I met this week’s guest way back in 2008 during my first year of coaching 9th grade football for the Iowa City West Trojans.  He instantly became one of my favorite players.  He was coachable, tough, would play any position asked of him, worked harder than anyone else, and had the never say die attitude that brings a smile to a coach’s face.

Over the last nine years, George Kittle transformed himself from 160 pound ninth grader into a 250 pound starting Tight End for the Iowa Hawkeyes.  In the last two years he has scored 10 touchdowns, became one of the team’s best run blockers, and helped lead them to one of their best seasons of all time.

How did his mindset help him throughout this journey? What obstacles did he overcome?  What lessons did he internalize while pursuing his goals?  What does the next step look like for a potential prospect chasing an NFL career?

In this episode George shares the most important lessons from his journey.  Over his five year college career he has used the power of consistent hard work, realized that success follows complete focus and discipline and, most importantly, became a sponge who sought lessons from everyone around him.

I was beyond impressed by the amount of solid advice and inspiration he shared in our conversation.  The “Reset” button is something I will use for the rest of my life!

He also explains what he has gained from three excellent teachers; head coach Kirk Ferentz, strength and conditioning coach Chris Doyle, and, most importantly, his father Bruce Kittle.

So big thanks to George for chatting with us.  We wish you the best of luck in the next phase of your life!

Enjoy the podcast.

Also, George and his dad were the first people I knew who went out to Colorado to climb “14ers” (big ole mountains), so we definitely talk about his experiences adventuring up mountains too!

This week we are proud to have the opportunity to talk to one of the leading experts of Acroyoga.

The most basic definition of this style of yoga is that it is a mixture of acrobatics and yoga.  It is the rare “social” yoga in that the poses are generally accomplished with either one or more partners.

This week’s guest has spent the last ten years learning and practicing under the watch of Acroyoga creators Jesse Goldberg and Eugene Poku and is now one of the most highly respected Acroyoga instructors in the world.

Jill Campbell fell in love with the movement, art, and connection that Acro brings to her life and is on a quest to spread the goodness to as many people as possible.  She travels all over the world bringing acroyoga to literally thousands of students and has now spread her influence by teaching the next generation of instructors.

Jill is a caring, introspective, boundary pusher who is blazing the trail for Acroyoga practitioners worldwide.

As someone who has practiced yoga pretty regularly throughout the last four years but has never participated in an Acroyoga class, I am so grateful for the opportunity to speak with Jill.  I truly believe that there is a lot to gain from talking to highly qualified people in any field you are curious about  and can honestly say that, as someone who knew nothing of Acroyoga (beyond that it looks really fun), Jill has inspired me to step outside my comfort zone and begin looking for classes around my area.

I came at this interview as a complete curious newbie and probably asked some extremely surface level questions.  Although this podcast is aimed at all levels of experience with this yoga practice, I believe that it will really be beneficial for all of us who have no clue what to expect from an Acroyoga class.  Also, as a 8th grade science teacher, I was fascinated with the similarities seen for all teachers, whether it’s a peaceful yoga class or a public school class with goofy hormonal 8th graders.

We really dig into what you can expect from a first time Acro experience, how becoming really passionate about something can change your life, her teaching philosophies and how it influences her teaching style, how the partner and social aspect makes Acro different from other forms of yoga, and a lot more!

What kind of person can endure 50 ironman triathlons, in all 50 states, in 50 straight days?

An Ironman consists of a 2.4 mile swim, followed by a 112 mile bike ride, and finished with a  26.2 mile run for a total of 140.6 miles.

For most people completing one is a MAJOR life accomplishment.

In the summer of 2015, “The Iron Cowboy” James Lawrence powered through 50 of them, for 50 straight days, while traveling through all 50 states with his wife, five kids, and his crew.

He called it the 50.50.50.  Some call it the craziest feat of self-induced human endurance.  I call it the most impressive accomplishment I’ve ever witnessed.

His story will truly open your eyes to what humans are capable of.

In this week’s episode, James shares some high points and low points of the challenge, the mindset it takes to endure this massive endeavor, how he has developed his physical and mental toughness  with the power of consistent action over time, the positive ripple effects he has witnessed from his project, and what challenges he is planning on facing in 2017.

Oh yeah…he also spells out his plan to bike up Mt. Kilimanjaro.

