I Prepared Like a World Champion and Still Lost

from Pulling Threads · host Alex Cleary

Alex ran 38 hours at the Melbourne Front Yard Ultra and still walked away feeling like he never got to race. This is the raw, honest debrief of what went right, what went wrong, and why world-class preparation doesn't guarantee the result you wanted.In this episode:- The full breakdown of Alex's 38-yard backyard ultra debut and the knee injury that ended it- Why boring is beautiful in a backyard ultra and how Alex paced his laps- The crewing experience from Troy's perspective and what he'd do differently next time- How a wheelbarrow became the MVP of the entire event setup- The old duck with the slut dog who tried to shut down the race- Alex screaming at himself at 3am on a bridge in front of a crowd of spectators- Why Alex remembers every loss from his sporting career but forgets all the wins- The overachiever trap and why endless preparation still doesn't guarantee satisfaction- Harry's community showing up in force and the podcast listeners who surprised Alex- What's next for Alex, Harry's, and King of the Hill in 2025Timestamps:(04:51) Welcome back and post-race depression(08:06) The full race breakdown and how the knee injury happened(16:20) Why feeling great for 35 hours doesn't matter if you're out at 38(21:14) Backyard ultra strategy and the problem with being too rigid(27:08) Would Alex do another backyard ultra after this result(32:49) Troy's first crewing experience and event review(37:12) Screaming at himself on the bridge at 3am(42:54) The wheelbarrow hack and tradey setup that impressed everyone(46:40) Harry's street cred and the reputation growing in the community(51:55) The old duck with the slut dog who tried to shut the event down(55:05) Slut dog rankings and the French Bulldog breathing debate(01:02:51) Crewing debrief and the noodle cooking disaster(01:15:03) The overachiever who remembers every loss but forgets the wins(01:21:14) Backyard ultras as the ultimate problem solving event for tradies(01:37:19) Why Alex feels like he's stuck in a loop of preparing like a champion and still losingFull episode out now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.Follow the pod on Instagram: @pullingthreads

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published May 10, 2026

Embed this episode

Attribution link and audio player

NOW PLAYING

I Prepared Like a World Champion and Still Lost

0:00 1:50:38

1×

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Share this episode

Similar Episodes

No similar episodes found.

Similar Podcasts

Opposite Ends JP and Kyle Daily issues and controversial conversations involving trends, problems, Millennials, and more! We are not politically correct, and do not pretend to be, while pulling at both ends of these topics we bring the most insightful, real, and raw conversations that our generation is having. Explicit Women Leading In Cannabis Kyra-Reed, Jamie-Humiston, Dan-Humiston, PodConx Raw, inspiring and real conversations with women leading the worldwide cannabis industry. Learn what it takes to create a successful business, change policy, fight stigma and thrive as a woman in a male dominated environment. The emerging economy provides women an unprecedented opportunity to build an inclusive, diverse, equitable and just industry from the ground up, but we can’t do it alone. Through conversations with women on the front lines we’ll weave the threads of unity necessary for real and lasting success as a community.Produced by PodConx Explicit The Luke and Pete Show Stak Join Luke Moore and Pete Donaldson for an unplanned half hour every Monday and Thursday as they pull on the threads of the universe, seeing where each fascinating one takes them. From ancient history and modern phenomena to the week's events and everything in between, The Luke and Pete Show is your chance to share in the fun of two men with time on their hands and a good idea of how to waste it.The Luke and Pete Show is the sometimes ridiculous, always funny podcast with Luke Moore and Pete Donaldson: two men who have time on their hands and a good idea of how to waste it. Subscribe to get your comedy podcast fix every Monday and Thursday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Explicit Far Out With Faust (FOWF) Far Out With Faust Faust Checho dives down the rabbit hole with a menagerie of mind blowing humans from authors to mystics, physicists, futurists, technologists, ufologists and everyone in between... pulling back the veil of a brave new world. Explicit

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Pulling Threads?

This episode is 1 hour and 50 minutes long.

When was this Pulling Threads episode published?

This episode was published on May 10, 2026.

Can I download this Pulling Threads episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.

URL copied to clipboard!