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 of long runs you can use to prepare for your next backyard ultra or last person standing race, including:

• The Confidence Builder Long Run
• The Fueling Experiment Run
• Backyard Ultra Simulation Runs
• Sunset-to-Sunrise Runs
• After-Work Long Runs
• Time-of-Day Challenge Runs
• The Goggins 4x4x48 Challenge
• The Yeti Challenge (5x4x24)
• Adversity Runs
• Curiosity Runs
• The "Drop the Hammer" Run

We’ll talk about what each run teaches, when to use it, and how to determine which experiences you still need before race day.

Because the goal of training isn’t simply to accumulate miles. It’s to accumulate lessons.

By race day, you want to have answered as many questions as possible:

Can I fuel?
Can I stay awake?
Can I handle boredom?
Can I solve problems?
Can I trust myself when things get hard?

The runners who go the farthest aren’t always the ones with the biggest long runs. They’re often the ones with the biggest library of experiences.

If you're training for a backyard ultra, timed event, or last person standing race, this episode will help you build long runs with purpose.

👉 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)

⭐️ Learn more about working with me on my website

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 race, how to identify the real limiting factors in your performance, and how to turn race-day lessons into smarter training.

You'll learn:

• Why Backyard Ultras are one of the best learning environments in endurance sports
• The biggest mistakes runners make when reflecting on a race
• How to identify the difference between symptoms and root causes
• Why studying what worked is just as important as studying what failed
• How to spot energy leaks that quietly sabotage performance
• What the best runners do differently and how to learn from them
• How to use your race reflections to build a better training plan

Whether you ran 10 yards or 100, every Backyard Ultra leaves clues. The runners who improve the fastest aren't always the most talented. They're the ones willing to study those clues honestly.

Your next breakthrough may already be hidden inside your last race.

🎙 Download the free Backyard Ultra Post-Race Reflection Worksheet and start uncovering the lessons from your own races.

👉 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)

⭐️ Learn more about working with me on my website

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 left
• the difference between reaching your physical limit and reaching your willingness to stay uncomfortable
• why ultras are nonlinear and how quickly a low can turn around
• how fear, uncertainty, sleep deprivation, and underfueling influence decision-making
• why the urge to stop is not always trustworthy
• how reflecting on your race can help you go farther next time

Most runners don't stop when their body completely forces them to stop. They stop somewhere between "I absolutely can't" and "I don't want to anymore." Learning the difference is one of the most important skills in endurance racing.

This episode is not about regret. It's about growth.

Realizing you had one more loop in you isn't proof that you failed. It's proof that your limits may be farther away than you thought.

Apply. Adapt. Reflect. Adjust.

That's how one race becomes the foundation for the next breakthrough.

👉 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)

⭐️ Learn more about working with me on my website