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Aid Station
Ep 17 - Lizzie’s First Backyard Ultra
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This episode has been sometime in the making! It details Elizabeth Gatherer’s first attempt at a Backyard Ultra. The show covers all the planning and approach to one of these events with no known end! Backyard’s are very different Ultra running events, so if you are planning to have a go listen to this great episode first.
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I could say notion.
SPEAKER_03In episode eight, I went out on a run and supported Lizzie in her attempt at her backyard, which she decided to do over twelve hours, to give it a bit of tryout and see whether she fancied doing a backyard ultra. That decision has now been made, and Lizzie has decided to do the backyard ultra at Lincoln Holt and has entered the race. And I have volunteered to support her throughout this, along with Hannah Hall, who I interviewed in episode five, and we're going to support her throughout the event, no matter how long that may be. So here come the cowbells of inspiration.
SPEAKER_06What should we talk about?
SPEAKER_05You're going to be exhausted before you even get to the stuff.
SPEAKER_06Welcome to my world. Okay, right. What have you got?
SPEAKER_03Well, yeah, shall I start by talking about Lizzie's backyard planning?
SPEAKER_06Your own podcast. You do my podcast!
SPEAKER_03I'll just read out the what I've got written down here and then you can just go for it. Yeah, maybe it will spark something off. So um I've I've put down in the build-up to the event, think about and plan everything, which is why we're here, um, that will make the event go smoothly and reduce the worries and any anxiety. Try not to waste energy by being over excited or nervous, and then two weeks before the whole sleep thing, which I already sent you a thing about, didn't I?
SPEAKER_07I've got that here.
SPEAKER_03Getting the nine hours in and banking sleep. I mean, this is a little bit formal, but I said that as you're already an ultra runner and it's not possible to train um specifically for this event with no known end, just continue with your normal training, load and conditioning and taper three weeks out as normal.
SPEAKER_07Oh, three weeks? Yeah. I was gonna do two weeks. That's why I bought my calendar, that's handy.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_07So this is my last week then, really, with the Wales weeks the last week.
SPEAKER_03Well, yeah, I wouldn't do anything heavy after the Wales weekend.
SPEAKER_07Right, while you've mentioned about training, I'm extremely aware of my crapness at going up hills. Um, so although the elevation on backyard I'm gonna be walking, there's no way I'm gonna I think it would be stupid to run any of them, but I think I should still prepare myself for walking up hills. Um because I've been doing glute ridges and squats and single leg squats, and clearly I'm doing them wrong or because nothing like I have no bum at all. And like today when I did a I did that um blended choice, there was two grassy hills that I just couldn't I mean I ran up them, but I may as well have walked. So I think you'll see in the world.
SPEAKER_03When you when we go to Wales on Monday and Tuesday, you won't need to worry about any of that. Anything you do over there is gonna be way, way, way more than ever gonna do there, and there isn't time to get in some pain. Between now and the first week is.
SPEAKER_06Even on one of the podcasts, I think you even said it might have been you said, Oh no, it was downhill. You were like, Oh, I've seen you going downhill, and then you did a granny emoji.
SPEAKER_05But this is this is not a hilly mountainous race, no, nor do you need to be worrying about your speed up and downhill, so I would not draw a line on the worry about it.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I think the whole thing with backyard is it it you know, basically it's to go as slowly as possible, but within the you know, criteria of getting round in the hour. Um, and yeah, you don't need to worry about any of that. What will really kick in is it's all gonna be mental. Um, yeah, your your glute leg uh lower leg muscle groups are gonna hurt and ache, but that's nothing to do with hill climbing or being good at it. So you're just gonna be monotonous same motion fatigue from doing the same actions all the time. Th the strategy around how quickly you go around should be around you know, whether you want to catch some shut eye, even if it's like five minutes sat in a chair, or whether you need to eat more than normal.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_03Or whether you need to go to the loom. So yeah, I think if we plan it out in advance, that to start with, all your meal times should be your normal circadian rhythm meal time.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_03So breakfast should be breakfast, lunch should be lunch, dinner should be dinner, supper should be supper because we've got to extend it through the night. And then any colour if it needs, you know, any fat, carbohydrates, all of that that we need to get into you each lap, we should be able to factor that in around the meal times. So the meal times subtracted from the total load and then times each lap what you need, so which is when you'd be taking the snacks and everything.
SPEAKER_07Um, and I was thinking, so I'm gonna walk the first two laps no matter what, and then and then run walk, run, walk, and continue like that. So should I I was thinking about eating on the walk laps because then I'm maximising my rest time.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, you can do it, and long as you're comfy eating on those lights. But there might be times when you want what you need a soup or something like that, which you don't really want to necessarily, yeah. Not all food will be taken on the move.
SPEAKER_01You might want to take something snacks on the move, yeah, and then proper meal times sat down.
SPEAKER_03Sat down, yeah. So you might want to do the proper meal time pre-lapse to that a bit quicker so that you're back to get like 10 minutes instead of five or 15 instead of I mean, those guys, I think the fastest lap was something like 40 minutes and the slowest was 55. So they were obviously varying it between what they were doing.
