The One More Hour Podcast: An Insider’s Guide to Backyard Ultras, Timed Races, and the Ultrarunning Mindset

Episodes

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  (Ep.54) The One More Hour Podcast is ONE!!! GIVEAWAY! 01.10.2026 26m

  🎉 The One More Hour Podcast is ONE! One year ago, I hit publish on an idea I'd been sitting on for more than a year. I was scared, overthinking the technical details, trying to figure everything out before I started, and ultimately learning that sometimes you just have to stop waiting until you're ready and take the next step. In this one-year anniversary episode, I'm looking back at Year One of The One More Hour Podcast: 54 episodes, 26 guests, and a whole lot of conversations about backyard...
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  (Ep.53) Your Backyard Ultra is Supposed to be Hard! 29.09.2026 47m

  What if the hard part of your run isn't actually the problem? This episode of The One More Hour Podcast talks about one of the strangest contradictions in endurance sports: we spend months preparing ourselves for discomfort, and then act surprised when discomfort actually shows up. “This is supposed to be hard” doesn't mean you should ignore pain, injury, or warning signs. It means that difficult, uncomfortable, exhausting moments are a normal part of asking your body and mind to do something...
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  (Ep.52) Your Training Plan Cannot Save You From Poor Backyard Ultra Pacing 22.09.2026 1h 1m

  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 dang...
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  (Ep.51) The Race You're Having vs. The Race You Expected 18.09.2026 1h 3m

  Your expectations are not reality. Have you ever trained for a race, prepared for every possible detail, and then found yourself struggling because race day didn't feel anything like you expected? This episode of The One More Hour Podcast explores the gap between expectations and reality, and why that gap can derail runners faster than physical discomfort itself. From 50Ks to backyard ultras, we spend months preparing our bodies, practicing nutrition, planning pacing, and imagining how race d...
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  (Ep.50) Looking for an Out: The Psychology of the Backyard Ultra Exit Narrative 15.09.2026 1h 11m

  Your brain doesn't usually tell you to quit. It tells you to be reasonable. After hours of running, fatigue, discomfort, uncertainty, and doubt can cause your mind to start building a convincing case for why stopping is the logical thing to do. You've already exceeded your goal. You have work Monday. You're worried about getting injured. You can always come back next year. Suddenly, quitting doesn't feel like quitting anymore. It feels like the smart decision. In this episode of The One More ...
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  (Ep.49) 3 Trips to Big’s Backyard: What Levi Yoder Learned Running 300+ Miles 01.09.2026 1h 17m

  What does it take to keep going when the race stops being about miles and becomes a battle between your mind and your body? Levi Yoder knows a thing or two about that. Levi went from starting his running journey in 2019 to completing his first 100-miler in 2022 and then winning his first backyard ultra and earning a spot at Big’s Backyard Ultra. Since then, he has competed at Big’s three times, including the 2022 World Team Championship, the 2023 Individual Championship, and the 2024 World Te...
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  (Ep.48) Your Ultimate Backyard Ultra Crewing Guide 25.08.2026 1h 12m

  What does it actually take to crew a Backyard Ultra? Your runner has spent months preparing for the race. But what about the people sitting at camp? A great backyard ultra crew doesn't just hand out bottles and cheer when their runner comes through. They're the runner's second brain: managing logistics, protecting their energy, thinking ahead, solving problems, and helping them make good decisions when fatigue starts to take over. This episode is a complete Backyard Ultra Crewing 101 guide, c...
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  (Ep.47) Backyard Ultras are an Experiment of One with Dave Kwiatkowski 18.08.2026 1h 21m

  What does it take to go from a 27-yard backyard ultra runner to consistently running 60+ yards and still believe you have more to learn? In this episode of the One More Hour Podcast, I’m joined by Dave Kwiatkowski, one of the most intriguing young athletes in the backyard ultra world. Dave has built his success through a process of experimentation, problem-solving, and learning from every race. We talk about how his approach has evolved since his first backyard ultra, the mistakes that have s...
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  (Ep.46) 5 Mental Traps That End Backyard Ultras 11.08.2026 19m

  Backyard ultras are rarely won because someone is the fastest or strongest runner. More often, they’re won by the runner who can manage their mind when the race gets long, uncomfortable, and uncertain. This episode of the One More Hour Podcast, breaks down 5 mental traps that can derail a backyard ultra and what to do when you recognize them happening in real time. You’ll learn about: Time Traveling: Looking too far ahead and becoming overwhelmed by the hours, miles, darkness, or discomfort s...
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  (Ep.45) The Race Behind the Runner: Crewing a Backyard Ultra (and for DAYS!) with Veronica Pardo 04.08.2026 1h 13m

  What does it really take to crew an ultrarunner through a backyard ultra? In this episode of the One More Hour Podcast, I’m joined by Veronica Pardo, a runner, chiropractor, and the wife of Nick Petterson, who you may remember from Episode 16 after his run at Summit Backyard Ultra. Since then, Nick has gone on to win Ode to Laz, earning a Silver Ticket, and will represent Team USA at Big’s Backyard Ultra this October. Veronica has been there crewing him through both races, giving her a unique...
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  (Ep.44) Backyard Ultra Simulation: Stop Testing Fitness & Start Testing Your Systems 28.07.2026 59m

