Free Outside

Jeff Garmire

Free Outside is a trail running, ultrarunning, thru-hiking, backpacking, and outdoor adventure podcast hosted by Jeff Garmire. Jeff is an Appalachian Trail record holder, professional endurance athlete, coach, author, and someone who has spent an unreasonable amount of his life running through forests and living out of a backpack. The show features honest and entertaining conversations with elite ultrarunners, record-setting thru-hikers, FKT athletes, coaches, race directors, adventurers, and other fascinating people doing difficult things outside.

  1. 44분 전

    Ben Dhiman: Before he was a UTMB Champion

    Ben Dhiman is now a UTMB champion, but his path to the top of ultrarunning started long before he considered himself a runner. Ben thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail and Continental Divide Trail, navigated the Hayduke Trail, and pushed into increasingly remote adventures through Nepal and the Himalaya. Those experiences gave him clarity and self-reliance, but they also made returning to ordinary life incredibly difficult. In his words, thru-hiking “totally ruined” him. We talk about the addictive pull of long trails, his years working odd jobs to fund the next adventure, sleeping beside the river in Silverton, stumbling into trail running, and eventually deciding that he could become one of the best in the sport. Ben explains how he forced his way into professional ultrarunning through results, how becoming a father changed his relationship with adventure, and why his thru-hiking background helps him survive the moments when an ultramarathon becomes “apocalyptically” difficult. We also get into his holistic approach to training, the connection between problem-solving and performance, and why he replaces most of his winter running with 15–30 hours of skiing each week. Before the conversation, I share what I learned from a 60-mile fastpacking trip in Montana, whether my body and mind are ready for another FKT, and my best advice for pacing a fixed-time race. Support our Sponsors: Janji (code: Freeoutside): https://snp.link/a0bfb726CS Coffee: CSinstant.coffeeGarage Grown Gear: https://snp.link/db1ba8abSubscribe to Substack: http://freeoutside.substack.comSupport this content on patreon: HTTP://patreon.com/freeoutsideBuy my book "Free Outside" on Amazon: https://amzn.to/39LpoSFEmail me to buy a signed copy of my book, "Free Outside" at jeff@freeoutside.comWatch the movie about setting the record on the Colorado Trail: https://tubitv.com/movies/100019916/free-outsideWebsite: www.Freeoutside.comInstagram: thefreeoutsidefacebook: www.facebook.com/freeoutside#Trailrunning #Runningnews #Outdoors #Outdooradventure

  2. 4일 전

    3.65 Million Feet in One Year with Amber Constant

    Amber Constant is attempting to climb 3.65 million vertical feet in a single year and claim the overall vertical world record. Rave Cave Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4Cqam0r2k1OpuD2fTc4XBJ?si=0fc10ab6187348a9 She took the year off and made the project her full-time job: wake up, climb thousands of feet, recover, eat, sleep, and do it again. What began with 8,000-foot days and a weekly rest day eventually evolved into climbing every day, with some individual days reaching as high as 30,000 feet. Amber joins me from her car in Vermont to talk about what a year-long endurance project actually looks like from the inside. We get into the logistics of finding the most efficient mountains, living out of her car, eating up to 10,000 calories a day, recovery, motivation, loneliness, and the grassroots community that has formed around the attempt. She estimates she's doing roughly 80% of the project alone and says the social isolation has become one of its hardest parts. And then there are the things she couldn't plan for: brutal New England winter conditions, deep post-holing, black flies that sent her to urgent care after 167 bites, bears, coyotes, a moose collision, and a house with a bizarre connection to an unsolved murder. But underneath all of the wild stories is a fascinating look at what happens when someone commits an entire year to a single goal—and keeps going long after the honeymoon phase is over. Support our Sponsors: Janji (code: Freeoutside): https://snp.link/a0bfb726CS Coffee: CSinstant.coffeeGarage Grown Gear: https://snp.link/db1ba8abSubscribe to Substack: http://freeoutside.substack.comSupport this content on patreon: HTTP://patreon.com/freeoutsideBuy my book "Free Outside" on Amazon: https://amzn.to/39LpoSFEmail me to buy a signed copy of my book, "Free Outside" at jeff@freeoutside.comWatch the movie about setting the record on the Colorado Trail: https://tubitv.com/movies/100019916/free-outsideWebsite: www.Freeoutside.comInstagram: thefreeoutsidefacebook: www.facebook.com/freeoutside#Trailrunning #Runningnews #Outdoors #Outdooradventure

