2021 Big's Backyard Recap

The race with no end. It was just a month ago that we all sat glued to our computers watching some of the world's best athletes run in circles. We were lucky enough to have five Tailwind Nutrition athletes out there competing, and even more lucky that they were willing to chat with us post-race about their experiences in the backyard. 

Harvey Lewis, Ohio (2021 Winner and Record Holder of Big's Backyard)

What is your best backyard coming into Big’s this year?

67 yards (277 miles) with Courtney last year in Big’s 2020 as her assist

What were your goals coming into the Backyard?

I wanted to be the final person. I wanted to enjoy the nature, people and overall experience. 

Did you face any challenges getting to Bell Buckle?

It is about a 5 1/2 hour drive. I worked Friday and drove down after work. Last year I was teaching remotely and it was really nice to arrive on Thursday and see people Friday, but I just had to roll with it this year as I needed to work Friday. There were no challenges otherwise. 

What do you love about the Backyard and this format?

I enjoy seeing all the runners each lap. I enjoy the mental challenge of staying focused, strategic decisions with gear, nutrition, etc. It’s really fun to see Laz. He’s quite a philosophical wizard and at times he has poignant statements that stay with me and I will think about long after the race is completed. I enjoy the camaraderie with the other racers and crew chiefs. I have a lot of fun with my crew chief Judd. He’s quite a character and we have some good laughs.  

What was a memorable moment or highlight of your race?

Making it into the fourth day on the trail was really neat. I was excited to hit 300 miles first. In 2017, Laz was saying multiple times to Guillaume and I that we were going to hit 300 and I think it got into my head a little that I wanted to be on my way back to teaching by the next day, and the race was never going to end, it also seemed quite far. It was exciting to hit it with Chris Roberts and Terumichi Morishita and to feel good going into the 4th day. 

What was your fueling plan?

I drank a variety of Tailwind each hour. I waited until the second night to have any Tailwind with caffeine. I ate all vegan food, generally trying to eat a small snack or food of some sort each lap. I ate everything from guacamole and chips to vegan mac, miso soup, dried fruit, and watermelon.

What are your future backyard plans? Will you be back to Big’s?

Laz has me trapped in. “The race with no end.” Stephen King could probably write a classic novel that incorporated Bigs. I do like running a couple new races and formats each year, but I do have my favorites that I return to every year like an annual pilgrimage. Currently they are Long Haul 100, Flying Pig Marathon, Badwater 135 and Big’s Backyard. Each of these races is great for different reasons at different points in the year. But I do treasure them.

Quick Facts

How many miles did you travel to get to bigs? Less than I ran, about 320 miles

How many miles did you run? 354.167 miles

Rough guess: How much Tailwind did you drink? Wow! I have no idea. Gallons and gallons.

Chris Murphy, Australia

What is your best backyard coming into Big’s this year?

I completed 46 yards when I won the Australian Bigs Backyard Satellite event in 2020

What were your goals coming into the Backyard?

My goal was to be competitive, get a PR, get the Australian record back and run until I physically couldn’t get the loop done.

Did you face any challenges getting to Bell Buckle?

I had to obtain a travel exemption from the Australian Government to be allowed to leave Australia, and with that exemption comes the possibility that I may not be able to return home to my family for a significant period of time.

What do you love about the Backyard and this format?

I love that for 99% of people at each event, there is a pretty good chance that they are going to find their limit for that day. But also, the vibe you get at these things where everyone is just hanging out running together every hour, it’s a really casual style of event.

What was a memorable moment or highlight of your race?

When Mike Wardian and I both knew we were struggling with holding a good pace on the trail at the end of the 2nd day. We worked together with Maggie, and she paced us through for that final trail loop to get back in time with enough break to change shoes etc. It was really awesome to be working together out there.

What was your fueling plan?

Every lap had a base of 2 scoops of Tailwind Endurance Fuel in 500ml of water which I would take on the loop. Then between loops I would have real food like potatoes, rice, or gels etc. to get between 300-400 calories per hour.

What are your future backyard plans? Will you be back to Big’s?

When I get home I will be locking in the plan to set me up to progress through the stages to be back at Big’s Backyard in 2023. This will mean qualifying for and winning the satellite event again in 2022. I’ve already told Laz I’ll be there!

Quick Facts

How many miles did you travel to get to bigs? About 10,500 miles

How many miles did you run? 170 miles

Rough guess: How much Tailwind did you drink? 82 scoops of Endurance Fuel and 4 servings of Recovery Mix

Matthew Shepard, Canada

What is your best backyard coming into Big’s this year?

42 yards at Big's National Championships 2020

What were your goals coming into the Backyard?

My plan was to go as far as my body would allow and then do one more loop.

Did you face any challenges getting to Bell Buckle?

I kinda over booked myself by volunteering for the Moab 240 race the weekend prior. My flight to Tennessee was departing out of Washington State, so I had to rent a car and drive straight through from Moab to Tricities to rush-pack my bags and catch the flight.

What do you love about the Backyard and this format?

I love the backyard format because it is so accessible. It promotes a greater sense of community by forcing everyone to run as a group. You get to run side by side with all the competitors, no matter their skill level, and you're always in 1st place, until you quit.

What was a memorable moment or highlight of your race?

So many great conversations! The folks that run these wild distances typically have so many incredible stories to share.

What was your fueling plan?

I have found that eating whole foods right off the start gives me trouble down the road, so I have been sticking to Tailwind Endurance Fuel & muffins for the first 8 hours or so. I took 2 scoops of lemon in a 350ml bottle each loop. In the early hours of the second day, I started incorporating a scoop of green tea for a caffeine boost.

