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The Pursuit of Endurance: Harnessing the Record-Breaking Power of Strength and Resilience
National Geographic Adventurer of the Year Jennifer Pharr Davis unlocks the secret to maximizing perseverance--on and off the trailJennifer Pharr Davis, a record holder of the FKT (fastest known time) on the Appalachian Trail, reveals the secrets and habits behind endurance as she chronicles her incredible accomplishments in the world of endurance hiking, backpacking, and trail running. With a storyteller's ear for fascinating detail and description, Davis takes readers along as she trains and sets her record, analyzing and trail-testing the theories and methodologies espoused by her star-studded roster of mentors. She distills complex rituals and histories into easy-to-understand tips and action items that will help you take perseverance to the next level. The Pursuit of Endurance empowers readers to unlock phenomenal endurance and leverage newfound grit to achieve personal bests in everything from sports and family to the boardroom.
316 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 10, 2018
169 people are currently reading
1585 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Pharr Davis
14 books141 followersJennifer Pharr Davis grew up in the North Carolina Mountains, where she developed a love for hiking at a young age. At age twenty-one, Jennifer hiked the entire Appalachian Trail as a solo female and fell in love with long-distance backpacking.
Since then, Jennifer has hiked more than 8,000 miles of trails in North America, including the Pacific Crest Trail, Vermont’s Long Trail, and the Colorado Trail, and completed two thru-hikes on the Appalachian Trail. She has hiked and traveled on six continents; some of the highlights include Mount Kilimanjaro, the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, and the 600-mile Bibbulmun Track in Australia.
Jennifer holds endurance records on three long-distance trails. In 2008 she became the fastest woman to hike the Appalachian Trail, averaging thirty-eight miles a day and completing the trail in fifty-seven days.
Jennifer has written for Trail Runner magazine, Away.com, and is a frequent contributor to Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine, and has written two guidebooks. Jennifer lives in Asheville, North Carolina, with her husband, and is the owner and founder of Blue Ridge Hiking Co.
Since then, Jennifer has hiked more than 8,000 miles of trails in North America, including the Pacific Crest Trail, Vermont’s Long Trail, and the Colorado Trail, and completed two thru-hikes on the Appalachian Trail. She has hiked and traveled on six continents; some of the highlights include Mount Kilimanjaro, the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, and the 600-mile Bibbulmun Track in Australia.
Jennifer holds endurance records on three long-distance trails. In 2008 she became the fastest woman to hike the Appalachian Trail, averaging thirty-eight miles a day and completing the trail in fifty-seven days.
Jennifer has written for Trail Runner magazine, Away.com, and is a frequent contributor to Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine, and has written two guidebooks. Jennifer lives in Asheville, North Carolina, with her husband, and is the owner and founder of Blue Ridge Hiking Co.
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April 12, 2018
Jennifer Pharr Davis‘ latest book The Pursuit of Endurance: Harnessing the Record-Breaking Power of Strength and Resilience is an inside look into the world of the FKT (fastest known time) and the athletes who accomplish these incredible feats of endurance. What personal challenges did they overcome in the effort to be the fastest and the best? Is endurance merely an athletic trait, or does it apply to humanity as a whole? Are women able to compete with the men in such endeavors?
This is the first time some of the personal stories of FKT athletes are told, and the very special thing about this book is that they are told through the heart of someone who has been there herself. The hiking community is small, and for many years I’ve heard names like Scott Williamson, Heather Anderson, Scott Jurek, Jennifer Pharr Davis, Liz Thomas. It makes sense that they all know each other. because their experiences create a bond only they can understand. Jen writes about these friends after visiting them, sitting down with them, and hearing their personal accounts over dinner, while walking on trails, and even summiting peaks together. Her own humility in wanting to learn opened doors for her to tell about events that might never have been brought to light if not for her own search as an endurance athlete.
Some of the names in this book are familiar from reading Jen’s previous books about her own journey on the AT, but this time you really feel like you get to know Warren Doyle and David Horton in a more personal way. So many of the hikers who have managed to set FKTs on America’s long trails are men, and I found myself wishing more women could accomplish this too. But then I had to stop and remind myself that a strong, powerful woman who set an FKT wrote this book. By the time I got to the chapter about Heather Anderson, I was ready to stand up and cheer. The really beautiful thing about all these stories, and about Jen being the one to write them, is that she is boldly saying that women do not need to be bound by gender when it comes to accomplishing physical pursuits that are typically dominated by men. “Once I set the FKT, I was a stronger, more outspoken feminist. I was finally at the point where I believed that my ability was of equal value, and it took feeling like an equal for me to realize that I wasn’t always being treated like one. I had to walk more than ten thousand miles and set a record to dispel the gender bias I had accepted – the one that society, media, and the marketplace present, overtly and subconsciously, on a daily basis.” In the end, endurance isn’t a gender issue.
It felt like the writing of this book was a search to find the thing that makes endurance athletes unique. In the life of each person profiled there is some hardship they have to overcome, an inner drive that keeps them asking more and more of themselves. There are character traits that are similar, dedication and grit. But in the end, endurance is part of our humanity, the constant quest for inner strength. Maybe you won’t be the one to set an FKT on a national trail, but perhaps there will be a personal mountain you will conquer.
As a hiker reading this book, I got the jolt of inspiration that I needed. I want to wake up earlier, hit the trail harder, push myself to achieve more. Working a desk job and being a cog in corporate life does so much to strip the soul of meaning. While some in this book were able to leave careers and pursue a different life, many of us feel the weight of responsibility and are unable to leave at a moment’s notice. And that’s ok too because we’re all on our own path. But, we can still be inspired to live fuller, more passionate lives outside of the daily grind.
“Hiking is not escapism; it’s realism. The people who choose to spend time outdoors are not running away from anything; we are returning to where we belong.”
This is the first time some of the personal stories of FKT athletes are told, and the very special thing about this book is that they are told through the heart of someone who has been there herself. The hiking community is small, and for many years I’ve heard names like Scott Williamson, Heather Anderson, Scott Jurek, Jennifer Pharr Davis, Liz Thomas. It makes sense that they all know each other. because their experiences create a bond only they can understand. Jen writes about these friends after visiting them, sitting down with them, and hearing their personal accounts over dinner, while walking on trails, and even summiting peaks together. Her own humility in wanting to learn opened doors for her to tell about events that might never have been brought to light if not for her own search as an endurance athlete.
Some of the names in this book are familiar from reading Jen’s previous books about her own journey on the AT, but this time you really feel like you get to know Warren Doyle and David Horton in a more personal way. So many of the hikers who have managed to set FKTs on America’s long trails are men, and I found myself wishing more women could accomplish this too. But then I had to stop and remind myself that a strong, powerful woman who set an FKT wrote this book. By the time I got to the chapter about Heather Anderson, I was ready to stand up and cheer. The really beautiful thing about all these stories, and about Jen being the one to write them, is that she is boldly saying that women do not need to be bound by gender when it comes to accomplishing physical pursuits that are typically dominated by men. “Once I set the FKT, I was a stronger, more outspoken feminist. I was finally at the point where I believed that my ability was of equal value, and it took feeling like an equal for me to realize that I wasn’t always being treated like one. I had to walk more than ten thousand miles and set a record to dispel the gender bias I had accepted – the one that society, media, and the marketplace present, overtly and subconsciously, on a daily basis.” In the end, endurance isn’t a gender issue.
It felt like the writing of this book was a search to find the thing that makes endurance athletes unique. In the life of each person profiled there is some hardship they have to overcome, an inner drive that keeps them asking more and more of themselves. There are character traits that are similar, dedication and grit. But in the end, endurance is part of our humanity, the constant quest for inner strength. Maybe you won’t be the one to set an FKT on a national trail, but perhaps there will be a personal mountain you will conquer.
As a hiker reading this book, I got the jolt of inspiration that I needed. I want to wake up earlier, hit the trail harder, push myself to achieve more. Working a desk job and being a cog in corporate life does so much to strip the soul of meaning. While some in this book were able to leave careers and pursue a different life, many of us feel the weight of responsibility and are unable to leave at a moment’s notice. And that’s ok too because we’re all on our own path. But, we can still be inspired to live fuller, more passionate lives outside of the daily grind.
“Hiking is not escapism; it’s realism. The people who choose to spend time outdoors are not running away from anything; we are returning to where we belong.”
