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How did Cody Poskin, a guy who was told to “get lost” by the coach at his college, become one of the rising stars of ultrarunning and getting invited to run across the Gobi Desert in China? I dig into that with the help of another 23-year-old ultramarathon beast, TJ Harms-Synkiew. After Cody was spurned by the college coach, he decided to target the Boston Marathon, nailing a qualifying time in his first attempt. At age 21, he jumped up to ultras and won his first two races, including the Midstate Massive Ultra Trail 100-mile in a speedy 19:47. He was a very impressive 13th at his first Leadville Trail 100 in 2024 in 19:28, and then had another breakthrough at the Jackpot 100 miler, which he ran in 13:26, breaking the course record by 33 minutes. After placing 8th at the Cocodona 250 in 71:11, Cody joined 54 other runners to run the Ultra Gobi 400K, a life-altering experience. The Chinese hosted a world-class event as Cody describes, all while he had to navigate a course that had no markings, only checkpoints, and he had to run self-supported with a 15-pound pack in which he was required to carry 2000 calories at all times. He won in 64:49, shattering the course record by 4 hours, and earned the title Guanjun Marshall. What makes this episode fun for an old ultramarathon goat like me is listening to 23-year-olds who are relatively new to the sport and how they plunge into all sorts of challenges with the attitude of “I’ll figure it out along the way.”

Cody Poskin

codyposkin.com

Instagram, YouTube, and Threads @cody_poskin

Bill Stahl
silly_billy@msn.com
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In this coaching episode, I discuss 13 creative things you can do this winter to renew and reinvigorate your running so you can be fitter and stronger for 2026 racing. Please feel free to contact me if you'd like me to expand on any of these topics for you!

Bill Stahl
silly_billy@msn.com
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I was really intrigued when I heard about Matt Zemon and his advocacy for psychedelic therapy as an alternative when traditional psychotherapy hasn’t been successful. Colorado became the first state in the country to legalize therapy using psilocybin mushrooms, and I know someone who has done it and says it produced great results. Like many of you, I came from a place of complete ignorance on this topic, so I really appreciate Matt’s expert knowledge on it, and he enlightened me on information like about the hundreds of psychedelic churches and societies in this country. He has a very broad knowledge of using medicines like psilocybin, ketamine, ayahuasca, MDMA, and other psychedelics, why for some people these are better than antidepressants, who should consider taking one of these, like veterans dealing with post-traumatic stress, or people wanting to explore spiritual growth, the research that has gone into psychedelics, government views and laws on them, and places where people can consult with professionals if they want to explore trying these medicines. In particular, Matt supports veteran communities with his book, “The Veteran’s Guide to Psychedelic Journeys” helping them find more healing and hope by combining ancient healing traditions with contemporary practices. He is donating all of the book’s proceeds to the Heroic Hearts Project, which further aids veterans to heal. It’s a fascinating conversation that I would encourage you to listen to because it may resonate for you or someone you know, and it will open your eyes in a lot of unexpected ways.

Matt Zemon

Instagram @matt.zemon

LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/mattzemon

Bill Stahl
silly_billy@msn.com
Facebook Bill Stahl and American Heroes Run for race photos
Instagram and Threads @stahlor and @we_are_superman_podcast
YouTube We Are Superman Podcast

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Eric Pence is a guest I actually wanted to chat with a couple of years ago, but it is even better that it is occurring now because this summer he completed the Leadville Trail 100 for the 30th time, becoming just the second person to do so, after the legendary Bill Finkbeiner. Eric and I go back to the early 1990s days of the race, so we have lots of stories to share about that pioneering era, quite a few unique race memories, and the changes we have seen over the years. Eric discusses what has kept him going all of these decades, especially the support from his close and extended families, including his wife Anne, who has written a LT100 crewing guide, and his son Ethan, who has become an ultramarathoner himself. Discussion about his family certainly wouldn’t be complete without talking about his sister Pam, to whom he donated a kidney several years ago, and who is married to legendary Mark Macy of adventure running fame. Like several WASP guests have recounted, having one kidney hasn’t diminished his abilities one bit. Eric has had numerous other impressive racing accomplishments, and he talks about what has gotten him through iconic events like the Badwater 135 and Across the Years. Eric also shares secrets of his longevity and his tried-and-true tips for racing success in this very engaging episode.

