We Are Superman

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I'm excited to be just two weeks away from running the Leadville Trail 100, one of the toughest running tests on the planet. I'll be toeing the starting line there for the ninth time, and hoping to become one of the very few to finish it in four different 10-year age groups! I talk about how I've been training, my race strategy, nutrition and hydration plan, my crew, where I've been getting tips, and more. Also, I honor the lives of three truly remarkable people who recently passed: Bill Russell, Nichelle Nichols, and Vin Scully.

Bill Stahl
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This is part two of a really fun episode with two very impressive track athletes, Camden Law of Chatfield H.S. and Jake Culig of Bear Creek H.S., who finished 2nd and 3rd at the Colorado 5A State meet in the 800 meters. As I mentioned before, even if you’re not a high school track fan, I think there is a lot to gain from listening to these insightful young men. In the previous episode #215, we talked about how these young men developed as runners, their training and racing strategies and experiences, and the bond they developed in competition. In this episode, we talk more about dealing with running injuries, running during lockdown, shoe technology, running in college, college recruiting, and what is timely after the recently-completed World Track and Field Championships in Eugene, OR which barely was a blip on the consciousness of the American public, ways track could be more popular to sports fans. These young men are great testaments to how hard work, dedication, and terrific character and humility can lead to dramatic improvements and ultimately tremendous success.

Jake Culig
Instagram jacob_culig

Camden Law
Instagram camdenclaw

Bill Stahl
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In June, I was volunteering at the Resurrection Aid Station at the Leadville Marathon and Heavy Half, and noticed a couple of groups running together wearing neon green shirts that said Team Leadville and STOP Veteran Suicide, which immediately drew my interest. Never one not to initiate a conversation, I chatted with a few of them – not holding them up from continuing their mission to complete their races – but long enough to learn they were supporting an organization called Warriors Ascent that assists veterans to overcome Post-Traumatic Stress. They also told me that I needed to talk to the guy who put all of this together, Tony Hofmann. As it turns out, Tony is quite the energetic, dynamic leader, and definitely a motivating force behind the Team Leadville group. A retired colonel, West Point graduate, and Army Ranger, Tony has completed the Boston Marathon 13 times and the Leadville Trail 100, among many other tests of stamina. He is a district commander in the Army Corps of Engineers, and led their efforts to rebuild Joplin, Mo. following its devastating tornado in 2012, which was complicated by unprecedented flooding of the Missouri River. He has also authored two books, “Embracing Grit” with a foreward by Leadville 100 founder Ken Chlouber, and “Endurance, Teamwork and Grit” that are great reads for anyone seeking the inspiration to dig deep to achieve their goals, and to learn about the history of Team Leadville’s efforts to improve the lives of veterans. He defines grit as putting yourself on a personal journey to do something you thought might be out of reach, devoting the necessary time and effort to prepare for it, but not knowing what the result might be. That certainly characterizes going for any goal, whether athletic, career, self-improvement, etc., doesn’t it? His overarching message is that anyone can achieve meaningful goals even in a busy life balancing family, work, and more. Ken says that Tony is the “real deal,” and I think you’ll find that true listening to him in this episode. I am so glad I took the time to talk to those Team Leadville warriors at Resurrection because it led me to get to know this remarkable man, and I’m going to be very proud to wear their shirt when I’m running the Leadville Trail 100 myself in a few weeks. I hope that you get a lot out of this inspirational conversation and also just enjoy listening to him.

Tony Hofmann
www.tonyhofmanngrit.com
Facebook tony.hofmann.50
Instagram @thofmanngrit
LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/tony-hofmann-pmp-f-same-5534bb3

Bill Stahl
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This episode should be helpful to you if you're training for your first marathon or if you have run a few and are looking to tweak your training. I chatted here with Mike English, who I'd coached when he was in high school, then competed for the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. Mike drifted away from running while establishing his career and his family with his wife Tamber and two young kids. Returning to running, Mike is training for the St. George Marathon in Utah under the tutelage of his college coach, Mark Misch. Mike and I discuss tweaks to his runs, pacing, hydration, nutrition, and other aspects to try to achieve his goals for his maiden marathon. Hopefully you gain a nugget or two from this episode whether you're a novice or have some marathons already under your belt.