September 8, 2022
This gave me some great things to think about and it was cool learning about all of these Fastest Known Time (FKT) holders. Although I didn’t agree with everything the author said, she’s a compelling writer and I found myself thinking about a thru-hike (not in realms of a FKT status by any means). I think she did a great job capturing the authenticity of the highs and lows—emotionally, mentally, and physically while hiking. I listened to the book which was read by the author. I liked that in addition to focusing on FKT holders, she really focused on endurance.
Since reading, I’ve been thinking about endurance for a while now. Here are some quotes I liked (I typed them from the audiobook, so punctuation and emphasis might not be 100% correct, but the words are true to what she read in the audiobook):
"Endurance isn’t the ability to overcome pain; it is the ability to embrace it with no end in sight."
"...Sometimes endurance isn't defined by success, but is composed of failures. ... When it feels as if you are constantly losing and everything good is slipping away, it is difficult to muster the strength to keep trying again and again. But endurance is the ability to continue despite past results and with disregard for future outcomes."
"On a long-distance hike of any sort, either you talk to God or you talk to yourself. I did a fair bit of both. I could tell myself til I was blue in the face that I was meant to be on that trail, but when I talked to God I was convinced I belonged."
"Endurance is not measured by someone's first steps, it is measured by her last step."
"Our journey forward is about more than survival. Every obstacle that we overcome allows us to acquire strength, gain wisdom, and internalize gratitude. The sacrifice demanded is never wasted, instead, it provides an education. It teaches us about other people, it teaches us about the world around us, but more than anything, it teaches us that we are more resilient and powerful than we ever dare dream.”
Since reading, I’ve been thinking about endurance for a while now. Here are some quotes I liked (I typed them from the audiobook, so punctuation and emphasis might not be 100% correct, but the words are true to what she read in the audiobook):
"Endurance isn’t the ability to overcome pain; it is the ability to embrace it with no end in sight."
"...Sometimes endurance isn't defined by success, but is composed of failures. ... When it feels as if you are constantly losing and everything good is slipping away, it is difficult to muster the strength to keep trying again and again. But endurance is the ability to continue despite past results and with disregard for future outcomes."
"On a long-distance hike of any sort, either you talk to God or you talk to yourself. I did a fair bit of both. I could tell myself til I was blue in the face that I was meant to be on that trail, but when I talked to God I was convinced I belonged."
"Endurance is not measured by someone's first steps, it is measured by her last step."
"Our journey forward is about more than survival. Every obstacle that we overcome allows us to acquire strength, gain wisdom, and internalize gratitude. The sacrifice demanded is never wasted, instead, it provides an education. It teaches us about other people, it teaches us about the world around us, but more than anything, it teaches us that we are more resilient and powerful than we ever dare dream.”
August 28, 2018
NEEDS MORE TRAIL STORIES.
I jumped in really hoping to get a feel for what it was like to hike or set an FKT. Instead, I received a set of loosely connected interviews with famous hikers or runners that glossed over the most interesting part: the actual hiking. Instead, it felt like a series of not very interesting biographies of very interesting people. The book touches on the science of long distance hiking and the gender imbalance, but all too briefly. It jumps around too much and ends up focusing on the bits that aren't super interesting to the average reader. I feel like the intended audience is for folks who already are familiar with the experience, but not with the scene.
Not a bad book, just not what I was hoping for.
I jumped in really hoping to get a feel for what it was like to hike or set an FKT. Instead, I received a set of loosely connected interviews with famous hikers or runners that glossed over the most interesting part: the actual hiking. Instead, it felt like a series of not very interesting biographies of very interesting people. The book touches on the science of long distance hiking and the gender imbalance, but all too briefly. It jumps around too much and ends up focusing on the bits that aren't super interesting to the average reader. I feel like the intended audience is for folks who already are familiar with the experience, but not with the scene.
Not a bad book, just not what I was hoping for.
February 13, 2025
When Jen Pharr earned the overall speed record for the 2 197 mile-long Appalachian Trail, she turned the heads of so many endurance athletes. Imagine a woman completing this challenge faster than any other - man or woman - in the long history of this trail!!
But this account is not a personal play-by-play of how she did it. Instead she interviews athletes who have held this trail's FKT (fastest known time) in the past and ones on other US long trails. She queries the motivations and drive behind each athlete, as well as the impact that earning and subsequently losing that FKT title has meant to them.
As GPS tracking, media attention and other modern day advantages grab hold of a larger audience, Pharr is emphatic that the history of those original record setters is not lost. She wants to capture their stories of success, failure and perseverance as authentically as possible.
Besides an incredibly weak final chapter and a little too much 'higher power' talk throughout, the book meets those goals. There are plenty of motivating and insightful sections and our copy is highlighted and dog-eared all the way through.
But this account is not a personal play-by-play of how she did it. Instead she interviews athletes who have held this trail's FKT (fastest known time) in the past and ones on other US long trails. She queries the motivations and drive behind each athlete, as well as the impact that earning and subsequently losing that FKT title has meant to them.
As GPS tracking, media attention and other modern day advantages grab hold of a larger audience, Pharr is emphatic that the history of those original record setters is not lost. She wants to capture their stories of success, failure and perseverance as authentically as possible.
Besides an incredibly weak final chapter and a little too much 'higher power' talk throughout, the book meets those goals. There are plenty of motivating and insightful sections and our copy is highlighted and dog-eared all the way through.
January 1, 2023
As a follower of trail stuff and FKTs since my AT hike in 2015— a lot of this info was still new to me. I knew about JPD and Scott Jurek only because he was on trail same time I was. Everything before that was sort of amorphous. This book does a great job of putting the whole story into perspective and sharing Pharr Davis’s personal experience.
March 18, 2021
Reading about long distance hikers before my knee surgery has made me want to get the surgery over even more quickly so I can get back out to hike. I'm not an endurance hiker, but the book made me want to push myself and do longer through hikes. This book also make me think of the bad ass West Point Women that I know who don't give up, despite failing at times, and just put one foot in front of the other.
December 24, 2018
I enjoyed the author's stories of her own life and hike, but from the book blurb, I thought I'd learn more about endurance. Many of the personal stories of the men who hiked the trail and the trail controversies weren't interesting to me and I got tired of all the swearing. I think it would be better with more endurance and hiking information.
June 20, 2021
2+ The synthesis (thesis) of this book is in the final pages and not the book I expected when I picked it up.
The synthesis in the final pages does match the thesis I had developed over the course of reading it. Q: How is endurance achieved and by whom? A: Who knows, really. Or-- it's hard to say. Or-- some people simply can; some people simply can and then also go do.
It's a series of interviews. Profiles and conversations, maybe, more than interviews. And then a summary at the end with some tantalizing paragraphs that could have warranted whole other chapters. This also makes the book repetitive as it cycles through the profiles-and-conversations again and again.
There's more nuts and bolts of who tackled FKTs, how many attempts it took, and how they got their best times than any answers on endurance or harnessing it. But oddly, nuts and bolts without digging into the true nitty gritty of practical measures or existential whys.
I've tackled all manner of hikes, very long walks, and I'm quite good at plodding along mind-over-matter. I have proved again and again I have heckin' good endurance. But let's just say I could eat up miles and miles in cross country practice but was a disaster of a cross country competitor. The competition aspect--coming in first, beating my own time, beating other times down--never interested or motivated me. Almost the opposite. But for that, I see nothing alien in wanting to hike 2K miles and live lean and sleep in the rain and wake before dawn to keep going.
So I wondered if reading this would give me insights into something I "get" but don't directly understand. Not really--not anymore than I could explain to these FKTers why I would happily endure the hike but wouldn't desire to push for a record. I suppose I related most closely Scott Williamson, who wanted to take on these feats for himself and isn't interested in glory. Basically, we all have our own reasons, and lack thereof, and a mental click-in that demands you don't stop until you're done (whatever 'done' represents).
Including obviously for some, ego and a compulsion to 'make a mark' and using busting down records to do it.
Compulsion seems key, regardless.
The casual interviews were interesting. The ways the different hikers went about their trips were interesting. But the interviews and details were shallow. It was a lot of listen-react-recount. Davis experienced people who've experienced peak performance of some kind, and translated that to us; there wasn't always a connect. I think she got a lot out of hiking and talking with them but the reader didn't usually benefit from that.
