The Backyard Ultra
A race that is based on endurance and not speed? When I heard this my ears perked up.
If you are not familiar with the format of a Backyard
Ultramarathon then this is how it is run: all starters begin at the same time
at the top of the hour and have a 6.7-km loop (or out-and-back) course to run
under 1 hour. If they finish in 45 minutes (or 50 min) then they have 15
minutes (10 min) to rest until all runners begin again at the top of the next
hour and run the same 6.7 km again. If a runner does not start at the top of the
hour, or does not finish the 6.7 km within an hour then they are out of the
race and receive a DNF (did not finish). This continues until, one-by-one,
runners drop out and there is only one last runner who completes the 6.7 km
course alone and is declared the only finisher of the race and thus the winner.
These races can last for days.
That could be for me, I thought. I am no longer very fast, but I can run for a long time. So, when I was invited to run the 1st Heppl Backyard Ultra just 45 minutes from my home, I was very excited. A race format that rewards endurance and mental fortitude could play to my strengths.
My only real snag was that I was already planning on running
the 76-km Regensburg Landkreislauf two weeks prior to that, so there was
certainly the concern that those miles would still be lingering in my bones for
the Backyard. But I was going to start regardless and see how far I could get.
I arrived at 7:45 for the 9am start and met the outgoing and
friendly race organizers, collected my start number, dropped a donation and
then began setting up my `camp`.
I had no crew for this race so a runner friend, Markus, and
I decided to set up next to one another and provide mutual motivational support.
There was space inside the school, which was warm and dry and thus that was
where most runners set up their chairs and gear, but I wanted to be outside, in
the ambient air, to make the acclimation less drastic after every lap.
For physical comfort I had: a camp chair, foot stool, isolation
blanket over my chair, pillow for lower back, warm blanket for cover, warm
winter puffy jacket.
The starting line-up was competitive, with some ´fast`ultrarunners,
men and women, from all around Regensburg. But I had slept well, and I was
feeling good physically, emotionally and mentally. I was extremely relaxed and
had absolutely no expectations. I was curious to see what would happen and how
my body would react to the short breaks every hour, where normally I stop only when
absolutely necessary.
At 9:00 we were off on the first loop. It began with 3 km of
paved road/bike path, then gravel field roads, and single-track trails and more
paved sections rounded out the 6.7-km course. There were two minor ascents
which I (and most all runners) walked every time. I finished the first loop
in 47 minutes, so I had 13 minutes to do...
whatever. I`d have to find some kind of routine in the down time to keep me
focused. But first, after each lap, we had to go into the school and give our
lap time. I did that then ran quick into the ladies room, then back to my camp
chair where I put on my puffy, propped up my feet, covered my legs in the
blanket and drank some isontonic... and enjoyed the scene.
At 10 am the next lap started at the ringing of a bell by
the daughter of one of the organizers. The atmosphere was really positive with
all runners chatting amongst each other... not what usually happens in a race!
Now that I`d run the course I knew where I would take my
walk breaks so I chose specific points on the course where I would start and
stop walking: on the first ascent there was a squiggly mark on the road where
I`d start walking and at the top of the hill there was a small pile of cut
grass on the side where I`d begin jogging again. On the second ascent the
markings were a crack in the asphalt with grass growing through and, at the top,
just before the puddles. After several laps, other runners who`d been
accompanying me knew my spots too and would automatically start and stop
alongside me.
There were many runners with set goals: 3 laps were nearly a
half marathon, 7 laps is a marathon and more at 47 km, some wanted to run 50km,
some wanted a personal best, while others were just there to run as far and as
long as they could, like me. Around mid afternoon the numbers really began to
dwindle, especially after hitting the marathon mark, and it was inspiring to
see so many people who conquered this major milestone of a running achievement,
including my friend Steffi, who reached that mark for the first time and I was
with her to memorialize it.
The race itself was named in memory of Steffi´s cousin who founded
the race the year before but tragically passed away three weeks after its inaugural
event. All donations collected at this year`s event would go to his family. So
the fact that Steffi ran her first marathon at his namesake`s event was not
without an emotional toll on her.
A couple days before the race Steffi had invited me to come
to dinner at her place, which is only minutes away, after I finished running. I
figured I`d probably have enough by 5 or 6pm and then head over, but as the day
continued on, lap after lap, and I was feeling really good, I saw no need to
stop and realized I might miss dinner. The weather was variable all day. We had
sun, rain, wind, clouds and sometimes all of the above on a single lap. It was
tough to know what to wear. Do I need sunglasses? A rain jacket? Long- or
short-sleeved? I ran most of the day in shorts, a merino tank, a short-sleeved
shirt, a light wind-resistant vest and arm sleeves, with a headband that went
on and off about a hundred times, wrapped around my wrist when not on my head.