Mike English
Instagram @runnermike8

Bill Stahl
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For me, the transition to eating plant-based wasn’t a hard choice. As opposed to some athletes who do it for performance-related reasons, I’ve become increasingly fed up with the food industry, particularly factory farming. We kill billions of living, breathing, intelligent animals, funded to a large extent by the government – through industry promoters who lobby for subsidies like the Beef Council, the Poultry Council, the Pork Council, the Dairy Council, etc. – that has then exacerbated health issues like diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and other morbidities that were magnified during the pandemic. And then the government has to lay out larger sums of money to help people to afford the health care they need to fight these ailments. Then we have a planet that is inching onto the edge of not being able to feed itself as there is less farmland and more crop failures as climate change worsens, which the factory farming industry contributes increasingly to that problem, all while the world population grows and grows and there are more mouths to feed. Without depressing you further, it seemed like a logical choice for me to spare the lives of a few animals, which won’t change the world, but maybe it will totally change it for just a few of them who don’t get slaughtered. Funny thing is, after many years of injuries and way too many surgeries, I do seem to be training better than I have in a long time. Not sure if there’s a connection, but I’m sticking with this lifestyle. My doctor has even pointed out better health metrics during my past couple of physicals. I can also see this impressive starter list of vegan athletes whose names you likely know, like Kyrie Irving and Chris Paul in the NBA, Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton, incredible ultrarunners like Scott Jurek, Robbie Balenger, and Harvey Lewis, nine-time Olympic track medalist Carl Lewis, MMA star Ronda Rousey, and tennis great Venus Williams.

My challenge has been that like most guys, I know how to artfully use a grill to cook. In Colorado, we barbeque outdoors in almost any weather. But frankly, my biggest struggle now is finding enough variety in what I eat. I love salads, but not every day. Enter Kathy Davis. She has a site called VegInspired that offers a ton of recipes and information geared toward aspiring and existing plant-based eaters. What’s great is how Kathy breaks through the barriers and makes it so easy to really make plant-based eating your lifestyle. She’s so committed that she and her husband sold their house and travel the country in an RV on something of a plant-based eating road trip, showing how doable it is even on the road. Kathy particularly emphasizes eating whole, unprocessed foods after encountering an interesting twist at the start of her journey. Despite eating plant-based, she gained dozens of pounds because she was eating what David always called vegan junk food. You commonly see them now: Beyond and Impossible Burgers, fake chicken nuggets, fake deli meats, even fake bacon. But these are often highly-processed, sometimes with high amounts of sodium, sugar, and other questionable additives. I’m not saying they’re all bad, and I think most are still better than eating animal products, but I’d still point you toward more whole, unprocessed foods like Kathy does. You can join her journey with the coaching she offers, through her Website recipes and blogs, and with the free meal planner she is giving to WASP listeners, which frankly is a Godsend for someone like me. She’s really engaging, so I hope you enjoy this conversation and gain some tips that help you live healthier, and please take advantage of her terrific meal planner.

Meal planner:
www.VegInspired.com/podcast

Kathy Davis
www.VegInspired.com
Facebook and YouTube VegInspired
Instagram and Twitter @veginspired

Bill Stahl
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I have a really fun episode for you. I have brought together two very impressive track athletes, Jake Culig of Bear Creek H.S. and Camden Law of Chatfield H.S., who finished 2nd and 3rd at the Colorado 5A State meet in the 800 meters. We had hoped to include Drew Costelow of Valor Christian, who’d won that race, but he had a family medical emergency, yet Jake, Camden, and I had a very spirited conversation anyway. Even if you are not a high school track follower, I think you’ll be interested to hear about how these young men developed as runners, their training and racing strategies and experiences, their views on the world of track, college recruiting, the bond they developed in competition, and much more. In fact, we covered so many interesting topics that I’ve split this conversation into two parts. Both young men jumped up significantly this year. I helped coach Jake at Bear Creek where despite an unremarkable cross country season, he broke the school’s 400 and 800 meter records, and lowered the all-time Jefferson County League championship meet 800 record by a whopping 1.6 secs. His dream was to attend the U. of Colorado, and to hopefully run on the track team. The team’s coaching staff had rebuffed his initial contacts to join the team, but his impressive end-of-season performances turned the coaches’ heads and earned him a walk-on spot on the team. Camden, a junior, also seemingly came out of nowhere to run impressive times of 1:52.25 in the 800, 4:17.37 in the 1600, and then go on to run in the elite Running Lane meet in Huntsville, Ala., and Nike Nationals at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. He’s got an impressive list of prospective colleges to consider after high school. These young men are great testaments to how hard work, dedication, and terrific character and humility can lead to dramatic improvements and ultimately tremendous success.

