If Ross Edgley is a real-life Aquaman, I nominate ultrarunner extraordinaire Catra Corbett as a real-life Wonder Woman.Definitely one of the planet's most colorful athletes, Catra's polychromatic goth-punk aesthetic is a perfect superhero costume match for her sparkling personality. Rocking wild rainbow hair, brightly colored running costumes and tattooed head-to-toe, you can spot the Dirt Diva's smile from a mile out, happily tearing up the trails with her trusty side-kick training partner TruMan — a goggle-adorned mini dachshund. TruMan's superpower? He loves running as much as she does.Yes, it's all a bit nutty. But don't be deceived — Catra is an absolute beast of an athlete. Over the course of her storied career she has competed in over 250 ultramarathons and is the first American woman to run over 100 miles or more on more than 100 occasions (137 to date).You might recall Catra from the book Born to Run as the “kaleidoscopically tattooed” woman who ran the 212-mile John Muir Trail from Yosemite to Mt. Whitney. When she reached the end, she didn't stop. Instead, she turned around and ran back — a 425-mile effort for which she holds the fastest known time (FKT), completing it in just over twelve days. Not enough? Catra also holds the FKT for the Muir Ramble – clocking 324 miles in just 7 days. Oh yeah, she also ran 144 trail miles around Lake Tahoe in 43 hours on just 50 minutes of sleep.Most recently, at age 53, Catra completed three back-to-back 200-mile races to become the oldest woman to win the triple crown of 200's (Bigfoot 200, Tahoe 200 & Moab 240). It's an astounding feat she completed in just 10 weeks. A mere eleven days later she celebrated her accomplishment by running another 100 miles at the Javelina Jundred — dressed as the The Mad Hatter. Vintage Dirt Diva.To top it off, she's a vegan — a lifestyle she adopted 15 years ago to which she attributes her high performance prowess, race consistency and longevity.Catra's resume speaks for itself. But most impressive are the obstacles she has faced and overcome to become the shining example of humanity and athleticism she is today.Twenty-four years ago, Catra was lost in a hopeless spiral of meth addiction, disordered eating, and sexual and emotional abuse. Ultimately busted for peddling crystal, she hits rock bottom in a jail cell that scares her straight. Upon release she commits to getting sober, moves back home with her mother, abandons her lower companions, her boyfriend, and the dark lifestyle that she came to depend on. Her only clean friend pushes her to train for a 10K with him, and surprisingly, she likes it – and decides to run her first marathon after that.Sobriety saved her life. Running gave her a new one altogether. Along the way she attempts suicide, loses loved ones, falls in love, has her heartbroken, meets lifelong friends and finally faces the past that led to her addiction — all of which is beautifully chronicled in her memoir, Reborn on the Run: My Journey from Addiction to Ultramarathons*.I sat down with Catra to learn the how and why behind her incredible journey from meth-addicted cosmetologist to world class, vegan ultrarunning phenom.We cover her goth netherworld days and how she transformed her life in recovery. We track her accomplishments and what compels her insatiable drive to push herself well into her 50's.Enjoy!Rich

Meet Ross Edgley, the real Aquaman who swam around Great Britain. He shares his remarkable athletic achievements, including climbing Everest on a rope and completing a triathlon with a Mini Cooper. The podcast explores the principles of pushing boundaries and making peace with pain. They also discuss the challenges faced during the Great British Swim, the importance of social media support, and the mindset required for extreme challenges. Finally, they emphasize the significance of embracing discomfort, the impact of recovery and teamwork, and future plans for pushing further.

