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Badwater 135 mile ultramarathon (Read 945 times)

Trent


Good Bad & The Monkey

    The Badwater Ultramarathon is underway. This is a 135 mile ultra that starts in Death Valley and finishes in the Mount Whitney Pass. The runners finish this in times between 24 or so hours and 60 hours. Currently, the temperature in Death Valley is about 120 degrees. Registration requires that runners have met particular endurance criteria and have their application approved by the race committee; about 90 are selected each year. This is one of the most challenging and demanding running activities out there. Good luck to all the Badwater ultramarathoners and their racing crews. Several of us know folks running out there, and our throughts are with them. You can monitor progress on the (slow) website, www.badwater.com T
    Wingz


    Professional Noob

      Anybody you know doing this?

      Roads were made for journeys...

      Trent


      Good Bad & The Monkey

        I know one via another message board, and a running friend knows one. The one I know I may see next month when I am in Colorado to run Pikes Peak. He is amazing, and is apparently ahead of schedule right now on the Badwater course!
        Wingz


        Professional Noob

          He is amazing, and is apparently ahead of schedule right now on the Badwater course!
          Wow. I think anyone who could do that is "amazing."

          Roads were made for journeys...

          zoom-zoom


          rectumdamnnearkilledem

            I still cannot wrap my mind around a distance like that. Hubby is doing a 105 mile bike ride in Death Valley this Fall (when temps are a bit cooler)...even THAT astounds me! k

            Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

            remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

                 ~ Sarah Kay

            Wingz


            Professional Noob

              When he was still a young writer and using pen-names, Steven King wrote a small book called, I think, The Long Walk. Or something like that. In it, every year a bunch of young people agree to walk in a national competition ... and keep walking at a certain pace ... until they just can't anymore. When they stop, they are shot. Last one still walking gets a fabulous prize. The book goes a lot into the psychology of what can keep a person on their feet long after you would normally quit. I remember being fascinated with it when I read the book roughly 15 years ago... but I don't have a copy so I can't tell you the pen name or the title for sure. I'd reccommend it, though. It was a touch gruesome (well, it's Steven King!!!) and completely absorbing.

              Roads were made for journeys...

              Mile Collector


              Abs of Flabs

                I'll have to find that book. It sounds awfully interesting. I like the idea that you're forced to keep moving or be shot. I don't know of anyone that's doing Badwater either, and everyone that's doing it is nuts. That's all I got to say about that.


                You'll ruin your knees!

                  "I can't tell you the pen name or the title" ...well, that narrows it right down now doesn't it?[img]http://www.websmileys.com/sm/crazy/1196.gif[/img] Badwater is a wild race...cool book called "To The Edge" by Kirk Johnson about running Badwater. Only race I know of that has a liability waiver for the CREW! The guy I paced at Western States served on the crew of the runner who finished second, just under 26 hours. Lynn B

                  ""...the truth that someday, you will go for your last run. But not today—today you got to run." - Matt Crownover (after Western States)

                    When he was still a young writer and using pen-names, Steven King wrote a small book called, I think, The Long Walk.
                    Wikipedia is your friend : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Long_Walk
                    Wingz


                    Professional Noob

                      Hey, thanks, Mark! Smile

                      Roads were made for journeys...

                      Trent


                      Good Bad & The Monkey

                        Folks I know know three runners. Here are two of them: Mary Kashurba a doctor from Somerest Pa. Mary is 50 and is wearing bib#50 She is great runner,having placed 20th in 03. : Nattu Natraj is runner #63. He is a sweetheart and a big supporter of anybody's running efforts, great and small. He has a big following on another running message board community. Here is Nattu, prerace: Of note: Mary hit mile 73 @ 20:19:00 Nattu hit mile 73 @ 22:36:00 The winner, Scott Jurek, finished in 25:41:18. Many runners are still on the course, and the bulk who finish will do so during the night or tomorrow. It was especially hot this year. Sadly, the third runner we know, David Jones, took a DNF. I do not know any details. Nattu and Mary are still out on the course to the best of my knowledge.
                        Wingz


                        Professional Noob

                          Wow. Bet they are some tired puppies!!!

                          Roads were made for journeys...

                            Going to see if "Running under  on the sun" is on netflix. Nope.

                             

                            It's on Youtube. Documentary of the 1999 race. It was just ok. Highligt was seeing a younger David Jones (1997 winner) pacing a even younger  man the final miles up the mountain. Only 40 entrants allowed back then. Think I preferred the book desscription of the race that Dean Karnazes wrote in Ultramarathon man. It does show the extremes of the ultra world but lacks something.

                            Get off my porch