Jake Culig
Instagram jacob_culig

Camden Law
Instagram camdenclaw

Bill Stahl
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On July 4, 1939, Lou Gehrig, despite having just been diagnosed with ALS, often called Lou Gehrig's Disease, gave one of the most inspiring speeches in sports or almost anywhere else.  The 'Iron Horse' had played in 2130 consecutive games, and led the New York Yankees to six World Series championships, but would die of this terrible disease in less than two years.  However, the Hall of Famer would give a farewell speech that showed amazing gratitude and humility, calling himself, "The luckiest man on the face of the Earth."  I hope you enjoy hearing this inspiring speech that I reprised from an earlier WASP episode.

Bill Stahl
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Imagine you are a young, rising star college runner who wins the extremely competitive Division 2 national cross country championship as a redshirt sophomore, helping lead the team to the national title as well. That year you also win the Division 2 national 3000-meter steeplechase title on the track. You then get to run in the Olympic Trials steeplechase. But next an unfortunate accident puts you in a coma, hospitalizes you for months, and erases all of that. That is what happened in 2012 to Ryan Haebe while he was building his running career at Western State University in Gunnison, Colorado. Ryan had to re-learn how to talk, walk, feed himself, etc. But he used that determination also to build a teaching career in one of the most difficult places possible, on the Navajo reservation in southwest Colorado. Not only is it challenging for him to teach as an outsider to the local culture, but the lack of resources possessed by both the schools and the residents there is staggering. Add on the pandemic. Parents, teachers, and students alike in this country complained about the uphill climb to teach and learn remotely. Imagine what it was like for Ryan and his colleagues to surmount the same challenges where most of the families didn’t have computers, Internet service, or in some cases, even basic necessities like running water. Ryan has also returned to the running scene, but now as an ultramarathoner, overcoming some additional challenges to achieve success there. All the while, as you will hear, maintaining an unbridled enthusiasm for exploring the natural beauty and history of the Southwest and native culture. I hope you will enjoy Ryan’s great comeback story and his appreciation for the Navajo people.

Ryan Haebe
Instagram @rhaebe04_

Bill Stahl
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A lot to unpack on this Power Play episode, including my recent trip to Colombia, South America, a beautiful country that has moved well beyond its days overrun by drug cartels.  I've added a  few interesting stories to my trip description.  Plus, a brief recap of the Leadville Marathon and Heavy Half with record-setting performances, and a discussion on plyometrics, which will help your strength and flexibility and make you a more efficient runner.

Bill Stahl
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Many of you know that I’m a hockey fan and closely follow the University of Denver, which won its ninth national championship in April this year. On the day between the semifinals and finals while I was there in Boston for the Frozen Four, they present awards, most notably for the Hobey Baker, which goes to the best player in college hockey. The hockey Heisman, if you will. Among the other awards is a huge honor for one college player, the Hockey Humanitarian Award. This year’s winner was Josh Kosack of Union College, which is a small but mighty school in Schenectady, NY. Josh’s story and his acceptance speech resonated with me, so I reached out and brought him onto the WASP. Josh grew up in Oakville, ON, outside Toronto, eventually played with the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL on the juniors circuit, and then came to Union, from where he earned his economics degree. What I love about this story is how a random act snowballed into a big deal that ultimately helped a lot of kids. Josh was leaving the ice after warming up for a game at Dartmouth and he gave a puck to a boy named Patrick Doner, who has Down Syndrome. Well that led to Patrick becoming a big fan of Josh’s, and later to Josh connecting with the C.O.C.O.A. House in Schenectady, which helps disadvantaged kids, and its executive director, Will Rivas. The acronym stands for Children of Our Community Open to Achievement. Josh developed a following there called Kozi’s Kids and in the first year raised $5000 to buy laptops and online learning equipment. Then things took off as the word got out. Kozi’s Kids raised $50,000 the next year, culminating with Josh’s Hockey Humanitarian Award and a $3000 check from its foundation. Josh is a humble young man who showed how one very simple act of kindness – along with a heart rooted in service – can make an amazing impact in the world. I hope you enjoy this!

Josh Kosack
Instagram @joshkosack

C.O.C.O.A. House
cocoahouse.org
Facebook and Instagram @cocoahouseinc

Bill Stahl
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