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

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...

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&apos...

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,...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Backyard ultras require physical fitness, but they are really a test of the mind! Your brain is designed to keep you safe, not help you perform. You can show up to race day as the fittest runner out there, but your mental game can bring you down the fastest if you haven't practiced it or you've thought "I've got a good mind." In this episode, Jaci sits down with Neal Palle...

Backyard ultras aren’t won with big moments, flashy workouts, or hype. They’re built on the things no one talks about and the things most runners try to avoid. In this episode, we break down the “unsexy skills” that actually determine how long you last in a backyard ultra or timed event. The quiet, repetitive, often overlooked habits that become everything when the race stretches into hours 18… 24...

Ultra running might look like an individual sport, but this episode proves it’s anything but. Jaci sits down with Ashley, creator of Ultra Widow , to pull back the curtain on what really happens behind the scenes at ultra races. From chaotic aid stations to all-night crewing shifts, Ashley shares what it takes to support a runner through the highs, lows, and everything in between. They dive into t...

What do you do when life keeps telling you “no”? For Parker Stinnett, the answer is simple: find another way forward. In this episode of The One More Hour Podcast , Parker shares his unconventional path, from being a backup college football kicker, to failing out of BUD/S prep, to becoming an officer in the Navy flying both helicopters and the Osprey, and how that same mindset carried him into ult...

"You don't need to be like Goggins to succeed." What does it actually take to keep going when your body hurts, your mind is spiraling, and the race won’t end? In this episode of The One More Hour Podcast , Jaci sits down with ultrarunner Dylan Ledbetter to break down the mindset and strategy behind succeeding in the Last Man Standing format and how his strategy has changed over time...

At some point in every backyard ultra or timed event, you’ll hit it: 2:00 a.m. The moment where everything suddenly feels heavier, harder, and a little bit hopeless. In this episode, we break down the psychological shift that happens in the middle of the night and why your brain becomes a completely unreliable narrator when fatigue, darkness, and sleep deprivation collide. Because here’s the truth...

This episode takes you inside Elm Creek Backyard Ultra , not just as a race, but as an experience shaped entirely around the athletes who show up to test their limits. Race director, Nick Oswald, shares what makes Elm Creek different from other endurance events: an intentional, athlete-first approach where every decision, from logistics to volunteers, is designed to help runners go further than th...

A 55-yard backyard ultra doesn’t happen by accident—and it definitely doesn’t happen alone. In this episode of the One More Hour Podcast, Jaci sits down with Stormy and Samantha Hild to break down Stormy’s massive 55-yard performance at Queeny Backyard Ultra from both sides of the chair. Stormy shares how he’s evolved from going out too fast and learning the hard way to developing a steady, repeat...

In this episode of The One More Hour Podcast , Jaci sits down with Jeff Walker. Teacher, father, husband, and newly crowned silver ticket winner to unpack the race (Queeny Backyard Ultra) that is sending him to Big’s Backyard Ultra. Jeff shares his journey from a post-college fitness reset to running over 200 miles in a backyard format, and what finally clicked at Queeny to produce his breakthroug...

Most runners think backyard ultras fall apart in the middle of the night. They don’t. They fall apart in the first 10 yards. In this episode of The One More Hour Podcast , we break down the most common mistake runners make early in backyard ultras: letting pacing, ego, and adrenaline take control. Because the reality is: You’re not going too fast in an obvious way… You’re going too fast in ways yo...

In this episode of the One More Hour Podcast , Jaci sits down with ultra runner TJ Harms-Synkiew , who took on one of the most unusual endurance challenges in running: Burrito League . For the entire month of January, runners gathered in Tempe, Arizona (and many other Burrito League locations) to repeat the same 0.2-mile Strava segment (segments varied based on location) as many times as possible....

In this powerful and vulnerable conversation, Jaci sits down with Jon Fischer, founder of Phase One, to explore what it really means to “stand the line” in racing and in life. From surviving military training and near-death experiences to battling suicidal ideation and rebuilding his life through faith, fatherhood, and daily discipline, Jon shares the raw journey behind his evolution from performa...

This is an episode about progression. About adjusting on the fly. About nutrition saving races. And about learning to stay when your brain tells you to quit. In this episode of the One More Hour podcast, Megan Smyth shares her evolution from middle-distance track athlete to one of the strongest and most consistent backyard competitors in the country. Megan discusses her evolution as a runner, emph...

 Walking isn’t a failure in a backyard ultra. It’s a skill.   In this episode, Jaci breaks down why hiking and intentional walking are essential for going further in the backyard format and why most runners underestimate how much speed and efficiency they can gain by improving their slowest miles.   You’ll learn:  Why trail pace should never be compared to road pace Why walking the hills early con...

What happens when curiosity leads the way? Mary Namestnik shares her journey from road racing to ultras, falling in love with the backyard ultra format, and most recently running 260+ miles at Across the Years , her first six-day timed event. Together, they unpack the mental and physical lessons that come from races without a fixed finish line, where patience, systems, and self-awareness matter mo...

Packing for a backyard ultra can feel overwhelming, especially if it’s your first one. In this episode of The One More Hour Podcast, I break down what gear actually matters, what runners tend to overthink, and how being organized and practiced can make or break your race. Backyard ultras reward preparation, not perfection. You don’t need everything. You need the right things, practiced systems, an...

In this episode of the One More Hour podcast, we welcome Dr. Tonya Olson, a board-certified doctor of physical therapy and co-author of the seventh edition of " Fixing Your Feet ." The conversation centers around the critical importance of foot care for runners, especially those participating in endurance events like marathons and ultra marathons. Dr. Tonya emphasizes that foot issues ar...

If you’ve ever felt confused about bronze tickets, silver tickets, gold tickets, or how runners actually qualify for Big’s Backyard Ultra, this episode breaks it all down in a clear, no-fluff way. In this short episode, we walk through how the backyard ultra qualification system works, what each “ticket” really means, and how runners progress from local backyard races all the way to the World Cham...