We Are Superman

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Do you remember Stan Cottrell on a WASP episode this past summer, the 78-year old who was running across the country, 30 miles a day every day for 100 straight days? He said that he’d performed a test in which they determined he was within 0.1% of biomechanical perfection! Thus at his age, he managed to run more than a marathon every day unhampered by injury. For the rest of us not in that 0.1%, that sounds pretty miraculous, doesn’t it? In fact, I’d argue that I’m in the opposite 0.1%. This is where this conversation with Dr. Andrew Fix comes in. Andrew is a doctor of physical therapy, and Board-certified in orthopedics. Actually, he has more initials after his name than anyone I have ever seen. He specializes in prevention of athletic injuries, and specializes in movement and mobility, an area in which many athletes are severely deficient, me included. Andrew has a lot of great insight and advice to dispense in this episode, so be prepared to take notes. He works at the Physio Room in Highlands Ranch, Colo., on the south side of the Denver metro area, and their Web site and YouTube channel also have a ton of very helpful videos and blog posts, some of which might become indispensable to you to stay active.  I know I am constantly working on my ankle and hip mobility to try to make it intact to Leadville, so I would personally recommend you look into those exercises. They also have an informative and entertaining podcast called The Code you should consider checking out.

Dr. Andrew Fix
[email protected]
www.physioroomco.com
Instagram @dr.andrewfix and @physioroomco
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YouTube Physio Room Co

Bill Stahl
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After 200 episodes, the WASP is still all about the amazing legacy left to us by David. I continue to honor that legacy by hosting this podcast with inspirational and informative guest and directing his American Heroes Run. Two more legacies will continue: Gary Stotler and I have a life group for men. It will focus on fostering better mental and emotional health spaces for men whether they are recovering from addiction, alcohol abuse, eating dysfunction, or dealing with divorce or other relationship issues, family, business and financial concerns, or other everyday pressures. We will find pathways to success through better motivation and self-discipline, journaling, fitness, and more. We will have a positive and encouraging Facebook group, Zoom calls, face-to-face retreat-style meetups, and more with the option for one-on-one meetings with Gary and me. Please contact me for more info. I am also creating a proposal to fulfill David's dream to run the bases at Coors Field in Denver, the home of the Colorado Rockies, to increase awareness and raise funds to combat the serious opioid crisis in this country. It will be called On-Base Against Opioids. I mention in the podcast a couple of areas in which I have needs to pull this off.

Finally, I provide a reading from David's book, "Out There: A Story of Ultra Recovery" in which David wrote in brutal honesty about some of the lowest of his lows as an alcohol and drug abuser, and how he finally put his foot down to turn around his life.  It is incredibly impactful.

David's books Out There, Broken Open, and Eat Sh*t and Die are available on Amazon in both print and audiobook formats.

Bill Stahl
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Every leader wants to be more effective, right?  Every athlete wants to perform better under pressure, right?  Today’s guest happens to be an expert at helping in both areas.  Bill Benjamin, a partner at the Institute for Health and Human Potential, has conducted workshops with NASA, the FBI, corporations like Intel and Coca-Cola, and every military service branch.  Bill and I talk about very strong methods that can help you whether you are an athlete, work in a collaborative office environment, or want to be better about resolving issues at home.  Buckle up and be prepared to take notes because Bill and I cover a lot in a short amount of time.  In particular, note how Bill discusses the science of doing your best when it matters most, how 92% of those tasks come naturally but it’s what he calls “The Last 8%,” the more challenging tasks that we either handle poorly or avoid entirely that end up defining how both we and others define our performance, leading to negative reactions, regrets, and loss of confidence.  The Institute for Health and Human Potential, through workshops and programs for which you can sign-up, offers methods where you can turn crisis into opportunities, make better decisions, perform better under pressure, create a more open, collaborative workplace that fosters curiosity and innovation, and help you become an exceptional leader.  There is truly something for everyone in this episode, so I hope you enjoy it.