SPEAKER_05I can't imagine anyone would want to do a lap quicker than 40, would they?
SPEAKER_03No, I can't I can't see the point even in doing that, or burning any matches because you need matches in the box because you never know when the box is going to be empty. So you don't want to be doing anything that's gonna deplete you in any way.
SPEAKER_07When I did backyard, I've got all the laps written down actually. I think I my maximum rest was a realistic one, it was 12 minutes. I did have a 20-minute rest a couple of times, but that's not happening because that's obviously too quick. So I think I'll be on the 12 minute.
SPEAKER_03You don't want to spend any energy on anything.
SPEAKER_07Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Literally.
SPEAKER_06Okay.
SPEAKER_03You know, there's no harm in coming in 58, 59 minutes, just grabbing a drink or whatever and keeping going.
unknownOkay.
SPEAKER_03Walking. You know, there's a there's no point even in necessarily having to sit in the chair every time you come round because you won't you probably won't feel like it. Yeah.
SPEAKER_07How are you generally in the heat if it is hot? Uh I think I'm good in the heat. I mean I get sun I have to have a hat on because I get sunstroke extremely easily. Like I could go for a 20-minute run with no hat and I get sunstroke.
SPEAKER_03Because you're not good in the heat.
SPEAKER_07No, I am good. As long as I've got a hat on, I'm fine in the heat. Because I lived in the Middle East for two years. No, as long as I've got a hat on, I'm fine. But it's it's this, if I get sun on here, that that's the problem. But sun everywhere else is fine.
SPEAKER_05So um so that's the one thing I thought possibly you can prepare for a bit if we get some warm weather now. Yeah. Um because I don't think the rest of your training is all there and there's not much you can do. I'm sure I'm sure, well, certainly I find the first warm run of the year is really hard and you get used to it after a couple of weeks.
SPEAKER_07So well, I mean I run like today, the run I did was you know, I didn't start till 11:30. I don't even consider the heat, I just go I'm I think I think it's a lot of people.
SPEAKER_05Are there any opportunities to acclimatise yourself to as much heat? And then it will probably pour down for the event on the trees.
SPEAKER_03Because I know what you're like in terms of your waffling. Well, no, your enthusiasm for finding out what other competitors' abilities are and having something to focus on around that. Um, I thought in terms of strategy, because I mean I I think the only strategy is just to keep going round and round as long as possible and not worry what anybody else is doing, but clearly you need something else. Um I would start with the fact that there's only three females entered, and I would just concentrate if you need something to concentrate on your female opponents first, and when they're those two have been eliminated, um then focus on whoever that you feel or we feel from watching the event is the slowest guy and focus on ruthless like it.
SPEAKER_05I like it.
SPEAKER_03Pick off all the lower end bottom feeding fodder. Oh, mess gone. And and and until you know they are out in the visit, you know. I thought I was a positive on your side. Um yeah, but this event is all about that.
SPEAKER_05You don't need to justify yourself.
unknownYeah, we get it.
SPEAKER_03And the great thing about this event is it is the opportunity, whereas you or I would go out as mid or backpack runners and have no idea what's going up front. You know exactly what's going on up front, or we do, Harman and I will as the crew, that can relate to that information and share it with you so it becomes more of a motivation and um a team thing to that's the way I would go about it. So that if you need something to focus, first it's the female opposition, second, it's the weakest men, yeah, until you get to totally what she needs. Yeah. You know, you're then there with that one last might not be a guy, it might be another woman. But as I said, you move your focus until the women are gone. Yeah. So even if it's another woman, yeah, that's the target. Oh, yeah, don't think about the women even until you've completed 24 hours or 24 laps. Um, I don't, you know, it doesn't matter, you're just going round and round and round, wasting time basically. Nobody's you're not going to be in a situation where you win the event in that time. So it's just yeah.
SPEAKER_07Oh, I like that. A very long warm-up, yeah.
SPEAKER_03And and during that warm-up, you should be then just conserving all the energy possible and consuming what you're able to consume without feeling ill, so that you can keep burning later on.
SPEAKER_05And sleep, do you think the the strategy should be to try and stockpile little bits of sleep before you really need it?
SPEAKER_03Well, at least rest, yeah. I don't know whether you can. I mean, there's a thing in ultra running that really, unless you're asleep for there seems to be like a golden period of about 20 minutes. If you can get 20 minutes sleep, then there is some recovery, but you tend to, if you just catnapping for five minutes and then off again, doesn't really seem to um help and and sometimes can make you feel even more apologically.
SPEAKER_05I'd love to know if those guys on the weekend slept at all. Yeah, well we can maybe find out. It seems an unfeasibly amount long amount of time to genuinely not sleep at all.
SPEAKER_03And also I'd love to know what went on with them with like hallucinations and because I just don't see how you could have that much sleep deprivation and not being a I think the stockpiling sleep before the race is really important.
