You can have the mileage, the strength, the aerobic base, and the ultra experience, and still have a terrible backyard ultra if you pace it poorly.
In this episode of The One More Hour Podcast, we’re talking all about backyard ultra pacing and why fitness alone isn’t enough. The goal of a backyard isn't to see how fast you can run 4.167 miles. It's to find an effort you can repeat over and over again for an unknown amount of time.
We’ll talk about:
- Why the first few yards can be the most dangerous because they feel so easy
- Why pace and effort are not the same thing, especially on trails
- How walking can help you conserve energy and go further
- Why trying to bank extra time at camp can actually cost you later
- How to think about your time at camp without treating a specific number as a rule
- Why going from 10 minutes back at camp to 8 minutes doesn't automatically mean you're failing
- The small pacing decisions that quietly add up: urging, hammering hills, bombing downhills, chasing other runners, and running faster because you're bored
- How to use heart rate as information without letting your watch dictate your race
- Why your pacing strategy needs to account for the course, weather, terrain, fitness, crew, fueling, and your individual needs
- How crew can remove friction and allow you to spend less energy on the course
- Why faster runners can actually make some of the biggest pacing mistakes
- How to practice your pacing through backyard simulations and course-specific training
- What to do when your loop times start getting slower
- Why seven minutes back at camp is data, not a prediction
- How to adjust your strategy without panicking when the race doesn't feel the way you expected
Most importantly, we'll talk about the difference between having the fitness to go far and actually knowing how to use that fitness.
Your training plan can build the capacity. Pacing determines how much of that capacity you actually get to use.
Don't pace for the yard you're running. Pace for the race you're trying to finish.
One yard at a time. One hour at a time. One decision at a time.
If you want help developing an individualized backyard ultra strategy, pacing plan, or race-day approach, reach out to Jaci about The Backyard Ultra Battle Plan or one-on-one coaching.
👉 Don’t miss the next yard. Hit Follow on The One More Hour Podcast: An Insider’s Guide to Backyard Ultras, Timed Races, and the Ultrarunning Mindset.
⭐️ If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a quick review. It helps more runners find the show and keep going when they want to stop.
📲 Connect with me on Instagram → @onemorehourpodcast
📩 Got a story about going one more? I’d love to hear it. Email me at → theonemorehourpodcast@gmail.com
🎁 Freebie → 5 Mental Traps Backyard Runners Fall Into (and How to Fix Them)
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