Bill Benjamin
[email protected]
647-955-3724
www.ihhp.com
www.last8percent.com
Facebook Bill Benjamin
Instagram @ihhpglobal and @last8percent
LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/bill-benjamin-12b671
Twitter _bill_benjamin

Bill Stahl
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This will be a short intro bio because the comeback story you are about to hear is just a young man.  But I think you will be moved by his impressive comeback from open-heart surgery that almost had a sad ending, and by his desire to share his story so others might be educated and inspired by it.  Mateo Casados was a soccer player and an up-and-coming track athlete at Horizon H.S. in Thornton, CO, specializing in sprints and hurdles.  However, while doing workouts with his brother, who was in similar physical shape, Mateo’s dad Lee noticed that Mateo was getting exhausted much sooner than usual, even turning white.  Subsequent tests on his heart revealed that in one area when the aortic blood flow into the heart muscle itself should have one artery on either side, the arteries came in on the same side.  Mateo faced the choice of limiting his activities for the rest of his life, or agreeing to risky open-heart surgery.  An active, healthy young man like Mateo chose the latter.  Surgery seemingly went well, but while Mateo was recovering in the ICU, something went wrong and his heart stopped beating.  Mateo was rushed back into surgery, and the surgeons cracked open his chest again.  Following his recovery from this traumatic event, he went on to finish second in his league in both the 110-meter and 300-meter hurdles, and make the finals at the State meet in the 110s.  He now competes at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction where he began the 2022 indoor season with impressively fast times of 6.86 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles and 22.93 seconds in the 200 meters.  But on top of his impressive comeback, you’ll notice that Mateo has a genuinely good heart, no pun intended, and really hopes to use this experience to show how, even at his young age, his determination and belief in himself has made him a better person who can help others overcome their obstacles.

Mateo Casados
Instagram @37teo

Bill Stahl
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I have often encouraged you to "just start" to change habits, begin a new exercise program, start a project, etc.  It's often difficult to resume your physical activities after surgery, injury, or illness, so now I'm giving you tips to "just re-start" to get you back on the roads and trails much faster than simply listening to your doctor's discouraging, conservative timeline.  I began running 11 weeks after rupturing my Achilles tendon (and skied on it even earlier) when the doctor told me I'd be out for 9-12 months.  I resumed running in January after late-October surgery to repair a ruptured quad tendon in my knee even though I was told I wouldn't do anything on it until May - even downhill skiing on it that spring - and then finishing the Leadville Trail 100 that August.  I share with you my ideas to get moving quicker, getting over the fear of re-injury, and specific workouts that might help you recover quicker and get back to doing what you love.

Bill Stahl
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You’ve just been plowed down by a truck while on a bike ride.  You’re laying on the pavement, spine shattered, unable to move your legs.  What’s among the first things you do?  You forgive the driver who ran you over. Perhaps it was Dean Otto’s experience having gone through a 12-step program for alcoholism that caused Dean to reflexively forgive that driver who stood over the mess he had caused.  Perhaps it was Dean’s inherent optimistic nature, which also carried him through the next agonizing months of rehab to restore his ability to function in life.  A string of amazing coincidences, maybe Providence, saw Dean onto an operating table with among the best neurosurgeons on the East Coast within an hour of the accident that had taken place on Providence Road in Charlotte, NC.  That improved his odds of ever walking again from 0% to 2%, hence the name for his inspirational book, “2% Chance.”  What followed was a story of amazing determination, hope, and resilience.  Instead of bemoaning his fate, Dean got to work that very night on moving again, and walked out of the hospital within days.  Rather than holding anger, Dean’s family and the driver’s family became friends.  Promising his skeptical surgeon the day after the accident that they would run a half-marathon in one year, Dean and his doc indeed finished that race – along with the guy who had run Dean over!  Dean’s story has inspired many people who have read about him or seen him on TV programs like “Ellen” and the “Today Show.”  All the while he has shown gratefulness to not only the doctors and therapists who worked on him, but for the love of family and the multitudes of friends and strangers who supported him. His book “2% Chance” can be found on Amazon.  It’s a relatively short easy read that I’m sure you will like.  I hope you’ll enjoy this uplifting story of the indefatigable human spirit and how a positive attitude can turn any outcome in a favorable direction.

