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Back to #37 | Jenny & Scott Jurek on the Appalachian Trail Speed Record, Parenting, and What's Next, with Scott Jurek.

How Does Scott Jurek Say People Cheat in Ultrarunning, Besides Doping?

On Backpacker Radio, Jabba and Badger raise blood doping and EPO, with Lance Armstrong's cycling case as the comparison. Scott Jurek says he has not personally seen that in ultrarunning, and he calls the sport pretty pure. He hopes 99.9 percent of people never cheat, because you are out there with your friends and the culture treats doping as off limits. The cheating that worries him more is on the ground. People cut courses, in races and on fastest-known-time attempts. He also mentions age-group runners who will bend a rule to grab a personal record. False claims happen. Course-cutting, he says, is the bigger problem.

Transcript

#37 | Jenny & Scott Jurek on the Appalachian Trail Speed Record, Parenting, and What's Next ·

Backpacker Radio

More from this episode

  1. What Trails Does Scott Jurek Still Want to Hike?The GR trail that goes across Europe as well as the Camino and trails in the Himalayas.
  2. What Does Scott and Jenny's Active Lifestyle Look Like With Balancing ParenthoodScott and Jenny’s kids love the outdoors and being active. The couple has been able to figure out a way to still infuse their lifestyle into their lives.
  3. What Advice Do Scott and Jenny Have Regarding Their Lifestyle and Entering ParenthoodRelationships cannot be one-sided and parenting requires a balance between partners.
  4. Has Scott Jurek Raced Seriously Since His 2015 Appalachian Trail FKT?Scott Jurek tells Backpacker Radio that he has not competed at a high level since his 2015 Appalachian Trail fastest known time.
  5. How Did Scott and Jenny Jurek Find the Writing of North?On Backpacker Radio, Scott Jurek says North, the book he wrote with Jenny Jurek about his Appalachian Trail speed hike, sat on their plate for two years.
  6. Will Scott Be Back on the Trail Anytime SoonHe doesn’t anticipate being as competitive as he once was because of the natural process of getting older.
  7. What Sports Are the Jureks Hoping Their Children Will TryThey never want to push their kids into anything, but desire to provide them with opportunities to be exposed to sports, music, etc.
  8. What Is Attractive About the Ultrarunning SportIt is not only physical, but very mental. It levels the playing field.
  9. What Did Scott Anticipate He Would Be Doing Career-wiseScott saw himself as a game warden and he studied hard. Education was important to his parents and they saw it as necessary for him to succeed.
  10. What Is Scott’s New Book“North” is written by Scott and Jenny and details the AT endeavor from 2015.
  11. How Did the “eat and Run” and “born to Run” Books Change Scott’s LifeThey brought a new spotlight to the forefront of ultrarunning and to his life and experience personally and professionally.
  12. Do Women Participate in Ultrarunning as WellThe number of women in ultrarunning has always been high compared to marathoning, but even more so now.
  13. Who Is Scott JurekScott Jurek was arguably the most talked about person on the Appalachian Trail in 2015 as he was a very popular ultra runner who took his abilities to the…
  14. Do You Lose Your Mind During Long Ultra RacesYou do, and in fact Jurek tries to lose his mind on purpose by relaxing and not thinking too much of the race.
  15. When Did Ultra Running Turn Into a Feasible CareerScott was in debt from ultra running for longer than he was making money.
  16. What Are Ultra Running Prize Packages Like TodayOn the high end, a $5,000 prize might be available. Often, there are $1,000 prizes. Occasionally, there are $10,000 races.
  17. Who Paid Scott Jurek When Race Prizes Stayed Small?From sponsors, not from the prize check.
  18. What Does Scott Think About the Eastern States 100 RaceIt is a new race that includes 30,000 vertical feet in a 100 mile race.
  19. How Did Jenny Jurek and Scott Jurek Meet?Through his shoe sponsor.
  20. Has the Ultra Running World Changed in the Last DecadesIt has gotten a lot bigger and is more on the map. There are a lot of popular races that people want to get into.
  21. Is There Any Drug Testing in the Ultra Running SportWith the increase in popularity and potential prize money associated with ultrarunning, testing is now done more frequently.
  22. What Injuries Did Scott Endure on His Appalachian Trail HikeHe tore his quadriceps muscle very early on and endured kneecap issues on the other leg.
  23. What Is the Normal Amount of Time Needed to Recover From the Issues He Was Dealing WithIt is usually 4-6 weeks, which was the entire time slated for his trail adventure.
  24. Regarding Marriage, What Was the Expectation for What This Time on the Trail Would Look Like as Jenny Followed Along in a VehicleThere wasn't much space for alone time. Fans appeared on and around the trail and increasing crowds meant that Scott's adventure was a bit overwhelming for her.
  25. What Is Scott's Personality and How Did That Translate Into the HikeHe considers himself an introvert who enjoys people.
  26. How Did the Trail Spotlight Feel for Scott Jurek?Scott Jurek tells Backpacker Radio that the attention around his Appalachian Trail hike felt crazy and, at times, a little overwhelming, and also fun, for him…
  27. Why Did Scott Jurek Hike the Trail Backwards?Scott would have potentially switched his course, but did it for aesthetic reasons.
  28. What Advice Would Scott Offer to Someone Who Wants to Go After an FKT TrailKnow why you are out there. When things get difficult on the trail and you feel you cannot go on, Scott says that one must know your original motivations.
  29. How Much Weight Did Scott Lose on the Trail19 pounds.

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