About this episode
Will Peterson joins the show to talk about the fastest known time he set this past weekend on Vermont’s Long Trail, the oldest continuous footpath in the United States and the setting for many notable performances over the years from top athletes in the ultrarunning scene like Nikki Kimball, Joe McConaughy, Jennifer Pharr Davis, and John Kelly. We talk about all aspects of Will’s effort including mental and physical preparation, multi-day strategy, highlights from his race report, the skillset to accomplish something of this stature, whether he plans to stay in this type of arena in the future, and some fun topics generated by listeners and viewers (like whether he’d do the full Appalachian Trail). Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction and Initial Feelings 06:40 The Long Trail and Other Routes 10:38 Background and Skillset 15:17 Motivation and Competition 19:14 The Evolving FKT Scene 24:17 Creating a Competitive Narrative and Mental Strategies 27:04 Training and Preparation 36:22 Planning and Adaptability in FKT Attempts 55:46 The Future of FKTs: Amateurs and Professionals 01:01:41 Data-Driven Goals for Optimal Performance 01:09:18 Instigating Participation in the Multi-Day Scene 01:11:06 Future in Multi-Day FKTs 01:17:21 The Debate on Expanded FKT Leaderboards 01:19:32 The Appalachian Trail and Future Challenges 01:23:38 Reflections on FKT of the Year Snub 01:26:06 The Unique Challenges of the 100 Mile Wilderness 01:31:24 Regulating External Communication on Unsupported Efforts 01:41:11 Gratitude for the Crew Partners: Naak - use code SINGLETRACK20 at checkout on their website (https://www.naak.com/) to get 20% off your purchase. Rabbit - use code Singletrack10 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/) to get 10% off your next order. deltaG Ketones - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.deltagketones.com/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next order. Pillar Performance - use code SINGLETRACK at checkout on their website (https://pillarperformance.shop/) to get 15% off your next order. Additional Links: Follow Will on Instagram , Strava , From The Backcountry Podcast Follow Finn on Instagram , Strava , Youtube , and Patreon Support the show