Davis lamp-shaded some of the more difficult personalities for us. And reassured us she liked them anyway. I wouldn't expect folk who demand a FKT of themselves and whatever toll it takes on them and those around them (active or passive) to be the most likable bunch. And I'm sure they are likable and good to her, particularly one-on-one as a cohort. But a few (like Horton) grated on me in what I think I saw past, or under the surface, in her profiles of them.
There are some unexamined aspects for me.
- Who is welcome in outdoor pursuits and who isn't (regardless that Davis argues the AT, et al, might be as close to a democratic -just get on it and walk- space as there is... what of POC or LGBTQ, for example, who historically feel less than welcome).
- Who was safest through the majority of modern times to simply fuck off from work and responsibility and hike to find themselves (white cis dudes).
- Who can tap back into 'real life' easier and/or just fuck back off again when they find they're still unfulfilled.
Related to that, how Davis more than once talks about admiring her counterparts in staying active and out there while she settled into a more traditional lifestyle. When a lot of the reason why is between the very lines she's writing: the majority of her counterparts are men, relying on women to do the heavy lifting in the background to maintain both a traditional lifestyle and their ability to hie off and hit the trail.
^ ^ ^ This is political and sociological of me, and not what the book wanted to be about, but the unanswered questions begged as I read.
She touches on that here and there--wives being resentful but dealing, that it takes a collective to help a hiker--but it's not until Heather Anderson that Davis tries to expand into this dynamic. And even then she leaves it as Anderson's choice to stay nontraditional, othering Anderson in having made decisions that don't align with a more traditional female role, while she never othered the men in these ways.
I've never felt cowed from tackling something outdoors or far from home, but I am well aware of not being in the 'safest' class, and being cognizant of that stays with me until I'm back to my car/ back home/ etc. Davis is empowered by her hikes and pursuits (good!) and wants others to be as well (great!), but she glides over this reality with platitudes such as 'we're all the same out on the trail.'
And... it's fine. Again, clearly not what Davis saw as the, or her, story to tell. Hers is more optimistic, and to be fair are based on her mindset and experiences, relying on the notion of the democratic interstice of the trail.
Not a difficult read. Concise prose. I don't think it ever really scratches the surface. Not in Davis to us or the people who Davis seeks out to talk to about their experiences. Maybe it's partly simply not explainable. I read primarily nonfiction, and several books about endurance of varying sort. Maybe that much subconscious comparison makes me harder on this book than other readers would be. I was excited to read this book and then drifted in and out of it once I'd started reading. Maybe it suffered from my own sense of letdown.
Several times I thought--this would make a really good TedTalk. And more than once whole sections or chapters are given a pat phrase or slogan to round them out. They'd be right at home in that very particular HomeGoods "writing on boards in script font" wall art. Some of them are accurate, even profound, but they felt kinda bland. This doesn't make them bad, or Davis facile, but it adds to a certain tone that pervades.
A tone that made me mildly wary for all I tried not to let it shade my reactons. As does the rooting of some of the figures in faith and Liberty U (subjective biased note: aha, nope). A tone that has a touch of the finger-wag in how modern life bad, long hikes good, because "health" and technology and values and such. Or maybe the tone wasn't strong enough. Less wall art platitudes, more commitment to shout, hey,go take a long walk among stripped-down peers and discover why the Earth is something both fragile, implacably powerful, and worth fighting for.
Again, Davis almost got there in the end. But for all she can push herself on the trail, she didn't quite in her narrative, voice or structure.
The synthesis in the final pages does match the thesis I had developed over the course of reading it. Q: How is endurance achieved and by whom? A: Who knows, really. Or-- it's hard to say. Or-- some people simply can; some people simply can and then also go do.
It's a series of interviews. Profiles and conversations, maybe, more than interviews. And then a summary at the end with some tantalizing paragraphs that could have warranted whole other chapters. This also makes the book repetitive as it cycles through the profiles-and-conversations again and again.
There's more nuts and bolts of who tackled FKTs, how many attempts it took, and how they got their best times than any answers on endurance or harnessing it. But oddly, nuts and bolts without digging into the true nitty gritty of practical measures or existential whys.
I've tackled all manner of hikes, very long walks, and I'm quite good at plodding along mind-over-matter. I have proved again and again I have heckin' good endurance. But let's just say I could eat up miles and miles in cross country practice but was a disaster of a cross country competitor. The competition aspect--coming in first, beating my own time, beating other times down--never interested or motivated me. Almost the opposite. But for that, I see nothing alien in wanting to hike 2K miles and live lean and sleep in the rain and wake before dawn to keep going.
So I wondered if reading this would give me insights into something I "get" but don't directly understand. Not really--not anymore than I could explain to these FKTers why I would happily endure the hike but wouldn't desire to push for a record. I suppose I related most closely Scott Williamson, who wanted to take on these feats for himself and isn't interested in glory. Basically, we all have our own reasons, and lack thereof, and a mental click-in that demands you don't stop until you're done (whatever 'done' represents).
Including obviously for some, ego and a compulsion to 'make a mark' and using busting down records to do it.
Compulsion seems key, regardless.
The casual interviews were interesting. The ways the different hikers went about their trips were interesting. But the interviews and details were shallow. It was a lot of listen-react-recount. Davis experienced people who've experienced peak performance of some kind, and translated that to us; there wasn't always a connect. I think she got a lot out of hiking and talking with them but the reader didn't usually benefit from that.
Davis lamp-shaded some of the more difficult personalities for us. And reassured us she liked them anyway. I wouldn't expect folk who demand a FKT of themselves and whatever toll it takes on them and those around them (active or passive) to be the most likable bunch. And I'm sure they are likable and good to her, particularly one-on-one as a cohort. But a few (like Horton) grated on me in what I think I saw past, or under the surface, in her profiles of them.
There are some unexamined aspects for me.
- Who is welcome in outdoor pursuits and who isn't (regardless that Davis argues the AT, et al, might be as close to a democratic -just get on it and walk- space as there is... what of POC or LGBTQ, for example, who historically feel less than welcome).
- Who was safest through the majority of modern times to simply fuck off from work and responsibility and hike to find themselves (white cis dudes).
- Who can tap back into 'real life' easier and/or just fuck back off again when they find they're still unfulfilled.
Related to that, how Davis more than once talks about admiring her counterparts in staying active and out there while she settled into a more traditional lifestyle. When a lot of the reason why is between the very lines she's writing: the majority of her counterparts are men, relying on women to do the heavy lifting in the background to maintain both a traditional lifestyle and their ability to hie off and hit the trail.
^ ^ ^ This is political and sociological of me, and not what the book wanted to be about, but the unanswered questions begged as I read.
She touches on that here and there--wives being resentful but dealing, that it takes a collective to help a hiker--but it's not until Heather Anderson that Davis tries to expand into this dynamic. And even then she leaves it as Anderson's choice to stay nontraditional, othering Anderson in having made decisions that don't align with a more traditional female role, while she never othered the men in these ways.
I've never felt cowed from tackling something outdoors or far from home, but I am well aware of not being in the 'safest' class, and being cognizant of that stays with me until I'm back to my car/ back home/ etc. Davis is empowered by her hikes and pursuits (good!) and wants others to be as well (great!), but she glides over this reality with platitudes such as 'we're all the same out on the trail.'
And... it's fine. Again, clearly not what Davis saw as the, or her, story to tell. Hers is more optimistic, and to be fair are based on her mindset and experiences, relying on the notion of the democratic interstice of the trail.
Not a difficult read. Concise prose. I don't think it ever really scratches the surface. Not in Davis to us or the people who Davis seeks out to talk to about their experiences. Maybe it's partly simply not explainable. I read primarily nonfiction, and several books about endurance of varying sort. Maybe that much subconscious comparison makes me harder on this book than other readers would be. I was excited to read this book and then drifted in and out of it once I'd started reading. Maybe it suffered from my own sense of letdown.
Several times I thought--this would make a really good TedTalk. And more than once whole sections or chapters are given a pat phrase or slogan to round them out. They'd be right at home in that very particular HomeGoods "writing on boards in script font" wall art. Some of them are accurate, even profound, but they felt kinda bland. This doesn't make them bad, or Davis facile, but it adds to a certain tone that pervades.