The 11the lap, as the sun was going down, was the most
difficult for me. Psychologically, when the sun descends, it is the end of the
day, so your brain feels like it is time for something to end. Plus, the lap
was windy, which is very unpleasant. But I did have good company from a guy
named Tom who I`d met on a previous lap.
The next lap, the 12th, was one of the best. It was now
dark, the wind had calmed, the field had thinned again, and there was silence
and peace in the air. I felt very happy.
At the start of the 13th there were only 3 of us. Me and two
guys. One of whom I knew from the Regensburg Landkreislauf, a seasoned
ultrarunner, but the second guy, significantly younger, I did not know. He was
a wild card. But honestly, I was still not really set on winning. I just felt
that there was no reason to stop. I was having fun, I was getting a little
fatigued, but I wasn`t in any pain, so why should I not keep on running one
more lap?
The three of us started together and there was a female biker
with a very bright light accompanying us from behind. I was glad she was there
and thought she was part of the organization as a sweeper. But then, as the two
male runners behand to pull away from me, the biker stayed right with the one
guy that I did not know. She was clearly not with the orga but a personal
accompaniment for him. I could see them clearly ahead with the bright light
from her bike lamp along with his headlamp. This, I knew, was a violation of
the standard rules of a Backyard Ultra, where no assistance is allowed on the
course... trekking poles aren`t even allowed! And not as though I thought she
was providing him with food and drink, but having someone with you in the dark,
providing motivation, distraction, and the bright headlamp could most certainly be considered assistance! But
this was a private race, and maybe they had their own rules, so I decided to
ask about it during the next break. As I continued through that lap I was
keenly aware of how dark it was back in the woods and that if my headlamp were
suddenly to go out how I would be in big trouble, so I decided that at the next
break I would put my spare headlamp in my pocket... just in case.
Once inside after that lap I mentioned to the race organizer that I believed bikers were not allowed in Backyards and he told me that he would talk to her. I assumed that it was the end of the story, but just after the start of the 14th lap she was there again! Ok, it was the decision of the organization and I needed to put it out of my mind and concentrate on my own race. I love running at night as the senses perk up and you feel very in tune with the surroundings. I saw shiny eyes in the fields, reflecting off my headlamp, and then saw a group of deer run across my path. The stars were brilliant in the sky and just as I topped the highest point and was just about to enter the dark single track, my fears came to life, and without warning, my headlamp went out. I was in pitch darkness and couldn´t even see my hand in front of me. But my premonition from the previous lap was my saviour and I reached into my pocket and pulled out my spare headlamp that had fresh batteries from that morning.
Back at the school the organizers told me that they checked the rules and that I was right about the bike assistance and they did not allow it on the next lap. I jogged the first kilometer with the runner who was now without assistance and brought it up. I don´t like to keep those things issues as secret grievances since it is for the good of the sport to discuss them. I said, “Sorry about your bike assistance, but I know how much of a support that can be when running long distance.” He answered, “You still have to run it yourself.” Ok, he was not too happy. But we were both pretty exhausted after 15 hours of running so it was a fair response. I then said, “Hey, we hit the 100km mark on this lap, don`t we?” He affirmed. We made a minute or two of small talk and then he slowly pulled away from me to run his own pace.
When I returned to the start/finish on the previous couple
of rounds there had been no one there. They were all assembled in the school:
the two other runners and their partners, a couple of runners who`d finished
earlier, and the orga team which had dwindled to two. But this time, I could
see that there was someone outside at the finish as I came around the last
bend. I heard him call out my name. It was Andi, one of the race organizers, and
he called out to me, “Congratulations!” I was a little confused and he kept on
by telling me that the other two guys had thrown in the towel after the last
lap. I was the only one left and all I had to do was run one more lap and I´d
be the winner! I couldn`t believe it! I thought it would go on for a few more
rounds and I was so humbled and happy! I entered the school to cheers and faces
that were really, genuinely happy for me and even awed. One of the
runners` wives said to me that she was so happy that I would win. I felt bad for
her husband at that moment, but heck, this was truly a siege for women! And for
older runners. Slower runners. Different talents that were passionate about the
sport and always showed up but never made it to the podium, and now, maybe, I
could give them hope that it was actually possible!!!
This format evens the playing field and allows a different
type of talent to come out on top in a sport which has previously honored only one
facet of greatness: speed.
Goodbye Speed. Say hello to Endurance!
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