SPEAKER_05I remember doing that, trying really hard before UTMB to get like proper nine hours the week before, and then as much sleep as it starts evening, isn't it? 6 pm. 6 pm.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, so the thing is the day is going to be spent preparing. That's that's a concern, as well. Setting up the tent, preparing the food.
SPEAKER_03No, you don't do any of that, so Hannah, I have to do all of that, but or you have to get as much of it done, yeah, you know, in terms of like cooking and preparing all your food and packing and everything, you've got to be ready. Yeah, and you don't have to be.
SPEAKER_07I was thinking that cutting that day. And I think the benefit of starting at six is I'll have been I'll have done my morning poo, I'd have had my breakfast, I'd have had my lunch, you know, I'll be completely normal. None of that whole because the problem is with early starts, is you're all you're out of sync before you've even started.
SPEAKER_03So even like two or three weeks before that, if you're not, if you find you're getting like six hours sleep or seven hours sleep, if you can find the time to get 90 minutes, two hours in the middle of the day, or at A.
SPEAKER_05You're gonna be tapering, you're gonna have loads of time.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, to yeah, I mean you should be able to.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, because I get really bored when I taper, so if I'm feeling bored, I just have sleep. Go to sleep. Yeah, cool, and it's actually part of your training. Yeah, good, but it's I I like the fact it starts in the evening because it's getting the one night out the way, you know, because there's gonna be some people who won't perhaps won't have run at night and they'll hate it, and then when the second night comes around, I think they'll be quite a short night, any really dark tental.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah, yeah, it will be short.
SPEAKER_05That'll be quite nice, it'll be over before you think about it.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, the other thing is that let Hannah and I, your support team, focus on all the logistics so you don't get involved in any of that, you don't need to worry about any of that, um, and also communicate everything to us. So if you've got any slight niggle, if you need a favourite teddy bear to carry around with you, you know, whatever it is that makes life easier for you, um, let us know. So don't like keep anything to yourself, basically. Tell us every time you come around how you're feeling, what you want, what you want the next lap, um, what you're thinking that you want to do the next lap, so all the time, and especially any niggles, so that they can be dealt with taped up, um, you know, um blisters, all this type of thing needs to be dealt with quickly and efficiently and as soon as possible. And I know you're a good communicator, so and on that subject, don't waste your time talking to other people and being nice.
SPEAKER_01Oh, really?
SPEAKER_03For the sake of it. Now, there's a there's a balance to that. Um you can like it makes the thing go quicker, doesn't it? Yeah, it can be motivational chatting to people about what else they've done.
SPEAKER_07But it can have the opposite effect if they start telling me all their hundred-mile races they've won.
SPEAKER_03Or every their whole family history or problems at home or god knows what else it might be, it's gonna drain. So you need to be able to know when to like, oh I think I'm gonna have to walk this bit, or I need to speed up a bit. Just manage that conversation because I know what you're like, you you know, you're chatty and communicative, and but you'll find that you will drain yourself emotionally without realizing it, and also you'll end up running at a pace faster than you need to because you're chatting to somebody who's decided that they're gonna run around a bit quicker. Okay, so it's quite easy to lose track of concentration on what you're doing.
SPEAKER_05Just save it all up for me and Kev. Okay, let it all out. Okay, gonna try and keep Lizzie quiet for 45 minutes. Okay.
SPEAKER_03I mean, you'll get told, you'll get shouted at by us.
SPEAKER_05They're not your friends, I guess. Yeah, no, they're not. They're yeah. Like you would on a normal race, you'd probably chat and you know, bounce off the company of other people, but yeah.
SPEAKER_03I see this as I mean, ultra's great social sport, but I see this as like completely different to any other type of ultra because you've got a chance.
SPEAKER_01Well, yeah.
SPEAKER_03Everybody's got a chance.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it needs to be thought about that you're at the head of the race all the time. You know, if there's only 26 in the field, which I think what the entry is at the moment, then that's free. And the other side of that is I've put here be stroppy if you like.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_03Well, you go through all sorts of emotions during and you know, once you get beyond like 30 hours or something, who knows what you're gonna be like.
SPEAKER_06So how long until she shuts up for exertions of Lizzie entering my mind?
SPEAKER_03Yeah. But I mean, I I suppose I said that just because you know, if you need to let it out, let it out. That's what we're here for. It's not just uh you're not gonna offend us, and yeah. Um I think you'd go through all sorts of things.
SPEAKER_07So, on that matter, at what point I don't want you to say to me, I don't think you would, but what if you think I've had enough because I'm crying and having a tantrum? I still I I really genuine I really want to win this. I want you the only way you would pull me out, I would guess, would be for medical reasons, or I've just not made it back in time.
SPEAKER_05So I in my head, the only reason for you to withdraw is because you physically cannot make go any further. And the only way you'd have a hissy fit and a crying, we'll just send you anyway. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, just get out of my sight. Yeah, I think the only the only person that'll ever make a call for you to stop will be medical people, not that you know, we'll refer or will say, Can you have a look at her? And if they say, Oh god, they must keep an eye on that.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, they must do, yeah. Because like what I was thinking, say like it is hot. What if I have a bit of a a lightheaded thing? I know I'll be fine, but would you still be like you'd still kick me out and oh yeah, you're not alone, yeah.