A tone that made me mildly wary for all I tried not to let it shade my reactons. As does the rooting of some of the figures in faith and Liberty U (subjective biased note: aha, nope). A tone that has a touch of the finger-wag in how modern life bad, long hikes good, because "health" and technology and values and such. Or maybe the tone wasn't strong enough. Less wall art platitudes, more commitment to shout, hey,go take a long walk among stripped-down peers and discover why the Earth is something both fragile, implacably powerful, and worth fighting for.
Again, Davis almost got there in the end. But for all she can push herself on the trail, she didn't quite in her narrative, voice or structure.
February 24, 2024
Surprisingly entertaining. I’m specially intrigued by the journey of thru hike where everything went worse before it got better. Maybe one day I’ll try it too?
May 10, 2018
I knew I wanted to read this book, but I took advantage of the opportunity to listen to Jenn read it herself as I drove through the Blue Ridge Mountains. As a long time follower of Jenn, I am really pleased at how much her writing has matured over time. In this book she explores what common threads help support endurance, especially athletes who have held FKTs (fastest known time) records on the Appalachian trail. Sometimes the scope of the book would widen to things outside this focus, but always containing information that I found interesting. She reached into the core of these FKT athletes during her conversations with them. I also loved how she would find the best in people while still addressing their less than flattering traits. For awhile I became tired of the chronicle of one white male after another, so I was happy to finally reach where Jenn discusses her own record attempt. I am familiar with her story, but I loved how she really put her record attempts in the context of womenhood. First she broke the women's supported record on the AT and thought... could I have done better? Why was she only reaching for the women's mark. She then went on the hold the overall record. I also love how supportive her husband has been through all of these things (perk of the audiobook also includes some songs by Brew!). She later followed with her interviews with Heather Anderson. The recent surge in female super heroes has really made me reflect on the importance of female role model. They are something I didn't really know was missing until they existed. I was also excited to hear her discussions with Scott Jurek, for as she reflected he is so famous it is hard to get to know him behind the scenes. I really enjoyed her constant questioning and the reflective voice Jenn had in "The Pursuit of Endurance." Pop Sugar Reading Challenge 2018 - A book that is published in 2018
May 18, 2020
While this book contained some interesting elements, I found the repetitive reiteration that almost all FKT record makers/breakers she knows believe in God and are people steeped in protestant religion incredibly grating. She says that it's almost a straight-up requirement to believe in God, since you need something stronger outside of yourself to rely on.
I also thought I was going to get a few chapters about her experiences and her thoughts and then we'd get chapters that were mini-biographies of different endurance athletes. Instead, all of the chapters are focused on her experience of other people. There's some information about other people, but it's mostly focused on her reactions to that information.
In the end, this book focused on misogyny in sports, and not by explicitly exploring it. We watch the author struggle with impostor syndrome, struggle with this idea she's internalized that women are less capable and less able in endurance sports. She encounters intense sexism and misogyny in her mentors, and excuses it because they 'actually believe in her' despite talking complete trash to her.
Towards the beginning of the book, she flirts with the idea of talking about why only cis straight white men, and sorta cis straight white women, are welcomed within the Appalachian Trail community but then doesn't follow her thoughts towards the obvious conclusion and doesn't return to the topic.
Perhaps conservative women from down south would appreciate this book more than me, but as a queer person who managed to survive a childhood being raised in the conservative Christian church and loves to hike, backpacking, and trail run, I found little of value for myself in this book. It was hard to get through because I read before bed and this book kept making me incredibly angry, which made it hard to fall asleep.
I also thought I was going to get a few chapters about her experiences and her thoughts and then we'd get chapters that were mini-biographies of different endurance athletes. Instead, all of the chapters are focused on her experience of other people. There's some information about other people, but it's mostly focused on her reactions to that information.
In the end, this book focused on misogyny in sports, and not by explicitly exploring it. We watch the author struggle with impostor syndrome, struggle with this idea she's internalized that women are less capable and less able in endurance sports. She encounters intense sexism and misogyny in her mentors, and excuses it because they 'actually believe in her' despite talking complete trash to her.
Towards the beginning of the book, she flirts with the idea of talking about why only cis straight white men, and sorta cis straight white women, are welcomed within the Appalachian Trail community but then doesn't follow her thoughts towards the obvious conclusion and doesn't return to the topic.
Perhaps conservative women from down south would appreciate this book more than me, but as a queer person who managed to survive a childhood being raised in the conservative Christian church and loves to hike, backpacking, and trail run, I found little of value for myself in this book. It was hard to get through because I read before bed and this book kept making me incredibly angry, which made it hard to fall asleep.
December 11, 2018
If you are looking for a travelogue of hiking the Appalachian Trail this might not be the book for you. If, on the other hand, you would like to know why some people undertake such punishing tasks this is a must read. Hiking thousands of miles as fast as you can--why? As the author points out, that question is related to George Mallory's response to why climb Everest: "because it's there". A simple answer that's hard to understand.
Pharr Davis gives us insight into what makes these Fastest Known Time hikers do what they do by way of case studies of some of these top endurance athletes. Her interviews and time on the trails with these different personalities give the reader a chance to look for common goals and things learned from pushing oneself hard day after day. Her self examination of her record setting trek provides a personal look at what she learned about herself and how it has carried over into her non-trail life.
A wonderful quote from this book is currently circulating on social media: "Hiking is not escapism: it's realism. The people who choose to spend time outdoors are not running away from anything; we are returning to where we belong".--Jennifer Pharr Davis
Pharr Davis gives us insight into what makes these Fastest Known Time hikers do what they do by way of case studies of some of these top endurance athletes. Her interviews and time on the trails with these different personalities give the reader a chance to look for common goals and things learned from pushing oneself hard day after day. Her self examination of her record setting trek provides a personal look at what she learned about herself and how it has carried over into her non-trail life.
A wonderful quote from this book is currently circulating on social media: "Hiking is not escapism: it's realism. The people who choose to spend time outdoors are not running away from anything; we are returning to where we belong".--Jennifer Pharr Davis
June 8, 2021
I was hoping for more of an autobiographical retelling of the author's grueling run/hike of the AT. Instead, it was more a jumbled history of other hikers...not necessarily of their specific experiences on the trail, but more of their accomplishments and trials outside of hiking. Long and boring.
July 11, 2018
Kept me going while on the stepper and cycling....
September 26, 2019
Really good
Amazing/interesting how much self doubt she had and expressed
Neat profiles of all the other folks with FKTs
Amazing/interesting how much self doubt she had and expressed
Neat profiles of all the other folks with FKTs
December 25, 2019
Amazing insight into setting BHAG's (big, hairy audacious goal) and having the focus and discipline to make the impossible achievable. Very inspiring!
March 1, 2021
I was recommended to read this by regular at my job who said it was powerful, thought provoking, and inspirational. He was so right. I’ll have to let this one sit for a while. Jennifer Pharr Davis is a true endurance queen and writes a beautiful depiction of her own life failures and accomplishments and those of the other endurance athletes she’s learned from. I’m left inspired to pursue the things that bring me joy and invite in the possibility of failure. Especially in a sports world dominated by men, JPD shares her confident take on demonstrating how women are just as capable as accomplishing great things. I’m encouraged and validated to keep pursuing my favorite athletic activities with full force without fear of the public’s gender norms. Said best by JPD herself, “In the end, we’re all just movers.” Anyone want to go backpack the PCT or Appalachian trail with me now?
Some quotes to remember:
“Endurance is about trusting the invisible voice you believe in, and even if nobody else does. Because there’s as good chance as not that somethings really there.” -JPD
“Drink some water. Go for a run. Have an attitude adjustment and stop thinking so damn much.” -Andrew Thompson
“When you try to make everyone else happy you become immobilized. When you accept that you can’t, you’re able to move forward.” -JPD
“David Horton helped me understand that you don’t need to overcome your insecurities to achieve greatness and that dealing with self-consciousness is not a one time struggle, but a lifelong battle.” -JPD
“Endurance is consistently telling yourself that it is going to be okay regardless of the immediate circumstances and past events.” -JPD
“HYOH - Hike Your Own Hike.” -common hiker acronym
Some quotes to remember:
“Endurance is about trusting the invisible voice you believe in, and even if nobody else does. Because there’s as good chance as not that somethings really there.” -JPD
“Drink some water. Go for a run. Have an attitude adjustment and stop thinking so damn much.” -Andrew Thompson
“When you try to make everyone else happy you become immobilized. When you accept that you can’t, you’re able to move forward.” -JPD
“David Horton helped me understand that you don’t need to overcome your insecurities to achieve greatness and that dealing with self-consciousness is not a one time struggle, but a lifelong battle.” -JPD
“Endurance is consistently telling yourself that it is going to be okay regardless of the immediate circumstances and past events.” -JPD
“HYOH - Hike Your Own Hike.” -common hiker acronym
December 20, 2017
National Geographic Adventurer of the Year and past record holder of the FKT on the Appalachian Trail, Jennifer Pharr Davis (JPD) explores endurance in this fascinating read. Part memoir, part character study of ultra-runners, thru-hikers, FKT record breakers and the latest theories and methodologies of humans pushing themselves to do that which doesn't seem possible. The character studies of people like David Horton, Heather Anderson and Warren Doyle are worth the price of the book (I had the good fortune to read this in ARC format: releases April 10th, 2018). Highly recommended for those interested in endurance sports, the Appalachian or Pacific Crest trails, ultra-running, adventure, or just enjoy reading about unusual and interesting people doing incredible things.
