Do I fit in, in this industry? I have really started to question everything!

I’m not doing great right now, and that’s what this episode is about. After finishing the Appalachian Trail FKT, there’s been a crash, the kind that comes after spending months focused on one goal. This episode is me reading and performing my Substack piece, Location Unknown, and trying to make sense of what comes next.

Post-trail depression is real. It’s the space after the high, when you’ve changed but the world hasn’t. I talk about what it feels like to lose direction, how authenticity can be misunderstood, and how I’m trying to figure things out again.

Thanks for listening, supporting, and being part of this. You can find more of my writing on Substack, and if you want to support what I do, check out the show sponsors:

https://freeoutside.substack.com/

Janji.com

— use code FREEOUTSIDE for a discount and to support the show

GarageGrownGear.com

— the best place for small outdoor brands and gear that lasts

CSInstant.Coffee

—Actual Premium instant coffee

Chapters

00:00 – Opening

03:00 – Substack Reading

06:30 – Post-Trail Depression

09:00 – Appalachian Trail

13:30 – Coming Home

16:00 – Integration

18:00 – Closing

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

Back on the Free Outside podcast, I’m catching up with Will Murray after a wild eight months. Since Black Canyon he’s gone all-in: new coach (CTS’s John Fitzgerald), smarter long runs, and a rock-solid mindset that turned Javelina into a masterclass in steady, no surges. We talk about why he wore a pack while the front pack rocked belts (spoiler: seven bottles a lap and an ice pocket), how he practices mantras on long runs, and the simple crew rule that keeps big races from falling apart: do simple better. Will opens up about the detour through AFib, an ankle injury, a bout of giardia, and how cycling + hiking rebuilt fitness and trust. We also wander into big ideas—Western States, training camps, and what a Grand Tour of trail running could look like. It’s process over hype, and it’s really, really good.

Chapters

00:00 Intro & catching up

05:30 All-in since Black Canyon

08:30 Why get a coach (CTS/John)

11:00 Race plan: steady, no surges

13:30 Lap themes & mindset

15:30 Pack choice & hydration (7 bottles/lap)

18:00 Mantras in training

20:30 Crew: “Do simple better”

23:00 AFib, ankle, giardia detour

26:00 Rebuilding with cycling & hiking

29:00 Western States lessons

32:00 Future goals & balance

34:00 Shoes talk (Catamount, super shoes?)

36:00 Stage-race / team ideas

38:00 Wrap & outro

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

I thought I was done racing this year… but apparently Montana had other plans. Two weeks after Allison Mercer introduced me to cross country running, I found myself signing up for the Montana Cup — an annual, statewide, adult cross country throwdown where Bozeman, Missoula, Billings, and the rest of the Montana cities go head-to-head for glory.

In this episode, I talk about my first hard 5K in twenty years, how I tried to re-train my calves after the Appalachian Trail, and whether my 35-year-old self can outkick my 14-year-old PR. Spoiler: probably not.

But that’s not all — I also recap my Halloween weekend crewing at Javelina Jundred, where I became the self-proclaimed Ice Daddy, lost a costume contest as a horse, and ended up pacing a stranger to his first 100-mile finish while dressed as Santa. Because of course I did.

There’s a life hack, a shout-out to my sponsors, a Blue Jays World Series dream, and an announcement for the return of Month of Jeff and the Jeffrey Awards.

So grab a coffee (CS Coffee, obviously), lace up those Janji shorts, and join me for another chaotic, slightly overcaffeinated episode of the Free Outside Show.

Chapters

00:00 The Montana Cup and Cross Country Racing

02:41 Post-Appalachian Trail Recovery and Training

05:55 Halloween Race Experience and Costumes

11:25 Pacing a Runner and Celebrating Success

14:07 Life Hacks and Upcoming Events

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