TOPICS & TIMES:
- Recovering from the race (2:50)
- Race day report (6:17)
- Running on a track vs. trail (15:47)
- Zach’s headspace while running (20:56)
- When did you start training for this event? (33:23)
- Thoughts on Ian Sharman & David Roche’s training philosophies (45:07)
- How to get to a 6:40 split (57:47)
- Thoughts on other world records (1:01:53)
- Why we need to celebrate more runners & events (1:07:27)
- What’s Next: Preparing for the Spartathalon (1:15:27)
Today’s episode is essentially about the expansion of the human imagination, and of what is humanly possible. And, while that might sound really grandiose, it’s also true.
On Saturday, August 25th, 2019, Zach Bitter set a new world record for the fastest time that a human being has run 100 miles. He ran – 100 miles – in eleven hours, 19 minutes, and 13 seconds.
And what do you do for an encore when you’ve just set a new world record for the fastest recorded 100 mile run? If you are Zach Bitter, you keep on running … and then you set another world record — this one the 12-hour distance world record. In 12 hours, Zach ran 104.8 miles.
To call this remarkable is an understatement. And so, it was an honor to talk to Zach a few days after his big day. And as you are about to hear, almost as impressive as Zach’s accomplishment is his ability to walk us through the day, his training for this event, his perspective on other world records, why he thinks we need to celebrate more runners and a wider range of events, and more.
- Check out Zach’s podcast, Human Performance Outliers
The Zach Bitter interview is a masterpiece. An incredibly running literate guest with an interviewer asking intriguing and insightful questions are just a perfect combination. I listen to pretty much all the ultra running podcasts and in my opinion this is the best interview I have heard. Will go back and listen to the others. Man, thanks so much for the priceless wisdom!
Wow, John, thank you very much. That means a lot. I hope you enjoy the other conversations, too.