Dean Otto
[email protected]
www.rdeanotto.com
His book "2% Chance: A Journey in Resilience, Recovery, and Rebirth" is available on Amazon.
Facebook Dean Otto
Instagram @otto.dean
Twitter @DeanOtto

Bill Stahl
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Unable to process he and his wife suffering a miscarriage, Steve Claringbold literally stood on the precipice until an angel, in this case, a police officer, appeared out of nowhere and talked Steve down from leaping to his death.  After that, he finally started working on healing and finding better ways to grieve.  He took control of his mental health, lost a good deal of weight, and started running.  During his journey, he discovered David Clark and the We Are Superman Podcast.  Steve progressed from short runs to marathons and eventually ran Comrades, the oldest ultramarathon in the world, a roughly 55-mile race in South Africa that has been on my bucket list for years.  In 2018, he ran the so-called “down” course in less than 10 hours, which is an outstanding time, then returned in 2019 and earned the back-to-back medal on the “up” course.  I loved reading his blogposts on his Web page that gave me a great feel for what this iconic race is like.  Wait until you hear in this episode about the Hell on the Humber run that Steve does every year in which entrants run the same four-mile loop across a river bridge for hours and hours.  I’m sure David would have related to this.  Along the way, Steve co-founded a popular running club and hosts a run in his hometown in northern England near the Scottish border.  Playing off of the pivot Gary Stotler and I talked about in this week’s Power Play, Steve became a running coach, personal trainer, and massage therapist, eventually quitting his longtime job with the railroads to do these full-time.  Many of his clients are dealing with long-term chronic conditions.  All while devoting abundant time with his wife and two kids.  I think you’ll enjoy this chat as much as I relished getting to know this amazing man.

Steve Claringbold
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Instagram @steveatfitnessindependence

Bill Stahl
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I welcome again friend of the podcast Gary Stotler, motivational coach and author, whose last book Success is Spelled Action, a book on how to create consistent forward progress, I would highly recommend adding to your self-improvement arsenal.  He also has a new podcast series called Coaching Call with Amy you can find on GaryStotler.com/podcast or on platforms like Apple podcasts.  Did you know that the average adult changes their career seven times in their lifetime?  Not job, but career.  That means each time you have to make a hard pivot.  Gary coaches others, yet recently found himself struggling to find the right direction for his business.  But with focused purpose, he has pivoted into a new role.  Gary and I discuss the steps to get past the self-doubt and imposter syndrome to actually setting yourself on the course you’ve always envisioned for yourself.  First off, you need to take personal responsibility for where you’re at.  Then you need to build consistent self-discipline in the direction you want to go.  It’s always fun when we get together, so I hope you enjoy our chat and get motivated to make your own pivot.

Gary Stotler
garystotler.com
Facebook Gary Stotler
Instagram @coachgarystotler
Find his latest book, "Success is Spelled Action" on Amazon
Coaching Call with Amy podcast series at garystotler.com/podcast

Bill Stahl
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Hey folks, you’re about to have your breath taken away.  Karl Egloff is one of the pre-eminent mountain speedrunners in the world, holding FKTs, or Fastest Known Times – to not climb, but run – up and down many of the highest and most daunting peaks in the world, including Denali, Kilimanjaro, Elbrus, and Aconcagua.  Where it would take most of us many days to trek these mountains, it takes Karl mere hours.  Where we would be using ropes, crampons, and ice axes, Karl is in running shoes.  His Denali FKT of 11 hours, and 44 minutes edged out that of mountain legend Kilian Jornet, and Kilian skied down, whereas Karl ran.  Karl is based in Ecuador, where I got to enjoy a very fun run with him in November.  His mother was Ecuadorian and his father, Charly, is Swiss, so Karl got the Alpine best of both countries, and with his mountain-guide father leading the way, Karl naturally became a guide himself.  His company, Cumbre Tours, leads expeditions for average humans to many of the bucket-list peaks of the world.  All the while, he is an amazing family man with a mountain runner wife herself and two young kids.  His current project is to capture the FKT on all of the Seven Summits – the highest peak on each of the seven continents.  And then another goal is a simple run across Antarctica.  We talk about taking on peak challenges (literally), chasing dreams, risk management, logistical tests, loving the mountains, and keeping the family in focus.  I think you’ll be blown away when you hear his story, and I definitely encourage you to view some of his incredible mountain adventure photos and videos that will surely leave you breathless.

Karl Egloff
www.karlegloff.com
www.cumbretours.com
Facebook @karlegloff and @cumbretours
Instagram @karl.egloff and @cumbretours
Twitter @karlmtb and @cumbretours
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Bill Stahl
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The athletes from the recently-completed Olympics are heading home and many into recovery mode.  Any athlete knows that recovery is absolutely essential to make forward progress.  I discuss here about a myriad of recovery modalities that are available to everyday athletes.  I  also have strong opinions on what is ailing the Olympics that is showing up in its low TV ratings, including competing on manmade snow, awarding the Games to totalitarian countries like China and Russia, and doping scandals still don't ban Russia's athletes. 

Bill Stahl
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