August 6, 2018
I know, another book by a hiker about the Appalachian Trail. But this one covers it from a different angle. Ms. Davis interviewed many past holders of the FKT (fastest known time) on the trail and other trails. She was looking to gain perspective on the personalities of endurance hikers/runners to see if they have any common traits. Funny how none of these books about the trials and tribulations of being in the trail have deterred my fascination with wanting to hike it. I probably wouldn't go for a FKT though.
July 27, 2018
This book made a home in my favorites list. What a gem! A read full of adventure and metaphors for living life.
May 30, 2025
3.5, best one of my random deep dive into reading about people running the Appalachian trail
September 2, 2025
Really cool to get a history of FKTs and a quick overview of many of the greats. Some of it hasn't aged well as the sport has evolved quite a bit since this was written
August 18, 2021
Before I dive into the review, I have to address a gripe I have with the structure of this book. The marketing behind this book is quite misleading - it makes the title and summary sound like the book is a memoir/motivational book about how JPD found this special ability to perform FKT's. However in reality, and thankfully so, it isn't that at all. In fact it is much more of an investigative dive into the history and psychology surrounding FKT's and the people who attempt them on American long trails. As a result I was pleasantly surprised by how little JPD spends talking about herself in the book.
In general I found this book to be a pleasant, easy read that brought me a little bit more insight into the world of thru-hiking and FKT's. I enjoyed how each of the people JPD describes is relatable, quirky, driven, and memorable. In fact they all have such wildly different personalities and motivations that it is hard to believe they compete over the same activity.
I ultimately decided to give this book 3 stars because despite the subject matter being right up my alley, I feel like JPD's writing style leaves something to be desired. What makes up for the okay writing is JPD's incredible relatability - more so than any other athlete-turned-author, JPD really seems like a normal person. Indeed I found several moments in the book when I felt like "woah she has the exact same mindset that I have on this topic."
This book isn't for everyone, and it won't be the book that motivates a non-hiker or non-runner to go out and set an FKT. However, if like me you enjoy backpacking and trail running and have contemplated a thru-hike of one of the major US trails, this book is certainly a good read and will introduce you to so much of the lore and history of the AT and PCT.
I will close this review out with a passage that I found particularly relatable and insightful:
"When I was hiking I rarely saw my reflection and I didn't have advertisements, media, or social networks telling me what I should look like. Consequently, I started to see myself, literally and figuratively, in a new light, that is, through the interactions I had with other hikers. If I was kind, or funny, if I made someone else smile, that was my reflection; that made me feel beautiful. Growing up, I had always thought that nature was beautiful, but I had never seen myself as a part of nature. I had never seen myself as a part of all that beauty - until I hiked the trail"
In general I found this book to be a pleasant, easy read that brought me a little bit more insight into the world of thru-hiking and FKT's. I enjoyed how each of the people JPD describes is relatable, quirky, driven, and memorable. In fact they all have such wildly different personalities and motivations that it is hard to believe they compete over the same activity.
I ultimately decided to give this book 3 stars because despite the subject matter being right up my alley, I feel like JPD's writing style leaves something to be desired. What makes up for the okay writing is JPD's incredible relatability - more so than any other athlete-turned-author, JPD really seems like a normal person. Indeed I found several moments in the book when I felt like "woah she has the exact same mindset that I have on this topic."
This book isn't for everyone, and it won't be the book that motivates a non-hiker or non-runner to go out and set an FKT. However, if like me you enjoy backpacking and trail running and have contemplated a thru-hike of one of the major US trails, this book is certainly a good read and will introduce you to so much of the lore and history of the AT and PCT.
I will close this review out with a passage that I found particularly relatable and insightful:
"When I was hiking I rarely saw my reflection and I didn't have advertisements, media, or social networks telling me what I should look like. Consequently, I started to see myself, literally and figuratively, in a new light, that is, through the interactions I had with other hikers. If I was kind, or funny, if I made someone else smile, that was my reflection; that made me feel beautiful. Growing up, I had always thought that nature was beautiful, but I had never seen myself as a part of nature. I had never seen myself as a part of all that beauty - until I hiked the trail"
July 28, 2019
I read this book after reading the grand adventure of “Thirst” by Heather Andersen. Heather wrote a book about setting a “Fastest Known Time” record for men and women on the PCT. So when my local library presented this summer’s read “The Pursuit of Endurance” complete with author events of the woman who set the FKT on the Appalachian Trail, I figured it would be similar to the epic journey novel of Thirst. It was not.
This book was not necessarily about Jennifer’s quest, it about others who came before her. Mostly men. And about the concept of endurance and what makes ultra athletes keep going when others would stop. I learned very little about her journey. I didn’t know until chapter 8 that she was college friends with Heather Andersen. So I did appreciate the two chapters about Heather. I felt like she had much more personal information in her book than in Heather’s own book. I wonder how Heather must feel about her going more in depth into her own divorce than she did in Thirst.
Two similar themes are women constantly doubting themselves and their abilities to belong. The mantra that I did pick up from Jennifer is “I belong.” Not necessarily belonging in the ultra athlete world like she does, but in general as an overweight woman going out and experiencing nature and recreation. I belong outside too.
This book was not necessarily about Jennifer’s quest, it about others who came before her. Mostly men. And about the concept of endurance and what makes ultra athletes keep going when others would stop. I learned very little about her journey. I didn’t know until chapter 8 that she was college friends with Heather Andersen. So I did appreciate the two chapters about Heather. I felt like she had much more personal information in her book than in Heather’s own book. I wonder how Heather must feel about her going more in depth into her own divorce than she did in Thirst.
Two similar themes are women constantly doubting themselves and their abilities to belong. The mantra that I did pick up from Jennifer is “I belong.” Not necessarily belonging in the ultra athlete world like she does, but in general as an overweight woman going out and experiencing nature and recreation. I belong outside too.
November 6, 2020
In this book we get to know Jennifer’s journey towards pursuing the FKT, but also provides insight into the experiences of a lot of the other recent FKT-holders and big figures within the Appalachian Trail community. I really loved this book not only because Jennifer is a unique in being a female who held the FKT, but also because she can share her insight of actually having experienced the journey when telling the story of others.
An underlying theme throughout the book definitely included Jennifer coming into her own and exploring why endurance athletes capture our collective imagination. These are characters who surpass the bounds of what seems possible for an average human, but also there is an emphasis that these are average people who have decided to pursue crazy dreams. There were a few spots that were a little slow for me, but overall I’d highly recommend this for any sports fan.
Who should read it? Fans of running, the Appalachian Trail and intense sporting pursuits.
See all my reviews and more at Reading to Distraction or @Read2Distract
An underlying theme throughout the book definitely included Jennifer coming into her own and exploring why endurance athletes capture our collective imagination. These are characters who surpass the bounds of what seems possible for an average human, but also there is an emphasis that these are average people who have decided to pursue crazy dreams. There were a few spots that were a little slow for me, but overall I’d highly recommend this for any sports fan.
Who should read it? Fans of running, the Appalachian Trail and intense sporting pursuits.
See all my reviews and more at Reading to Distraction or @Read2Distract
September 15, 2019
Fantastic book. I had originally started reading it thinking it would be a motivating endurance athlete stories/memoir-type read, but it really wasn't like that at all. It's more of a book about the history and evolution of FKTs and the people to hold those titles for various trails, obviously focused on the Appalachian Trail in particular. She also gets into the "unwritten rules" about FKTs (part of the evolution of FKT idea) and that was a very intriguing aspect of the book.