SPEAKER_05You're not disappearing for out, you know, you've not got like country where you've got like you know 20 miles between checkpoints. Yeah, yeah. You're gonna be with other people who are gonna be around you at all times. Okay, so just go just go.
SPEAKER_03I mean, we'll just you'll end up just wandering about somewhere on the loose. Well, you'll be disorientated.
SPEAKER_08Yeah.
SPEAKER_03If you can't get back in the hour, you can't like it, yeah. You don't you're out, so yeah. Uh uh and you you know you're not gonna leave in such a dehydrated state. Yeah, because you're you wouldn't let that's that in an hour you're gonna do yourself some serious damage.
SPEAKER_07But would you still be like you'd still kick me out and oh yeah, you're not gonna be able to do it?
SPEAKER_05You're not alone, you're not in the mountains, you're not disappearing for hours, you know, you've not got like counts face where you've got like you know 20 miles between checkpoints, yeah. You're gonna be with other people are gonna be around you at all times. Okay, so just go just go.
SPEAKER_03I mean, we'll just you'll end up just wandering about somewhere on the loose. Well, do you'll be disorientated.
SPEAKER_08Yeah.
SPEAKER_03If you can't get back in the hour, you can't back it, yeah. You don't, you're out. So uh uh and you you know you're not gonna leave in such a dehydrated state. Yeah, because you're you wouldn't let that yeah, okay, that's that in an hour you're gonna do yourself some serious damage.
SPEAKER_07So actually you pointed out because the things I'm panicking about uh not panicking, the things that I'm worried about, the things that you guys are doing anyway, because I said to hello going to the toilet, I was like, but what if I need a poo? What if I need a wee? And she was like, just go to the loo, yeah. You know, because I suppose I'm thinking of those times when it is 20 miles between aid stations, and you know, so yeah, and yeah, the food you're gonna be telling me to I think I said it's only that's what Kev was gonna say at the start. This is our worry. Yeah, okay, so I don't need to eat. I just literally have to put one foot in front of the other. Yeah. So I really have the easy bit. And communicate. Yeah, I can definitely do that.
SPEAKER_02And eat poo and we.
SPEAKER_03I don't want to eat poo and we I don't want to eat poo common poo and we just to clarify. Yes. Okay, shall we move on from the easy?
SPEAKER_05It's gonna be the feet that's made thing, isn't it? I think. Do you think?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, because have you got a blister kit?
SPEAKER_07So I seem to be doing really well in not getting blisters lately. Um so but I do have so my blister kit is safety pen pop pen, I'm not sure how long do you think that is. Uh um p. So we're going after my own heart. Compede and uh and surgical tape to hold the compete on and a clean pair of socks. That is My are you gonna rotate trainers? No, I I was only going to no, I I think is no oh your face is telling me different. I'm just thinking if it's not broken, don't fix it.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, no, it's not a good thing. But if I if I haven't got listed, but I think you'd want another pair so if something does stop.
SPEAKER_07I mean I'm gonna bring all the trainers I own.
SPEAKER_05Okay, that's what I mean.
SPEAKER_07Yeah.
SPEAKER_03I was thinking And do you have a pair that's a size bigger?
SPEAKER_07That all yeah, all my um trail ones are yes.
SPEAKER_03Because your feet will swell. And when you take your feet out of your trainers, you won't get them back in.
SPEAKER_05Like bigger than you. Even bigger than normal.
SPEAKER_03Normal, but yeah. Even though you bought them a size bigger, you think to run in and have like the hundred miles more.
SPEAKER_05So you know, yeah. Crazy, my feet need a bit more breathing.
SPEAKER_07Because I need to buy more trainers then, really.
SPEAKER_03Well, ideally you'd have a pair that were like carpet slippers. Do you know what I mean? That like your they're they're old, they might be worn out.
SPEAKER_01Oh, I see.
SPEAKER_03You don't need cushioning, you you just need I mean you can walk around that quarter in your slippers.
SPEAKER_11Um there'll be a whistle three minutes before the hour, then at two minutes, then at one minute. If you're late for your start, you're not starting. We'd be pulled out, we have to be strict about that. Ums would chew our asses, I think, if we let people go late. Um obviously, if you're late back, you're out, you can't go out on your next loop. If you opt out, just come and let us know that you've had enough, and we'll mark the sheet. Everybody will get a medal or a memento for turning up today. That clock up there is the only clock that counts. Synchronise your watches to it. If there's any arguments that your watch is a few seconds slower than mine, it doesn't work. That's the only clock that counts. Alright, if that says you're out, you're out. Um, there is water, there'll be lemonade and haribows, but this is a self-supporting event. I've seen loads of people have got loads of kit. Um, we will do a supermarket run if anybody really needs it, maybe tomorrow, Sunday morning. We'll see how we go. Right, got about 38 minutes, and we're off.
