Fastest Known Podcast

Zoë is a podcast host (see link in her CV below), has graduate degree in Environmental Journalism, and could be a public speaker - you should listen to this one! "It's a tough time to be an independent publisher. I urge people, if there's something you like, you should absolutely become a supporter. It's not enough to just enjoy what we enjoy, we must become mindful consumers." And her insights on technical FKTs is a must listen: "I have a higher tolerance for exposure than I do for choss ... as long as it isn't moving underneath me, I'm OK." Mentioned in this podcast is the convo we had with Courtney Dauwalter. "What brings joy into your life? Find a way to help keep it going." (Note): This website is the same as Wikipedia - we are a free service providing crowd-sourced fair and credible information. Please support what you value so it will continue: https://www.patreon.com/fastestknowntime https://fastestknowntime.com/support

Sean O'Rourke defended his PhD thesis in 2009 (so he is a doctor) and instead of starting a job, immediately moved into is car so he could climb more mountains (thus he's a legit dirtbag too). And those 18 FKTs? "I’m a so-so runner and climber who has found a niche and focused on it." Nice work Sean! Dr Dirtbag has since written a book, bike-packed in South America, and ... lives out of a slightly larger car. "I am pretty good at objectives with: (1) enough climbing to keep the runners away; (2) enough running to keep the climbers away; and (3) no money to be made." Thanks to sponsors PATH Projects (www.pathprojects.com) and Athletic Brewing Co. (www.athleticbrewing.com)

Matt is a longtime endurance athlete who wrote a startling new book, just published on October 6, on the Alberto Salazar doping scandal and the dominant (domineering?) Nike Oregon Project. This corporate giant was on top of the running world, until Salazar was given a 4 year suspension last September 30, causing the NOP to shut down immediately after. INSIDE NIKE RUNNING AND ITS CULTURE OF DECEPTION "An explosive behind-the-scenes look that reveals for the first time the unsettling details of Nike’s elite running program—the Nike Oregon Project—exposing a litany of lies and deception, and a culture built around performance-enhancing drugs." Matt has been working on this book since 2017. He interviewed over 100 people. He knows his stuff ... and it's very interesting! "When I visited Nike's Oregon campus in December, they were re-opening the Salazar building, like everything was fine. But 400 Nike employees were out there picketing their own company. They were carrying signs reading, 'Do the right thing', and 'We believe Mary.'" Buy the book: https://amzn.to/36RpTwd

This is cool! The two ladies started on the same route at approximately the same time, but from different places - who would complete the route first? "I’m very surprised we seem to be the first to have done a “race” style FKT, it certainly added a fun element to the attempt." - SARAH "It was good to know Sarah was out there - a little different because it added pressure, but helpful." - ALYSSA The 'Beast Coast' sometimes doesn't get enough attention, and the two women describe what makes it special ... and hard. This episode is sponsored by PATH Projects – www.pathprojects.com

That's no typo: the Rocky Mountain Slam has 432,500' of elevation gain. He climbed 205 summits in 1,030 miles, and set FKTs on Colorado's Highest Hundred and the Wyoming 13ers en route, without attempting to do so. "This summer I had originally planned on a 2-month international mountaineering expedition, but had to cancel at the last minute due to coronavirus-related travel restrictions in early June. So I decided to climb the Colorado 14ers, Wyoming 13ers, and Montana 12ers. The day before I left I decided to also try to squeeze in the Colorado Centennials." Two weeks notice, massive, unprecedented route - no problem, right? Right. Eric did not get lost, sick, or injured over 60 days. "I like to climb mountains."

We've heard from people doing the incredible high routes, going non-stop often above timberline for days - now let's hear from one of the fastest FKT runners out there!

Dang - this is the last big route I always intended to do myself! It's that good, that big of a prize. Justin Simoni finally accomplished it, then 19 days later Nick Pedatella and Ryan Smith crushed this huge route on the Continental Divide in Colorado. "It seemed right on the edge of feasibility - that's what attracted us to it." Staying on the crest, they summited 50 named peaks all over 12,000' high, including much 4th class and some 5th class scrambling. "We didn't see a tree for two and half days!" "You can't make a mistake - you have to pay attention all the time." The duo went Unsupported, non-stop, through two days and two nights. "It is definitely a great route! Very challenging in many ways, and pushed us right to the edge."

Thanks to PATH Projects for sponsoring this episode! Visit pathprojects.com "The World's Toughest Race" - probably is! After a 17 year absence, Bear Grylls brings back Eco-Challenge on steroids, with a massive budget and plenty of stories, all on a bigger and badder course. The 417 miles on Fiji, included all kinds of paddling, trekking, biking, ropes, and wading through hypothermia-inducing cold water; the 66 teams were given 11 days to finish, and for 22 teams, that wasn't enough. The 10-part series on Amazon Prime is definitely worth watching. Danelle and Rea were there. Both outstanding athletes, they provide us with great insights on E-C as they participated at opposite ends of the spectrum. Danelle (Podcast #35) was on Team Endure, which garnered the most TV time of the entire show, as it featured her friends Mark Macy, who has done every single E-C and now has Alzheimer's disease, supported by his son and top racer Travis Macy. Rea (Podcast #75) was on Team Canada, which got no camera time, as the E-C staff had not heard of them. Which was a big mistake, as they also had Ryan Atkins (18 FKTs and Podcast #73), who like Rea is a top Obstacle Course Racer. They finished a strong second. Both have applied for E-C 2021, so stay tuned! Rea will stick with her team, and now that Mark has retired, Team Endure will add their former AR teammate Dave Mackey! Look out...

