7 laps at antelope backyard ultra

Javelina 2025

🥇Napa Lapa 3 hour

Sunset & Cider 🥈

12th OA and 3rd AG at Berkeley 35k

Goals for the day:
1. 4 laps. Not sure if it's possible, but let's see.
2. Keep it controlled.
3. Have fun.

And fun is not where the day starts. 5:20 the alarm goes off, and I do not want to get out of bed. But, we have to. So we get up, do our business, drink some coffee, eat 2 bagels and get out of the hotel by 6:30. 

We get to the start line a little before 7, and we see the 12 hour people leave for their 12 hour run. As we get bibbed up, the 6 hours leave as well. And soon, us in the 3 hour are off as well.

At the start, I don't lead, which is fine, but by the first climb I move into the lead. Wasn't going for it, but it's where I end up. There's a lady - Ann - who sticks on my tail. I try to stick to the right side of the trail to give her pleny of opportunities to pass, but she doesn't take them. 

The climb is somewhat shitty. It's the edge of my capabilities to run, and I notice my heart rate and effort are kind of high. Still controlled, but high. 

And I keep thinking the climb is going to end. It's not supposed to be this long. It just keeps on going. Until it doesn't and we start descending. 

I lose Ann a little in the descent, but see her again at the turnaround point at the water station. She's closely followed by Ryan, who shortly after the water station actually overtakes me. 

The 3 of us run closely together. Ryan and I are seperated at most by 50 yards, while Ann sticks with me on the climbs and loses a bit of ground on the descent. 

We chat for a bit as we come back to the start-finish line and aid station. About 41 minutes for this lap, ahead of target pace. I top of my Skratch, and get going again. Ann is with me, Ryan sticks around the aid station for a bit longer.

Same rhythm as previous lap. Ann and I climb together, I win a bit on the descent and by the time I cross the start line again I don't immediately see her. 42 minutes for this lap, giving me a cushion of about 7 minutes.

This is where I make a tactical decision: fill up both my Skratch bottles, so I don't have to stop again next lap and I can gun it for the fastest lap.

And with that in mind I start lap 3. I see Ann behind me on the start of the climb, but by the top I don't see her anymore. I keep gaining ground for the rest of the lap, and by the end of lap 3 I don't see her anywhere close.

As I start lap 3, the timer reads 54 minutes to go, nice 9 minute cushion and I'm sure I'm gonna get the 4 laps in by now. Now it's about the fastest lap.

I run out of the start-finish area a little faster than I've done in previous laps, but attack the first climb with the same pace as the previous 3 laps. When I get the top, I'm so freaking happy I don't have to do this again. This climb has been so nasty all day. Just at the edge of my abilities, great to run up in a 3 hour event, but I couldn't run it in a 6 or 12 hour. 

As I'm cruising downhill, I pass a lot of other runners. I feel like an animal flying downhill, people jumping out of my way and cheering me on. Little do they know I am only running the 3 hours and they're doing 6 or 12.

I cross the finish line with a lap time of 38 and change. Feels great. 

And now I get some extra punishment: bonus small loops of 0.3 miles. I drop my pack in the support area and run around with just a soft flask. 1 loop turns into 2, then 3 then 4 and the event is over. I can see Ann and Ryan also made their 4 lap goal!

My very first WIN!!!! And I got the fastest lap! What a great day!
Oh yeah, and should I mention Kelly Peeters got an age group!

After the finish, we drive to the hotel, take a shower, and come back for an afternoon and early evening of volunteering. It was such a blast to cheer on the 12 hour runners (we didn't see the finish of the 6'ers). The grit they displayed was unreal.

And most impressively, there was a group of about 20 runners in the 12 hours who arrived at basecamp with less than the time they needed to finish a big loop. The small loop opens 30 minutes prior to the finish of your timed event, and these 20 runners sat around basecamp, and then went out again to get extra mileage on the small loop. It was inspiring to see tired and exhausted runners pull themselves up by their bootstraps and go out again for more.

This was a great event. Running on a short loop with others runners is fun, you're always close to others, you can cheer on people, you have an aid station every 4 miles, if you have a crew you can even get crew support every 4 miles. 

Fun all around! 

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Nills Franssens

🥇Napa Lapa 3 hour

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7 laps at antelope backyard ultra

Javelina 2025

🥇Napa Lapa 3 hour

Sunset & Cider 🥈

12th OA and 3rd AG at Berkeley 35k

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