If you enjoyed my conversations with adventure athletes Alex Honnold (RRP 351), Conrad Anker (RRP 170), Hilaree Nelson (RRP 364) and Colin O'Brady (RRP 207 & 235), then you are going to flip for today’s episode with Chai Vasarhelyi & Jimmy Chin — the dynamic and talented filmmaking duo behind the stunning new documentary Free Solo — a beautiful cinematic celebration of human possibility.A graduate of Princeton University hailing from New York City, Chai is an award-winning film director and producer with Hungarian, Chinese, and Brazilian roots who cut her filmmaking teeth under the legendary Mike Nichols. Her first film, A Normal Life, won Best Documentary at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2003. Her second film, Youssou N’Dour: I Bring What I Love, was released in theaters in the US and internationally. The film won numerous awards, including the Special Jury Prize at the Middle East International Film Festival in 2008 and a nomination for the Pare Lorentz Award at the 2009 International Documentary Association Awards.An award-winning cinematographer and director in his own right, Chai’s husband and creative partner Jimmy is also a professional climber, skier, mountaineer, 18-year member of The North Face Athlete Team and National Geographic Explorer. Over the past 20 years, he has led or participated in cutting-edge climbing and ski mountaineering expeditions to all seven continents and made the first and only American ski descent from the summit of Mount Everest. Known for his ability to capture the authentic in some of the world’s most high-risk environments, Jimmy has worked with many of the greatest explorers, adventurers and athletes of our time, documenting their exploits in the most challenging conditions and locations in the world. He has garnered numerous awards shooting on assignment for publications, including The New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair and Outside Magazine, and has directed commercial work for a wide range of clients, including Apple, Chase, Pirelli and The North Face.Jimmy’s technical acumen matched with Chai’s storytelling superpowers have created two of the most compelling documentary masterpieces in recent memory. The highest grossing independent documentary of 2015, Meru* won the Sundance Audience Award, made the Oscars shortlist and was lauded by Variety as one of the best sports documentaries of its type in recent memory.Their latest collaboration, and the primary focus of today’s conversation, is Free Solo – a riveting, intimate, unflinching, edge-of-your-seat, sweaty-palm-inducing thrill ride portrait of Alex Honnold as he prepares to achieve his lifelong dream: a death defying quest to free solo the world’s most famous rock – the 3,200 face of El Capitan in Yosemite — without a rope.It's an accomplishment the NYT called “one of the greatest athletic feats of any kind ever.”I concur — and cannot recommend this masterful film more highly.Enjoy!Rich

Today we dive into the deep end of higher consciousness. We challenge the limits of human potential. And we explore the power of the mind to unlock superhuman capabilities.Our instrument for this week's fantastic voyage is Wim Hof — aka The Iceman. Dropping in for his second podcast appearance — his first being RRP 231 from June 2016 — Wim is a Dutch-born world record holder, adventurer, daredevil and human guinea pig best known for his preternatural ability to withstand extreme cold.More significant is Wim's experimentation with specific and teachable breathing techniques. Rooted in the ancient yogic tradition of pranayama and canonized for a modern audience as The Wim Hof Method, Wim asserts that through such breath techniques he can turn up his internal thermostat and activate his sympathetic nervous system — abilities conventionally believed beyond conscious control.Understanding the far-fetched nature of his claims, Wim put his contentions to the test. Among his twenty world-record setting feats of otherworldly insanity, Wim has:* scaled above death zone altitude (22,000 ft) on Mount Everest shirtless adorned in nothing but shorts;* completed a full marathon above the polar circle in Finland barefoot and again shirtless and in shorts;* summited Kilimanjaro in less than 2 days, again in nothing but shorts;* swam a world record 66 meters under a meter of ice above the polar circle;* sat in an ice bath for almost two hours straight;* ran a full marathon in the Namib Desert without water; and* remained asymptomatic after a poisonous E. coli endotoxin injection certain to make any human being very illAll of this is seemingly insane. But Wim declares his feats not only replicable but entirely teachable — a curriculum that holds the potential to unlock a battery of human superpowers that extend well beyond extreme temperature tolerance to metabolic ‘reptilian brain' functions previously thought beyond conscious manipulation.Picking up where we left off in RRP 231, this conversation focuses less on Wim's feats of incredulity and more on the nature of consciousness and the primacy of its elevation. We discuss our current crisis of awareness. The importance of challenging long-held, status quo beliefs. And the warrior's path required to live fully actualized.Wild, calm, powerful and gentle all at the same time, Wim is undoubtedly one of the most compelling and unique people I have ever met — a man who will shock you out of your comfort zone and call into question the countless unnecessary limits we impose upon ourselves daily.This journey begins with the breath. It extends to service, compassion, and gratitude. And it culminates in love.Disclaimer: Never practice breathing exercises before/during any activities where a loss of consciousness may prove life threatening. The breathing methods discussed may have a profound effect and should be practiced exactly as explained and always in a safe environment. Wim strongly advises you to gradually build up your exposure to the cold. Always train without force and listen to your body carefully. If not practiced responsibly, you risk hypothermia or worse. And finally, always consult your doctor first before beginning any exercise program.Enjoy!Rich

