Scott Jurek is considered one of the greatest long-distance runners of all time. He has claimed victories in nearly all of ultrarunning’s elite trail and road events including the historic 153-mile Spartathlon, the Hardrock 100, the Badwater 135-Mile Ultramarathon, and the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run, which he won a record seven times.
He is also the New York Times bestselling author of Eat and Run, has been prominently featured in countless publications and is a star of the international bestseller, Born to Run.
In 2015, Scott decided to mark the end of a 20-year career as a competitive runner by undertaking what would be his mind and body’s greatest test: establishing a new fastest known time (FKT) for running the entire length of the 2,189-mile Appalachian Trail. In order to set the record, he would run each and every day, rain or shine, for 46 days straight—NO days off—
While Scott ran, his wife Jenny who is also an accomplished ultramarathoner, led the support crew, an ever-changing motley group of old friends and new acquaintances. In their book, NORTH, Scott, and Jenny chronicle their amazing journey.
This is a conversation with Scott about his new book, this incredible adventure, retirement, and parenthood. Enjoy.
Listen on iTunes. Listen onStitcher or with the player below.
TIMELINE HIGHLIGHTS:
:01 WHEN DID YOU DISCOVER YOU WANTED TO BE A RUNNER?
3:01 THE COMMUNITY OF RUNNING
6:24 RECORDING ‘NORTH’ AS AN AUDIOBOOK
7:25 WRITING THE BOOK ‘NORTH’
9:08 SCOTT’S MOTIVATION TO RUN THE 2,160 MILE APPALACHIAN TRAIL
13:20 TRAINING STRATEGY FOR THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL
20:09 PERSEVERANCE IN ADVERSITY
24:00 ANGELS ON THE TRAIL
27:35 CREWING CHALLENGES ON THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL
30:04 CRITICS ALONG THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL
34:22 HIKING vs RUNNING ON THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL
35:52 SCOTT’S FAVORITE PARTS OF THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL
37:05 SOURCES OF STRENGTH AND MOTIVATION TO ENDURE
45:05 WHAT WERE THE FINAL STAGES, HOURS, AND MILES LIKE?
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To learn more about the latest and greatest on hydration, listen to Podcast 34 with Sports Scientist Andy Blow on the role of hydration in performance, and Podcast 35 with Sports Dietician Brooke Schohl on sweat testing and how to tailor your hydration to your personal needs.
