Podcast Guest Profile

Bernd Heinrich is the author of more than 12 books and 100 scientific papers. His most recent book is “Racing the Clock, Running Across a Lifetime.” Bernd holds many records as a runner. He ran a sub-two-minute half mile, at one point he set the American national records for any age in ultramarathon distances of 100 kilometers, 200 kilometers, 100 miles, and the longest distance run in 24 hours, totaling 156.8 miles. For many years Bernd’s work focused on the comparative physiology of insects, where he studied bumblebee behavior. He studied moths. He studied caterpillars very closely and their ecology and their pollination. He later shifted to studying ravens and other birds. For many years, Bernd has lived in a cabin in the woods of Maine, one that he built himself by hand. He lives without running water, phone service, or refrigerator, and he eats solely with wood and relies on a solar panel to power his laptop and his wifi router. He’s just about to turn 82 years old and he’s still running about four miles a day.