Like a Bigfoot

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#37: Candice Burt -- Race Director For Bigfoot and Tahoe 200s, Racing the HURT 100 May 03, 2017

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This week's Like a Bigfoot episode is, fittingly enough, with the creator of the Bigfoot 200 mile endurance, Candice Burt. In fact, she organizes, manages, and directs THREE 200 mile races: Bigfoot, Tahoe, and Moab (really 234 miles...but at that point what's 34 more!) Candice is a really thoughtful, funny, and happy person....for someone who jokingly received the moniker of "most masochistic race director in the world!" I was so grateful get to speak with her before she takes off into the wilderness planning the next big race. In this episode we talk about all the highs and lows of organizing such a gigantic event, how she keeps her runners safe, what people can expect from a 200 mile event, how to train for her races, and how 200 milers are a whole different BEAST than 100 milers. She really gave me an idea of the massive amount of work involved in putting on a successful ultra. Pretty amazing! We also discuss what it's like to 'fastpack' through isolated wilderness areas, what to do when you see mountain lions in the middle of nowhere, and how she handles running the brutal HURT 100 in Hawaii. Hope y'all enjoy this episode!! (Heading to North Carolina for a wedding so I gotta get my southern back!) Please check out all of her Destination Trail Races here: http://www.destinationtrailrun.com Candice's Blog: http://www.wilddefined.com If you enjoyed this episode I would highly suggest our conversation with Melissa Sinclair about training and running Candice's Tahoe 200: https://soundcloud.com/chris-ward-126531464/like-a-bigfoot-13-melissa-sinclair You can help us by subscribing, rating, and reviewing the Like a Bigfoot Podcast on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/like-a-bigfoot/id1160773293?mt=2 Thanks guys!! You are the best!

#36: Eric Schranz -- Host Of The Ultrarunner Podcast, A Life Of Running Apr 28, 2017

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This week I was fortunate enough to chat with Eric Schranz, the host of the absolutely wonderful Ultrarunner Podcast! Years ago I binged a bunch of his episodes and then decided to sign up for my first 50k. So yeah...it's his fault that I'm an ultrarunner! In fact, if you are curious about looking into the sport of ultrarunning, I would highly suggest that you check out the URP as it is a great resource to learn all about this crazy sport. Each week, Eric shares a wide variety of stories from the world of ultrarunning. From elite athletes to regular every day folks to simply some insane people running some insane events! He also highlights the diverse nature of the sport; everything from 100 mile point to point mountain runs to self supported stage races to events where participants literally run for days around high school tracks. All the while learning tips of the trade, hearing wild adventure stories from his guests, and nerding out over some of the biggest events in the sport. Seriously, one of the best sports podcasts out there! I was excited to geek out with Eric about podcasting and the sport of ultrarunning while hearing more about his own running career. In this episode he tells us the best event to start with for all the people pursuing their first ultrarunning event, explains the joys of alpine horning (is that the correct verbiage?), enlightens us on the benefits of running circles around the a city park for 24 straight hours, and why ultrarunners need to be adaptable. We had a great chat and I fully believe that the content on Ultrarunner Podcast is at an all time high in the over the last few episodes (Barkley Marathon, TransAmericana, etc) so please check it out! www.ultrarunnerpodcast.com Eric also shares the "URP Daily News" which is a daily update on all things trail running, outdoor sports, running wisdom, and beer. http://ultrarunnerpodcast.com/category/daily-news/ If you enjoyed this episode, please check out the rest of the Like a Bigfoot episodes. Not all the stories are ultrarunning related, but I promise that you will find motivation, achievement strategies, stories of adventure, wilderness and plenty of tales with blisters and suffering! You can find them on Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/chris-ward-126531464 Or subscribe to the iTunes feed for a new episode every single week https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/like-a-bigfoot/id1160773293?mt=2 Next week we are sharing stories of insane endurance events from race director Candice Burt (Tahoe 200, Bigfoot 200, and much more). See you then!!! Keep Bigfootin'!

