12ers in Montana. Sounds incredible and came down to the wire!! Hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did!! I always learn a lot from Jason every time he is on the show!

This week we are chatting with adventurer Valerie Gagne about her very first solo expedition circumnavigating the Eye of Quebec!! A few weeks ago Val skied 180kms over 6 days around the frozen Eye in the middle of winter. She battled slushy ice, isolation and extremely cold weather before ultimately finishing the challenge! In this episode we talk about the reasons why Val wanted to take this on, the differences between a solo expedition and one with partners, and the obstacles she faced over these six days and how she overcame them. This is an awesome conversation!! I hope you enjoy! MORE FROM VAL: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_therunningpanda/ Blog: https://valsaysitsnaptime.wordpress.com/2024/02/10/expedition-eye-of-quebec/