Lakou Backyard Ultra was not on my list of races for this year, but having missed the Jasper Half Marathon due to the rock slide, I was missing being around the running community and spending time with people who can relate to the things we do.
The 2026 event was just one week out from the Calgary Marathon and after what feels like weeks of ups and downs, I just wanted another long run before I toed the line in Calgary. Having already put my name down to volunteer in the timing tent for the evening, I decided to register for the race too, and spend pretty much the entire day out in Devon by squeezing in a few hours of backyard loops prior to my shift.
We were greeted with overcast skies and cool temperatures on race day morning. I'd planned on wearing just shorts and a singlet, but when I saw that it was just below freezing outside, it was obvious that I'd need something a little warmer, particularly for the minutes in between laps where if just be sitting around waiting to go again. Andy wouldn't be there crewing me - I was only planning on doing 6 or 7 laps which would give me around 40 to 50k - I didn't need a full-time crew for that, and I'd just utilise the aid station food and drinks rather than taking all of my own.
Andy dropped me off and I made my way to the tent area where I literally threw up my pop-up tent and threw my one kit bag inside before heading over to collect my bib. It was another good year for Lakou registrations and I think there was around 80 folks that had entered, with some exceptionally good runners' names on the start board. With so many people registered, there was definitely a buzz around the start and finish zone, and despite the cool conditions, everybody seemed to be in good spirits.
 |
| Before the start and my self-crewing tent :) |
The usual race briefing took place prior to start, and then bang on 9am we were off.
Because I wasn't intending to go long today, I tried to keep to the back of the pack and let the majority of runners go ahead. It was quite the sight watching all of the runners snaking their way around the course ahead of me, me quietly following behind without feeling any pressure for once. Everybody seemed to be quite chatty and there were quite a lot of people that were planning on running together for as long as possible which is what the backyard ultra is all about. I personally was running solo and although not running particularly fast, I found myself caught up in a bit of a trail jam where folks were going just a little bit too slowly for me, but I was unable to pass. I didn't mind too much, but when I found myself almost clipping the heels of those in front of me, I made my move on the open fields and got past as many people as I could to give me the space I needed to run.
Although it was a cool day, conditions were actually really good for running. The trails were dry, not too dusty, and the temperature was just enough to build up a bit of a sweat but not so much that things were getting far too warm. I was really enjoying the run, feeling relaxed for once and in my element. I was running each of my laps in around about 50 minutes, but I was finding that the more hours on the clock, the faster I was running. By the time I'd done 3 hours and was half way through my planned time out there, I was running 43 minute laps and still feeling pretty good. I was making use of the race aid station this time too, and I had a good mix of drinks, meatballs, eggs, quesadillas, crisps, cookies, jelly sweets - you name it, it was there, and I was sure to take advantage of what was available to make sure I was refuelling properly. As ever, around about the lunch time period, I was absolutely famished, and I was sure to eat what I could to keep the rumbling stomach quiet.
For the past few months, there have been occasions where I have felt a disconnect with my running, and I have found it difficult to get into the zone. I was a little nervous that I would encounter those feelings at Lakou, but I have to say that I was enjoying the run. I was noticing the leaves on the trees, the wildlife and wildflowers starting to peak through, I heard the birds singing, and I noticed some of the moss on the trees. I really was having a good time and felt like I could have gone on for much longer, but I was very disciplined and called it a day at hour 6 - 25 miles under the belt, and feeling much more confident about running a marathon in just one week's time.
Having finished my race, I took some time to relax for an hour or two before my volunteer shift started at around 5.30pm. It was really nice to sit and watch all the other runners still out there giving their all, some of them crushing their goals and going that extra loop or more that the backyard ultra is renowned for. It was a little chaotic on the timing volunteer shift, especially when groups of runners were arriving back at the same time and we were frantically trying to record all of their numbers accurately to ensure the final results would be correct. But it was also so much fun, and it was nice to share a few hours being on the other side of the race and encouraging those that had been encouraging me earlier in the day.
As the sun started to go down, the music quietened, and the 12 or so runners still remaining at the 12 hour mark were starting to get settled in for the night. With Andy's arrival at the venue, it was also my cue that my shift was now complete and it was time to head home, have some proper food and get to bed so I was fresh and ready for my easy run the next day.
Although I wasn't in for the long haul at Lakou this year, I did have a wonderful day out there, and the event was yet again extremely well organised thanks to Bryan and Debbi. Although I have a couple of other races to do this year, the one I am most looking forward to is the Rivers Edge Ultra where I'll be tackling the 100-mile distance this time. I'm excited to be back doing one of Bryan's races again, and next time, I will definitely be there for the finish line.
Comments
Post a Comment