#35: James Campbell -- Author of "Braving It", Canoeing The Alaskan Tundra With His Teenage Daughter Apr 21, 2017

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"I want an indelible bond with my daughter. I want her to remember this trip for the rest of her life. I want her to remember me after I am gone. I want Awe. I want to feel alive. I want Aidan to be filled with life and wonder."- James Campbell, Braving It Very excited to bring you this week's episode with author, adventurer, and family man James Campbell. Author of "The Color of War", "The Ghost Mountain Boys", and "The Final Frontiersman", I reached out to James specifically to hear about his latest book"Braving It" which tells the story of bringing his 16 year old daughter Aidan on three separate trips to the far north wilderness of Alaska. As a parent, and specifically a father of daughters, the book really connected with me. The end goal is to raise self-reliant, confident human beings, but reaching the moment where your child is becoming more independent and is preparing to "leave the nest" has to be an extremely tough time. I feel like a wilderness experience like James gave his daughter is of utter importance in both parent and child understanding the evolution of the relationship. Plus, how many teenagers get a chance to spend months in the peaceful quietness of nature....all while gaining a respect for hard work and learning how strong they actually are. Oh yeah...and there were Polar Bears. In this episode James shares the stories from the Alaskan tundra including canoeing rapids up the Hulahula River to the Arctic ocean, how they dealt with hiking and camping in bear country, why an adventure was something both him and his daughter wanted to share, and the time they had to face down a polar bear. Thanks so much to James for chatting with me! Within ten seconds of talking with him I knew it was going to be a great conversation! Definitely recommend checking out "Braving It". I have read it twice now and it really is a phenomenal read. Now I'm starting "The Final Frontiersman" and will probably add it to the book recommendations in the future. Thank you for tuning in this week and for checking out all the rest of our episodes at https://soundcloud.com/chris-ward-126531464 Help support this podcast by leaving us a review on iTunes and sharing it on whatever your social media platform of choice is! Go out and have an adventure this week!

#34: Jake Reed -- Sports Science, Strength & Conditioning, and the Power of Beards Apr 14, 2017

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I'm stoked to share this week's episode! An academic, a scholar, a....a.....a super smart dude. Professor Jake Reed!! Jake is one of my oldest friends and has recently become a Professor of Strength & Conditioning and Physiology of Exercise at the University of Northern Iowa. He's also a Sports Scientist working with the U.S.A. Women's Rugby team and a sport performance consultant for Renaissance Periodization. Previously, he worked as a sports scientist for the Texas A & M Football team and pulled double duty at Eastern Tennessee State as their head rugby coach and strength coach for the university's volleyball team. He also hikes, goes fishing, strength trains, brews beer, and grows one fantastically manly beard. Jake is a fascinating person and is hands down the hardest worker I have ever met . He sets big time goals and pursues them with intention, intelligence, and unrelenting energy. I've been so inspired by his journey to get his PhD and am enthralled by all the areas of sports he has dipped his toes in. In this episode we chat about lessons he's learned as a strength and conditioning coach, his triathlon training plans, basic beliefs about strength training, how he analyzes sports science data and how to develop the best athletes possible....oh yeah and his amazing, big-enough-to-be-a-bird-house BEARD!! Enjoy! (P.S.- Jake had no current pictures of said beard but I saw it over Skype and I gotta say...it's real and it's spectacular!)

#33: Will Seeber --14erQuest, 51 Winter Summits and Over 250,000 Ft of Elevation Gain Apr 07, 2017

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This week the Like a Bigfoot Podcast proudly brings you Will Seeber's story of his 14ersQuest- where he attempted to summit as many of the Colorado 14ers as possible in brutal winter conditions. As a self confessed 14ers nerd, I followed Will's story this winter and am beyond stoked to have been able to chat with him about the experience. There's just something about climbing mountains that is magical and I can only imagine the peace you find and challenges you face while soloing one of these bad boys in the tranquility of winter. Seriously, try to imagine climbing in negative temperatures and savage winds, you are miles from the nearest sign of civilization, you seen the morning post-holing through knee deep snow, and now you have to climb up and down exposed cliffs. And then you have to wake up and do it all over again the next day.... The experience sounded INTENSE to say the least. In this episode Will shares how to persevere through the savage weather, the importance of warmth, why you must set ridiculous goals, the best mindset to persist through such a long quest, how to control your emotions when faced with slick rocks and exposed cliffs, and so much more. By the end he completed 51 summits in 90 days, hiking over 640 miles and gaining 250,000 feet of elevation. Two hundred and fifty THOUSAND feet of elevation!!! Thanks again to Will for sharing his story and best of luck for whatever he decides to pursue in the future!

