When Jamieson Hatt started the Ice Age Trail, his pack weighed 70 pounds. That was everything he’d have for the next 1,160 miles: all his food, a second pair of shoes, and a disposable razor he called his luxury item. He set the unsupported FKT in 2025, and I think it might be the FKT of the year for how much further it pushed what’s possible unsupported.

We get into whether there’s a limit to how far someone can go unsupported, and whether food is the real limiter or it’s actually shoes. He breaks down how he got 4,100 calories out of 1.75 pounds of food a day, and how he was hungry again 20 minutes after every meal. We talk about the bailout point he set up mid-trail when things got bad, the failures that taught him to never skimp on electrolytes or rain gear, and the idea of doing a “training camp” on trail before an attempt. And yes, a song he’s never once listened to was stuck in his head for a week and a half.

Text the Free Outside Hotline at 541-903-8065 with anything you want. This episode answers a listener question about wildlife anxiety on trail. December is the Month of Jeff, so send me your Jeffs.

Free Inside with Allison: https://open.spotify.com/show/033Pwij3Why0tydLeZPnMz?si=ac1ec7bef28e4672

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#Trailrunning #Runningnews #Outdoors #Outdooradventure

Dr. Bill Evans once drank so much baking soda before a track workout that he never made it to the track. That tells you a lot about him. He’s an exercise physiologist, professor, coach, and fast miler, and he tests the research on himself. He’s also from western Pennsylvania, and you’ll hear it within about a minute.

We sort out what’s worth your time and what isn’t. Bill says bicarb, caffeine, plyometrics, and NRF2 supplements all hold up. For ultras, though, bicarb probably isn’t worth the squeeze. He covers creatine, beetroot juice, and the wilder stuff he won’t try himself. We also get into small things you can do on hard days: a brain game before a workout, a real hard warm-up, and why getting out hard and fading can beat sitting and kicking. Then there’s fueling. He walks through where the 60 g/hour guidance came from, what the evidence says about 90 and above, and whether you can actually train your gut.

He also tried to correct my pine cone math on air. It did not go well for him.

Stick around to the end for what I think is his best advice for anyone training at any distance.

Find Bill:

The Endurance Lab (coaching): https://www.endurancelaboratory.com

Newsletter: https://thescienceofrunning.beehiiv.com/

The Endurance Lab Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-endurance-lab-podcast/id1875151943

Instagram / YouTube: @doctor_evans_running

Coaching: I have one or two spots open. Email jeff@freeoutside.com to set up a free call.

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Support this content on patreon: HTTP://patreon.com/freeoutside

Javelina 100 just happened, and it was a strange, muddy, rain-soaked one. I was out there in costume, pacing and crewing. Zach Bitter and Allison Mercer joined me to break down what went on up front. Both races changed leaders on the final loop. Nine of the top ten men were over 30, and women in their 40s swept the podium. Patient racing beat early aggression again.

We get into why Javelina is still a Western States golden ticket and how unsponsored runners keep crashing the party. We also talk about whether Hoka regrets letting Carla go. The New York City Marathon kicked off a super-shoe conversation, and we dig into pros versus influencers and how honest sponsored content really is. Then I pitch my idea for 24-hour pace groups at 100-milers, plus a prize for the fastest runner in a costume.

Find Zach at zachbitter.com and on the Human Performance Outliers Podcast. I’m on that show too, covering different topics.

Text the Free Outside hotline: 541-903-8065

Watch Rewritten, the film about my Appalachian Trail record.

Thanks to Janji (code FREEOUTSIDE for 10% off), Garage Grown Gear, and CS Coffee.

Chapters

00:00 Intro

00:51 Welcome Zach & Allison

01:10 Javelina in the rain: first impressions

03:34 New names up front & the first-downhill trap

06:03 Over-40 women sweep the podium

08:28 Mud, conditions & Heather Jackson’s late pass

11:36 Positive splits and the case for even pacing

13:43 A rare one: the winner wasn’t leading into loop 5

16:58 Course changes making Javelina faster

19:24 Why is Javelina a golden ticket race?

21:42 The Black Canyon pipeline & pros vs the costume party

23:06 Unsponsored winners: the haves and have-nots

27:17 Does Hoka regret not re-signing Carla?

28:33 Breakout races & surprise brand budgets

31:27 Super shoes, Puma, Nike & the NYC Marathon

39:00 Why aren’t there more one-off race sponsorships?

41:18 Pros vs influencers: who actually sells shoes?

44:36 Loyalty & honesty in sponsored content

47:21 Zach’s race-by-race sponsorship idea

51:51 The pitch: 24-hour pace groups

58:06 Veteran helpers & “team moms” on course

59:35 Online goal groups before race day

1:02:38 A prize for first place in a costume

1:03:44 Where to find Zach & Allison

1:05:11 The comment section

1:07:09 Outro: costumes, Rewritten & the hotline