SPEAKER_03So we've now got 22 minutes to go before the Lincolnholt Backyard Ultra. We've been here for about getting on for four hours, done all our setup with the tent and the camping gear and cooking equipment, and all of Lizzy's food and her organised lists have all been gone through, and we've sat here waiting to start. So, how are you feeling, Liz?
SPEAKER_07I'm feeling calm, which is bizarre. Um, I've had a really nice restful day and I'm just keen now to get going. Um, and it's been really interesting because we were literally the first people to arrive, so we've seen everyone else come, and it's incredible how last minute some people have left it, and how I I've got a lot of stuff as as others have, but there are some people with hardly anything, so it's gonna be interesting to see how the event unfolds, I think.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it's really amazing the difference in approach to it because somebody literally just arrived 25 minutes before the start just now. And some are just pitching up with a chair and their um food supplies, and that's it.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, some are self-supp they haven't got any crew, some are on their own. So uh I feel very lucky to have my professional team and all my equipment that's gonna hopefully see me through to the end.
SPEAKER_03And uh we've been trying to suss out a bit of the opposition, and there's one chap here who did uh the Suffolk uh backyard recently, and he did 28 yards or 28 laps or 28 hours, however you look at it. And he's done a couple of backyards before. Um I think only under one other person here has done a backyard, so it's gonna be really interesting to see how it goes. So thanks, Lizzie.
SPEAKER_06You're welcome. Hopefully, I'll have more to say later.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, there should be some more interesting conversation later. Um, and I've wandered away from the camp so I can make a bit of recording about what's been going on. Uh Lizzy's still going quite well out there. They've just completed their tenth yard or lap or hour, so ten hours in, they've done 41 miles just over. Um and there are now twelve people left in from a field of uh twenty nine that started. So they're dropping quite quickly actually. Um most of the competitors seem to be finding the elevation of the course quite tough um with a lot of the hills or the ascents are quite steep. So it seems to be um getting to those that weren't prepared for it or hadn't realised how steep it was till they got out there. I heard a lot of people saying that they're not used to uh training on that type of ground. So it just shows the prep that you need to do the Lincoln Hold uh backyard ultra. So she's still in there, battling out. There's another woman in there as well, and uh ten fellas, so we'll see how it goes. It'll be when they come in off this lap, it'll be light again, so they can come off the head torch. Um, and obviously they're gonna wake up, their bodies are gonna wake up with the circadian rhythms, probably organise some breakfast for Lizzie if she feels like it. When she comes in for the um what would be the six o'clock loop or twelve hours in. So it's been fine for me. I haven't had any issues, it's been nice and easy for me. I've just been following orders when Lizzie comes in and doing my bit to contribute and um staying awake. So I'll come back to you later. It seems to be especially so with Lizzie that I'm learning. She set up a Facebook page uh for this backyard ultra, and I have been going up the road about 800 metres to a nearby church to get the nearest phone signal to try and pick up um the Facebook stuff that's going on the pages there and make reports to all her group. There's about eighty odd people on the group, and they're all sending great messages to her, and I'm now screenshotting those because I don't know the people and relaying the message back to her, and she seems to have got a big lift out of receiving that information. A lot of people actually wrote little notes and letters to her as well, so it's just one thing that adds to the sort uh the uplift that an athlete might get um during the race. There aren't many spectators here, um, and most of them, because there's only six left, it's just the athlete and the officials and uh crew like me who are left. So it can be a bit of a lonely existence, other than the people that you're out there trying to beat. So that's just one of the tactics she's using to keep her motivated and to keep her up, and having the thoughts of her friends and people who know her that are willing her on to uh win this thing. Um here at Lincoln Holt we've reached it. Uh in fact, we reached it about four laps ago when the field went down to six, and the same six people are still out there, um and they've done four laps together so far, so it'll be who to see who cracks first each time. And Lizzie's still there, she's the only female out there now amongst the men, and they all look pretty determined, and these races tend to come down to the people who really want it at the end, and I think you know we've reached a sharp end, and uh to be a bit more whittling away yet, but it makes really interesting viewing to see how people approach it. Um and certainly Lizzie's strategy has been to finish nearly all her laps within four or five or most six minutes of the next start time, and it seems to have worked well for her. She got through her bad spell that she had in the night stomach-wise, and now she's feeling stronger again. Um and the legs are really good, so all looking good at the moment. It's been pouring with rain well since first light this morning. Um, and they're out on lap 16 at the moment, so they've been going for 16 hours. Um, a lot of people that dropped out definitely found that the elevation, of course, wasn't for them, or they weren't used to running in such elevation, and so it seems to be working quite well for Lizzie, who's got a bit of mountain running in her legs lately, and uh it's paying off, hopefully. I didn't get round to recording the end of Lizzie's exploits on the backyard, but she got down to the final four, where there were three guys and