Free Outside
Free Outside
Jeff Garmire
Last Skier Standing and the Art of Suffering
54 minutes Posted Jul 3, 2026 at 10:22 am.
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Most runners think a backyard ultra is crazy.


Lukas Janulitis looked at that format and decided it wasn't hard enough.


Try a Last Skier Standing, an event where athletes skin uphill 1,200 feet every hour, ski back down, and repeat until only one person remains. That means battling sleep deprivation, sub-zero temperatures, brutal winds, hallucinations, and the mental challenge of not knowing when it will end.


In this episode, Lukas shares his experiences at Last Skier Standing, Bubba's Backyard Ultra, Swiss Alps 100, and Cruel Jewel 100. We discuss sleep deprivation, nutrition, heat training, problem-solving during races, New Hampshire mountain culture, and his upcoming attempt at the New Hampshire Appalachian Trail FKT.


Topics include:


-Last Skier Standing

-Backyard ultras and sleep deprivation

-Swiss Alps 100

-Cruel Jewel 100

-Nutrition and race strategy

-Training for multi-day endurance events

-Hallucinations and mental resilience

-The New Hampshire AT FKT

-Why people keep pushing their limits


If you've ever wondered what happens when someone decides to stay awake for days while skiing uphill, this conversation is for you.


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