Prepping the old man

May the 4th be with me. May 4th is the date of my first ultra-marathon of the season. I am running the Old Man Backyard Ultra in Lethbridge, Alberta. It gets its name from the Old Man River, not because it is restricted to old men like me. This is a race format I’ve never tried before, and I am very excited about it. What is a backyard ultra? They explain it well,

Backyard ultras follow a simple rule: runners start every hour on the hour and follow a 6.706 km course. Pace doesn’t matter as long as you finish the loop before the one-hour cutoff and are ready to start the next loop on time. After runners finish each loop (or “yard” as it’s called in a backyard race) they may rest, eat, refuel, cry—the options are endless. Racers must simply be at the starting line ready to run every hour on the hour until only one runner is left.

Others have described it more simply, “stupid.” Well, if the shoe fits, wear it so you can run really, really far. That is what shoes are for.

This is also the first race I’ve ever run for a cause. It feels like a good cause, and not stupid at all. The race is sponsored by Youth One Youth and Family Centre in Lethbridge. Proceeds from the race go to fund the centre. Twelve hundred dollars will support a single youth for afterschool programs and meals for an entire year. That seems like a worthy cause to me. So, I am standing here with my hat in hand. Please help me support Youth One!

The Goal

I’d like to support at least one youth for a full year. To do that I am hoping people will pay to make me attempt to cover 100 miles. That would be 24 “yards” or laps and 24 hours. I think this is very achievable. My not-so-secret goal is 30 hours or just over 200 kilometres or 125 miles. That feels a little insane.

So, how am I going to reach this lofty goal? Lots and lots of practice and begging.

I was up this morning at 5:30 am running yards. I’ve mapped out a 7k loop from my front door. It has been such a pleasant winter. So obliging. I got out there for 5 laps this morning (35k). My running buddy, Lewis, joined me for the first 3 of those. A couple thoughts: 1) I hate the cold. 2)This route only has 40 meters or 131 feet of elevation gain. The race will have 268 meters, 880 feet, of gain. I’m going to need more hill work.

Here I am, heading out on my last lap this morning. The garage is a great staging ground. I will have the best crew. Lisa is getting her crew legs under her. You can see the med kit on the floor. She was already covering up a small hot spot on one of my toes this morning. We really think this is going to be a smashing event. The crew doesn’t need to move the entire time. It should be an excellent all-day party… except for those annoying times when I am there. Wish us luck.