JULY FOURTH WEEKEND BADWATER 2002 HEAT TRAINING CLINIC

Well, we just had a very successful Memorial Weekend Heat Training Clinic in Death Valley (DV) in preparation for the Badwater (BW) 2002 Ultra, which will be on 07-23-2002. There were 48 participants who arrived at Stovepipe Wells (SPW) on July 4^th, 2002.

A special device for sensing heat was used and it was noted that the asphalt was around 126 degrees F. and the gravel on the roadside was 132 degrees. The hood of the car was 142 degrees. We began to see those arriving as we sat around the pool soaking the 122-degree temperature. That was the high for the three days.

Dinner in the restaurant was sort of a problem in that they claimed to be understaffed for all of us and, for some reason, didn’t want us to all be seated in the same area. I couldn’t imagine any tourist wanting to be in on any of our conversations. There were three buffet choices: soup-salad bar, four hot dishes, and a combination of both.

After dinner, we assembled in the auditorium. A video of “Running on the Sun” caught the eyes of many there. I went through introductions and covered the agenda of the activities for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Rules of the Race were emphasized. A discussion of crewing was covered. Several of the attendees spoke up and added some valuable information and observations. Later, a video of Denise doing her “Blister Busting” was shown. Several participants had some preventive blister taping.

On Friday morning we met in the parking area near registration. The main concerns were getting everyone to Badwater (BW) for the start and arranging the duffle bags and ice chests for the solo and otherwise unsupported participants. There were 48 of us and there were 15 vehicles. Seventeen of the 33 runners were invitees who will be at the start-line on Race day. The other 16 runners were pacers and several BW wannabies who wanted to check things out. New people need to be recruited and be exposed to this event to keep new blood coming in as some of the others go on to various extreme endurance events all over the world.

Multiple pictures were taken at the Badwater sign and on the badly faded white lines on the highway. Nobody streaked out but some wanted to do 8-10-minute miles. The average speed for the day was around 18-minute miles. We took a fair break at Furnace Creek (FC) at 17 miles for refueling and reorganization. The faster ones managed to recruit assistance from several of the parties. The next leg was from FC to SPW 24 miles. Three did the whole distance of 41 miles. The others seemed to have had enough at around 25-30 miles. There was only a mild tailwind and the temperatures were around 117.

Everyone was accounted for by around 1800. We had a nice time at poolside and proceeded into the restaurant where they were more accommodating this evening. The auditorium was again available for a rap session and some battle damage assessment. Denise did some more foot care. We were impressed at how well everyone seemed and with the relative lack of blistering of the feet. A census was taken about the next day’s course. Almost everyone was in favor of going from FC to SPW (24 miles) and getting more heat exposure and not do the climb toward Towne’s Pass (18 miles) and back. Some had already planned to go from SPW to Panamint Springs Resort (PSR) 31 miles with their own crew.

On Saturday morning 24 of us assembled with 10 vehicles in a similar fashion and preceded to FC for pictures and a 0900 start. On both days, we leap fogged ahead two miles at a time and later cut the distance down to one mile. Crewing worked out on both days with our trailer and with Phil Marchant’s trailer. [Phil is very familiar with the clinic and Race activities as he has been actively involved since 1995. He will be a timekeeper at SPW and later a course marshal during the Race]. He even got in some miles on foot.  That way each rig could handle up to eight runners. I took the lead with the 15-minute-per mile people and Phil handled the 18-minute-per mile people. No one seemed to have problems on the second day such as they had on the first day. There were no casualties.

Jay Anderson (*) arrived a day earlier with Gus Fieldhouse, and did the BW to SPW stretch in about 10 hours. He ran some on our first day and later helped crew the faster individuals such as Steven Silver, George Biondic, Dave Remington, John Radich, and Linda McFadden all stayed fairly close together. The latter four had their own support.

