FKT Podcast

Tim Mills brings us news from across the pond, explaining the British FKT scene. Enjoying hearing from these great people? You won't hear any ads, there is just YOU - so we're suggesting a donation of $10 or more - please do it here: – https://www.patreon.com/fastestknowntime – https://fastestknowntime.com/support

Listen to me horribly mispronounce Bart's name, his kind correction, and then Bart explain the situation in Belgium: "Starting today, we have entered the 'Exit Strategy' in Belgium - groups of 20 can go for a run - but no competitions until at least 7/31." Western Europe has a VERY organized trail running scene - routes not only have their own webpages, but are all are clearly marked and identified. Bart explains the difference between "GR" routes, and the new "Extra Trail" designation. "There are 30 Extra Trail routes. They are designed specifically for trail running." Bart is entered into CCC (part of UTMB), scheduled for 24-30 August. Will this huge trail running festival happen this year? "I don't think so. And I definitely hope it will not be a 'trimmed down' version. It should be in its 'full glory.'" NOTE UTMB: This podcast was recorded May 18; UTMB has scheduled an announcement for May 20. NOTE INTERNATIONAL: In the first 17 days of May, 58 new Routes have been established in western Europe alone, versus 56 in North America - unprecedented!

One of the best mountain runners in the world started as a Jiu Jitsu champion in Brazil. Visiting New Zealand in 2006, she got involved with Kiwi adventure multi-sports, then ran a Half-Marathon in the mountains - in the exact same time as her previous best, set on a flat paved course. "My family were fighters. Then I discovered mountains." She's lived in Chamonix for the past 10 years, been on the podium at many UTWT events, set FKTs on some of the highest mountains, and likes to engage in community projects at each of those locations, a project she calls, "White Flow" (see her website): "Running is an individual sport, so sometimes I can feel empty. I am racing, feeling good, but it's just me. So creating this project, I can share, I can share my feelings, because always I want to help more." Fernanda really worked at the Aconcagua FKT, succeeding on her third try, then went back 19 days later for an even bigger effort, being the first woman to go to the top and back starting from the trailhead, instead of from basecamp. "My family and my sponsors were saying, 'Don't go!' But I was motivated, I was feeling good, I wanted to do it." Would she like to set a good time on that big mountain seen outside her window in Chamonix? "Yes, but conditions have to be perfect, because it's on a glacier. I want to come home!"

Fastestknowntime.com volunteer Craig Randall discusses with Buzz Burrell that this virus is not going away any time soon ... so what are we going to do about it? "We put our own country into a medically-induced coma ... I think it's time to revive the patient." The pandemic is certainly an enormous tragedy, which we fortunately took extreme action to limit.  And now two months in, we have learned a few things so we can correct some early misconceptions, and hopefully develop a sustainable plan. "Every day we have been counting the terrible illnesses and deaths. But we should also try to consider and avoid the huge collateral damage caused not by the virus itself, but by our attempts to control it."

There was something wrong with our statistics: during April, there were 31 FKTs ... just from Connecticut! What's up with that? Turns out 7 were from ONE person?  Did Sarah Connor call the Terminator for help? "There are a lot of people out there doing more impressive things right now; I'm just doing a lot of smallish ones. It's been fun!" This is inspirational: you can be 100m runner and long jumper in high school, work at Starbucks in the morning, and set an FKT in the afternoon.  After your nap.  During a pandemic.  "The cool part about FKTs is they bring to these trails you might not otherwise have tried out. I've tried a few trails I didn't even know existed. There's times when I didn't see anyone for 2 hours." I was getting worried about our situation, but after speaking with Sarah, I feel hopeful about our future!

Marshall has been there, and been doing that for decades. His output, especially for the hugely long routes, is prodigious (think running across the US).   "What I was doing was kicking back and having fun.  Showing people you can do more". "Kicking back and having fun"?  Running across Death Valley a total of 29 times doesn't strike me as that much fun.  But that's Marshall - taking humble understatement to a whole new level!  Marshall exemplifies a theory of mine: "Hardcore people never think they are. They think what they do is normal, because hardcore is all they know. People who think they are hardcore rarely are." "My friend and I did 8 Eco-Challenges together. We thought of it as fun - we didn't think it was anything extraordinary." Yeah, right!  Marshall also did Badwater (lowest point to highest point in the US) Unsupported Solo!  He brought all his own water for the 146 mile crossing during July.  How did he do that??  You're about to find out.

Outdoor and running shops are closed! Which is bad for us - but how about for the world's leading brand in mountain footwear? What does it look like from behind the curtain? "It hurts. It's not easy right now. We hit the Pause button on our entire business in mid-March." Jonathan Lantz is President of La Sportiva North America. This is a 93 year old company based in the Italian Dolomites. What does it look like over there? "They can't go more than 200 meters from their house, they can't go outside to exercise; they can go to the grocery store and walk their dog, and that is it." The Outdoor Retailer trade show was cancelled for 2020. Does Jonathan think Amazon will take over, or will brick and mortar shops still be a key part of the industry?

Karl was a mountain bike racer and working as a mountain guide on Kilimanjaro when his friends, noticing he was very fit, suggested he go for Kilian Jornet's FKT.  He asked, "Who is that?  What is an FKT?" Karl went up and back very fast - while wearing a bike jersey - and a new career was launched. That winter he prepared for Aconcagua, and heard Kilian was going also, who then set a new FKT.  When Karl heard the time, he thought, "Oh no! I need to become a better runner. I quit biking, and trained hard, because the up and back it's almost 40 miles." Karl is unmatched at altitude - and he has good stories!

This is our most authentic podcast! We recorded this in-person, sitting outdoors, while maintaining a 7' physical distance - those birds you hear chirping in the background are real! And what could be more important to talk about right now? Exercising outdoors is the single best thing you can do for your physical, mental, and emotional health ... AND ... we are in a pandemic, where safety (not just your own) is paramount, and physical distancing is the law. How do we resolve this? "Outside, where there is moving air, you are moving, there is turbulence to the flow, there is usually a breeze, and that will all cause particle dispersion." Good tips!

Tyler ran the Olympic Trials Marathon, then went to Nepal to hike and relax. Then the global pandemic broke out. So he decided he might as well try the FKT for the Everest Base Camp run. "I was over there, all races were being cancelled back home, so decided I might as well do something." The fast road guy who had never run longer than 6 hours decides to run up to 17,598' and back. "I got my maps out, consulted my calendar, stocked up on Oreos, laid down at 4pm, and rested fitfully until my alarm sounded some seven hours later for my Midnight departure." https://strivetrips.org/blog/ebc-writeup/ - Full write-up (with good photos) of the Everest Base Camp FKT https://personalpeak.ca/quarantinebackyard/ - (Also mentioned in the podcast) The Quarantine Backyard Ultra (April 4!) - last person standing virtual race.