On July 1st at 4:55am, I set out for my self-supported FKT attempt on the Sentier International des Appalaches / International Appalachian Trail. My ambitious goal was to challenge the supported FKT of 7 days and 12 hours.
My plan was simple, but brutal: hike and run long days, cut sleep down to roughly 2 hours per night, and keep moving for approximately 20-22 hours each day. I had 9 resupply boxes strategically placed along the trail, plus a single grocery run to minimize time spent figuring food out.
The weather didn’t make it easy. It rained a lot, turning the trail into a mud bath. Even on sunny days, the ferns soaked my legs and feet, leaving them wet for about five straight days.
This was my third attempt at this route. I’ve tried it every way imaginable, but this approach made the most sense for my life right now.
The SIA is relentlessly technical. Distance becomes meaningless. At times, it felt like I was moving so slowly that the earth’s rotation might carry me backwards. I knew it would be tough, but I didn’t expect it to force me into such deep places within myself just to keep going.
This trail will make you question everything. If your desire to finish isn’t strong enough, it will eat you alive.
The strava files are incomplete as my watch died twice but the garmin inreach pinged every hour during the whole run and