Jennifer Pharr Davis provides a chronology of names of the various FKT holders, but the gem of it all is how she provides in-depth coverage of those she met (or already knew) and interviewed for this book. That was the best part about it. She also spoke with some exercise science folks and got into some Q&A dealing with the science of endurance, which was also really interesting. Her interview with Shaun Bearen in particular was a good section of this book, and even turned me on to his podcast, The Science of Ultra, which I have been really enjoying (trail runners take note!)
The most notable characters in this book (who she gives us enough information through interviews and anecdotes to feel like you kind of know who they are and what they're about) are Warren Doyle, David Horton, Scott Williamson, Andrew Thompson, Shaun Bearden, Heather Anderson, and Scott Jurek. If you are interested in any of these folks, you will appreciate this book. I thought it was especially neat to read about the lives of those named who aren't necessarily in the spotlight and who I probably wouldn't ever know anything about except having read about them here.
The biggest takeaway for me was understanding that for endurance activities, like the PCT, AT, and other ultra trails, it is really an open field for people. Age and gender play less of a role the farther out you go. That was the main point in this book that I really hadn't given much thought to previously. Same for hikers v. runners for the longer distances like the AT and PCT. She starts the book identifying as a hiker and not a runner, and it was surprising to me when she started introducing runners who are going for the same FKT. For example, Jennifer Pharr Davis (hiker) held the FKT on the AT until Scott Jurek (ultra runner) beat her time by something like 3 hours. That's really not a big difference when you're talking about 2,000-something miles of trail. Endurance sports are more about mental toughness and the ability to suffer is the basic conclusion.
I also really appreciated how she focused on the idea that great feats require a team effort, and community is important. Even for her own FKT she uses phrases like "when we were doing the FKT" instead of "when I was going for the FKT" in reference to her husband's integral participation and presence in the effort.
Finally, it is always interesting to me to read about the more well-known races and trails in the world. The section about the Barkley Marathon (also known as "the race that eats its young") was particularly enjoyable.
The only part about this book that I didn't care for was the last chapter. It felt very messy and chaotic and disjunct from the rest of the book. The last chapter is essentially a hodgepodge of what I assume are big picture ideas that she wanted to weave throughout the book but didn't end up fitting in so felt she needed to lug them all in the end. It was a weird ending to an otherwise fluid and well done writing. As this was a minor section of the book it didn't really influence my feeling of the book overall.
Favorite quotes from this book:
"I like to think of it as just happily rolling with the punches that life throws at you. If you are a life lover, you love it all, you take it all. You hike through that five-hour rainstorm when your hands are so freakin' numb that you can't operate your zipper because you know when that sucker's over, the sun's gonna come out and when it does you're gonna be sucking up all that warmth. And you're gonna be like, 'While that rainstorm was raging hell for five hours, I just hiked twenty miles. And now, I've come out the other end and I'm good to go." -quote by Andrew Thompson.
On visalization: "When you use visualization, you're forming confidence and creating a mental blueprint. There are studies that show a basketball player's free throw percentage will increase if he visualizes making shots. Other research suggests that muscles can actually get stronger without working out if an individual will just visualize engaging and exercising those muscles. But just like anything else, this skill has to be practiced." -quote by Dr. Czech.
And from Jennifer Pharr Davis:
"I learned that physical motion is a form of therapy. There is power to be found in taking a next step."
"We might all go farther if we end each day with a cold beer and a good friend."
Jennifer Pharr Davis provides a chronology of names of the various FKT holders, but the gem of it all is how she provides in-depth coverage of those she met (or already knew) and interviewed for this book. That was the best part about it. She also spoke with some exercise science folks and got into some Q&A dealing with the science of endurance, which was also really interesting. Her interview with Shaun Bearen in particular was a good section of this book, and even turned me on to his podcast, The Science of Ultra, which I have been really enjoying (trail runners take note!)
The most notable characters in this book (who she gives us enough information through interviews and anecdotes to feel like you kind of know who they are and what they're about) are Warren Doyle, David Horton, Scott Williamson, Andrew Thompson, Shaun Bearden, Heather Anderson, and Scott Jurek. If you are interested in any of these folks, you will appreciate this book. I thought it was especially neat to read about the lives of those named who aren't necessarily in the spotlight and who I probably wouldn't ever know anything about except having read about them here.
The biggest takeaway for me was understanding that for endurance activities, like the PCT, AT, and other ultra trails, it is really an open field for people. Age and gender play less of a role the farther out you go. That was the main point in this book that I really hadn't given much thought to previously. Same for hikers v. runners for the longer distances like the AT and PCT. She starts the book identifying as a hiker and not a runner, and it was surprising to me when she started introducing runners who are going for the same FKT. For example, Jennifer Pharr Davis (hiker) held the FKT on the AT until Scott Jurek (ultra runner) beat her time by something like 3 hours. That's really not a big difference when you're talking about 2,000-something miles of trail. Endurance sports are more about mental toughness and the ability to suffer is the basic conclusion.
I also really appreciated how she focused on the idea that great feats require a team effort, and community is important. Even for her own FKT she uses phrases like "when we were doing the FKT" instead of "when I was going for the FKT" in reference to her husband's integral participation and presence in the effort.
Finally, it is always interesting to me to read about the more well-known races and trails in the world. The section about the Barkley Marathon (also known as "the race that eats its young") was particularly enjoyable.
The only part about this book that I didn't care for was the last chapter. It felt very messy and chaotic and disjunct from the rest of the book. The last chapter is essentially a hodgepodge of what I assume are big picture ideas that she wanted to weave throughout the book but didn't end up fitting in so felt she needed to lug them all in the end. It was a weird ending to an otherwise fluid and well done writing. As this was a minor section of the book it didn't really influence my feeling of the book overall.
Favorite quotes from this book:
"I like to think of it as just happily rolling with the punches that life throws at you. If you are a life lover, you love it all, you take it all. You hike through that five-hour rainstorm when your hands are so freakin' numb that you can't operate your zipper because you know when that sucker's over, the sun's gonna come out and when it does you're gonna be sucking up all that warmth. And you're gonna be like, 'While that rainstorm was raging hell for five hours, I just hiked twenty miles. And now, I've come out the other end and I'm good to go." -quote by Andrew Thompson.
On visalization: "When you use visualization, you're forming confidence and creating a mental blueprint. There are studies that show a basketball player's free throw percentage will increase if he visualizes making shots. Other research suggests that muscles can actually get stronger without working out if an individual will just visualize engaging and exercising those muscles. But just like anything else, this skill has to be practiced." -quote by Dr. Czech.
And from Jennifer Pharr Davis:
"I learned that physical motion is a form of therapy. There is power to be found in taking a next step."
"We might all go farther if we end each day with a cold beer and a good friend."
October 22, 2019
“Endurance is not measured by someone’s first steps, it is measured by her last step.” ❤️
Both a biography of many of the FKT record holders on the AT and also a derp dove into Jennifer’s journey, her relationship with these fellow endurance athletes and friends, and an attempt to dig into the psyche of a group of athletes that have success (and failure) in reaching their goals. What can we learn from the way each of these women and men see life and strive to accomplish their goals and dreams? Why do we run? Why do we pursue hard things? In the end, running or hiking or pursuing our goals for ourselves is more valuable than doing it for fame. Endurance is a journey and you have to be prepared for the ups and downs, the heights and the depths. Know you can stick with it through the lows and be rewarded with the glorious highs.
There are so many moments in this book that I have found personally encouraging and challenging. I loved listening to the audiobook, but I think I’m also going to buy a physical copy so I can read it again and highlight sections that particularly stand out.
I love the idea of find your own personal mantra, something short and catchy that you can chant to yourself when times are though. Also, I plan on making it a goal to start each morning with a statement of positivity - I believe her when she says it leads to a happier day and happier life.
Something I struggle with is being okay with failure, but part of the key to success is being willing to risk failure by pushing yourself farther than you know you can go. How do we know how much we can accomplish if we’re not reaching past our known limits? To paraphrase Jennifer, if you’re not failing, your goals aren’t high enough. “Don’t be afraid of failure. Endurance is failure after failure after failure.” “Endurance is consistently telling yourself that it is going to be okay, regardless of the immediate circumstances and past events. It’s okay to fall short. It’s okay to let people down. It’s okay to hurt and suffer. It’s okay to stop when you can’t go any farther. But don’t give up on yourself, your goals, or the people around you.”
