Send us Fan Mail In this Field Notes episode, Siegfried “Sig” Tiegs shares how his first backyard ultra ended in an ambulance. Two miles into lap 6, his vision blurred and the nausea hit. A few hours later, he was in the ER with rhabdomyolysis, aka rhabdo. Sig breaks down the story, his numbers, what rhabdo is, how athletes end up with it, and the perfect storm he walked into without realizing it. He does hard things so you don’t have to. In this episode: Why Sig and Lacy went to scout the backyard ultra format for a future Do Hard Things eventHow a backyard ultra works, and why the slow pace is a trapLaps 4 through 6: hitting the wall, the porch, and the blurred vision that wouldn’t go awayPutting pride and ego aside to call EMSHis numbers: blood pressure of 78/50, CK over 1,000, and potassium over 5What rhabdomyolysis is, and what CK, potassium, and myoglobin doHow athletes get it: military recruits, college football, spin class, and CrossFit’s MurphWhy rhabdo pain can show up days after the eventIbuprofen, over-hydrating, and hyponatremiaThe perfect storm: dehydration, drinks, too much caffeine, and poor sleep in the 72 hours before the raceThe warning signs, and knowing when to stop instead of grinding to the finishWhy your crew needs to know your stop signalsRecovery: skipping the next race, follow-up labs, yoga, and a couple of months of taking it easyChapters 00:00 Cold open 02:00 Intro: I do hard things so you don’t have to 03:25 The story: a weekend without the kids 05:30 How a backyard ultra works 07:20 Laps 1 through 5 11:30 Lap 6: hitting the wall 14:50 Calling EMS 16:40 The ER and the diagnosis 18:40 What rhabdo is 20:40 How athletes get it 22:35 What I learned 25:10 The perfect storm 27:15 The signs, and knowing when to stop 29:15 Recovery 30:40 Closing Mentioned in this episode 2nd Annual Backyard Ultra at New Town, Saint Charles, MO, put on by F3MSMDS charity supporting BraxleyBig’s Backyard Ultra and Lazarus Lake (“Laz”)The Barkley MarathonsThe Murph workoutJocko Willink’s “Good”Exertional rhabdomyolysis in the U.S. Armed Forces, 2020–2024 (MSMR): https://health.mil/News/Articles/2025/06/01/MSMR-Rhabdomyolysis-20252011 Iowa football rhabdo hospitalizations: https://www.espn.com/college-football/news/story?id=60616502017 Oregon football rhabdo hospitalizations: https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/oregon-football-strength-coach-suspended-players-hospitalized-schoolSpin class rhabdo report, The American Journal of Medicine (2017)Coming soon: the Do Hard Things Backyard UltraHad rhabdo? Share your story. Add your experience in the comments on the blog post at https://www.dohardthingscoaching.com Sig isn’t a doctor. This episode is for education and entertainment only. Talk to your own doctor about your own situation. If you have dark urine, severe muscle pain or swelling, or nausea after hard exercise, get checked. Support the Show The Do Hard Things Podcast is listener-supported, and we keep advertising out as much as possible. We’ve got a powerhouse lineup of guests booked this season. If you want to put some wind in the sails, become a monthly supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1981380/support Connect with Sig and the Do Hard Things Nation Coaching, retreats, and the Base Camp community: https://www.dohardthingscoaching.comMerch and community: https://www.dohardthingsnation.comJoin the free Do Hard Things Nation Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/developgritdohardthingsGet the book Life on Offense and all links: https://linktr.ee/dohardthingscoachingEmail: sig@dohardthingsnation.comLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jaytiegsIf this episode was useful, like, subscribe, and share it with a runner you know. Welcome to the Do Hard Things Podcast with your host Jay Tiegs, Are you ready to amplify and improve your life? Then you are in the right place. On this podcast we have unfiltered conversation with inspiring people who take on challenges and share with us, the wisdom from their journey. We talk about how doing hard things adequately enable all of us to deal with life's struggles and challenges and ultimately improve the quality of our lives. Support the show Big things are happening inside Do Hard Things Nation, and I want you with us. Want more support? Join the Do Hard Things Wellness Academy. Four coaches. Weekly mindset training, movement, breathwork, meditation, book club, and challenges. Join as a member here: 👉 skool.com/dohardthings/about Our book, Life on Offense, is now an Amazon Best Seller! Grab a copy and leave a review. 👉 Get the book on Amazon Grab Your Do Hard Things Gear and Apparel. Show the world you Do Hard Things with high-quality apparel! 👉Gear — Do Hard Things Nation And don’t forget—the Do Hard Things 5K, 9.11 Mile Run, and 9.11 Mile Ruck is happening in September. There’s even a virtual option—so no excuses. Sign up here: 👉 dohardthingsnation.com/events