Monday, October 19, 2020

Big Dog Backyard Ultra

 In the world of ultra running, miracles, or the miraculous is happening. Today is a big day, and it is not over yet.

Big's back yard is a last person standing race. Every hour on the hour, the runners toe the line for 4.1 miles. And this race keeps going until all but one runner is toeing the line. It is a fantastic race. The people who last the longest are in it to see where their limits are, but you need really good competition, someone whose limit is out there where yours is in order to keep going. Women frequently win this type of race, since they can bring competitiveness and willingness to persevere to the table. Strength and speed don't matter in this race. Hanging in there matters, and that is often a mind game.

This year's Big's has been going on for 2 days and 13 hours. 2 US runners are on course at the real Big's back yard (yeah, Big is a dog). 2 runners in Belgium and 3 runners in Mexico are competing via Zoom, and are still on course. These runners have run 60 laps, 250 miles.

Wrap your head around that. 

What sort of mental fortitude does this require? 

The two US runners still in it are famous, as well as very very competent ultra runners: Courtney Dauwalter and Harvey Lewis. Courtney did 67 laps at this race 2 years ago. Harvey has done 58 laps previously. So Harvey has gone beyond his previous best. Courtney has yet to reach her personal best. 

What will happen? I hope they make it through the night.

So, reaching your personal limits. I hope to test my potential in 2 weeks when I go in a 12 hour race. Keeping my body on course, at whatever slow speed, for 12 hours is challenging, especially mentally. When your feet and legs hurt bad around 35 miles, you ask yourself, "why am I walking around this lake? Why don't I get in the car and go home. This is pointless." But if you give in, you never know what you can do. You didn't learn to go past your mental limits. I've not gone past my limits, maybe ever, but at least for a long time.

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