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

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 Team Championship, where he reached an incredible 75 yards and more than 312 miles.
In this episode, Levi takes us inside those three world stage experiences and shares how his approach has evolved, from being completely underprepared for his first backyard to learning how to pace himself, manage the mental highs and lows, fuel, sleep, communicate with his crew, and conserve energy for the long haul.
We talk about:
How Levi went from a new runner to a 300+ mile backyard ultra athlete
The biggest lessons he learned from his first backyard
How his experiences at Big’s Backyard Ultra changed from 2022 to 2024
Why confidence can sometimes become a liability in a backyard
Learning to expect the low points and knowing they will pass
His strategy for caffeine, naps, and sleep during multi-day races
Why remaining emotionally neutral can be such a powerful skill
How he uses discomfort in everyday life to prepare mentally for the backyard
The importance of having a crew who knows you and can make decisions when you're exhausted
Why his wife and crew are such an important part of his success
His 2024 Big’s experience and what ultimately took him out at 75 yards
How he balances pushing his limits with knowing when it's time to stop
Why he believes there may always be another level to reach
And perhaps most importantly, Levi shares what he believes now that he didn't believe when he started running backyards:
You might be capable of far more than you think you are.
Whether you're training for your first backyard ultra or wondering what it takes to go 100, 200, or 300+ miles, there are plenty of lessons in this conversation you can take into your next race.
Find Levi on Instagram at @way_co_ultra_runner and on Facebook and Strava as Levi Yoder.
👉 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

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, created specifically for runners to send to their crew before race day.
We start with the basics: what a backyard ultra is, how the format works, what the runner can and can't do during the hour, and why pacing and camp time matter. From there, we get into what makes a great crew and how to create an organized, calm camp where your runner can reset every hour.
You'll learn about:
 Camp organization and why everything needs a home 
 Why your crew is your second brain
 What your runner needs to communicate to the crew before race day 
 Understanding your runner's minimum, realistic, and stretch goals 
 Nutrition, hydration, electrolytes, and sticking to the plan 
 Creating contingency plans when your runner stops wanting their usual food 
 Shoes, socks, blisters, chafing, clothing, and preventative care 
 How to communicate with a tired runner without creating more decision fatigue 
 Why "How are you feeling?" may not be the best question to ask 
 How to give your runner simple choices and reduce the number of decisions they have to make 
 Why you shouldn't let your runner make a major decision while sitting in the chair 
 How to prepare for the next yard before your runner even gets back to camp 
 What changes when the race goes from hours into multiple nights 
 How to adapt when weather, nutrition, sleep, feet, or fatigue don't go according to plan 
 Problem-solving instead of panicking 
 Why your crew's emotional state can affect your runner 
 Why crew members need to eat, hydrate, rest, and take care of themselves, too 
 How the crew's role changes when the goal is 10 yards versus 50, 100, 200+ miles 
And perhaps most importantly, we talk about the relationship between the runner and the crew: the runner is responsible for running 4.167 miles every hour and the crew runs the camp.
The goal isn't for the crew to take control of the race. It's to remove as much unnecessary physical and mental work from the runner as possible so they can focus on the only thing they need to do:
One more yard. One more hour.
If you're running your first backyard ultra, send this episode to your crew. Then sit down together and talk through your goals, pacing, nutrition, gear, communication, and what you need from each other before race day.
And if you're the person who has been asked to crew a backyard ultra for the first time, thank you. Your runner chose you because they trust you!
You don't have to know everything about ultrarunning, you just need to care enough to prepare, because in a backyard ultra, one more hour is almost never earned alone. It's a team sport. You can't go far alone!
👉 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

