On October 25, Harvey Lewis was the final runner standing on the 2023 Large Canine’s Yard Extremely, having coated 450 miles in 108 hours, surpassing the earlier yard world report alongside the way in which.

The race started at 7 a.m. native time on Saturday, October 21, in Tennessee. Runners tackle a 4.166667-mile loop, known as a “yard” in yard ultrarunning, beginning each hour. Athletes run two routes: a path loop through the day and a highway loop at evening. Runners are eradicated when they’re unable to complete the loop inside the time restrict or they elect to cease. This continues till there’s one runner left standing.

A few weeks later, we caught up with Harvey to listen to how his restoration goes, what the expertise was like from his perspective, and his ideas on how for much longer he may have saved operating if wanted.

Harvey Lewis through the 2023 Large Canine’s Yard Extremely. Picture: Keith Knipling

iRunFar: Congratulations in your win! It’s a number of weeks later now, how has your restoration been?

Harvey Lewis: Thanks a lot. Actually, I simply really feel my ribs are a bit of bruised, however aside from that I really feel actually nice and mentally I’m actually excited concerning the prospects that Large’s opened up when it comes to pushing even additional limits. So, I’m feeling very effectively.

iRunFar: That’s nice to listen to. Did you could have a particular technique in thoughts going into the race — and did you keep on with it or did issues evolve otherwise?

Lewis: Yeah, I wished to be as relaxed as potential for so long as potential. It’s certainly one of my mantras to constantly eat energy and I eat all vegan meals. I actually consider it has a profit as a result of I not often get sick, an upset abdomen, and I can eat lots of energy — consuming every kind of issues from cookies and chips to soups and noodles, pad Thai, and muffins — every kind of meals.

Then there’s a very nice camaraderie between the runners. Although it was a really aggressive group, I imply simply an unbelievable area, it was enjoyable to attach with completely different individuals. I attempted to be low key about issues and laid again, but in addition get pleasure from chatting with individuals when the chance got here up. Then additionally taking within the good setting. Tennessee in late October is a gorgeous fall. You could have the altering leaves and the way in which that the daylight enters the forest, you get lots of golden colour.

It’s a must to be conscious of each step. Not as a lot on the highway, for the 13 hours out and again — however within the path portion — I’m typically very conscious of my environment and scanning in entrance of myself. Even when I’m chatting with somebody, I do my easiest to not take my thoughts and my eyes off of the path, as a result of then often you’re on the bottom.

There was a snake in some unspecified time in the future. The Mexican runner in entrance of me jumped over the snake, after which I made this — I regarded like a cat or one thing — goofy transfer as a result of I didn’t know if it was a copperhead. The copperhead snake, they’re venomous they usually mix into the leaves. I did see a pleasant lime inexperienced snake, it was pleasant, it didn’t trouble me. However there are some rattlesnakes round Laz’s [Lazarus Lake/Gary Cantrell’s] property, so it’s a must to be a bit of cautious the place you’re stepping.

iRunFar: I’m positive that will get difficult when sleep deprivation kicks in.

Lewis: Yeah.

iRunFar: Did you could have a sleep technique — or I suppose extra of a napping technique — and the way effectively did that work?

Lewis: Sure. Truly, I went to this Runningman pageant that was actually the Tuesday earlier than the race. I’m actually making an attempt to hone my sleeping technique, and I met Todd [Anderson], who owns an organization, Dream Restoration. He gave me a masks and earplugs, and he advised that I take two deep breaths after which exhale and try this 10 occasions to calm the nervous system.

So, I attempted to put down through the evening loops. The primary evening, I used to be getting to put down for possibly 10 minutes, however I actually wasn’t falling asleep an excessive amount of. I used to be simply mendacity there with my eyes shut.

