Free Outside

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.

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

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

My Appalachian Trail record film, Rewritten, is finally out in the world. In this episode, I take you behind the scenes of the documentary and share part of the six-hour interview process that helped shape the final film. You’ll hear some of the deeper reflections, uncomfortable moments, absurd jokes, and stories that did not make the final cut.
I also talk about a huge moment in the fastest known time world. Nick Fowler has broken the overall Pacific Crest Trail record, making the fastest known time on the PCT self-supported once again.
This episode also includes a more difficult update about ultrarunning legend Jeff Browning following his heart attack. Jeff has been an incredibly generous and positive part of the ultrarunning community for decades. I share a clip from one of our previous conversations that captures his energy, perspective, love for his family, and willingness to support everyone in the sport.
Finally, I recap running nine “9 to 5Ks” in honor of Dolly Parton and what I learned about her generosity and legacy along the way.
Rewritten follows my return to the Appalachian Trail nine years after my original thru-hike to chase the self-supported overall record. You can now watch the full documentary for free on the Free Outside YouTube channel.

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