What are your future backyard plans? Will you be back to Big’s?

This is my favourite race, of course I'll be back! We'll be running in the BC Backyard in April and then hopefully representing Team Canada for Big Dog's National Championship

Quick Facts

How many miles did you travel to get to bigs?

A lot, but not as many as some. I drove from Moab, UT to Pasco, WA then got on a plane to Nashville.

How many miles did you run? About 127 miles (31 laps)

Rough guess: How much Tailwind did you drink? 40-ish scoops

Katie Wright, New Zealand

What is your best backyard coming into Big’s this year?

49 loops in 2019

What were your goals coming into the Backyard?

Having been out injured for most of the year, Goal A was to not get reinjured, Goal B to see how far I could push on limited training.

Did you face any challenges getting to Bell Buckle?

Constantly! I struggled to get a spot in quarantine to return to New Zealand after the race, had multiple flights cancelled, difficulties with visa applications and a whole host of covid requirements.

What do you love about the Backyard and this format?

I love how simple the concept of a backyard is and that it levels the field out every hour: you don't have to be fast to keep up with first place! 

What was a memorable moment or highlight of your race?

Getting to hang out for nearly a week with some pretty awesome people.

What was your fueling plan?

Two scoops of Tailwind Endurance Fuel and 'something else' each yard, e.g. a gel, mashed potatoes, rice with some rebuild overnight, etc.. I usually had my Tailwind concentrated so I didn't over hydrate. 

What are your future backyard plans? Will you be back to Bigs?

I'd love to come back but will have to work on qualifying! Just excited to get back into the mountains training for now and summer time in New Zealand.  

Quick Facts

How many miles did you travel to get to Big’s? Around 27,000 including the return trip....

How many miles did you run? 112

Rough guess: How much Tailwind did you drink? Around 25 servings and a few servings of Recovery Mix

Courtney Dauwalter, Colorado

What is your best backyard coming into Big’s this year?

283 miles/68 laps in 2020

What were your goals coming into the Backyard?

To stay in it as long as possible!

Did you face any challenges getting to Bell Buckle?

No travel challenges in getting to Bell Buckle this year. Thankfully!

What do you love about the Backyard and this format?

I love the Backyard format because it is the perfect setup to push the limits and see what is possible. It is extra cool because you end up becoming teammates with and cheerleaders for the other people in the race. We can be better together and this format really showcases that. The "race" feels like a family reunion of crews sharing gear and snacks, and runners spending hours chatting and creating shared memories. It is very unique in that way.

What was a memorable moment or highlight of your race?

I always love the changing of the lighting. When daytime turns to night, or when the sun comes up again in the morning, it is so beautiful and peaceful. Those were my favorite laps to be out running. I also really loved getting to share so many miles with old friends and new, and seeing my husband between laps was a real treat. He had a new joke for us almost every lap!

What was your fueling plan?

Tailwind, Honey Stinger, Kodiak pancakes, pizza, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and basically any other carbs we had available. Before the race, we pre-made gallon jugs of Naked Endurance Fuel that my husband used to refill my bottles. At night, I had some hot Tailwind Chocolate Recovery Drink, and in the morning a thermos of Summit coffee to get the day started again.

What are your future backyard plans? Will you be back to Big’s?

I am absolutely still intrigued by this format and hope to return to a Backyard at some point to try again. I wasn't satisfied with my result this year which will help fuel another attempt at some point.

Maggie Guterl, Colorado

What is your best backyard coming into Big’s this year?

250 miles and 60 hours

What were your goals coming into the Backyard?

To run until I can’t

Did you face any challenges getting to Bell Buckle?

Yes. My flights out of Durango were canceled due to storms in Dallas. Tried leaving Wednesday night. The race started Saturday and the next flight out of Durango was Saturday.  So my photographer friend, Howie Stern, and I did some fast “internetting” and found tickets through Denver out of Montrose, CO the next day. We got the last 2 seats on that flight. 

What do you love about the Backyard and this format?

The camaraderie. My first year I thought this would be some big mind game and feel competitive but it’s quite the opposite. In a race where only one person wins everyone is so supportive because really to do well you have to have a group that wants to do well. There is no other race like it. You can potentially hit several personal records and first time milestones in one race!

What was a memorable moment or highlight of your race?

Running with Harvey and Wardian for a lap on the second day. Harvey and I decided to pace for a slower lap and Wardian joined us. I was in a pretty big low that whole second day and that was the first time I felt like maybe this would turn out ok. My race ended before I wanted, but I got to the road on the second night because of that lap.

What was your fueling plan?

I pretty much have this dialed after 4 years. I have a blog I wrote about fueling after Bigs in 2019. I would take a 12oz flask of Tailwind Endurance Fuel every loop (1 scoop aka 100 calories) and then supplement with foods that are savory and more glucose heavy over fructose. I am always careful of my salt intake after eating super salty foods like ramen. I would forgo the Endurance Fuel if I had a salt heavy food before that lap.

What are your future backyard plans? Will you be back to Bigs?

I would love to come back. Next year is the satellite year where all the countries compete remotely but I will take a one year break and see if these old legs still have some speed in them for something shorter like a 100 miler. LOL

Quick Facts

How many miles did you travel to get to bigs? Probably close to 1500

How many miles did you run? 179 but 175 counted ;)

Rough guess: How much Tailwind did you drink? At least a whole large bag of Endurance Fuel and maybe 6 Recovery Mix single serve packs.