Free Outside

Nine days before our wedding, Allison Powell and I sit down to settle the truly important details: whether I can ride a unicycle into the ceremony, where Ted will sit and how many wedding plans I have completely forgotten.Then we get into Allison’s unsupported Tahoe-to-Yosemite FKT—the longest unsupported effort she has ever attempted. She started with a goal of finishing in 72 hours, but almost no real sleep, cold nights, no sleeping pad and a questionable commitment to calorie-dense nuts eventually turned the final miles into a fight against exhaustion.We talk about what she would change, why sleep can matter more than pack weight, the problem with choosing food entirely by calories per ounce and why every multi-day effort needs an emergency supply of Skittles.But the biggest lesson wasn’t about gear, pacing or nutrition. Somewhere along the trail, Allison realized that almost nobody knew what she was doing—and it didn’t matter. She was still giving everything she had to a goal that belonged entirely to her.We also dig into the pressure to perform, wanting to be taken seriously without wanting to become a professional athlete, adjusting goals during a race and why fueling may be the most overlooked part of ultrarunning and FKT preparation.This one starts with wedding chaos and ends up becoming a pretty honest conversation about ambition, recognition and learning how to do hard things for yourself.Send questions, comments or voicemails to the Free Outside hotline: 541-903-8065.This episode is supported by Janji. Use code FREEOUTSIDE for 10% off at Janji.com.It is also supported by Garage Grown Gear, where you can find ultralight gear—and a sleeping pad so you can sleep better than Allison did.

Nine days before the 2026 IAU 100K World Championships, Allison Mercer sprained her ankle and wondered whether she would even reach the starting line. She ultimately ran, finishing 15th in the world and third in the masters competition.Allison returns to Free Outside to take us inside the entire experience: the frantic ankle rehabilitation, racing 100 kilometers in extreme heat, her fueling and cooling strategy, Courtney Olsen’s late charge to the world title, Charlie Lawrence’s victory and the U.S. men capturing team gold by only 44 seconds. She also explains the sacrifices—and surprising out-of-pocket costs—required to represent Team USA.Then we discuss Joe “Stringbean” McConaughy’s record-setting John Muir Trail run, their friendly FKT rivalries, ultrarunning’s latest OnlyFans controversy, and why road ultras might be the sport’s most underrated events.Call or text the Free Outside Hotline with your questions, comments and ideas: 541-903-8065.Support Free Outside at patreon.com/freeoutside.

Andy Jones-Wilkins has been part of ultrarunning for more than 30 years. He remembers when races felt like secret societies, runners learned through stories around campfires, trail shoes barely existed and signing up the day before a race was completely normal.In this episode, AJW and I trace the evolution of ultrarunning through four distinct periods: the campfire era, the golden age of running blogs, the sport’s explosion into the mainstream and its current era of professional athletes, coaches, livestreams and full-time media.We talk about Anton Krupicka posting 200-mile weeks before Strava, the influence of Born to Run and Unbreakable, Gunhild Swanson’s iconic Western States finish, the resentment surrounding Dean Karnazes’ rise to fame and the transition from mentors offering advice to athletes hiring professional coaches.AJW also tells the emotional story behind his Cocodona 250 finish. After his friend Rob Martin died unexpectedly, AJW entered the race intending to run the first 125 miles for himself and the second 125 for Rob. During the final miles, he remembered something his father once told him: some things in life are only meant to be done once.We finish with some wonderfully strange ultrarunning history: syrup bottles used as handhelds, sewn-on shorts pockets, gummy bears melted into a hockey puck, Little Debbie fueling and an $800 pair of custom insoles that injured AJW while he was preparing to win Western States.This is a wide-ranging conversation about where ultrarunning came from, how it became a professional sport and what we need to protect as it continues growing.

We protect our money like it’s our most valuable resource, but we’re surprisingly careless with something we can never make more of: time.In this solo episode of the Free Outside Podcast, I’m thinking through impending doom, uncertainty about the future, and why maybe being a little worried about what comes next can actually be useful. We spend so much of life saying “someday”—someday I’ll take the trip, run the race, quit the job, learn the thing, or finally chase the goal. But someday isn’t guaranteed.I also get into something I’ve wrestled with throughout my life in thru-hiking, ultrarunning, and chasing FKTs: when does pursuing your dreams become selfish? There’s a difference between self-interest and selfishness, and I think a lot of it comes down to understanding the cost our goals have on the people around us.I talk about quitting my old career, losing pieces of my old community, traveling through Europe, getting older, building a life with other people, and trying to balance big goals with the relationships and community I want to have.Plus, I read some incredible marriage advice from the Free Outside Hotline, share some outtakes from recording my audiobook, rant about people declaring Ultrarunner and FKT of the Year when it’s only September, and talk about what’s coming next on Free Outside.Maybe the world is uncertain. Maybe that’s not a reason to wait.Your money can come back. Your time can’t.

Cody Taylor returns to the Free Outside Podcast after completing one of the most ambitious unsupported hiking efforts on Vermont’s Long Trail: a complete out-and-back, also known as a Long Trail yo-yo.Cody began near the Canadian border carrying a 51-pound backpack loaded with 16 days of food. He traveled the entire length of the Long Trail to its southern terminus—and then turned around and hiked the whole thing again. With no resupply, Cody covered approximately 550 miles and 135,000 feet of elevation gain in 17 days, 8 hours, and 42 minutes.Having previously pursued an unsupported Fastest Known Time on the Long Trail myself, I know how deceptive this route can be. The mileage only tells a small part of the story. Vermont’s wet rocks, roots, mud, steep climbs, technical descents, and rugged northern mountains make it one of the most relentless long-distance hiking trails in the United States.Cody shares how he planned nearly 4,000 calories per day while keeping his food weight under two pounds a day, why he carried a stove and hot meals, and how running short on food affected his final 30 miles. We also break down his backpacking gear, shelter, sleep system, rain gear, electronics, footwear, and what he would change before attempting another multiweek unsupported adventure.The trip included days of heavy rain, flooded trails, dangerously cold conditions, terrible sleep, and as many as 20 falls per day during the opening section. Cody explains how he recognized the early signs of hypothermia, why he continued moving, and what happened when exhaustion caused him to hallucinate clowns beside the trail.Beyond the gear, nutrition, and Fastest Known Time, this conversation explores the mental side of thru-hiking, fastpacking, ultrarunning, and unsupported endurance challenges. Cody describes how he progressed from experiencing a panic attack during his first major project to feeling calm and grateful on the Long Trail. We discuss training for a 17-day effort, starting conservatively, adapting as the pack becomes lighter, and why it is impossible to prepare perfectly for an adventure of this scale.We also talk about Cody’s relationship with endurance athlete and mentor Ray Zahab, his transition from traditional ultramarathons toward expedition-style projects, and why the experience ultimately matters more than the record.This episode is for anyone interested in the Long Trail, Appalachian Trail, thru-hiking, backpacking, fastpacking, ultrarunning, FKTs, outdoor adventure, endurance training, hiking gear, trail nutrition, and the psychology behind pursuing enormous goals.Follow Cody Taylor Performance and subscribe to the Free Outside Podcast for more conversations about thru-hiking, ultrarunning, Fastest Known Times, endurance, and adventure.