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 shaped his training, and why he believes every runner is an “experiment of one.” Dave shares how he trains his quads and glutes, why uphill hiking and stair repeats have become staples, and how he balances running by feel with the data he does pay attention to.
We also get into the less glamorous, and often overlooked parts of going deep in a backyard: electrolyte balance, bathroom breaks, sleep deprivation, caffeine, and what happens when your brain starts seeing basketballs and treehouses that aren't actually there.
Dave also shares his philosophy on crew, including why he believes the crew camp should be designed primarily for the crew, and how running with other athletes has helped him push through those moments when he wants to quit.
And we talk about Big's Backyard Ultra, what makes Laz's backyard so special, where Dave thinks the backyard format could go in the future, and his new project, Yard Lore, a backyard-ultra data hub designed to bring athlete and race history together in one place.
If you're fascinated by the process of getting better, not just the final result, this episode is for you.
Show links:
Dave's website and blog
Dave's Instagram @davekwiatkowski
Yardlore
Andy's Backyard on October 24, 2026 (Dave's dad's race)
Big's Backyard Ultra
In this episode:
Dave's unconventional introduction to ultra running
The story behind his first 27-yard backyard
How he's progressed to multiple 60+ yard performances
Learning from failure and turning every race into an experiment
Training for the physical demands of multi-day backyards
Sleep, caffeine, and hallucinations
Electrolytes and the surprisingly important problem of bathroom breaks
Building an effective crew camp
Why running with other athletes can be the difference between quitting and continuing
Dave's experiences at Big's Backyard Ultra
The future of backyard ultras
The story behind Yardlore and its unique “Lore Score”
👉 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

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 still to come. Learn how to use micro-anchoring to stay focused on the loop you’re actually running.
Running Their Race: Comparing yourself to runners who appear stronger, faster, or more comfortable. Learn why appearances lie and why focusing on someone else's race can cost you your own.
The False Alarm: When your brain interprets normal ultra-running discomfort as danger. Fatigue, stiffness, blisters, GI issues, fear, and the inevitable highs and lows of an ultra, and how to stop catastrophizing a bad loop.
Borrowing From Tomorrow: The early-race comfort lie that convinces you to skip fueling, hydration, or body care because you feel great. Backyards reward systems, routines, and athletes who stay ahead of problems rather than waiting for them to appear.
The Lawyer: When your brain becomes a defense attorney and starts building a convincing case for why it’s reasonable to quit. Your brain rarely says "quit, "it says "be reasonable."
Jaci also dives into the Identity Trap, where success becomes permission to stop, and explains why even experienced backyard runners and eventual winners can fall into these mental patterns.
The goal isn't to eliminate negative thoughts, discomfort, fear, or doubt. Those things are going to show up. The goal is to recognize them sooner, understand what your brain is doing, and have the tools to respond without letting a temporary low become the end of your race.
The winner isn't necessarily the runner who never has these thoughts. It's the runner who doesn't give them power.
One more yard. Then another. Then another. Until everyone else has stopped.
👉 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

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 perspective on what happens on the other side of the course.
We talk about what a crew member actually does between loops, how to recognize when your runner is struggling, how to balance encouragement with pressure, and why knowing your runner is so important when the race gets deep.
Veronica also shares what she learned from participating in a 100-hour timed event herself, including some eye-opening lessons about nutrition, how strong the body really is, and how to get through the messy middle when there’s still a LOT of time left on the clock.
We also dive into:
How runners can better prepare and communicate with their crew before race day
Why crew members need to take care of themselves, too
How to keep camp organized and efficient as the hours add up
The emotional side of watching someone you love suffer for days
How Veronica and Nick balance their running goals with their life together
What changed between Nick’s Summit and Ode to Laz races
What Veronica is most looking forward to, and nervous about, as Nick heads to Big’s
Why runners shouldn’t feel guilty about asking someone to crew for them
Whether you’re an ultrarunner preparing for your next big race, someone who has been asked to crew, or a spouse or family member trying to understand this crazy sport, this episode will give you a look at the race that happens behind the runner.
Ultras are rarely a solo effort. Sometimes, going one more hour takes a whole team.
Follow Veronica on Instagram @drveronicapardo and Strava.
👉 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