Backyard ultras don’t ask if you’re tough. They ask if you’re honest.

As we close out 2025, many runners are already looking at their 2026 calendars. But before you pick a race or set a mileage goal, you need clarity. In this episode, we move beyond "marathon-style thinking" to explore the mental frameworks and uncomfortable questions that actually determine success in a race with no finish line.

We dive deep into why intensity backfires, how to manage your ego at 2:00 a.m., and the three-tier framework for defining success when the outcome is unpredictable.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The "Why" Behind the Loop: Why your "Instagram answer" won’t save you when things get dark.
• Patience vs. Toughness: Why the most strategic runners are often the ones who look like they’re "underperforming" early on.
• The 2:00 A.M. Rule: How to handle the "unreliable narrator" of a sleep-deprived brain and avoid emotional quitting.
• Identity-Based Goals: Why setting an "X-hour" goal can actually create a ceiling for your performance.
• Life Capacity: Assessing if your current season of life supports the mental and emotional load of backyard training.
• Falling in Love with the Boring: Why mastering the "unsexy" skills—walking, strength training, and repetition—is the ultimate key to durability.

Takeaways

• Most runners fail at backyard ultras due to unclear goals.
• Backyard ultras require a different approach to goal setting.
• Success in backyard ultras is not defined by distance or time.
• Patience is more important than toughness in this format.
• Defining success without a finish line is crucial.
• Decision-making under fatigue is a key skill for endurance runners.
• Life season and emotional readiness impact training effectiveness.
• Consistency in training is more important than race day excitement.
• Understanding your motivations can enhance your performance.
• Embracing the process is essential for long-term success.

Featured Resource

[FREE] 2026 Runner Goal Clarity Worksheet: Don’t just listen—do the work. Download the exact questions from this episode to help you map out a sustainable and clear 2026 season.

👉 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 make a big jump in backyard ultras?

Stephanie Rosebaugh, licensed marriage and family therapist, ultra runner, and author, joins me to discuss the mindset that was required in her huge jump in performance at The Last Dance Backyard Ultra, where she ran 67 yards and earned the assist, nearly doubling her previous backyard performances of 34 and 38 yards.

Stephanie shares the full arc of her journey into ultras, from a late start in running to tackling Cocodona and Bigfoot 200, and how those long, point-to-point experiences shaped her approach to the backyard format. Rather than chasing an outcome, Stephanie explains how her biggest breakthrough came from committing to loving herself every step of the way, staying present, and removing comparison from the equation.

The conversation dives deep into:

• How mindset and self-talk directly influenced her ability to run nearly three days straight
• The mental reframes that helped her move through night running, bad weather, and emotional lows
• Why fueling consistency, simple routines, and acceptance of ebbs and flows mattered more than rigid strategies
• The powerful moment that led her to step off the course voluntarily and why it felt like a win
• How curiosity, not pressure, is now driving her pursuit of a silver coin and a spot on Team USA

This episode is a masterclass in mental resilience, emotional maturity, and sustainable performance, and a reminder that in backyard ultras, the biggest breakthroughs often happen when runners stop forcing outcomes and start listening to their bodies, their minds, and the moment they’re in.

Stephanie's IG https://www.instagram.com/stephsrunspiration/

Stephanie's book The Power of Enoughness

https://books.manuscripts.com/product/the-power-of-enoughness/

Takeaways

• Patience and grit are essential in backyard ultras.
• Emotional maturity plays a key role in endurance racing.
• The journey of self-discovery is crucial for runners.
• Nutrition planning is vital for long races.
• Community support enhances the racing experience.
• Mindset shifts can transform race outcomes.
• Every race offers unique gifts and lessons.
• Flexibility is important in ultra running.
• Connection with fellow runners enriches the experience.
• Setting process goals can lead to greater satisfaction.

👉 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 this powerful episode, Colleen MacDonald shares the five-year journey behind her Fastest Known Time on Mt. Kilimanjaro. A journey that started long before she stepped foot on the mountain. Colleen opens up about how a period of personal transition led her to seek a goal big enough to anchor her, challenge her, and reconnect her with the bold version of herself she feared she’d lost.

We explore what it takes to hold a dream for years: the mental discipline, the self-reinvention, the systems that keep you committed, and the emotional grit required when no start line or finish line is ever guaranteed. Colleen talks through the physical training, the dark moments, the doubt-as-data mindset, and the micro-decisions that carried her through altitude, exhaustion, and uncertainty.

More than a story about setting an FKT, this is an honest conversation about identity, belief, long-term resilience, and what it means to choose a goal that changes you from the inside out. If you're craving a challenge that scares you, stretches you, or asks you to become someone new, this episode will feel like permission to start.

Follow Colleen on Instagram

Colleen's website and blog

The Cairn Project website

More about the Summit Scholarship

Takeaways

• Mental strength is 90% of achieving big goals.
• Setting a long-term goal can help overcome stagnation.
• Having a larger purpose can enhance motivation.
• Resilience is built through grit and endurance.
• Training for altitude is crucial for success.
• Quitting should not be an option when pursuing goals.
• Flexibility in planning is essential for overcoming challenges.
• Building a supportive team can elevate the experience.
• Reflecting on experiences helps in personal growth.
• Every challenge presents an opportunity for learning. The first time you face a challenge, it makes the second time easier.
• Problem-solving is essential for personal growth.
• You can feel better in an hour; give yourself that chance.
• Taking quitting off the table allows for deeper learning.
• Experiences outside your comfort zone build resilience.
• Doubt can serve as a data point for growth.
• Getting comfortable with discomfort is a learned skill.
• Celebrating small wins reinforces confidence during challenges.
• Verbalizing struggles can help alleviate mental burdens.
• The journey is as important as the destination in achieving goals.

👉 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