Lizzie left in the race, and she was doing really well. I think it was around lap 18. I mean, she was even leading off each time they started each lap, arms out, like an aeroplane, going off downhill. Some of that I think was psyching out the opposition, but she was obviously enjoying her running as well. And Hannah joined us, and Lizzie's parents, and Hannah's two girls, and so she had quite a cheering crew actually each time she came round. But unfortunately, on lap 20 she developed uh some sort of pain in her foot, which really stopped her running at all, and uh timed out on lap twenty, uh which was unfortunate, and that left three guys in it, and there were two that were off the front most of the time getting back first, certainly within you know 45 minute, 50 minute laps they were doing and looking very strong. But interestingly enough, the chap who was coming in behind them, um a guy called Frank Wainwright, who had done the 28 laps at the uh Suffolk Backyard Ultra when the world record was set. He actually won the event. Uh, interestingly enough, the two guys that were going really strongly dropped out on the twenty-fourth lap. Um, so clearly their aim was just to run a hundred miles in the twenty-four hours. So you never know what people's uh mindsets are when they turn up to these events. And Frank did his twenty-fifth lap and won the event. So well done, Frank. And uh also a great well done to Lizzie, who as her first attempt at such a thing and still fairly new to Ultra, thought it was a magnificent effort. And uh I'm sure she'll probably attempt something like it again. I'm not sure if she'll do it this year, because she's got other plans which you'll hear more about in another podcast. But uh it was a really great event. Uh nice it was quite low-key. It was nice to do an event that was uh not so many people, there were only about 28 in the field, and obviously with very few um people uh assisting, it made it for quite a nice, quiet an event that you could get really close to um and get to know the competitors as they were going round quite well, and and it was quite interesting to see the different attitudes towards the race and how they go. I don't know that it's everybody's cup of tea to try and run an event where you don't know where the end is, but uh it might be worth giving it a try one day, even if your plan is to just get through 12 hours or 24 hours of ultra running. It's a nice safe environment. Um, obviously you come around every hour, the support every hour. So it's quite a good way of getting into uh ultra, even if you don't intend trying to stay in to be the last person there. After the Lincoln Hole Backyard event, and uh Lizzie completed twenty yards or laps or hours of the event, um, and was first female home, and uh I think it was fifth overall, was it? Fifth, yeah. Um so I thought we'd have a bit of a summary of how the event event went for you, Lizzie, and uh what you thought about the whole thing, really. I mean one of the things that struck me straight away was our approach to it, um, with the tents and all the setup and a massage chair and everything, and other people's turning up at the last minute and opening a box and of goodies and off they went.
SPEAKER_07I think everyone had very different goals. Um, I was there, we we were there because we wanted to win, um and we had packed accordingly. I think we probably had maybe eight days worth of food and clothing, and there was I mean there was so much stuff that I didn't need, but it's so hard to prepare the items you need for an event that you've got, you know. I had no I couldn't quite imagine how it was going to be. And I'm still glad I had all of those things with me because you can't, you know, the weather could have done anything. Um I didn't know how long I was I was gonna go on for. Um and you know, it's no hassle really unloading the stuff out of the car, putting it in one place, and then loading it all back in again at the end of the event. So I, you know, I I don't I think I would probably still pack similar amounts of stuff. I think maybe the dressing gown was a bit overkill. Um, and also I think when I so when I'd done my practice backyard, I'd done a um a 12-hour one that was around the the pavements of where I live. Um, and that was quite a flat route. So I had um a lot of I think maybe 15 to 20 minutes rest time in between each lap, but at um with Lincoln Holt Backyard, which actually now it's had a change of name, it's called Fakham Backyard because they had a last minute, I say last minute, a couple of weeks before the event they had an issue with the location, so it got moved to Vackham, and that's now where it will continue to be is on the Fakham Estate. Um it's a very, very hilly course. Um so I and I was extremely consistent with my laps, but I was only having um what eight minutes? I can't remember.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, maximum eight minutes down to sort of three.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, eight to ten minutes. Uh and then yeah, there was a I didn't have a three minute because I was. Yeah, so that the rest time wasn't so great. So if I even if I had have wanted, because I had loads of clothes with me, if I had wanted to change my clothes, I think it would have been a struggle. I mean, I did in that morning, I did change, you know, I put some deogen on and um you know asked for flannels, had a bit of a wash, and and that was that was really nice, but um I don't know, but was it necessary? Because I think on the rest time perhaps you really should just be sat there resting. Um, and some of my rest times I it felt like I was quite busy, you know, doing I don't know what. Um and also um yeah, going to the loo as a lady that just takes time uh using the portalies. I did go out on the I did a wild wee on the course, um, which is probably maybe I should have done more of that rather than wasting time in the portal.
SPEAKER_03But uh well I think the the the big thing with that event is the amount of elevation. I think it's the hilliest there is. Yeah. Um and of course that's got to be worth I don't know, five, six minutes easily over a fat clause, more than that, probably.
