big’s backyard ultra hour 15 is under way:
one thing to consider,
as you watch the satellite action
is the time of day.
all the teams started at various times,
which doesnt matter in the long run,
because everyone runs all the hours of the day.
but the hardest time for the athletes is the long night.
the yards are slower
sleep is more insistent
and the will is at its weakest.
every team faces the greatest risk of losing athletes between midnight and dawn in their venue…
running thru the night requires a special mindset.
never is it more important to stay focused only on the yard you are one.
when the final whistle sounds
you cannot let the thoughts of how many hours of darkness remain
enter your mind.
we are only in the first night here.
on the other side of the world,
our opponents are running in daylight.
across the ocean in africa and europe
dawn is approaching fast.
for us, the worst is yet to come.
and these veterans know the ugly truth…
this is only the first night.
i think the first night is the hardest.
because you cannot help but thinking;
“if it is this hard now, what is it going to be like tomorrow?”
this is no game for the weak of heart.
returning to the small nation competition;
namibia still leads with 196 points.
but guatemala (-1) is now breathing down their necks
with a 13 to 10 manpower advantage.
unless something unexpected happens,
guatemala is an hour away from a lead that seemed impossible only half a day ago.
botswana is had but a single runner complete yard 14,
so they are the first country out.