What's it like to be the very best in the world at something?Today I explore this question and so much more with a woman who truly needs no introduction.Not only is Lindsey Vonn the most decorated female skier in history, she's the most decorated skier period – man or woman – in US history.One of the few world-class, four-event ski racers, Lindsey is a 4-time Olympian, a 3-time Olympic medalist, the only American woman to win downhill gold, and the only American woman with 4 World Cup titles. All told, she has 82 World Cup wins in her career, the most of any female skier in history. Only 4 World Cup wins now separate Lindsey from the record set by Ingemar Stenmark in 1989.Eclipsing this once thought untouchable achievement is the final goal propelling Lindsey into her final professional season.Off the slopes, Lindsey is a media mogul. A regular on “Most Marketable” athlete lists, she has been profiled in every major media outlet across the globe and graced the cover of publications such as Fitness, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, TV Guide and many others.Not enough? Lindsey sank a hole-in-one during one of her very first full 18 holes of golf. So there's that.Lindsey's victories are self-evident. Less appreciated are the countless obstacles she has faced and overcome over the course of her legendary career. From potentially career-ending injuries to debilitating bouts with depression to weathering the haters and naysayers, Lindsey's trajectory skyward has been neither linear nor charmed. In point of fact, she has tenaciously fought for all everything she has achieved – falling and failing often.Her motto? When you fall, get right back up. And never, ever quit.It's Lindsay's fearlessness and relentless persistence that most impresses — qualities I explore as the focus of today's conversation.So what drives this champion? And what can we learn from her mindset, process and experience?Listen, learn and enjoy.Note: the podcast is now available on Spotify and our conversation is viewable in full YouTube at bit.ly/lindseyvonn405Peace + Plants,Rich

Today I sit down with music industry titan Jason Flom for a deep dive into what currently ails our criminal justice system, and how to fix it.The current CEO of LAVA Records, Jason's much storied career features stints as Chairman and CEO at Atlantic Records, Virgin Records and Capitol Music Group. He is personally responsible for launching a litany of massive acts, including Kid Rock, Katy Perry, Lorde, and most recently Greta Van Fleet. The New Yorker described him as “one of the most successful record men of the past 20 years…known for his specialty in delivering ‘monsters.”Jason's accomplishments in the recording industry are extraordinary. But it's his commitment to criminal justice justice reform that compelled this conversation. A founding board member of The Innocence Project as well as a board member of several advocacy organizations devoted to drug reform, prison education and ant-recidivism, Jason is a leading civilian expert on clemency with a talent for procuring exonerations for those wrongfully convicted.A sought-after public speaker on such matters, Jason also hosts the Wrongful Conviction podcast, which features mesmerizing interviews with men and women who have spent decades in prison for crimes they did not commit. A means of exposing what ails our current justice system and prison industrial complex, his goal is to promote alternatives to mass incarceration and offer ideas on how to reduce the indecencies of wrongful convictions.Although I have followed Jason’s work for years, I had never met nor heard him speak until our paths crossed at The Nantucket Project a few months back. At the conclusion of his riveting, standing-room-only presentation alongside Amanda Knox — the exchange student who spent almost 4 years in an Italian prison following a murder conviction Jason played a part in having overturned — there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.I knew immediately I wanted to share his story and work with all of you. Today is that day.This is a compelling exchange about what ails our criminal justice system and how to fix it.It’s about systemic inequities and the recurring issue of false confessions — why so many innocent people plead guilty. We discuss the impact of DNA testing technology, overcoming prosecutorial malfeasance, and how unaffordable bail exacerbates social inequality. But mostly, this is a conversation about how misaligned incentives often produce unjust results and why Jason is so committed to giving a voice to those wrongfully incarcerated.But I couldn’t let him go without a peek into his legendary music career. Stories from the frontlines, he recounts how he discovered Lorde, the current state of rock and roll, and his new venture, aptly titled, The Church of Rock and Roll.My hope is that this conversation will provoke a deeper sense of empathy for those that suffer. Motivate you to investigate these issues more thoroughly. And inspire you to get involved in forging solutions.Peace + Plants,Rich