George Biondic arrived with his wife, Erlinda, from Toronto, Canada in a van and trailer. They were the only ones to use the RV parking area – that should have told them something! He informed us that he has watched “Running on the Sun” thirty times in preparation for the Race.

Angela Brunson was able to get a work excuse for Friday and arrived with her boyfriend and chief crew person, Brian Seaver, and a pacer, Bill Lockton. She paced Jack Dennsee last year and also attended the Memorial weekend clinic. She had a very nice performance and should do very well later this month.

Anita Fromm and her husband, Tim, drove from Colorado Springs, Colorado, and checked out their new military destination, Palmdale, on their way to Death Valley (DV). During the time her mother was carrying her, she was in Panamint Valley while her father worked either in the mines or for the mines.

Mike Haviland came with Drina Hirst after having attended the Memorial weekend clinic plus dong the Wild Wild West Marathon in one Pine the Bishop High Sierra 50 in May and the Mohican Trail 100-miler in Ohio in June. He did the full distances each day and on Day #3 went from PSR to the Darwin turnoff (18 miles).

Mike Henebry was also at the Memorial weekend clinic as a solo performer. This time he brought two helpers: Les Covey and Gene (?). He has been very methodical in his preparation and is a strong runner.

Steve James crewed and paced Steven Silver last year and came to the clinic to gain further experience with desert training in anticipation of doing the race next year.

Daria Kelley was again an invaluable volunteer cruising the course to make sure there were no stragglers and to shuttle those who wanted to quit back to the motel (SPW). She anticipates trying to qualify for an invitation to do the race on of these years.

Don Lundell and his friend, Gillian Robinson, both did the Western States 100-miler last weekend and he was not fully recovered (for some reason?) and did light training and scouted the course with his other crew members. He was a solo participant in the Memorial weekend clinic. This time he had Gillian and Blair Barnett, Kent Knight, and Mike Slack for support.

Kari Marchant was her usual enthusiastic self and has become very proficient in procuring ice after having been more devious in the past along with me. She is a pupil of Lisa Smith and racked up some good miles.

Steve Matsuda crewed and paced Greg Minter last year and he attended both clinics last year and this year. He was assisted by Diana Rush, BJ Anderson, and Unda Hernandez. All had a chance to run and walk as they traded off.

Linda McFadden paced Barbara Elia last summer. She arrived late and was unable to attend the activities in the auditorium the first night but was able to witness some foot care by Denise the second evening. She had a support person with her with the last nAme of McGoo. She put on a very strong performance going from BW to SPW.

Frank MacMillan has completed the Badwater in the past and comes each summer to one of the clinics. He was still recovering from FANS in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which was unseasonably hot this year. He did not put on his usual collapse performance at the marathon distance this year much to our surprise.

Greg Minter has been to both clinics this year and he completed the Race last summer. Mark and Patty Giebel attended him again as in the past. We are looking forward to his story and photos on his website.

Rick Nawrocki crewed and paced in 1999. He completed the Race in 2000 and 2001 between which times he had a bone marrow/stem cell transplant for a malignant form of Hodgkin’s disease. He carried the Olympic torch prior to the Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games. He has attended both clinics for the last three years. It has become a way of life for him.

Ian Parker blended with the group more intensively this time after having popped into the course during the Memorial weekend clinic. He has been camping out in DV in order to experience more heat adaptation. It will pay off during the Race. He had one assistant helping him.

John Radich has finished the Race in the past and attended both clinics this year. He was a solo performer in the first clinic and in this one he was assisted by Mark Ryne and Ivory Phillips crewed him. John went the full distance this time after experiencing some electrolyte problems and cramps a month ago.

Ernie Rambo paced and crewed Marshall Ulrich last summer in the Death Valley Quad (600). She is a pupil of Lisa Smith’s. She attended one clinic last year and both clinics this year. George Watson, Liz Good, and Trudy Lawrence crewed and paced her this weekend.

