Free Outside

Back on the Free Outside podcast, I’m catching up with Will Murray after a wild eight months. Since Black Canyon he’s gone all-in: new coach (CTS’s John Fitzgerald), smarter long runs, and a rock-solid mindset that turned Javelina into a masterclass in steady, no surges. We talk about why he wore a pack while the front pack rocked belts (spoiler: seven bottles a lap and an ice pocket), how he prac...

I thought I was done racing this year… but apparently Montana had other plans. Two weeks after Allison Mercer introduced me to cross country running, I found myself signing up for the Montana Cup — an annual, statewide, adult cross country throwdown where Bozeman, Missoula, Billings, and the rest of the Montana cities go head-to-head for glory. In this episode, I talk about my first hard 5K in twe...

I was on the ground at Javelina while Allison rode shotgun in the live chat, and—wow—what a day. Will Murray put on the most nondescript masterclass you’ll ever see: smooth, steady, course record, golden ticket. David Roche held on for second, then surprised everyone by declining his ticket, which handed Canyon Woodward his shot after a blazing late charge. On the women’s side, my AT-record pal Ta...

Technology has crept into every corner of our sport—from GPS watches to real-time tracking to social media validation. In this episode of the Free Outside Podcast, I sit down with Luke McCrae, the creator of Corsa, a site that tracked my Appalachian Trail FKT attempt (with a one-day safety delay). We dive into the rise of tech in FKTs and outdoor adventures—where it helps, where it hurts, and how...

One month after setting the Appalachian Trail self-supported FKT, I’m in a strange place—floating between accomplishment and uncertainty. This episode isn’t about miles or records; it’s about what happens after. I talk openly about trying to find purpose once the goal is over—navigating sponsorships, self-worth, and the emotional fallout of chasing something so all-consuming. The trail stripped ev...

It’s that magical time of year again — pumpkin spice, golden tickets, and glitter on the desert trails. In this episode, Me and Allison Mercer break down the 2025 Javelina 100, the first Western States qualifier of the season, featuring names like Tara Dower, David Roche, Devon Yanko, Rajpaul Pannu, and Lauren Puretz. We also dive into Courtney Dauwalter’s decision to run another marathon — this t...

I’m joined by Katie “Wildy” Brown—former Arizona Trail self-supported record holder and fresh off the Millwood 100, a 102-mile Wasatch linkup with ~37,000 feet of vert designed by Jared Campbell. We break down what Millwood actually is (route, not race), why she started at night, when the wheels got wobbly on night two, and how crew and pacers changed the game. Katie talks RUFA, Salt Lake’s invers...

After 45 days of hiking, hobbling, and setting a new Appalachian Trail self-supported record, I’m back—barely running, barely sleeping, and somehow still full of opinions. In this episode of the Free Outside Show, I break down the Chicago Marathon broadcast (and the glorious chaos of local news), talk about rebuilding a body that forgot what running is, and share the weird post-FKT side effects—fr...

It’s a full plate this week on The Free Outside Show. I’m diving into Terminus Season—that bittersweet time when thru-hikers take the photo, post it, and wonder what’s next. Then we get into Trail TMZ, where a defamation lawsuit is brewing, and I try not to get sued for talking about it. From there, we climb the philosophical peaks of Richard Feynman, Christopher McCandless, and Killian Jornet, so...

Fresh off my self-supported AT record, I sit down with 2013 AT self-supported FKT holder Matt Kirk to talk about the weird gravity of post-trail depression, the long arc of the record from Ward Leonard to Stringbean to Tara, and where the line is with tech, tracking, and “help” on a self-supported effort. We dig into calories gone wrong (why 3,500/day failed), Shenandoah as a quiet crux, trail mag...

Ten days off the Appalachian Trail and I’m deep in the post-trail fog—so I’m doing what any reasonable human would: grading my own record attempt. In this episode I hand out a full report card on the AT self-supported FKT—physical execution, sleep, injuries, nutrition (hello 1,000-cal drink mix), logistics (RIP Shenandoah resupply), mental game, weather, terrain, and storytelling—then tally the GP...

Eight days after setting the Appalachian Trail self-supported FKT, I sit down with my girlfriend, Allison Powell, for the most comprehensive post-mortem yet. We unpack the messy middle: inReach texts that read like hieroglyphics, a resupply box that vanished in Shenandoah, two left shoes (and a toe popping through the right one), a broken pole in New York, rain that no radar would admit, and the l...

