2011 Year In Video

..and finally, we're ending 2011 with our 2011 Year in Video. Below is a collection of all of the best video we took during 2011. Stay tuned for more video in 2012 as we upgrade cameras and video editing software. Can't wait! Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays

Whatever it is that you celebrate this Holiday Season, you shouldn't be reading this. Instead, put the mouse down, step away from the computer and return to your family. Remember, your family are the people who put up with your obsession. Your obsession for adventure, your obsession to run or hike. Your obsession as an internet troll that prevents you from not visiting this site (I know you're out there).. whatever it is. You owe it to your family to continue to spend this time with them for all that they've given you. I wrote this post on December 12th and scheduled for it to be posted on this day. Currently, I'm in New England giving my family some time. I'm devoid of this website until I return to Colorado. I'm MIA until I can give my family the time and attention that they require. I wish I could say I was kidding.. but I'm really not. Get out of here and enjoy the Holiday's with those who love and support you. Return the favor.. love and support them. Return here on Thursday for our Year in Video post. Until then.. Happy Holidays.

2011 Year In Pictures: Part 2

July

In July I went up to Leadville to continue my training for the Leadville 100. Without a doubt, the Silver Rush 50 is a more gorgeous course then the LT100 and is one of the toughest 50 Milers I've ever run. This is a photo of my running into Stump Town.

2011 Year In Pictures: Part 1

It's that time of year again, the end, when we take a look back at the year that was. In the next two posts here on Human Potential, we're going to take a look back at the year 2011, in pictures. We'll also top it off with a year in video montage which I hope you'll enjoy. Sometimes I feel like this past year lacked much of the true adventure that other years have had. The great thing about looking back is seeing how wrong I really am. 2011 was filled with life changes, accomplishments, journey and inspiration. I'm really looking forward to 2012 but for now.. here is what 2011 looked like.

January

You know you wanted to see it again. 2011 started with a very successful streakers program. About 6 of my fellow runners joined me by running 2 miles every day for all 31 days in January, completing with the naked mile on January 31st.

STREAK!

It's time to get ready for the 2012 edition of STREAK! This years edition will be a 2 part initiative. You DO NOT need to participate in both parts to join in on the fun though it is encouraged. In this post we're going to outline the rules for both parts of this years edition and how you could win a 2012 Human Potential Prize Pack by participating.

Resolutions

with the New year right around the corner, comes the time of year when we all start to create our resolutions. Typically resolutions involve some kind of fitness program or some other task designed to "turn over a new leaf." As per traditions here on Human Potential, we'll be bringing back the STREAK! program to quench your athletic thirst. But this year, I want to introduce you to a new idea; a new idea which I hope will help you create a different kind of resolution for 2012. Below is a video I recently watched on Ted.com. In it, Matt Cutts talks to us about his mission to get us to Try Something New for 30 Days. Watch the video and continue to stew over your resolutions for 2012 and I hope for the month of January, you'll decide to Try Something New for 30 Days.

Ultra-Market Research?

Over the last few years I've sat back and watched as the ultra-landscape has turned into a business. I've touched on various points through-out the last few months here on this blog. From Race Directors looking to make a yearly salary on directing ONE race, to the rising costs of entering (WS100), to selling out to Corporations that leave ultra history and tradition behind (LT100). There are two topics I've yet to cover and in this post I'll be focusing on one of them. The first is the idea of Ultra-Runners selling themselves as coaches as their way of sharing their vast knowledge to new-comers to our sport (more in a later post). The other idea focuses on how running companies are choosing to market us and to us.

The other day, while running with a friend, I asked him a series of questions and I'll ask the same to you:

1.) Would you agree that Ultra-Running is a sport that isn't as enthralled with the front runners and champions as the others like Marathon Running and Triathlon?

2.) Would you agree that Ultra-Running is a sport that mostly treats each others as equals.. where we're in this thing together?

He answered as I suspected he would, and I suspect that many of you have answered the same way as well. So then I'll ask a follow up: Then why do these companies always put their marketing dollar into the front runners and "champions" of our sport?

The Hardluck Lottery

For the second year in a row I watched via Twitter as the names were drawn for the Hardrock 100. For the second year in a row, my name wasn't pulled for the starters list, nor was it pulled for the 100 name  Wait List. I'm completely shut out of the Hardrock 100. This years lottery saw 703 entrants from all over United States and 15 foreign countries. Of the 721 entrants, 36 received automatic entries and the rest shared 1,325 lottery chances. Myself? I had 2 tickets in this years lottery. Some folks had as many as 7 tickets.

Depression: A Small Price To Pay

It was 2008 when I first ran 125 Miles across New Hampshire, becoming the first person to ever do so as a non-stop continuous run, and to this day still the only person to have completed it. I distinctly remember a reporter from NPR running along side Nate and I some 60 miles into the run. he held a microphone close to my face while he ran beside me and asked me personal questions about my life.. "Why do you run? Would you say that running has saved you?"Saved me? From what.. depression? I answered that day with a yes, Running has saved me from depression. Then, a month later, after the highest adventure moment of my life, I crashed hard and depression, in the end got the best of me.

Hear the entire NPR piece here.