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You can’t beat the trail running community for positivity, and during so many of my races I have randomly met the most interesting and often inspiring people, many of whom have become lifelong friends. During the descending miles of this year’s Leadville Heavy Half, I started chatting with a fellow runner and before long discovering Scott Tish’s inspiring story that included his experiences as an air ambulance helicopter pilot and as a five-time cancer survivor. Scott’s battles led him to some dark places, but he emerged on the other side with a reinvigorated view on life and gratitude for the mere opportunity to go out and run every day, much less complete races as challenging as the Heavy Half. He attributes a lot of his rebound to his wife, Pam, who gave him the tough love needed to move forward with his life and find again how running is some of the best medicine anyone can take. Scott’s journey in the Army also gave him the very rare privilege of being a guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. Combine that with being a survivor of very rare forms of cancer and being an ultrarunner, Scott’s one-of-a-kind story will certainly inspire you.

Scott Tish

Facebook @stish162

linkedin.com/in/scott-tish-tus162

TikTok @millieandtesspapa

tombguard.org

Bill Stahl
silly_billy@msn.com
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Dealing with my dad's serious illness has reinforced the value of one of my core philosophies: It Will All Work Out. Anytime I have faced adversity, just as all of you have numerous times, it's a great tool to keep in your arsenal.

Bill Stahl
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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
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Facebook Bill Stahl and American Heroes Run for race photos
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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
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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
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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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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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