SPEAKER_07I think that played to my strength so because I'd done a lot of you know, I'd been in Wales previously, done, you know, Dragons Back Day Two, Reci with you. Um I'd done a lot of hill training, I'd done a lot of mental preparation for it as well, and overnight people were dropping like flies, and I think I think a lot of it was they weren't mentally prepared for those hills, but the hills were not an issue to me, and I think I sort of feel like I can last longer on a hilly course than I could on a flat course. Um, because it's more I think it's that nice amount of diversity as well. Um, and you're you're for you know you are forced into a wall. Walk at certain places, which I think is a good thing. Um, and as it happened, it was I got timed out, but it was on the 21st, I completed 20 laps, didn't I? It was the 21st lap, I got timed out because my foot very annoyingly started hurting. But but you know, I I set out what I wanted to achieve, which was to not quit. So I didn't quit, I just got timed out because my foot hurt. Am I bitter? No.
SPEAKER_03Well, you're a DNF, everybody's a DNF other than a winner, but yeah. Um, I I think so. There was no point at all mentally where you thought you'd had enough.
SPEAKER_07You you it was No, I was so I think that was the one that for me that was the real takeaway from this event was just how mentally tough I am. Um, because I you know, uh I I just felt mentally really strong the whole time. Um in the there was actually there was a few laps in the night I had um really awful stomach problems, um, unlike any I've had before, and I couldn't work out, you know, you sort of go through is it, you know, do I feel sick? Um, do I need the toilet? Um, is it indigestion? I I could not work out what the pain was, and it was it was really, really horrible. It was like a ball, a ball of pain that with every step was um jolting around, and it was really affecting that. So there was those handful of laps that did that were slower, and at the end of each lap, I would try something, you know. I I tried ginger thinking it was sickness, I tried going to the loo thinking it was that. Um then Kev made me this bizarre concoction that actually seemed to have smoke out of it.
SPEAKER_06I don't know what it was. He just said, I mean, there was a certain element of chance, so he just handed it to me and said, drink this while it's still what was it, drink this while it's still fizzing?
SPEAKER_07I just downed it, I didn't ask any questions, I just downed it. But whatever it was, that was the thing that worked, and it was amazing because it was that that next lap. I was like three, I don't know, was it three, four minutes quicker, and then I continued to stay then on uh you know, um having that extra time each lap. So that there was a moment in the night where I was feeling slightly panicked because I thought I knew I still knew I wouldn't quit, but I thought I can't um escape from the fact that I'm in a lot of pain, and that is going to slow me down. So I did feel like I might get timed out in the night. Um so I did feel slightly panicked, and that's where um I ran um with the with uh with Rich Jackson, he's uh also known as Farmborough Sports Massage. If you follow any of these backyard runners on on Instagram, um, but we ran the my worst lap we ran together, and actually he really helped because he took my mind off the pain. We chatted that the whole time. Um, and I hadn't I'd I've been playing a sort of a game by I hadn't been talking to any of the other runners. I've kept myself to myself, I've kept really, really quiet. Um, no one really had an indication of my personality of how it can be a little bit um excitable. Uh but I I did we we chatted that whole lap and I confessed to him about my stomach, and he confessed something I can't remember what it was now, but he had been having an issue a couple of laps before, and I actually felt really, really good to get it off my chest, and then yeah, then I had that magical concoction, and then suddenly life was good again. And um yeah, and it it was good.
SPEAKER_03You said that you weren't playing any mind games with people, but I mean, we discussed this early on uh before the event, but towards the end, when you were the only female left, you were definitely playing mind games.
SPEAKER_07Oh, yeah, yeah. It was a bit it was frustrating because um it's well, it's easy to say afterwards now it's all over, now I know what happened because on the the lap, the same lap that I got timed out, someone else retired. So if you know, if I hadn't been timed out, I'd have been down to the final four, you know. Frank the winner, amazing, amazing guy. But Frank, you were getting slower, and I had been noticing this for a while.
SPEAKER_03Uh but uh but it was stuff like running over the start line with your arms out in the air, like, come on, guys, you know, you were leading them off.
SPEAKER_07You could see the pain in people's faces. That as you come over the start line, you're straight into a downhill section, and you could see people like grimacing and hobbling because it it was you could tell it was really hurting for them to go downhill, and I was fine. So I was like, right, well, I know I'm fine, I know they're not. So I literally was. I think one time I was like an air, I made myself like an aeroplane, including the airplane noises. Um, another time I skipped, another time I not sprinted, but ran fast, you know, absolutely went steaming down there faster than I needed to while going, yeah. So I think you know, that potentially that can be off-putting to others when they're in pain. And I had said, because Frank and I were next to each other um in the um, you know, in the in the rest area, and I just remember um saying, I can't remember the exact conversation, but it was something along the lines of um it's it's a hundred, was it a hundred miles to the start line? This is just the warm-up. Yeah, you know, the first 24 hours is a is a hundred mile walk to the start line.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that's exactly something like that.
SPEAKER_07And um yeah, and it's just um oh no, there was another time actually when uh it was in the night. We were just I was just beginning to chat to some of the other I think people were starting to take notice of me because I think it's quite a small field of women, um, and there were a lot of um really good, decent runners there, you know, with really quick marathon times, but actually that counts for nothing um in a backyard. But just starting to talk to people, and um I've told them how you know Kev, I had two members of crew, Kev was there, my other, my second crew member was Hannah, she was um she's a sports massage um pro, and that she was coming at 24 hours, and I just said it so matter-of-factly, you know, I I was so confident I would be there after 24 hours, and that's that's when my second crew member was joining. So I did get a few raised eyebrows then and thought to myself, I you know, I didn't I suppose I didn't mean it on purpose like a mind game, but but it worked out as one, yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03So now that you've done it, do you think you do another one?