What's new, cool, and coming? Find out on our 100th podcast, with the four people who keep track of what you do. Sign up for the FKT Newsletter here! Very good content, and unlike most newsletters, it's not all advertising. Every Monday. FKTs in the news: Five Thirty Eight documents the increase in FKT's with great graphics in, "Canceled Races Aren’t Stopping Endurance Athletes From Setting Wild New Records." National Public Radio aired a 4 minute interview on FKTs, "Alone in the Wild: Endurance Runs Gain Popularity." Outside Magazine hops on the bandwagon with "The Enduring Appeal of the Fastest Known Time." Podium Runner says, "FKT: the Pandemic Proof Challenge." Colorado Sun describes, "Without the burden of races, Colorado’s long-distance runners are shattering trail records."

Courtney once ran 279 miles ... and received a "DNF"! Huh? How did that happen? "They ring a bell when it's time to start, and if you don't go right then, you're out. That's it." "It takes two to tango, two to keep the game going, to see what's possible." From choices of candy, to Bronchitis on the Colorado Trail, and the amazing world of Big's Backyard Ultra, Courtney offers wonderful, simple, and helpful insights. "Running is so cool … it’s such a cool way to explore, and to spend time with people, and with ourselves.” "Running is a choice ...to live our lives however we want, to make choice to do or not do things. I'm choosing every day to run and explore these long distances because I love it. To keep this perspective every day is helpful, and I feel very lucky for that."

She recently set an incredible unsupported FKT on the Wind River High Route - solo! We're talking with Jackson, Wyoming's Kelly Halpin, an artist and athlete who takes on huge challenges. Among her other notable FKTs is the Wasatch Ultimate Ridge Linkup (WURL). This episode is supported by Athletic Brewing Company. Go to www.athleticbrewing.com to buy their award-winning, no-compromise, non-alcoholic craft beer.

Damian is highly respected in the UK, and it's easy to see why: besides a 5th place at UTMB and numerous big FKTs, his team collected trash all along the Pennine Way while setting a new FKT. "I've been thinking about this Pennine Way for 4 years, but at 268 miles I was intimidated by it. And I could always say, 'Well, I have a race to prepare for, I can't fit it in.' But this year of course, all the races have vanished, so no excuse." The Pennine Way is the first "National Trail" in England, with a remarkable history. Inspired by the Appalachian Trail, the UK had too much private property for any long trails. So in 1932, the "Mass Trespass" took place in the Peak District, which forever changed "rambling" in the UK and made possible all the terrific big routes in the UK. "It used to be the rich elite owned most all the land, and the common folk couldn't go hiking in the hills because that land was private. So a bunch people got together, in what is not called the Mass Trespass, and that led to a change in the laws. So hikers could go hiking in a lot more places. From those protests, Pennine Way was born." Damian and John Kelly (previous podcast and Pennine Way FKT holder for only 8 days) are friends, have paced each other, and even considered going for the Pennine Way FKT at the same time, by going in opposite directions (would have been a first - I hope someone tries this!) - insider information revealed only on this podcast!

The Pennine Way is 268 miles long and one of the first National Trails in England. The FKT was held by Mike Hartley for 31 years until John broke it. Less than a week later, his friend Damian Hall broke it again! Both Mike and John in attendance at the finish - FKT action is really hot in the UK right now - will John have another go? I asked him - his answer is very interesting! John is a native of Tennessee and the last person to finish the Barkley Marathons. He moved to England last year - what is different? He's been getting after it in his new home - last year he tried the "Grand Round" - self-powered. This is the three biggest "rounds" or link-ups in the UK - the Paddy Buckley, the Bob Graham, and the Charlie Ramsay Round, each done consecutively in less than 24 hours, cycling in between them. That's 180 miles of running/hiking, with 85k of vert, 113 summits, and 400 miles between them. Yikes! What happened? John is articulate, thoughtful, researches and plans everything to the max, and an amazing endurance athlete. You'll enjoy listening to his answers to these questions, and more.

Seth is one of those 'fast guys'. On one of the legendary CU track teams. He ran a 1:06:50 Half Marathon - while running a full Marathon. Meanwhile, Seth set FKTs on many of the Colorado 14ers, from Longs Peak to Mount Elbert ... where he tied Anton Krupicka's 8 year old FKT ... to the second. The very next day, Ryan Phebus broke it by a mere 3 seconds! "After the pressure of college, I took 4-5 years off, which allowed me to get the fire back." Seth is interesting, with a lot of knowledge and a unique perspective. And definitely check out his YouTube Channel - he does a good job with video - 93,700 Subscribers! http://youtube.com/sethdemoor

There are now 52 Routes in Sweden, 34 of which were established just in the last few months!  Why? We like to challenge ourselves, and FKTs are a wonderful outlet. Our view is FKTs should be an ultra distance. Ultra indeed.  Welcome to the country that invented ÖTILLÖ, which is "island hopping" by swimming to multiple islands, running across them, then swimming to the next one. You just put two points on the map, go from A to B, by any route you want, choosing your own strategy. Sweden has other reasons to favor the ultra distances.  Stockholm is at 60 degrees latitude, and most of the country lies to the north of that. It's a little extreme.  In the winter it never gets light, but in the summer it never gets dark - you can save weight by not bringing a headlamp. Listen to more insider stories from the country that decided to not shut down during the pandemic. You can't just locked everything down; it's not that simple.  You need a more dynamic view. Enjoying the podcast?  Notice there is no advertising or sponsors - only YOU keep it happening!  Please donate $10 - $20 now:   https://www.patreon.com/fastestknowntime https://fastestknowntime.com/support