It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. The first Dirtbag camp at Reyes Creek was a magical experience filled with beautiful trails, beer miles, and comradery. It was there we met the Davids, who consequently named themselves “Fast David” and “Slow David” (to their defense, they’re both incredibly strong runners, but it’s hard to keep up with Fast David’s 3:01 50K time). Aside from their stellar running performances, they were both living the dream and exemplifying the dirtbag lifestyle: going where the wind took them, living out of their cars, taking amazing trail photography, and running every time they got the chance. In this post, we’ll take a closer look into what keeps Fast David- more commonly known as David Kilgore, running by asking him a few questions.
Where do you call home and how long have you been traveling? What made you want to live this lifestyle in the first place?
My home is Palm Bay, Florida and I have been traveling since the beginning of 2016. My whole life I’ve always loved the outdoors, exploring, and doing new things, which brought me where I am now. I love how everyday is always different and I really never know what kind of people I will meet or who I get to know. Not really having much is not a problem to me and I actually prefer it. The only thing I think I would improve is getting a travel buddy and preferably someone who likes to cook because I hate cooking. A lot of the time on the road I wind up not eating or just eating cereal all the time.
What is your favorite trail?
This is probably the hardest question on here! If I had to chose one though I would have to say the grape fruit trail next to my home in Florida because that’s where I first fell in love with the trails.
What is your favorite food to eat while on the trail? What is your favorite after run beer?
I’m a big fan of Vfuel or hammer gels those help me a lot on the longer stuff, but for some indulgence I am a big fan of cookies. As for beer if I’m being completely honest I don’t really enjoy beer very much.
What are you traveling in?
I’m traveling in a Chevy Sonic that is packed down with all my stuff from college as well. Lol
What other activities do you enjoy?
Really anything outdoors like hiking, climbing, camping, spelunking, and a wide variety of water activities (kayaking, surfing, diving, etc.) I also really enjoy photography a lot and have been playing with that a lot more lately.
What do you do to pass time while traveling?
I go out and explore the area I am staying around. Try to find some cool spots that are kind of off the grind. I also just go and talk to random people and see what they are up too. That always leads me to something, either a new adventure or a new friend or possibly both.
What is the craziest story from your road trip?
The craziest story was I got lost out in the desert of Arizona and I had to hitch a couple rides back to try to find my car. Or I climbed up some giant pillars in Utah and got to run and slide down them and on both sides of me were some 400-500 foot drops, that was probably one of the most fun things I’ve ever done. That same day I actually met a Belgium man who owned new Belgium brewing company and he was out there on vacation.
Are you single? Send us your abs. Or your short shorts.
I am single and ready to mingle! Lol Hmm here is a picture of them both in one.
What trails and races are on your bucket list? What got you started with running in the first place?
I probably have to many to list on here, but some big ones would be the pacific trail, Appalachian trail, and the Florida trail. I really want to check out a lot of races in Oregon, Washington, and in California because I haven’t been out there as much as I’ve explored the east coast. Also being newer to the sport or trail and ultra running I am still learning all the races that are around. What got me started was when I was younger in 8th grade I began running track. After that I ran cross country and track throughout high school and college. Well about two years ago I hoped into a stage race in Chattanooga Tennessee over the summer and it was some of the best fun I’ve ever had. Running on beautiful trails and everyone was just having a good time hanging out and camping. Similar to the camp and run and was just a ton of fun. So now that I am down with college I am looking to hop on the trails more!
What’s next?
I just got back in Florida about a week and a half a go. Right now I am helping coach some high school track athletes, working with local conservation projects, working at a running store, getting some gigs in photography, and also always finding the next adventure. I will be racing a lot in the southeast, but also venturing out west for a few events and of course waiting anxiously for the next dirtbag camp and run. Career wise I am trying to become a tech rep for a shoe or outdoor company, which will allow me to continue my travel and also give me a little stability in my training and maybe even meet someone I can bring a long with me!
Thanks for sharing your experiences with us, David! We love living vicariously through you and can’t wait to read more about your adventures!
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