#32: Monument Valley Ultras Race Report Part 2 -- Brady Manriquez & Travis Steffen Apr 03, 2017

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This week Brady Manriquez and Travis Steffen discuss their experiences in the Monument Valley Ultras. Brady finished off his very first half marathon, 13.1 beautiful miles running through the desert. A culmination of a year long discovery of running. He recaps his strategy to deal with the pre-race jitters, how he handled running in the sand, and the importance of embracing happiness and rolling with the punches. The race ended with a bunch of letters from friends and family and a finish with a great time! Travis's story is probably one of the most unique race reports of ALL TIME! The dude terminatored his way through a 50 mile race on pretty much ZERO training because he wanted to experience pain and misery in an attempt to see how much he can withstand physically, mentally and emotionally. The last few hours, he dug deep as he trekked through rain, wind, and darkness in only a soaking wet t-shirt and some running shorts. We dig deep into Travis's mindset during the race. How can we grow by purposely seeking out hardships? What do you learn about yourself when you are stripped of all common comforts and put through the ringer? Why do we crave pushing the limits? Whereas a lot of trail runners treat the experience as a social one, Travis really craved an individual quest, observing his inner emotional struggles while the miles went by. It's a crazy story! Also.....before recording this episode I would have been 100% sure that no one in history had used a mantra that is also a title of a Nic Cage film to finish an endurance event.... Congrats to both these guys! Glad I got to experience an amazing event with my family and two of my favorite people in the world! If you want to have an awesome adventure in the beautiful southwest, I highly suggest checking out the race series put on by Ultra Adventures. Zion, Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, and a bunch more. I will for sure be participating in more in the future. If you missed part one, you can find it here: https://soundcloud.com/chris-ward-126531464/31-monument-valley-ultramarathon-race-report-part-1-chriss-journey Be sure to subscribe for new podcasts every single week: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/like-a-bigfoot/id1160773293?mt=2 Enjoy!!

#31: Monument Valley Ultras Race Report Part 1 -- Chris Ward Mar 29, 2017

Show notes

This past weekend I competed in the Monument Valley 50 miler. The best way to describe the experience was "Life in a Day". I experienced the whole spectrum of emotions throughout nine hours of sand dunes, mesas, hogans, and even found moments of desert isolation. I hollered with joy running down Mitchell Mesa, I had my breath taken away by the beauty of the valley in the Arches Loop, and I welcomed the darkness of exhaustion while staggering my way towards Brigham's Tomb. It was exhilarating. It was exactly what I wanted and needed from the race. Special episode this week as I try to explain to my buddy Brady Manriquez the why, what, and how of my experience. We talk about the constantly changing mindset throughout the miles, share tips on motivation to endure such a long event, and attempt to explain how my emotional and mental benefits from an ultra completely overshadow the pain and discomfort. This is just PART ONE of our race report! In a few days we will release Travis and Brady's stories which I promise will completely blow your mind. Enjoy! If you're enjoying the podcast, help grow the tribe by spreading the word! Subscribe to iTunes, leave us a review, tell a buddy, do all that super fun social media sharing you kids are into these days, etc. Love you guys! Enjoy the week!

