Recently Sofiane sent me an DM that said, “Hey Patrick, what’s your take on Lael’s Arizona fkt? I’d be happy to discuss it on the Podcast”. Instead of answering his question online, I scheduled an interview and answered his question on the podcast.
On Thursday Lael Wilcox set a new FKT (Fastest Known Time) on the famous Arizona Trail Route. Now the AZT boast 827 miles thanks to new sections that race director John Schilling added. Lael completed her ITT of the route in 9 days, 8 hours, and 23 minutes, besting the previous FKT set by Nate Ginzton who came in at 9d, 10h, 23m.
It’s always an extreme pleasure to sit down and chat with Lael Wilcox. Her positivity and honesty is infections as is her drive to push herself to extremes all in the name of bike racing. She’s an inspiration to so many of us in this community and I am no exception. She has been a huge source of inspiration for me as I dipped my toe into the bikepacking waters.
On the morning of Christmas Eve 2018 Kait Boyle was at the height of her ultra endurance racing career, having won the 24 hour World Championship in 2018 and set a new record on the AZT 300. Her life would take an unexpected turn later that day when she was involved in a horrific vehicular accident that left her with a long list of injuries and a long path to recovery.
Chris Burkard has become a personal source of inspiration for me and it was an honor to have him back on the podcast. He was first on way back at Episode 17 to tell us about his WOW Cyclothon Record that he set in 2019. That episode really fired me up and motivated me to push myself in more ways than just on the bike. Chris’ passion for life is contagious and I highly recommend you go back and listen to ep. 17, although you don’t need to listen in order to enjoy.
At the Bikepacking Summit I had the honor of sitting down with Lael Wilcox and Rugile Kaladyte (Rue) in their first interview together. After they found themselves in the middle of drama on the Tour Divide this year it was nice to chat with both of them to hear their thoughts on riding and documents bikepacking events.
On this episode I sit down with Lael Wilcox in Bentonville, AR. Lael is one of the most accomplished ultra endurance bikepackers on the planet today. Her accomplishments are beyond impressive as is her humble and down to earth personality. She is currently riding her bike to Emporia, KS for the start of the DKXL. You can keep up with her @laelwilcox on instagram.
intro/outro music – Eric B Featuring Rakim – Eric B For President
Photo credit: @rugilekaladyte on Instagram
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If you enjoy the podcast, please consider helping to cover the costs.
"Supporters of the podcast are the PSI in the knobby tires that keep BoD rolling." ~Patrick
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