  A backyard ultra simulation should be much more than an overnight long run. In this episode of the One More Hour Podcast, we break down how to use a backyard simulation as a skills test, not a fitness test. The goal isn't to see how many yards you can complete. It's to collect data, create problems, practice solving them, and eliminate as many unknowns as possible before race day. We dive into: How to practice backyard-specific pacing and conserve energy earlyWhy the fastest runner on the cou...
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  (Ep.43) Can You Survive the Murder Mile? | Audrey Carter's Mid-State Mile Experience 21.07.2026 44m

  Can one mile break you? This week on The One More Hour Podcast, I sit down with trail runner and ultrarunner Audrey Carter to talk about her first experience at Mid-State Mile, one of the most unique and brutally challenging last-person-standing races in the country. Unlike a traditional Backyard Ultra, runners have just 20 minutes to complete a 1.1-mile loop with 340 feet of elevation gain before heading back out to do it again. Loop after loop after Loop. Until only one runner rem...
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  (Ep.42) The Mental Cost of Looking Too Far Ahead in Your Backyard Ultra 14.07.2026 29m

  How do you keep going when your brain is already worrying about miles that haven't happened yet? In backyard ultras and other endurance races, one of the biggest mental traps isn't physical fatigue. It's looking too far ahead. At yard 5, you start thinking about running for two days. At mile 17, you're worried about mile 100. Before the sun has even set, you're imagining the second night and convincing yourself you can't possibly keep going. This episode of The One More Hour Podcast, explores...
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  (Ep.41) Stay Curious: Wendy Krause's First Backyard Ultra | Midlife Running, Running with Dogs & Backyard Lessons 07.07.2026 1h 17m

  What happens when an experienced ultrarunner steps into a completely new race format? In this episode of The One More Hour Podcast, I sit down with fellow Minnesota runner and coach, Wendy Krause, to talk about her first-ever Backyard Ultra at Blacks Grove Backyard Ultra. Although Wendy has years of experience racing trail ultras and 100-milers, the Backyard format challenged her in entirely new ways. From pacing and self-crewing to fueling, staying present, and embracing the unknown, Wendy w...
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  (Ep.40) When You Want to Quit (Listen to This First) | Backyard Ultra Motivation 30.06.2026 17m

  If you're listening to this episode, chances are you're in the middle of your race and your brain is trying to convince you to quit. This is a special race-day episode of The One More Hour Podcast, created specifically for runners tackling backyard ultras and last runner standing events. Whether you're sitting in your chair questioning if you should answer the next bell or you're out on the course fighting the clock, this episode is here to help you remember why you started. Through a mix of ...
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  (Ep.39) Backyard Ultra Training Long Runs That Train More Than Your Legs 24.06.2026 38m

  How far should your longest long run be before a backyard ultra? It’s one of the most common questions runners ask, and in this episode, I explain why it might be the wrong question. Backyard ultras aren’t won because you survived one massive training run. They’re won because you practiced the skills that allow you to keep showing up every hour: pacing, fueling, problem-solving, sleep management, mental resilience, efficiency, and adaptability. In this episode, I break down 11 different types...
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  (Ep.38) How to Reflect on Your Backyard Ultra So You Go Further Next Time 17.06.2026 45m

  Most runners finish a race and immediately focus on one thing: the result. How many yards did I get? How far did I go? Did I hit my goal? But what if the most valuable part of your backyard ultra isn't the result, but it's what the race is trying to teach you? In this episode of The One More Hour Podcast, I break down how to reflect on your Backyard Ultra in a way that actually helps you improve. We'll talk about why the thing that ended your race may not be the thing you think ended your rac...
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  (Ep.37) Part 2: Why You Still Had One More Loop In You 09.06.2026 15m

  In Part 2 of this two-part series, we explore what happens after the race when the dust settles and a familiar thought starts to creep in: “I think I still had one more loop in me.” If you've ever finished a backyard ultra, timed event, or endurance race and wondered whether you could have gone farther, this episode is for you. We discuss: why so many runners realize after the race that they may have had more leftthe difference between reaching your physical limit and reaching your willingnes...
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  (Ep.36) Part 1: You're NOT Done Yet. Why This Is NOT Your Last Yard 02.06.2026 22m

  In Part 1 of this two-part series, we’re talking about the moments during an ultra when your brain starts trying to convince you that you’re done. Not necessarily physically done, but emotionally, mentally, and spiritually done. If you’ve ever sat in a chair during a backyard ultra convinced there was “no way” you could do another loop, this episode is for you. We dive into: why your brain becomes so convincing during low momentsthe difference between discomfort and true physical limitationwh...
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  (Ep.35) Am I ACTUALLY Ready for My Backyard Ultra? Setting Process Goals for Your Next Backyard 26.05.2026 41m

  Are you ACTUALLY ready for your backyard ultra? This episode dives into the often overlooked mental, logistical, and emotional readiness required for backyard ultras and timed events. We discuss the importance of process goals versus only having outcome goals, mental resilience, decision making and handling emotional low points, and strategic preparation to succeed in ultra-distance running. What questions do you need to ask yourself before training begins to ensure your goals align with your...