#30: Adam Casey -- Navy SEAL Training, Surviving Mental, Physical and Emotional Anguish Mar 22, 2017

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Ridiculously excited this week as we welcome Adam Casey to the podcast! A month ago in Nederland, Colorado I spent a few hours running with Adam. We were cruising along, chatting and instantly I knew I wanted him to share his story on the podcast. Because, quite frankly, Adam's lived a life. His journey to where he is now, a computer programming major at University of Colorado, has been unconventional. He's been a former Mizzou football player, a U.S. marine, a biologist, a cancer survivor, and, most recently, a sky diving badass. He also started the nonprofit I Do It For Her which supports under-privledged children in the Saint Louis area and individuals with lofty life goals who believe that "the best weapon in a world deterred by the risk of failure are individuals who are willing to accept the challenge to better themselves through adversity." On this episode Adam shares stories from his time attempting BUD/S training ....or to us common folk Navy SEAL training. Commonly known as the absolute hardest training cycle in the world, Adam paints a picture of day to day life, describes a few of the extreme mental, physical and emotional obstacles a trainee faces, and explains why he NEEDED to attempt it (even while concealing a debilitating illness). This one gets real and gritty. Life is all about the journey, the peaks and valleys, and, unfortunately, Adam has been forced into exploring the deepest depths of the valleys. As an eternal optimist, I can only believe that his new chapter of life is in Colorado to give him the opportunity to start adventuring up some peaks! Thanks again to Adam for chatting with me and for everyone who listens week in and week out. Super grateful for you!

#29: Travis Steffen 2 -- Finding Success Through Discipline, Morning Routines Mar 16, 2017

Show notes

This week we are joined once again with Travis Steffen (episode 10) . Travis is a successful entrepreneur and athlete working in the heart of the insanity that is Silicon Valley. Through the last ten years he's created multiple businesses from scratch, played college football, pursued MMA, fought in Thailand, completed triathlons and ultramarathons, climbed mountains, competed in body building competitions and so on and so on. How was he able to step up and confront all of these challenges? Travis attributes his success to regimented discipline, daily goal setting, and a focused mindset on success. On this episode Travis shares his intense morning routine, his affinity with lists, what drives him to set lofty goals, how he visualizes a "life trophy case", his hilarious experience running his first marathon, and how he plans on finishing his first 50 miler. We also reopen the "City Slickers 1 v. City Slickers 2" trial....in which I present some very damning evidence. As are most of my conversations with Travis, this one is all at once enlightening, silly, inspiring, highbrow, lowbrow, and brings a smile to face! Enjoy! Check out our previous episode here: https://soundcloud.com/chris-ward-126531464/like-a-bigfoot-10-travis-steffen

#28: Jason Schlarb -- Hardrock 100 - Mastering One of the Toughest Races in the World Mar 09, 2017

Show notes

There's so much I could write about as I attempt to describe Jason Schlarb in a few short paragraphs. He's a professional runner, Altra sponsored athlete, world traveler, family man, and an all around good dude. He's ran (and won) an insane amount of trail races all around the world, he's explored mountains, beaches, jungles, and deserts, and was the first American to finish UTMB in 2014 (the Super Bowl of Ultrarunning), amongst so much more! The dude is legitimately one of the best ultra runners on the planet! Best of all he's a Coloradoan who, like most people who live here, loves being outdoors and exploring the wilderness. Running, hiking, climbing, or skiing, he's a badass mountain athlete through and through. In this episode we nerded out about Colorado before discussing one of the state's craziest and most intense races- the Hardrock 100, a race Jason won in 2016 as he finished alongside ultra running superstar Kilian Jornet....you know...the dude who's trying to set the fastest known time up Everest. Hardrock is a special race through Jason's backyard in the San Juan mountains, the area widely known as the most scenic part of Colorado. It's a race designed by tough people FOR tough people and always breeds the quirkiest, most epic stories of grit, endurance, and badassery that comes with enduring one of the toughest 100 mile races in the world. I've been geeking out over Hardrock every since I first read about it in Born to Run, so I was stoked for the opportunity to chat with someone who not only ran it, but WON the whole freaking thing! Oh yeah....Jason was also part of a three man team who became the first to traverse the entire course in the WINTER, which you can see in the documentary posted below and also on our Facebook group. Hope you enjoy the episode half as much as I enjoyed recording it!! If you find some wisdom through the amazingness that is Jason Schlarb, help us out by sharing it with your buddies, checking out our other episodes, or subscribing to our show on iTunes. Thanks again to Jason! Good luck at Hardrock this summer! I'll be there cheering you on, in awe of all the crazy hardrockers!!

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