Here are a few more quotes and thoughts that particularly stuck out to me, but I would encourage everyone to pick up a copy of this book, whether you’re a runner or a hiker, or just someone looking to expand your mind and see what dreams you can push towards. The audiobook is really excellent, by the way - it’s read by the author, and at the end there is a really sweet and folksy song written and performed by Jennifer’s husband called “I’ll Climb the Mountain With You.” Aww.
“The thing about a long grueling journey is that it strips away who you’re not, and allows you to discover what’s left, or who’s left. One damn good reason to pursue endurance and choose suffering is to get to know yourself inside and out. When you reach that moment where you have more than you thought you had, and accomplished more than you thought you could, it’s clear who you are.”
Correlation/Commonality between FKT record holders and finishers of the Barkley - is there something about knowing you can push your body past its limits and not give up that makes someone successful at both things?
Sleep is an emotional need, not a physical one. Our brains need to rest.
“Women are caregivers, so they tend to think less about their own discomfort than about what they are doing for others. There is something that goes along with the capacity for motherhood and childbearing that allows women to just deal with chronic discomfort, and engage in less self-pity.”
“When you try to make everyone else happy, you become immobilized. When you accept that you can’t, you’re able to move forward... You can’t let public opinion determine the worth of your journey.”
The essential need of having people who support us in our journey. “You have to have someone great in your corner if you want to accomplish something outstanding.” Also, don’t forget to support your loved ones in return. “Support goes both ways.”
“If we recognize our own need for forgiveness, it becomes easier to extend that favor to those around us... You have to forgive the people who are closest to you if you want to keep them in your life.”
“It behooves us to not come to quick conclusions about other people’s paths, and instead approach each individual with encouragement and compassion. We might be on different trails, but we are all mid-journey.”
Both a biography of many of the FKT record holders on the AT and also a derp dove into Jennifer’s journey, her relationship with these fellow endurance athletes and friends, and an attempt to dig into the psyche of a group of athletes that have success (and failure) in reaching their goals. What can we learn from the way each of these women and men see life and strive to accomplish their goals and dreams? Why do we run? Why do we pursue hard things? In the end, running or hiking or pursuing our goals for ourselves is more valuable than doing it for fame. Endurance is a journey and you have to be prepared for the ups and downs, the heights and the depths. Know you can stick with it through the lows and be rewarded with the glorious highs.
There are so many moments in this book that I have found personally encouraging and challenging. I loved listening to the audiobook, but I think I’m also going to buy a physical copy so I can read it again and highlight sections that particularly stand out.
I love the idea of find your own personal mantra, something short and catchy that you can chant to yourself when times are though. Also, I plan on making it a goal to start each morning with a statement of positivity - I believe her when she says it leads to a happier day and happier life.
Something I struggle with is being okay with failure, but part of the key to success is being willing to risk failure by pushing yourself farther than you know you can go. How do we know how much we can accomplish if we’re not reaching past our known limits? To paraphrase Jennifer, if you’re not failing, your goals aren’t high enough. “Don’t be afraid of failure. Endurance is failure after failure after failure.” “Endurance is consistently telling yourself that it is going to be okay, regardless of the immediate circumstances and past events. It’s okay to fall short. It’s okay to let people down. It’s okay to hurt and suffer. It’s okay to stop when you can’t go any farther. But don’t give up on yourself, your goals, or the people around you.”
Here are a few more quotes and thoughts that particularly stuck out to me, but I would encourage everyone to pick up a copy of this book, whether you’re a runner or a hiker, or just someone looking to expand your mind and see what dreams you can push towards. The audiobook is really excellent, by the way - it’s read by the author, and at the end there is a really sweet and folksy song written and performed by Jennifer’s husband called “I’ll Climb the Mountain With You.” Aww.
“The thing about a long grueling journey is that it strips away who you’re not, and allows you to discover what’s left, or who’s left. One damn good reason to pursue endurance and choose suffering is to get to know yourself inside and out. When you reach that moment where you have more than you thought you had, and accomplished more than you thought you could, it’s clear who you are.”
Correlation/Commonality between FKT record holders and finishers of the Barkley - is there something about knowing you can push your body past its limits and not give up that makes someone successful at both things?
Sleep is an emotional need, not a physical one. Our brains need to rest.
“Women are caregivers, so they tend to think less about their own discomfort than about what they are doing for others. There is something that goes along with the capacity for motherhood and childbearing that allows women to just deal with chronic discomfort, and engage in less self-pity.”
“When you try to make everyone else happy, you become immobilized. When you accept that you can’t, you’re able to move forward... You can’t let public opinion determine the worth of your journey.”
The essential need of having people who support us in our journey. “You have to have someone great in your corner if you want to accomplish something outstanding.” Also, don’t forget to support your loved ones in return. “Support goes both ways.”
“If we recognize our own need for forgiveness, it becomes easier to extend that favor to those around us... You have to forgive the people who are closest to you if you want to keep them in your life.”
“It behooves us to not come to quick conclusions about other people’s paths, and instead approach each individual with encouragement and compassion. We might be on different trails, but we are all mid-journey.”
May 5, 2018
If you enjoy reading stories of Shackleton's attempt at reaching the South Pole, or of plucky horses like Seabiscuit who succeed against all odds, then chances are good you'll enjoy Jennifer Pharr Davis's "The Pursuit of Endurance." If you are an avid hiker but fear the idea of a high-speed through-hike, you'll probably love this book, even as you shake your head at the feats of endurance it chronicles. And if you're contemplating attempting an FKT (Fastest Known Time) yourself, then obviously this is a must-read.
For those of you who are wondering, an FKT is the fastest known time (because there's no official measuring or record keeping body) that a hiker/runner has completed a long-distance trail such as the Appalachian Trail or the Pacific Crest Trail. This is not, as Pharr Davis discusses in some detail, an official sport, but a--hobby isn't exactly the right word, but it'll do for now--in which people try to cover hundreds or thousands of miles of trail as quickly as possible, often covering 40+ miles/day and sleeping only a couple of hours a night, purely for the sake of proving that it is possible to walk, say, the approximately 2200 miles of the AT in under 50 days.
Pharr Davis, as a former holder of the AT's FKT and the first woman to set its overall FKT, is eminently qualified to write this book. She goes into the history of the major US trails, the various record attempts that have been made, the psychology behind FKTs and endurance sports in general, and the personalities of those who set some of the recent FKTs on the big trails. She managed to score interviews with most of the recent FKT setters, including some generally elusive ones, and describes their hikes--and her own, of course.
Indeed, for me personally the most interesting chapters were those about the FKTs set by women, including herself. While until recently it was assumed that women had no chance at keeping up with men, trailblazers like Heather Anderson and Pharr Davis herself have proven that that is not the case at all. In fact, after finishing the PCT for the first time with her boyfriend, Anderson "looked down at her washboard abs and strong legs, then she looked back at her gaunt boyfriend and took note. She surmised that women might be well suited--or even *better* suited--for long-distance travel than men." While the jury is still out on that (although I tend to agree with Anderson), it is interesting to note that Pharr Davis mentions several times how her own main obstacles were mental: at first it simply didn't occur to her to try an FKT, and then she assumed she had no chance of keeping up with the guys. After she set the overall AT record at 46 days, 11 hours, and 20 minutes, she worried that maybe she had left something on the table--after all, she walked rather than ran, and got considerably more sleep than most of the other, male, record-setters. When Scott Jurek beat her record by a mere three hours four years later, it was hard not to wonder "Should I have insisted on getting a full night's sleep so often?" In any case, the experience of setting the FKT made Pharr Davis, she acknowledges, a "more outspoken feminist." She felt at peace with what happened, though, and writes generously about Jurek's successes and the troubles that being a celebrity athlete brought on him.
This is a book by, for (sort of), and about endurance athletes, but non-athletes can certainly enjoy it as well. Pharr Davis has a warm yet polished writing style, interweaving historical background, the science of endurance, and personal anecdotes into a highly readable narrative that is enthralling for the long-distance hikers and couchbound alike.