  3. 8월 24일

    The Goal I Was Afraid to Say Out Loud + The Story Behind Rewritten

    For years, there was one goal I wasn't sure I was good enough to accomplish: breaking the self-supported Appalachian Trail record. I planned to try in 2020. It never happened. And for the next five years, the goal sat there. In this episode, I talk about why we're so afraid to say our biggest goals out loud, why I finally decided I would rather fail than never find out, and what happened when I went all-in on the Appalachian Trail in 2025. I also share a preview of Rewritten, the new film about the record and the much longer journey that led back to the AT. Rewritten premieres in Bozeman August 27 and on the Free Outside YouTube channel August 28. If you enjoy the film, share it with someone who has a goal they've been afraid to chase. Support our Sponsors: Janji (code: Freeoutside): https://snp.link/a0bfb726 CS Coffee: CSinstant.coffee Garage Grown Gear: https://snp.link/db1ba8ab Subscribe to Substack: http://freeoutside.substack.com Support this content on patreon: HTTP://patreon.com/freeoutside Buy my book "Free Outside" on Amazon: https://amzn.to/39LpoSF Email me to buy a signed copy of my book, "Free Outside" at jeff@freeoutside.com Watch the movie about setting the record on the Colorado Trail: https://tubitv.com/movies/100019916/free-outside Website: www.Freeoutside.com Instagram: thefreeoutside facebook: www.facebook.com/freeoutside #Trailrunning #Runningnews #Outdoors #Outdooradventure

  4. 8월 21일

    Appalachian Trail Record Untold Stories (and a Costco Pizza)

    What does an Appalachian Trail record attempt look like from the perspective of the person watching from home? Check out the substack on eating an entire Costco Pizza: https://freeoutside.substack.com/p/what-a-costco-pizza-taught-me-about? Allison Powell shares the untold story behind Jeff Garmire’s 45-day self-supported Appalachian Trail FKT, including planning resupply stops, managing logistics, decoding sleep-deprived messages, two left shoes, a discarded food box, lost battery banks, panic attacks, and the secret proposal waiting at Springer Mountain. Jeff and Allison also discuss producing Rewritten, their new Appalachian Trail documentary premiering free on YouTube August 28, and why this record deserves more attention. Meanwhile, Jeff attempts a different kind of endurance challenge by eating an entire Costco pizza during the episode. A funny and honest conversation about thru-hiking, ultrarunning, relationships, resilience, Fastest Known Times, and everything that happens behind the scenes of a 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail record. Support our Sponsors: Janji (code: Freeoutside): https://snp.link/a0bfb726 CS Coffee: CSinstant.coffee Garage Grown Gear: https://snp.link/db1ba8ab Subscribe to Substack: http://freeoutside.substack.com Support this content on patreon: HTTP://patreon.com/freeoutside Buy my book "Free Outside" on Amazon: https://amzn.to/39LpoSF Email me to buy a signed copy of my book, "Free Outside" at jeff@freeoutside.com Watch the movie about setting the record on the Colorado Trail: https://tubitv.com/movies/100019916/free-outside Website: www.Freeoutside.com Instagram: thefreeoutside facebook: www.facebook.com/freeoutside #Trailrunning #Runningnews #Outdoors #Outdooradventure

  5. 8월 17일

    You Can’t Buy Your Way to the Top of Running?

    Derrick Lytle has spent the year filming some of the best ultrarunners in the world at Western States, Hardrock, Speedgoat, Black Canyon, and beyond. After watching elite athletes train, race, recover, and work with their coaches, what does he think actually separates them from everyone else? We talk about why consistency and race-specific training matter more than expensive supplements and recovery gadgets, what happens inside elite training camps, the dangers of comparing your training on Strava, and why there may be no shortcut to becoming a better runner. Derrick also shares what he has learned while preparing for his first 100-miler at Wasatch, his thoughts on AI replacing human creativity and coaching, and his answers to some of ultrarunning Reddit’s strangest questions. Support our Sponsors: Janji (code: Freeoutside): https://snp.link/a0bfb726 CS Coffee: CSinstant.coffee Garage Grown Gear: https://snp.link/db1ba8ab Subscribe to Substack: http://freeoutside.substack.com Support this content on patreon: HTTP://patreon.com/freeoutside Buy my book "Free Outside" on Amazon: https://amzn.to/39LpoSF Email me to buy a signed copy of my book, "Free Outside" at jeff@freeoutside.com Watch the movie about setting the record on the Colorado Trail: https://tubitv.com/movies/100019916/free-outside Website: www.Freeoutside.com Instagram: thefreeoutside facebook: www.facebook.com/freeoutside #Trailrunning #Runningnews #Outdoors #Outdooradventure