SPEAKER_07I think so, because um I learnt a lot from that, a huge amount from that event. Um I now I know what I'm yeah, I know I'm ca I'm you're always capable of more than you think. Um, and if you do a backyard, I think you end up proving yourself that you're capable of more than you think. But I've got better um I I feel like there's a few little tweaks and changes I would make um to really maximize my rest time. Um, and I do thinking about the stomach issue, I I can't be sure, but you know, I had about three days before the event, um, I had a really, really heavy meal that a very kind person cooked for me, but thinking about it, perhaps I shouldn't have had that heavy meal, and maybe that was what was catching up with me on the run. Um, because I'm usually really, really careful about what I eat before events. Um, and uh yeah, I think there's yeah, a few little tweaks here and there I I'd like to perhaps go back and you'd stick to the hilly course because you said that was. I think I would, yeah, because I I've proven myself there. You know, I now know, you know, I I know um Mark and Jason um from you know from Andover Trail events. Um I feel like they perhaps might be rooting for me a little bit. Um there might be some other competitors there from you know um who like me want to want to go back. Um I think it's nice to have for the for me, I think the familiarity would be nice. Um and that's something it's almost like a one-up on other some of the other runners that come, if they've not done it before, you can be a bit like, oh yeah, well, I was there last year, you know, I know this course well. So you can I think you know, you can sort of talk the talk.
SPEAKER_03Well, I think the other thing is with that course is that most people hadn't been able to recie it or see the route, and they were really caught out after the first lap, they were already saying, Oh my. I can't remember what it was now. Can you remember what the elevation was?
SPEAKER_07Uh it was four, wasn't it four over four hundred metres per lap, yeah. Which is a lot, really. I mean, I did my Stravus shows my elevation in feet, and I it was over 12,000 feet of elevation. In the 20 hours, in yeah, so uh um yeah, it's I I don't know if I will because this uh yeah, in 2022 the back back and backyard is about three weeks after South Townsway 100, which I am entered in. So if I do end the backyard, well I I can't enter it until I've done the 100 because I I I have no idea how I will feel after that because I've not done a um 100 before. So but um Yeah, it might be too close.
SPEAKER_03But anyway, to sort of draw a conclusion to it all, I mean, uh what are the biggest I suppose learning gains out of it that you had from doing it?
SPEAKER_07Um so you're there are a few things I won't say because I feel like they are unique to me and they are perhaps my secret weapons. You know, not that I'm competitive or anything at all, but I mean in terms of certain like I think for a backyard event, I think a big the mental your mental preparation is absolutely key. More, I think more than anything. I mean uh anyone you know with a decent level of fitness can get around a four-mile loop within an hour. Um, but what is gonna make you continue to do that is is is being mentally tough enough to do so.
SPEAKER_03Um and then uh I think I think that's yeah, that's it all boils down to the fact that you know you need to be the last one standing, doesn't it? So it you your mental attitude has to be, well, I'm here for the duration.
SPEAKER_07So I guess yeah. I did um I actually did some um mindset coaching with um with a lady called uh Lucy Waldridge. Um uh she's a friend who I I work out with um at Blaze, and she it's mindset coaching is not something I would have considered before, um, but she very kindly offered me a session for free, and I must admit that was worth that that I mean that was worth a lot because um she really really prepared me for those hills, it really gave me a very an even more positive attitude than normal. Um, and I think because of her, I wasn't nervous, I was also really, really calm. Um, so I think well again, it just proves for being mentally um working on your mental fitness uh is is a big deal. Um so I had I did have help there. Um, I wasn't on my own preparing my my mind.
SPEAKER_03Uh but I think another thing is that you must get out of it is that you discover more about yourself and what your capabilities are, yeah, I think what you're able to go through.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, I've I've come away from that event feeling um yeah, feeling even stronger, tougher, more confident. You know, I think um I can and when I enter, when I'm perhaps struggling on other events, I can think back to that. You know, there were definitely low points, certainly in the night when my stomach was hurting, but I got through it, you know. I I found a way, I got through it. Um I didn't let those hills defeat me. So many people let the hills defeat them. Um the night, the night time, you know, I someone actually pulled out because they hadn't practiced running at night in a head torch and they couldn't cope, uh they couldn't cope um over the night. And I just thought, my word, why would you enter an overnight event and not have practiced at night? But you know, again, I can do that. I actually had an owl fly into my face at one point, but um it didn't it didn't bother me. I just took it in my stride, carried on. It's fine. Um, so yeah, I think I've definitely come away feeling a tougher, uh, a tougher runner, um, and I'll take that with me into other other events.
SPEAKER_03Great. Well, well done, Lizzie. Thank you. I think it was a great performance, and look forward to you whenever it is that you tackle another of those um backyard ultras.