I am beyond honored to bring you guys the interview with James.  I have been a huge fan of his journey for quite some time now. To me he represents everything there is to know about toughness and stoicism.  He was at the top of the list of “dream guests” when starting this podcast and I have not been able to wipe the smile off my face since chatting with him.

So check out this episode and feel free to share it.  Especially, if you find something that connects with you and you feel like it could help others on their journey, because at the end of the day that’s the whole purpose of this podcast: to spread stories of goodness.

To discover more of the Iron Cowboy’s story or to keep up on his training and future events, be sure to check out www.ironcowboy.co, his Facebook page Iron Cowboy and his instagram @ironcowboyjames.

If you are interested in being coached by Team Iron Cowboy in any event from 5k to an Ironman please go to www.teamironcowboy.com.

To get a feel for what the 50.50.50. you can go to Vimeo and check out the “Iron Cowboy Documentary: The Story of the 50.50.50.” Here’s the trailer:

James and I after the Marathon at 1 a.m. in North Carolina (day 24)

How do you transform from a self-described “indoor kid” to a person who spends entire weekends hiking through the beautiful outdoors of the Pacific Northwest?  What lessons would you learn by stepping into the fresh air to wander in nature?  Why are weekend adventures in the natural world so important for your success during the weekdays?

This week the Like a Bigfoot podcast proudly welcomes Shaida Hossein.  Shaida has spent the last 4 years exploring the wilderness surrounding Seattle, Washington.  Originally from the Midwest, these travels have helped her form a newfound love for hiking adventures and open her eyes to whole new aspects of herself.

Last January she decided to step up to the “52 Hike Challenge“, a global movement to inspire people to complete one hike every single week of the year.  So at least once a week you would find Shaida outside exploring the beautiful waterfalls, mountains, and beaches surrounding Seattle.  In fact, by the end of the year, she had piled up miles on 73 different trails!

On this episode Shaida shares what she learned from her year of wandering; lessons about herself, friendship, wildlife, inner strength, and the importance of weekend adventures to her life.  She also entertains with some delightfully hilarious stories about run-ins with animals, teenagers, and machete-wielding forest folk while out on the trails!

Shaida is also an excellent photographer and blogger and I suggest that you all check out her blog Daily Amusements of a Midwest Girl and be sure to follow her fantastic instagram account at shaida05 to be inspired by the true beauty of the Pacific Northwest.

As always, thanks for listening and be sure to subscribe on iTunes, check out our archive of other podcasts on Soundcloud, or join our Facebook Community.

The mountain conquerer has returned!!

A few months removed from finishing his 14ers Project where he summited the 100 tallest mountains in the contiguous United States, Calvin Johannsen returns to the podcast for an overdue celebration of this lofty accomplishment.

In this episode we crack open some beers, open some presents, and have a great time as Calvin shares more adventures from the road, including one so intense that it actually gave me a nightmare…as embarrassing as that is to admit as a grown man.

Enjoy the conversation as he recounts the highs and lows of solo travel, waxes poetically about how awesome it is to sleep in the back of a Prius, explains how he dealt with the post-adventure slump, and, of course, reveals about the trials and tribulations of climbing some of the most rugged mountains in the U.S. over 100 straight days.

Calvin is the master of the “Calspiration”, straightforward advice intended to push you towards being the best possible human possible, so I’m releasing this episode specifically on New Years Day for all of you guys looking to start 2017 off on the right foot.

Instead of simply making a New Year’s Resolution (and abruptly breaking it a few days later), I’m urging you to check out Calvin’s “Join 100 Club” which highlights the power of consistency in achieving your goals.  Signing up is free and by completing 100 days of your own specific habit, I promise you will see considerable amount of progress!  Personally, I’m doing 100 days of a minimum of 15 minutes of yoga to improve my flexibility and mobility (and hold myself accountable).

Whatever you decide to do with your year remember this, YOU have control over your decisions and those decisions will lead you down whatever path you choose.  This could be the path of new experiences, adventure, discipline, progress and experiencing the most out of life or it could be the path of stagnation and “same old, same old”.  I know what I’m striving for!

14ers Project Memento- Congrats Calvin from the Like a Bigfoot Tribe!

Calvin and I after a full day climbing South Maroon Peak

14ers Project Celebration Beer