I have never met a more inspirational everyman example of healthy, transformative living than Josh LaJaunie.After 400+ episodes of the podcast, our initial conversation way back in December of 2013 (RRP 63) remains one of my favorite and most popular episodes in the history of the show, followed closely by our second conversation in June 2015 (RRP 152).There's a reason for that.Sure, Josh lost 200+ pounds. He overcame tremendous obstacles to restore and maintain his health. He reinvented himself as athlete, crushing marathons, winning an ultra and even gracing the cover of Runner's World magazine.You might have seen Josh on The Today Show. Perhaps you caught him on Good Morning America. Certainly, Josh's personal triumphs are worthy of celebrating. But I'm emphatic it's his giant heart that captured the the media's eye.100% genuine and utterly authentic, it's Josh's love and devotion to returning the gift in service of his friends, family, community and strangers that sets him apart — and makes me prouder than you can imagine to call him friend.Good things happen to good people who do good for others.For those new to the show, Josh's story — as laid out in his self-described manifesto — begins in marshy southern Louisiana. A self-avowed “swamp dweller” from Bayou Lafourche, he was a big kid surrounded by an even bigger loving family, united by their shared adoration of food. Despite being recruited to play college football, college life left him so disillusioned, he dropped out, returning home aimless and unmoored. He found work in the family construction business, but like so many, started living for the weekend: partying, hunting, fishing, cheering for his beloved New Orleans Saints, and feasting on his favorite local delicacies — po boys, jambalaya & barbecue. Lots of barbecue. It's just what you do down in Bayou Lafourche.It wasn't long before Josh tipped 400+ on the scale. Outwardly he seemed fine with it. But deep down he was dying — his despair, embarrassment and shame escalating in lockstep with his declining self-esteem and overall well being.Then something happened. In 2010, Josh's beloved Saints achieved the impossible, winning the Super Bowl. It seems a small thing. But to Josh it was everything. Forever altering his perception of what is possible, he began to question the limits he imposed upon himself. Empowered, he began to “let go of his normal” and dismiss the embedded “that's just the way it is down here” mentality he was starting to understand often taints the logic of his region.A chain reaction of events ensued that set Josh on a path that literally changed everything. He adopted a 100% plant-based diet. He resumed a long, slow return to fitness. He committed to a top-to-bottom mindset shift. It wasn't overnight, but today he has multiple marathons under his belt. An ultramarathon victory. And a plan to scale the principles that saved his life to save others via his Missing Chins secret Facebook group and newly-hatched WellStart wellness start-up.The best part? It's just the beginning.Picking up where we last left off, this is Josh's story.Enjoy!Rich

7.5 billion people currently share this spinning blue planet we call Earth. By 2050, that number will escalate to 9.7 billion. By 2100? 11 billion.How can we possibly feed 11 billion people sustainably?To answer that question we must turn our gaze to the industrialization of animal agriculture. On the surface, what we commonly call factory farming appears incredibly efficient, creating massive economies of scale to feed the maximum number of people possible.But in actuality, this industry is inexcusably inefficient and unsustainable long-term. It requires untold amounts of land, water and feed. It contributes more greenhouse gas emissions that the entire transportation combined. It's depleting our soil. It's polluting our water table. It's acidifying our oceans. It's making us sick. And it's driving the greatest mass species extinction in the history of mankind. In fact, 60% of all animal species have been rendered extinct in just the last 50 years.We can't continue down this path. We desperately need a better way.So let's talk about it. This week I sit down for a second conversation with Bruce Friedrich, a leading innovator in food systems and policy.Bruce is the executive director of The Good Food Institute and founding partner of New Crop Capital, organizations focused on replacing animal products with plant and culture-based alternatives. He graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown Law and Phi Beta Kappa from Grinnell College, holds additional degrees from Johns Hopkins University and the London School of Economics and was inducted into the United States Animal Rights Hall of Fame in 2004.A popular speaker on college campuses — including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, and MIT — Bruce has appeared on NBC's Today Show, CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, and Court TV.Picking up where we left off in April 2017 (RRP 286), Bruce brings us up to speed on the rapidly evolving frontier of food technology and plant-based innovation, including a fascinating deep dive into the cutting edge of clean meat and the revolutionary science that is making possible the production of animal foods by way of cultured cells harvested without slaughter.This is a conversation about the politics of agriculture and the subsidies, corporations, representatives and lobbyists that support it.Bust mostly, this is about current advances designed to improve food systems in the interest of human, animal and planetary well-being.Humanity currently faces an unprecedented, seemingly insurmountable environmental crisis. But Bruce casts an optimistic forecast — how technology, urgency and popular demand are rapidly converging to create healthy, sustainable and compassionate solutions to help solve our current food, health and environmental dilemmas.Chock-a-block with incredible information, this exchange will leave you not only better informed on the aforementioned subjects, but inspired to invest more deeply in where your food comes from, how it impacts the precious world we share and how together we can forge the future of food for ourselves and generations to come.Incredibly intelligent, considerate and measured, it was an honor to sit down with Bruce. I sincerely hope you enjoy the conversation.Peace + Plants,Rich

