Which is more dangerous — the most extreme type of climbing or sailing alone around the world?

It’s a topic that sparks real debate in this episode. Alpine climbing in the Himalaya. Ice routes where one mistake can be fatal. Free soloing rock faces. Crossing the Southern Ocean alone, where rescue might be days away. Turning off your phone and removing the last layer of backup.

But this conversation doesn’t stay in the realm of adrenaline.

Jerome Rand has sailed solo around the globe — 271 days and nearly 30,000 miles at sea. He’s also thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail, spending months largely alone, learning what prolonged solitude does to a person.

What emerges in this episode isn’t a contest of danger.

It’s a deeper exploration of:

• How much risk makes something feel like a “true” adventure
• Whether modern technology strengthens or softens that edge
• The psychology of immersion when there is no easy bailout
• Why the ratio of suffering to joy might be 90/10 — and why that 10% keeps us coming back

Jerome reflects on identity, mentorship, and the subtle tension of aging as an adventurer — when you begin to sense that the horizon you once chased might not be the only measure of a life well-lived.

🔗 Connect with Jerome Rand

• Website: https://www.jeromerand.com
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JeromeRand
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sailingintooblivion/
• Jerome's Excellent Podcast: Sailing Into Oblivion
  
  

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After years of closed borders, North Korea reopened to a small number of foreign visitors.

Johan Nylander entered as one of the first in years — to run the Pyongyang Marathon.

Johan is an award-winning Asia correspondent and author whose work has appeared in CNN, National Geographic, Forbes, Nikkei Asia, and Sweden’s leading business daily Dagens Industri. He has reported from the frontlines of the US–China trade war and written bestselling books including Shenzhen Superstars, The Epic Split, and The Wolf Economy Awakens. Colleagues have described him as “a guardian of free speech” and one of the most compelling storytellers covering Asia today.

At 52, he chose one of the most restricted starting lines on Earth.

The deeper story begins earlier. After years of high-stress reporting across Asia, Johan found himself physically depleted and mentally stretched thin. Watching the Hong Kong Marathon from the sidelines — barely able to run a kilometer — he made a decision. The following year, he ran his first marathon.

Training became structure.
Structure became momentum.

Living between the mountains of Hong Kong’s outer islands and one of the world’s densest cities, he rebuilt himself mile by mile.

Then came North Korea.

Running through Pyongyang placed him inside a rare historical moment — moving through a country defined by control, discipline, and spectacle. The experience sharpened his understanding of movement, agency, and freedom.

In this episode, we explore:

• Running the Pyongyang Marathon inside North Korea
• Becoming one of the first foreign visitors back in the country
• Starting endurance sport in his fifties
• Rebuilding resilience after burnout
• Covering geopolitics while cultivating personal freedom

Johan has spent his career documenting global power.

In North Korea, he stepped onto a different kind of frontline — one measured in miles.

At 52, he chose forward motion.

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🚀 Love the show? Here’s how to support it

If something you’ve heard here has stayed with you, made you smile, or helped you keep going, I’d be honored if you’d consider supporting the show. 👉 https://buymeacoffee.com/agelessathlete

📰 Subscribe to the Ageless Athlete newsletter !

1-2x a month, no spam. We share behind-the-scenes reflections, longevity tips, and athlete wisdom you won’t find anywhere else. You can sign up at https://www.agelessathlete.co/newsletter/ 📩

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This episode brings together moments from conversations recorded throughout 2025 with athletes who have spent decades working inside uncertainty — in the mountains, on open water, on the road, and in daily training.

What connects these excerpts is more than accomplishment or outcome. It’s how each person has learned to operate when conditions narrow, when simplicity, judgment, and restraint matter more than force.

Every clip comes from a full-length episode in the Ageless Athlete back catalog. Below is a guide to the original conversations featured in this collection.

Episodes Featured

Sonnie Trotter

Breaking large, intimidating goals into something workable through structure, patience, and preparation.
👉 Full episode: Going All In — Reverse-Engineer the Goals You Will Risk Everything For
📅 September 17, 2025

Judi Oyama

Continuing to show up into her sixties, carrying identity, history, and independence into a sport that never made space easily.
👉 Full episode: From Teenage Skate Rebel to World Champion at 65 — How Judi Oyama Keeps Winning
📅 August 12, 2025

Andy Donaldson

Staying present in open water when progress disappears and plans dissolve.
👉 Full episode: The Deep End: Cold Oceans, the Edge of the Map, and the Mind’s Breaking Point
📅 July 24, 2025

Kitty Calhoun

Voluntary simplicity, living out of a car, and learning how focus and endurance feed each other in the mountains.
👉 Full episode: From the Deep South to the Himalaya — How Discipline Shapes a Life
📅 October 21, 2025

Jamie Whitmore

Rebuilding life and identity through cancer, recovery, and service — choosing who to be again and again.
👉 Full episode: When a World Champion’s Body Betrayed Her — And What Came Next
📅 July 4, 2025

Andy McVittie

Understanding the body, rebuilding trust, and why longevity starts with clarity rather than intensity.
👉 Full episode: The Movement Optimist Returns: Strong Hips, Stable Ankles, Happy Feet — Extending Performance and Moving Without Fear
📅 August 6, 2025

Susan Marie Conrad

Extended solitude, judgment, and patience while paddling alone through remote Alaska.
👉 Full episode: Whales, Bears, and the Will to Return — Lessons in Survival From Two Solo Voyages Through Alaska
📅 August 20, 2025

Jim Donini

Decades of perspective on partnership, restraint, and why coming home matters more than summits.
👉 Full episode: Survival Is Not Assured: An 82-Year-Old Alpinist Who Chooses The Hardest Lines
📅 August 27, 2025

Joan Beyerlein & Doug Beyerlein

Curiosity, consistency, and staying engaged into their seventies without chasing youth.
👉 Full episode: Out of the Box at 75 — Doug and Joan Changed Their Story And Kept Winning Races
📅 September 23, 2025

If a particular excerpt s

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🚀 Love the show? Here’s how to support it

If something you’ve heard here has stayed with you, made you smile, or helped you keep going, I’d be honored if you’d consider supporting the show. 👉 https://buymeacoffee.com/agelessathlete

📰 Subscribe to the Ageless Athlete newsletter !

1-2x a month, no spam. We share behind-the-scenes reflections, longevity tips, and athlete wisdom you won’t find anywhere else. You can sign up at https://www.agelessathlete.co/newsletter/ 📩

Support the show