Dave Remington came from Washington State with Helen Jones. He had a back problem and was unable to attend the first clinic. He asked many questions and vigorously wrote many notes for his full crew who will join him later this month. His back did not seem to bother him however he experienced nausea the first day and none the second day. He went 23 miles the first day and 24 miles the second day. In doing so he gained a great deal of confidence in himself.

Steven Silver came from Texas for his first clinic experience after already harvesting five (sub-48-hour) belt buckles. His remarks and assistance were greatly appreciated by all of the clinic attendees. He likes to be in the lead pack and cranked out consistent 9-minute miles.

(*) Bold printed names = invitees

By the time both clinics have finished, 37 of the 82 invitees have attended one or both clinics this year.

QUOTES AND OBSERVATIONS:

01)  George Biondic takes care of Canada’s mainframe computers so I had to ask him to whom he turned over the feather duster for the month he would be gone.

02)  Anita has another ultra to do in that she has to move from Colorado to California in the very near future.

03)  Brian Seaver designs landing gear for Boeing transport carriers. It might be advisable not to order any that are designed the Monday morning.

04)  Angela Brunson did not seem to be too concerned about her prosecution cases for the DA’s office while she is training in the desert. “Keep ‘wm in lock up.

05)  Bill Lockton took great pleasure in wearing his “notsoB notharaM” bearing a logo of a snail with antennae. A qualifier to not get in to Boston is held each year with aid stations manned by former Boston finishers. I had to ask him what happens if someone actually qualifies and can that person get unqualified somehow.

06)  Mike Haviland brought a heat sensor, which he ordinarily uses on race car tires in order to know how to set the camber. He plans to use this device on the soles of his shoes in order to correct supination and pronation

07)  Mike Henebry still needs to know the exact amount of fluids to consume every mile or every 15 minutes.

08)  Steve James appreciated our efforts in letting him accumulate much mileage on the course. When we were taking a census about how many more miles people wanted to go he was very humble and said, “I’m not a Badrunner water so you don’t have to go any further for me.” This must have been some daytime hallucination. It is this kind of remark that can get someone into the Race.

09)  Don Lundell still needs to get the trail dirt and mud, which at WS100, off his running shoes.

10)  Kari Marchant does not follow the chain-of-command when asking for ice. [When security saw us coming, they immediately put up fresh signs on the ice machines limiting users to the small room buckets]. Kari still accepts rides during the training sessions.

11)  Steve Matsuda promises to share digital pictures if Greg Minter does not provide them.

12)  We have to look fast when Linda McFadden is around and on the course. She was the mystery woman at the clinic. One had to look fast.

13)  Frank MacMillan is assured plenty a vacant seats when he gets on the Red Eye back to Maryland. He will still be wearing his well-stained desert training suit.

14)  Greg Minter might reward us with a website upload of stories and pictures this time if we are lucky.

15)  Rick Nawrocki gives out extensive information on MP3 players and his new Sony headset with small disk cartages. Lots of music to be had. I hope he hears the traffic coming.

16)  John Radich will taper off BW2002 by going to Europe to do bike racing and marathons.

17)  Dave Remington now knows that his back will not be giving him any trouble. All he has to do is watch his skin, stomach, and bladder.

18)  Steven Silver, a specimen of perfection, found out from Denise at the foot clinic that he has hammer toes.

19)  Ben Jones is thinking about applying for some grants from the NIH, WHO, FEMA, ATF, NASA, SPCA, NAACP, etc for continued meteorological research on Wind speed and Direction using the “spit test.”

20)  Remember that the cold water at Panamint Springs Resort is often hotter than the hot water – in fact, it is often scalding. When sitting on the toilet there, one can feel the steam rising as if a geyser were about to erupt.

21)  Stay up wind of the pot smoke at the Darwin time station (90 miles).

22)  Be sure to question Ian Parker about his website covering aspects of neurobiology.

Ben and Denise Jones