1. Heather "Anish" Anderson

The Out and Back Podcast launches with Heather “Anish” Anderson, who spells out the complex set of factors that drove her to accomplish speed records on the Pacific Crest Trail, the Appalachian Trail, and the Arizona Trail, as well as become one of a handful of athletes to nab all three long trails, some 7,500+ miles of hiking, in a single calendar year. In this episode, Anderson explains how she faced her fear head-on to finally convince herself that she is indeed an athlete as well as what inspired her in her journey from her first overnight backpack trip in 2001 to thru-hiking some 30,000 miles over the last 19 years. Finally, she talks about the very real “post hike depression” that she and other thru-hikers experience after re-entering society following months on the trail, how journaling helped her process the grief that overcame her after claiming the fastest known time on the PCT, and how those journals ultimately formed the basis of her book "Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home" (Mountaineer Books).