About this episode
This one’s a little different—no guests, no live race calls—just me sharing the full story of how I went from a bullied high school runner to a thru-hiker to an ultra runner trying to get comfortable being uncomfortable. I talk about quitting school to hike the Pacific Crest Trail, building a monster endurance base through FKTs and 8,000-mile slogs, and how I’ve had to completely rewire my brain and body to embrace faster, higher-effort racing. We hit on pacing, fueling, treadmill hiking, crew control issues (yes, I admit it), and why I “Jeff” everything in life. Plus, I talk about my weird obsession with making my own drink mix, being risk-averse in ultras, and how training for Cocodona (year 5!) is going. There’s a bunch of insight here—especially if you’re a thru-hiker looking at ultras, or an ultra runner wondering what lessons the long trails can teach. Oh—and we start by breaking some actual running news: Des Linden is coming for the 50-mile world record at Tunnel Hill. So yeah, this episode really has it all. Support our sponsors Janji.com and GarageGrownGear.com Stay elite, my friends. takeaways Des Linden is making waves in ultra running. Pacing strategies are crucial for ultra marathons. Nutrition needs differ between ultra running and thru-hiking. Sleep and recovery are vital for performance. Problem-solving is key in unsupported races. The importance of adapting training for specific events. The balance between endurance and speed is essential. Chapters 00:00 Breaking News in Ultra Running 01:11 Jeff's Journey to Ultra Running 06:25 Pacing Strategies for Ultra Races 12:10 Nutrition: Fueling for Performance 20:13 Sleep, Recovery, and Problem Solving Mindset