Bill Stahl
silly_billy@msn.com
Facebook Bill Stahl and American Heroes Run for race photos
Instagram and Threads @stahlor and @we_are_superman_podcast
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Sometimes seeing a close relative struggle through chronic conditions can spur someone to take action to help themselves and then others. I often find these stories to be inspiring. Like the story we had of 250-pound middle schooler Nathan Maze in episode 277, who saw his dad battle obesity and decided not to follow the same path. He dropped the weight, got jacked in the gym, and then as a 15-year-old ran and completed the American Heroes Run marathon. In this episode, I have an uplifting chat with Jonathan Boulware, who lost his mother to obesity-related health issues which propelled his journey to lose weight himself and then help others achieve the same results. Wanting to head off the yo-yoing that many others have undergone in battling their weight, Jonathan studied how to make lifestyle changes by becoming a certified lifestyle coach, personal trainer, and nutrition coach. Following his own success, Jonathan has created many incredible tools to help others, including his 432 Playbook and his book Take Control of Your Body Before It Takes Control of You that demonstrate how to personalize your own lifestyle change plan. It's the same concept David had when he said that once he learned to first change himself, he could then help others change, and it opened the door for him to write his third book, Eat Sh*t and Die, Radical Rehab for Food Junkies and Sugar Addicts, which also gives a blueprint for changing your eating habits. In this fun and entertaining chat, Jonathan gives a lot of very practical insights into how to lose weight and keep it off. He is also putting into action how his own transformation has changed his life by competing soon in the Cal Tri LA Duathlon, which consists of a 5K run, 23-mile bike, and then a 10K run all strung together.

Jonathan Boulware

YouCanBeatObesity.com

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-boulware

Bill Stahl
silly_billy@msn.com
Facebook Bill Stahl and American Heroes Run for race photos
Instagram and Threads @stahlor and @we_are_superman_podcast
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We had an incredible two days at the American Heroes Run with great weather, the largest turnout yet, inspirational and speedy performances, and the humble opportunity to honor our military veterans and service people, first responders, the lives lost on 9/11, and race founder David Clark, not to mention the opportunity to see familiar faces either pushing themselves to their limits or helping put on this event that was David's passion. Listen in for some amazing stories of people putting themselves out there to see how much they could achieve and to honor those who serve.

Bill Stahl
silly_billy@msn.com
Facebook Bill Stahl and American Heroes Run for race photos
Instagram and Threads @stahlor and @we_are_superman_podcast
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David turned me onto learning about non-Western medicine because our system is primarily geared toward curing and not prevention. I’ve felt the difference in just modifying my food intake as much as possible away from the all-too-normal American diet that includes too much sugar, fat, and processed foods. So I’m excited today to share my chat with Dr. Shivani Gupta, an Ayurvedic medicine practitioner. We take a deep dive into how plant medicine and dietary modifications can benefit your body to battle inflammation, a popular buzzword these days. She explains what it really means and what it means to you when you eliminate it. We have a detailed discussion about the herb turmeric, a powerful natural anti-inflammatory that I have always used, what kind you should take, and what you should look for when evaluating the many options on the market. She also explains the benefits of another natural medicine, ashwagandha, that you may have heard many use to calm their brain and enhance focus. She covers a lot more important health topics on her Fusionary Health podcast, which you can catch on her website shivanigupta.com or on Apple Podcasts. She has also rolled her extensive knowledge into a supplement company called Fusionary Formulas, that includes many products to help fight inflammation, improve sleep, support women’s health, and much more. She has generously offered a 15% discount to all WASP listeners using the code WASP2025 on its website fusionaryformulas.com

Dr. Shivani Gupta

shivanigupta.com

visionaryformulas.com

Facebook Dr. Shivani Gupta

Instagram, Threads, and YouTube @dr.shivanigupta

Fusionary Health podcast

Bill Stahl
silly_billy@msn.com
Facebook Bill Stahl
Instagram and Threads @stahlor and @we_are_superman_podcast
YouTube We Are Superman Podcast

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We’ve had several WASP episodes about organ transplant recipients who have gone on to accomplish impressive feats, but here’s one from the other side. Dan Armstead had plans to be a kidney donor from the time he learned in a high school class that you actually only need one to function perfectly normally. He eventually got tested and officially listed on the donor registry and then it barely took 48 hours before he got linked to someone who was in end stage renal disease who desperately needed a kidney, and it turned out it was his kidney that perfectly matched. But I’m not going to spoil it for you how that match took place because it’s a remarkable, heartwarming story. What is important to tell you right now is how admirably selfless Dan’s act was, and how he wants to spread the word about how easy it is to get tested to be a potential donor, and how little ongoing impact it has had physically on him. Most importantly, there are thousands on the kidney transplant waitlist who sometimes remain there for years – and sadly many don’t make it at all. Dan, who runs a Synergy HomeCare provider, however, was able to save a life with his incredibly generous donation. I think this story will make your day a whole lot brighter, and who knows, maybe motivate some of you to someday save a life yourself.

Dan Armstead

Facebook Dan Armstead

Gabrielle's "G"'s foundation

Onekidonekidney.com

Bill Stahl
silly_billy@msn.com
Facebook Bill Stahl
Instagram and Threads @stahlor and @we_are_superman_podcast
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Subscribe to our Substack for my archive of articles of coaching tips developed from my more than three decades of experience, wild and funny stories from my long coaching career, the wit and wisdom of David, and highlights of some of the best WASP episodes from the past that I feel are worthwhile giving another listen.

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