Fastest Known Podcast

The 2023

Welcome to the brand new iteration of the FKT Podcast, hosted by the one and only Heather “Anish” Anderson! As a record-setter on the Pacific Crest Trail, Appalachian Trail, and Triple Crown of Thru-Hiking, Heather brings a trove of insight to share with you about what goes into pushing ourselves to the limit. And she harnesses her gift as an author and speaker to guide us on a journey into the heart and soul of this sport. In this episode, get to know the human behind the records and books.

BIG NEWS:  We have sold Fastest Known Time to Outside Inc, the publisher of iconic magazines such as Trail Runner, Climbing, Backpacker and of course Outside.  Buzz, Peter and Jeff are very happy with what we created, and are very grateful to all of you that have cared and supported our work so that it is now an integral part of the sport of running, utilized by a worldwide community.  

YOU asked and the experts answered! Re-listen to this episode from a little over a year ago where Andrew Skurka and Mary Cochenour answer listeners' gear questions on a very wide variety of applications.

Original Show Notes

These are just some of the questions from our listeners:

What type of sun protection is best?

"I'm a fan of covering up" - Mary

"A hooded shirt is the way to go" - Andrew

How many times have you heard bad training advice?  Right; there's a lot of it.  Here's a quick list, plus some (hopefully) good advice as well.

More is Better.  
Maybe not - without rest and recovery, the stress of training just makes you tired instead of creating an adaptive response.

Just Run.
Most other sports emphasises technique, while some runners just run a lot - cardiovascular training is imperative, but poor form can lead to injuries and is inefficient.

49 people from around the world have been Nominated for the Fastest Known Time Of the Year award!  Wow.  Let's talk about it with Hillary.

"Can you believe this guy?  He not only did the 58 Colorado fourteeners, but he walked the entire distance between them, with no support!"

"I really like what Kelly is doing - she ran Gannet Peak by herself, which is high, remote, and technical."

"Great to see Hong Kong on the List. And 5,000 meters of vert?  That's over 16,000 feet in a city that's on the ocean!"

We catch up with the "indomitable force" for a quick introduction to the upcoming Fastest Known Time Of the Year award, and more.

"This is my favorite time of the year!  We get to discuss all the cool FKTs."

But first, we delve into the wonderful world of gravel-bike racing.  Many runners got into SkiMo, which we've discussed here, but now the new cross-training sport is gravel riding. 

Our Co-Founder and our Director of Community Partnerships gives us the scoop - - -

PB: "Races are resuming so FKTs are coming in at a more manageable rate. The UK has a very strong tradition so a lot of action there, including in winter.  Australia is active as well."

AM: "It's been an amazing year!  We forget that Rob Krar and Mike Foote did R2R2R.alt almost a year ago. Then Stringbean beat the AZT by 3 days after temporarily quitting due to snow."

This is a re-airing of our November 15, 2019 episode exploring the relationship between speed and safety.

Original Show Notes

What is the relationship between speed and safety? What is the boundary and how do you know when you're hitting it? Ultrarunners have the fitness to get really far into the backcountry, but do they have the skill and experience to get back safely?

"People are drawn to these routes, because they're super aesthetic, iconic lines. But are they over their head?"

This year, hundreds of square miles in the western US has been on fire, resulting in terrible air quality which often has exceeded EPA guidelines.  Dr Kevin Shilling is a long time ultrarunner, was 10th at the HR100 this year, and is a pulmonary physician based in Salt Lake City.  So we ask him an important question:

When does air pollution get so bad it's better not to exercise?

"That depends on how badly you want to go for a run."