For those of you who are wondering, an FKT is the fastest known time (because there's no official measuring or record keeping body) that a hiker/runner has completed a long-distance trail such as the Appalachian Trail or the Pacific Crest Trail. This is not, as Pharr Davis discusses in some detail, an official sport, but a--hobby isn't exactly the right word, but it'll do for now--in which people try to cover hundreds or thousands of miles of trail as quickly as possible, often covering 40+ miles/day and sleeping only a couple of hours a night, purely for the sake of proving that it is possible to walk, say, the approximately 2200 miles of the AT in under 50 days.
Pharr Davis, as a former holder of the AT's FKT and the first woman to set its overall FKT, is eminently qualified to write this book. She goes into the history of the major US trails, the various record attempts that have been made, the psychology behind FKTs and endurance sports in general, and the personalities of those who set some of the recent FKTs on the big trails. She managed to score interviews with most of the recent FKT setters, including some generally elusive ones, and describes their hikes--and her own, of course.
Indeed, for me personally the most interesting chapters were those about the FKTs set by women, including herself. While until recently it was assumed that women had no chance at keeping up with men, trailblazers like Heather Anderson and Pharr Davis herself have proven that that is not the case at all. In fact, after finishing the PCT for the first time with her boyfriend, Anderson "looked down at her washboard abs and strong legs, then she looked back at her gaunt boyfriend and took note. She surmised that women might be well suited--or even *better* suited--for long-distance travel than men." While the jury is still out on that (although I tend to agree with Anderson), it is interesting to note that Pharr Davis mentions several times how her own main obstacles were mental: at first it simply didn't occur to her to try an FKT, and then she assumed she had no chance of keeping up with the guys. After she set the overall AT record at 46 days, 11 hours, and 20 minutes, she worried that maybe she had left something on the table--after all, she walked rather than ran, and got considerably more sleep than most of the other, male, record-setters. When Scott Jurek beat her record by a mere three hours four years later, it was hard not to wonder "Should I have insisted on getting a full night's sleep so often?" In any case, the experience of setting the FKT made Pharr Davis, she acknowledges, a "more outspoken feminist." She felt at peace with what happened, though, and writes generously about Jurek's successes and the troubles that being a celebrity athlete brought on him.
This is a book by, for (sort of), and about endurance athletes, but non-athletes can certainly enjoy it as well. Pharr Davis has a warm yet polished writing style, interweaving historical background, the science of endurance, and personal anecdotes into a highly readable narrative that is enthralling for the long-distance hikers and couchbound alike.
November 28, 2020
I recently read Heather Anderson’s “Thirst” which created in me a thirst for more books written by bold trailblazing women. When I saw the cover of “The Pursuit of Endurance” by Jennifer Pharr I picked it up without hesitation. My eyes caught one glimpse of Jennifer frozen in mid-stride on a rugged trail with the word “ENDURANCE” blazing above her in all caps. It called to me. I was in! Give me this book!
Once again, I didn’t read the jacket. I didn’t realize what I was in for until I finished the first chapter. The book isn’t solely about Jennifer. This book is a collection of stories she wrote which feature men and women with a penchant for chasing and breaking FKTs (Fastest Known Times) on various trails. Jennifer clearly knows her topic. I found the way she wrote about other athletes to be commendable. I had the feeling she tried very hard to do justice to each athlete’s accomplishments. When writing about her own attempts and victories she does so humbly without striking a self-aggrandizing tone. She’s impressive, she’s hiked over 14,000 miles on over 6 continents.
Yet in an ironic twist of fate, a book about FKT’s wasn’t something I raced through. Jennifer is an accomplished author. She’s written eight books, and articles for national publications like the New York Times, Outside, and Backpacker Magazines. “The Pursuit of Endurance” has a coveted 4.5 stars in GoodReads. She’s a critically acclaimed author but for some reason, this book slowed me down. Despite being a fast reader, it took me almost a week to finish this book. I’m not sure why it took me so long to finish this book.
The book has a story feel to it but also feels written with an analytical bent. Jennifer tells stories and provides history and context on the accomplishments of multiple record breakers. I particularly appreciated her chapters on Heather Anderson (whom I just read and pre-ordered her new book), Scott Jurek (whom I’ve read before) along with her chapters which highlighted her life off the trail as a wife and mother.
“I chose to put my vulnerability above my social image. I was going to either fail or succeed. But I sure as hell wasn't going to be complacent.” ― Jennifer Pharr Davis
I hike at the pace of a winded sloth. If I ever set a hiking record it may be a SKT (slowest known time). I joke, I don’t think that’s a real thing. And yet, you may find me next summer at Mount Rainier huffing and puffing my way slowly along the trail thinking of Jennifer Pharr David, or Heather Anderson on the PCT, or Grandma Gatewood. I am a reformed couch potato inspired by other women. I am thankful the world has space for the trailblazers and rookies, may we celebrate the spirit of strength and resilience in all of us.
Once again, I didn’t read the jacket. I didn’t realize what I was in for until I finished the first chapter. The book isn’t solely about Jennifer. This book is a collection of stories she wrote which feature men and women with a penchant for chasing and breaking FKTs (Fastest Known Times) on various trails. Jennifer clearly knows her topic. I found the way she wrote about other athletes to be commendable. I had the feeling she tried very hard to do justice to each athlete’s accomplishments. When writing about her own attempts and victories she does so humbly without striking a self-aggrandizing tone. She’s impressive, she’s hiked over 14,000 miles on over 6 continents.
Yet in an ironic twist of fate, a book about FKT’s wasn’t something I raced through. Jennifer is an accomplished author. She’s written eight books, and articles for national publications like the New York Times, Outside, and Backpacker Magazines. “The Pursuit of Endurance” has a coveted 4.5 stars in GoodReads. She’s a critically acclaimed author but for some reason, this book slowed me down. Despite being a fast reader, it took me almost a week to finish this book. I’m not sure why it took me so long to finish this book.
The book has a story feel to it but also feels written with an analytical bent. Jennifer tells stories and provides history and context on the accomplishments of multiple record breakers. I particularly appreciated her chapters on Heather Anderson (whom I just read and pre-ordered her new book), Scott Jurek (whom I’ve read before) along with her chapters which highlighted her life off the trail as a wife and mother.
“I chose to put my vulnerability above my social image. I was going to either fail or succeed. But I sure as hell wasn't going to be complacent.” ― Jennifer Pharr Davis
I hike at the pace of a winded sloth. If I ever set a hiking record it may be a SKT (slowest known time). I joke, I don’t think that’s a real thing. And yet, you may find me next summer at Mount Rainier huffing and puffing my way slowly along the trail thinking of Jennifer Pharr David, or Heather Anderson on the PCT, or Grandma Gatewood. I am a reformed couch potato inspired by other women. I am thankful the world has space for the trailblazers and rookies, may we celebrate the spirit of strength and resilience in all of us.
April 29, 2024
This book is somewhat of a sequel to the author's previous "Becoming Odyssa," filling us in on her life since setting the FKT record on the Appalachian Trail that was tacked on to the end of that one as an afterthought. But rather than provide as much detail on the phenomenal feat as she did with her earlier missteps, she instead turns the focus towards other who have broken the same record, some before and some after her. Despite their different backgrounds, life stories, styles, and physical aptitude, she attempts to find commonalities that allowed them to succeed in places that so many have failed. It's an interesting and worthwhile endeavor, but ends up not really providing many useful take-aways, other than the obvious need to persevere and be able and willing to overcome great hardships in pursuit of a goal.
She's a bit more mature and worldly this time around, no longer a naïve self-important young adult, but no less grating and sanctimonious. Whatever qualities the other protagonists in the book seem to see in her, they don't come across well on the page. She comes across as extremely proud of her record and the sacrifices she made to achieve it, yet equally defensive as to why she gave all that up to settle down to a traditional middle class lifestyle, making babies and getting a normal job. At times it sounded like she was trying to convince herself as much as the reader. And of course she's extremely judgmental towards anyone who dares question any of her actions or choices.
Most of the book is comprised of profiles of the other record breakers. A few get bogged down in extraneous details, but there are some interesting stories along the way. A more straightforward comparison of their approaches probably would have been more useful. The worst part was the section on Scott Jurek, which appeared to be a hastily plagiarized summary of his own [much better] book "North" that covered his own successful attempt to break JPD's record. The fact that one of the world's most highly successful ultrarunners only managed to do so by a handful of hours, and barely at that, even with a controversial expedited river crossing, just highlights how momentous her achievement really was. But since she didn't provide a similar account of her own journey, it's difficult to compare the two or draw any meaningful conclusions.
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