Joe McConaughy just became the fastest person to thru-hike the 2,186-mile Appalachian Trail. In late August, he finished the trail atop Maine's Mount Katahdin a mere 45 days, 12 hours, and 15 minutes after he'd starting, smashing the existing fastest known time for both supported and unsupported hikes. McConaughy did it without any outside support, running and hiking some 50 miles a day and finishing the trail with 37 hours of sleepless and sustained running and hiking.

I spoke to Joe a few days after he got off the trail—he was home in Boston having a marathon baking day. (When you run that many miles consecutively, you totally deserve cheese bread, chocolate chip cookies, and blueberry buckle in one sitting.)

We chatted for a story for Outside Online about the fast and light gear he relied on while he was on the trail, including eight pairs of shoes, a poncho that doubled as a tent, and the junk food that kept him going all day long.

You can read the full story here.