  6. 8월 14일

    Doping, Money and the Future of Ultrarunning with Zach Bitter

    Running culture is changing fast. Athletes now share every workout, fans follow races year-round, money and attention are concentrated around a handful of major events, and ultrarunning is being forced to confront doping, peptides and what “clean sport” actually means. Ultrarunner, coach and podcast host Zach Bitter joins Jeff Garmire to discuss whether money is ruining trail running, the rise of athlete content, Josh Kerr calling his shot at the mile world record and why real fandom has finally arrived in ultrarunning. They also explore the growing difficulty of entering Western States and Hardrock, what multi-day runners are doing differently, sleep strategies in backyard ultras, why runners start 100-milers too fast and what modern ultrarunning can learn from the wild history of pedestrianism. Finally, Zach offers a nuanced look at PEDs, BPC-157, therapeutic use exemptions and whether races may eventually need separate competitive and participation categories. He also shares an update on his return to running after a blood clot and the possibility of another 100-mile race. Support our Sponsors: Janji (code: Freeoutside): https://snp.link/a0bfb726CS Coffee: CSinstant.coffeeGarage Grown Gear: https://snp.link/db1ba8abSubscribe to Substack: http://freeoutside.substack.comSupport this content on patreon: HTTP://patreon.com/freeoutsideBuy my book "Free Outside" on Amazon: https://amzn.to/39LpoSFEmail me to buy a signed copy of my book, "Free Outside" at jeff@freeoutside.comWatch the movie about setting the record on the Colorado Trail: https://tubitv.com/movies/100019916/free-outsideWebsite: www.Freeoutside.comInstagram: thefreeoutsidefacebook: www.facebook.com/freeoutside#Trailrunning #Runningnews #Outdoors #Outdooradventure

  7. 8월 10일

    What Have Adventures Lost? | Halfway Anywhere

    Mac, the creator of Halfway Anywhere and the annual PCT Thru-Hiker Survey, joins the show to talk about hiking Corsica’s GR20, how the Pacific Crest Trail has changed, and whether modern thru-hiking has lost some of its mystery. We compare our experiences on the GR20, including huts, snow, intense heat, crowded trails, French hiking culture and the unexpected luxury of buying sandwiches in the mountains. Then we dig into the evolution of the PCT, from paper maps and hitchhiking to FarOut comments, scheduled rides, heavier gear and thru-hikes that now average around $10,000 to $11,000. Mac also shares how Halfway Anywhere became his full-time work, what more than a decade of PCT survey data reveals about backpacking gear, why experienced adventurers have to work harder to find the unknown, and what he is planning next in Japan. Before the interview, I recap running an 18:52 5K in Crocs and explain why the weird goals nobody else understands can sometimes be the most meaningful. Learn more from Mac at Halfway Anywhere: https://www.halfwayanywhere.com/ Support our Sponsors: Sawyer: https://sawyerdirect.net/ Janji (code: Freeoutside): https://snp.link/a0bfb726 CS Coffee: CSinstant.coffee Garage Grown Gear: https://snp.link/db1ba8ab Subscribe to Substack: http://freeoutside.substack.com Support this content on patreon: HTTP://patreon.com/freeoutside Buy my book "Free Outside" on Amazon: https://amzn.to/39LpoSF Email me to buy a signed copy of my book, "Free Outside" at jeff@freeoutside.com Watch the movie about setting the record on the Colorado Trail: https://tubitv.com/movies/100019916/free-outside Website: www.Freeoutside.com Instagram: thefreeoutside facebook: www.facebook.com/freeoutside #Trailrunning #Runningnews #Outdoors #Outdooradventure

소개

Free Outside is a trail running, ultrarunning, thru-hiking, backpacking, and outdoor adventure podcast hosted by Jeff Garmire. Jeff is an Appalachian Trail record holder, professional endurance athlete, coach, author, and someone who has spent an unreasonable amount of his life running through forests and living out of a backpack. The show features honest and entertaining conversations with elite ultrarunners, record-setting thru-hikers, FKT athletes, coaches, race directors, adventurers, and other fascinating people doing difficult things outside.