What stands in the way of becoming the person you aspire to be?Maybe it's circumstances. Access or opportunity. For many its bad habits, exacerbated by the unsuccessful war waged to replace them with good habits — a rinse and repeat process that generally leads to failure and discouragement.Why is it so hard to overcome negative patterns?Today's guest contends the problem isn’t you. The problem is your system.Evolving from stuck and unsatisfied into the person you wish to become is equal parts art and science. Science helps explain the root causes of our behaviors and how to modify them. But the application of said principles into practice is very much an art.Today we explore the often misunderstood terrain of behavior change with author James Clear, a man who has spent the better part of his career attempting to understand and master the art and science of human habit formation and decision-making,A regular speaker at Fortune 500 companies, James’ work is used by teams in the NFL, NBA, and MLB. He has been featured in the New York Times, Entrepreneur, Time, and on CBS This Morning. His website jamesclear.com receives millions of visitors each month. Hundreds of thousands subscribe to his popular e-mail newsletter. And over 10,000 leaders, managers, coaches, and teachers have built better habits in life and work via his Habits Academy online program.James recently penned Atomic Habits, a New York Times bestselling deep dive into evidence-based self-improvement. A comprehensive primer on what actually works when it comes to behavior change, it zeroes in on the transformative power of making small changes. Packed with implementable takeaways (including many strategies I have myself employed with great success), it's a must read for anyone looking to take their life to the next level.This is a highly practical conversation that explores the psychology and neuroscience behind behavior change.Specific topics include the problem with goals. We discuss the relationship between overly ambitious goals and failure — why most people make the mistake of optimizing for the finish line when we should instead focus on getting to the starting line.James explains why establishing systems are critical; and why focus should be placed on practice over performance.We also cover why it's important to move beyond temporal, emotional drivers like motivation into practical action. Why you're more likely to act yourself into feeling rather than feel yourself into action.Or, as I like to say, mood follows action.My biggest takeaway from this exchange is James’ compelling dissertation on why we are best served by concentrating on identity. In other words, long-term results are best derived not from achieving the goals we set for ourselves, but instead by slowly adopting and inhabiting the daily practices and characteristics of the person we aspire to become.Powerful and potentially game-changing, this conversation will reframe how you contemplate and act upon your ambitions. So break out the pen and paper and please enjoyPeace + Plants,Rich

Welcome to another edition Guru Corner — a spiritual version of my popular Coach's Corner series featuring my favorite teacher on all things mystic and metaphysical, Guru Singh.Fusing Eastern mysticism with Western pragmatism, Guru Singh is a celebrated third-generation Sikh yogi and master spiritual teacher who has been studying and teaching Kundalini Yoga for more than 40 years. He is the author of several books, a powerful lecturer and behind-the-scenes guide to many a luminary, including Fortune 500 CEOs, athletes, and artists.A peer of rock legends like Janis Joplin and the Grateful Dead, Guru Singh is also a supremely talented musician who began his recording career on Warner Bros’ Reprise label in the 1960s. When he isn’t recording tracks with people like Seal, he’s bringing down the house on the daily at Yoga West, his Los Angeles home base.Over the last couple years, I have grown quite close with Guru Singh, a beautiful and highly relatable consciousness I’m proud to call friend, family and mentor. It’s a privilege to share more of his powerful wisdom with you today.A companion piece to my recent podcast with author and parenting expert KJ Dell'Antonia (RRP #396), today's conversation is an intimate exploration into the art of parenting through the lens of child rearing as spiritual practice.We discuss the challenges of raising a generation required to face problems created preceding generations.We pit the perils of social media against the importance of digital fluency.We explore the importance of cultivating a healthy sense of self amidst the chaos of family life; how to reframe failure as opportunity; and the importance of balancing discipline while encouraging daydreaming.Communication is paramount, so we dissect strategies for keeping it open and honest.None of us parent perfectly. But the way forward is to better master ourselves, our actions and reactions. My hope is that this exchange will empower you with some tools to do just that.Like my conversation with KJ, there is plenty of wisdom here for everyone, irrespective of your child rearing status. So even if you don't have children and never plan to, I encourage you to listen or watch with an open mind.Note: If you missed our initial conversations, start with episode 267 and then enjoy episodes 332,368 and 393.Final Note: The visually inclined can watch our entire conversation on YouTube HERE (just make sure to subscribe!)Let the master class resume.Peace + Plants,Rich