After 2,200 miles, 45 days, and more duct-taped shoes than I care to admit, I finally set the self-supported Appalachian Trail FKT. In this episode, Allison Mercer and I dive into the full story—why I went back to the AT, how it nearly broke me (again), and what it takes to push through when your body is screaming “stop” but you’ve still got 80 miles to cover. Consider supporting the Trevor Projec...

While I’m out chasing a self-supported FKT on the Appalachian Trail, we’re throwing it back to one of the weirdest solo episodes yet. This one’s all about hallucinations—those sleep-deprived visions that show up when the miles get long and the sleep gets short. I break down my top five all-time hallucinations from FKTs and multi-day races like Nolan’s 14, Cocodona, the Arizona Trail, and the Color...

In this soul-spilling solo episode, I get honest from a borrowed cabin (and even more borrowed fishing hat) about why I gave up my home, comforts, and stability to chase a 40+ day goal on the Appalachian Trail. This isn’t just about trying to set an FKT—this is about redefining why we go after anything in life. I break down what it means to pursue something uncertain, unplug from the chaos, and fi...

In this episode of the Free Outside Podcast, I replay one of my all-time favorite convos — a sit-down with Tara Dower, who absolutely crushed the supported Appalachian Trail FKT and somehow lived to tell the tale (barely). Consider supporting The Trevor Project https://give.thetrevorproject.org/JeffAT We talk about everything from post-trail depression to how it feels when your crew spoon-feeds yo...

What does it take to go after one of the hardest endurance records in the world? In this episode of The Free Outside Show, I'm breaking down my entire strategy for a self-supported Fastest Known Time (FKT) attempt on the Appalachian Trail—southbound. I’m going after Joe “Stringbean” McConaughy’s record of 45 days and change, but flipping the direction: Maine to Georgia. I explain why I’m starting...

Today on the Free Outside Podcast, I’m joined by world record-holding ultra legend and Wisconsin's third-best export (according to me), Zach Bitter. We dive into everything from the logistics of setting a 100-mile world record to the absurdity of explaining our jobs to boomers ("I'm an influencer" = conversation over). Zach explains the appeal of fixed-time races, what he'd do differently in his r...

In this gear-packed episode of The Free Outside Show, I break down everything I’m bringing to attempt the self-supported Appalachian Trail FKT. From a tarp that bugs will laugh at to a bandana that’s doing its best to tame my untamable hair, I go through every single piece of gear—24 items total—and why each one made the cut. I also test the limits of how many sponsor plugs I can fit into a single...

This episode is what happens when Jeff Garmire hands the mic (sort of) to actor and trail runner Allison Powell. What begins as an Appalachian Trail FKT strategy interview quickly spirals into alien voice impressions, reality TV pitches, peanut M&M disasters, and campaign platforms centered around botulism prevention. Amid the theater kid chaos and sitcom-level side tangents, Jeff actually doe...

This one was a long time coming. I finally got to sit down with Joey Campanelli — aka Joey Camps — who’s been quietly putting together one of the wildest, most hardcore FKT resumes in existence. From a 2014 Appalachian Trail junk show with a ski pack and trench foot, to the 2017 self-supported AT finish that just happened to be three days behind Stringbean’s historic run… Joey’s stories are brutal...

What do a McDonald’s, a rusted van, and an Appalachian Trail record have in common? Warren Doyle. On this episode of the Free Outside Podcast I am joined by the legend Warren Doyle — educator, endurance icon, and Appalachian Trail philosopher — for an unfiltered, no-bobblehead conversation about FKTs, culture clashes, and the soul of long-distance hiking. Warren recounts his 1973 AT speed record (...

On this episode of The Free Outside Podcast, I’m joined by White Mountains legend and community builder Andrew Drummond to dive deep into the Direttissima—an FKT linking all 48 of New Hampshire’s 4,000-foot peaks in one unsupported push. Think Nolan’s 14 but with more rocks, more bushwhacks, and significantly more emotional damage. We cover Andrew’s recent sub-5-day effort, the strategic "featheri...

I finally got Allison Powell—producer, ultrarunner, and now bonafide backpacker—on the podcast to talk about her first solo thru-hike: the Wonderland Trail. Spoiler alert: she tried to bring hummus, carrots, and a full picnic on a 90+ mile, three-day solo trip around Mount Rainier. But somehow, despite a heavy pack, trail math struggles, and losing her travel mug to the forest gods, she pulled it...

What do wildfires, the Arizona desert, and the Oregon Coast have in common? They’ve all tried—and failed—to stop Katie Gunvalson, aka Raven. In this episode, I catch up with Jeffrey Award winner and self-supported FKT crusher Katie after her overall record on the Oregon Coast Trail, where she took the long way and still came out fastest. This is the full-circle redemption arc. Katie first came on...