2020 Quarantine Backyard Ultra Race! Official Race Discussion Thread

zdf wrote:

Wardian is a real american hero, has tons of support, and also a heck of a guy. But Radek looks like an absolute terminator. Physically machine-like, but also mentally impervious. Hell, he even managed to thrown in a couple of not so subtle barbs about Mike DNFing at the Spartathlon during one of their exchanges ?

Great job in the race, Bob H. I was still watching the live feed when you dropped. It was like dominoes for a couple hours there ?

You are not the first to say that about Radek. One thing I am proud of is that I finished two places ahead of him in our first Spartathlon, 2015. Not since! And yes, I had forgotten, Mike DNFed that year. Bad chafing as I recall. Me too. That's when I learned to wear compression shorts.

And thanks!

zdf wrote:

Wardian is a real american hero, has tons of support, and also a heck of a guy. But Radek looks like an absolute terminator. Physically machine-like, but also mentally impervious. Hell, he even managed to thrown in a couple of not so subtle barbs about Mike DNFing at the Spartathlon during one of their exchanges ?

Great job in the race, Bob H. I was still watching the live feed when you dropped. It was like dominoes for a couple hours there ?

I was wondering about that. I knew Mike Wardian went to the Spartatlon but I didn't remember he didn't finsh.

Spartatlon is for the big boys and Radek has 5 finishes . Placed 3, 2, 2, 3, 30.

Mike just did a bit of a dance around that object in the road. If I tried that after so many miles my hip would have dislocated.

jesseriley wrote:

I’m showing 3 live channels on YouTube listed as:

Quarantine Backyard Ultra

Seriously, the virus has slowed our already slow service in Arkansas. I can’t stream anything. I can’t even play 12” disco songs from the 70s anymore. Plus we’re out of cocaine. If there’s anyone still alive who’s reading this, try & make contact.

Just catching up on this, but gotta say, jesseriley has some entertaining posts on this thread :)

boringjogger wrote:

jesseriley wrote:

I’m showing 3 live channels on YouTube listed as:

Quarantine Backyard Ultra

Seriously, the virus has slowed our already slow service in Arkansas. I can’t stream anything. I can’t even play 12” disco songs from the 70s anymore. Plus we’re out of cocaine. If there’s anyone still alive who’s reading this, try & make contact.

Just catching up on this, but gotta say, jesseriley has some entertaining posts on this thread :)

Send some cocaine to Arkansas!

...and they're off. Lap 59!

just watched Radek and Wardian start loop #59 (241mi)

wardian is playing mind games, doing some core workout in the last minute before he starts. Radek plays it cool and starts by walking a bit on the treadmill, in no hurry to up the speed.

wardian wearing a hydration vest but don't know what's in it. maybe a small swig of water/electrolyte but definitely nothing substantial.

Is someone running themselves to death a realistic possibility here? At a certain point this seems like voluntary torture

AXC wrote:

Is someone running themselves to death a realistic possibility here? At a certain point this seems like voluntary torture

Yes it is voluntary torture. No running themselves to death is not a realistic possibility, though for Wardian there is some danger he will get so loopy he could get hit by a car. That was my concern about what would happen to me late in the race, but I didn't last that long. In a race like this you really need a closed course with others in the race around you.

Bob Hearn wrote:

AXC wrote:

Is someone running themselves to death a realistic possibility here? At a certain point this seems like voluntary torture

Yes it is voluntary torture. No running themselves to death is not a realistic possibility, though for Wardian there is some danger he will get so loopy he could get hit by a car. That was my concern about what would happen to me late in the race, but I didn't last that long. In a race like this you really need a closed course with others in the race around you.

That absolutely factored into my calculus when I decided to call it quits. Even though I was running on a relatively quiet neighborhood street, once the sun went down on the second night, I felt pretty vulnerable given my sleep-deprived state.

Wardian and Laz are right now discussing other ways to end it

boringjogger wrote:

Wardian and Laz are right now discussing other ways to end it

Or I guess more accurately, Mike is brainstorming various ways to end it, and Laz isn't buying any of them.

Also, it's great that Bob Hearn posted to this thread, and that he got Radek into the race!

....and they're off. Neither have blinked. 2 tuff hombres.

boringjogger wrote:

boringjogger wrote:

Wardian and Laz are right now discussing other ways to end it

Or I guess more accurately, Mike is brainstorming various ways to end it, and Laz isn't buying any of them.

Looks like his mind is cracking.

rojo wrote:

What fascinates me is they are both running at nearly exactly the same pace.

Well at least on that lap. They both took about 40:30. That's 9:43 mile pace.

1) Have they consistently been running the same pace?

2) Anyone know what pace they were running at beginning?

All of Mike's runs are uploaded to Strava after each lap. He was around 11:15 pace for many of the laps early on.

These MFers are crazy.

Radek sliding off the back of the treadmill, girlfriend panicking!!

I think that slip woke Radek up. He'd been flagging for the last 90 minutes, but he looks business like starting yard 61. Still, I gotta think that the longer this goes on, the better Wardian's chances are, as long as he doesn't quit for work. The man can operate at status quo for a week on extremely limited rest. And he doesn't seem to have any significant pains or niggles at this point, unless he's hiding them really well.