Truly, it wasn’t till the fourth evening that I actually received to the mode the place I may go to sleep for a minute or two, as a result of I used to be operating 55-minute loops, so it wasn’t lots of time to sleep. Then the fifth day as effectively, I used to be in a position to say, ‘Hey, I’m going to take a one-minute nap,’ after which go to sleep.

iRunFar: The format of the race is difficult as a result of it’s simple, in a means. I’m positive the primary few laps for everybody should really feel simple, however was there a turning level the place you began to really feel the pinch?

Lewis: Yeah, it relies upon. You undergo waves of it feeling tougher. Actually on this race this 12 months, I used to be extra drained in day one and day two than I used to be in 2021.

The evening earlier than the race this 12 months, I had one of many three worst nights of sleep I’ve ever had earlier than a race. I may solely go to sleep for 3 hours, I used to be too wound up mentally. In order that was not a good way to enter the race.

There have been durations the place I felt drained on the second night, the fourth night, and in day 5. However I at all times needed to work by these difficulties and set up the motivation and the vitality to proceed ahead.

Harvey Lewis pauses between yards within the late levels of the 2023 Large Canine’s Yard Extremely. Picture: Mike Trimpe

iRunFar: Whenever you received to the final half day, how did that really feel? There have been completely different milestones, like getting previous the prior world report, after which into the final three left standing and the final two.

Lewis: Yeah, I felt like a clock. I saved on shifting alongside. I felt like, I’ll simply carry on going, and ultimately each lap or two, it was a mathematic equation that another person would drop off.

It saved on going that means. But it surely was very fascinating watching different runners and seeing how they reacted after which making an attempt to carry the road.

I had a extremely good crew chief, Judd Poindexter, and he was actually good at anticipating what I used to be going to wish to have when it comes to gas.

Additionally, there was heat climate, I believe the warmth index was about 80 [degrees Fahrenheit]. I’d purposely simply come again and dump water over my head. I laid on ice. I’m actually good with sizzling climate races, I had publicity operating throughout the most popular locations on the earth with Badwater Ultramarathon 12 occasions, so I can anticipate the way to cool my physique, however I believe everybody thought I used to be useless.

iRunFar: It is a difficult query, however how lengthy extra do you assume you’d have been keen and in a position to keep going if Ihor Verys had stayed going as effectively?

Lewis: It’s a wild thought. It’s actually superb. I appeared to get into some kind of frequency on the fourth evening the place I may simply go perpetually, and it’s a extremely wild factor. I undoubtedly assume it was potential we may have gone by that entire evening.

However then once more, it’s onerous to know as a result of your mind will get right into a sure mode. It’s completely different from the conventional human mode. As quickly because the race was over, an hour later my physique had cooled down, and attending to the tent about 20 meters away was laborious. However if you’re into that mode of being, it attracts on this particular vitality that’s deep inside us. There are powers that exist to push us past what appears affordable.

I believe that it’s potential I may have saved on going during that subsequent evening. I used to be shifting very effectively, I didn’t have any accidents, I used to be constantly fueled by good vegan meals. Then it might’ve introduced us again to the path once more. The query would’ve been — how would we have now responded to the path the following day? Was that potential? Then into the sixth day, what was going to occur?

iRunFar: Issues may have gotten actually fascinating.

Lewis: Very a lot. There was a time the place it was unfathomable that somebody may make it 4 days on Large Canine’s Yard. After all, even the concept of ending a 3rd day was as soon as thought unimaginable. Right here there have been 22 runners that made it to 300 miles. It’s a gorgeous factor.

iRunFar: Yeah, it’s superb. Then lastly, what’s subsequent for you? Have you ever received another targets in thoughts?

Lewis: Oh yeah, yeah. Effectively, since I received Large’s, I can sort of get away with saying that whoever wins will get an automated entry into the Barkley Marathons. That might undoubtedly need to be the factor that’s going to maintain me up some nights.

iRunFar: After all. That might be so cool. Thanks a lot for taking the time to speak to us.

Lewis: Thanks.