BADWATER 2002 STORY BY BEN JONES 08-09-2002 Badwater Just Won’t Go Away While I was out there in the desert, the media approached me quite a few times. They always seemed to ask two questions: 01)  Why does someone want to do this? 02)  Would I ever consider doing it again? In regard to question #01 my first response to the media was “because it is there!” just as Mallory and Irvine regarded Mt. Everest. Another reason is because of the challenges such as doing the most difficult point-to-point footrace in the world, the challenges being: altitude and temperature extremes and long distance and, at the same time experiencing adventure. As the days passed, I decided to redefine my reasons. This Race draws people from many States as well as from many foreign countries. The people are from all walks of life. Their running talents are quite varied. A large percent of the runners (about 40%) attend the Badwater Heat Training Clinics held on Memorial and Fourth of July weekends each year. The runners bring with them their family members, crew members, and pacers plus some BW groupies and wannabes come. We get to know each other and become a family. The Race itself is like a pilgrimage each year. About half of the people return. We all mingle at the pre Race meeting and during the Race and especially at the finish area and the post Race activities. We share the entire experience with each other. Many write stories and send pictures and newspaper articles. Albums can be put together such as I have done for the last twelve years of participating in BW. One can witness the excitement each year as the Race evolves. There are the smiles and looks of apprehension at the beginning. During the Race there are “down times” often very early in the Race. Then there seems to be an amazing recovery. A blazing finish often follows all of this. Again there are smiles followed many times by tears. An example of this situation I observed was with Blaise Supler, a rookie for the Race this year. I had never met her before. Her name seemed to inspire a “Super Blazing” performance. I saw her on the stage at the pre Race meeting. The next time I saw her was at the Darwin time station at 90 miles. She was reclining in her SUV with her three helpers. On the side of the vehicle was a sign “the bitch set me/us up!” I snapped a digital photo and talked with her for a while. She was ready to cash in. I did some figuring. She was at 90 miles, which is exactly two-thirds of the Race and she had gotten there in 30 hours, which was half of the cut off time. She still had 18 hours to buckle and 30 hours to finish. It was 12 miles downhill from that point. I suppose I tried to make her feel ashamed by quitting after bringing her crew of three young women all of this distance and spending a lot of money. “Wouldn’t it be unthinkable not to continue,” I asked. I left at that time. The next I knew, she was back on the course. I was not at the finish when the four of them crossed the line. I did see the digital pictures shortly thereafter taken at the finish and the award being presented by Chris Kostman, Race Director. I cannot fully describe the emotion I experienced when I reviewed this particular person’s performance from the beginning to the end. I did not have a chance to visit with her after the race. She might have gone on and climbed Whitney. The same emotions occur when reviewing http://www.badwaterultra.com A very extensive number of stories and pictures are available for review. This is “The Badwater” as it is being called. This is mainly why I come back. The answer to question #02 is maybe more difficult to answer. At one time my training was directed at being able to do Badwater at any time of day or any day of the year. That was when I was more innocent and naive. The first year I did the Race (1991) my fear was not finishing. The next year (1992) I was afraid I might become invincible. The next year (1993) I was afraid that I should have known better. I never did it to win, just to finish. I witnessed the Race for the first time in 1990 when I went out on the course to see a couple invited to do the Race. While looking for them, I saw all of the others (about eight). The top three were jogging. The rest were essentially walking after the first of six marathons end-to-end.  In those days the Race was to the top of Whitney and was called the 146. Since I live in Lone Pine and used to have a medical office in Death Valley I felt that I could do this Race if I just walked fairly quickly from the start. Twenty-minute-miles gets you to the finish in 45 hours; that’s three mph! All I had to do was stay awake and move forward for as many hours as I used to do as a medical intern. I had to have some props, however. In those days we used a U-Haul. I wanted to put a condo spa filled with water in it in order be able to cool off. Since I thought the water would slosh out, I substituted a metal casket (body removal tank), which I purchased from Owens Valley Mortuary for $400.00. This had a lid with toggles and would keep the water in. Many thought I had ice in it. I never said I did but it made a better story if they thought I did. I also borrowed a fake potted-palm tree from La Florista, the local flower shop. This would create an “oasis effect” to lure me ahead. I also had to have some distractions. The first year I did an autopsy during the Race on a Death Valley victim – a tourist trying to do a traverse of Death Valley. The body was baking in the saltpan merely a half-mile from Badwater when we started in 1991. I am the only one I know of who has done an autopsy during a race as well as being the only one to successfully get in and out of a casket during a race. The next year I made house calls in Lone Pine during the race. The following year I did litter pick-up on my two two-mile sections on the course: one in the floor of Panamint Valley (67 –69 mile marks) and the other near Keeler (108-110 mile marks), which are still my Adopt-A-Highway sections. What is interesting to me is that I usually started as a techno nerd. At some point in the Race I would transform myself into a Zen mode when I didn’t care what happened. I never really had any good hallucinations, but there were times I couldn’t remember doing a ten-mile segment such as in the Darwin Flats (85-95 mile section). I have always been disappointed that I never saw panda bears, condominiums, road-closed signs, printed circuit board stepping stones, bikini-clad inline skaters, etc. On the Portal Road I do remember transforming myself into a patient with a combination of cerebral palsy and Parkinson's disease. I was always pleased to get to the finish line and then on to the top. Now I think to myself, do I really want to go through this again. Everything has gotten so sophisticated with Solumbra wear, special fluid and electrolyte replacement drinks, energy capsules, special footwear, etc. I now enjoy helping others get through this Race with the Training Clinics, which my wife, Denise, and I hold. By the way, I never would have finished those three years without her help along with the others there for support. I never had a “pacer.”  I didn’t even have a concept of a pacer. What I did have and need from time-to-time was a “visitor.” I would almost rather help ten runners successfully finish than to finish again myself. There is one incentive. Next year I will be 70 and no one has done it yet at that age. Who knows? Even after the Race, Badwater just won’t go away. On 07-27-2002, after our Race was over, a Navy SEAL, Mike Tilden, went from Badwater to the Portals solo in 32:01:40 and immediately headed up the mountaineer’s route and got to the top in just under 39 hours. This sets an AM-start record by around one or two hours Adam Bookspan, a former Badwater competitor on 08-04-2002 started at the south boundary of Death Valley National Park and went 165 miles to the north boundary in just over 58 hours (58:18). While the above event was going on I witnessed a white object shuffling along near Stovepipe Wells and it was 55-year-old, Wayne Hunter from Fresno. He was attempting his own version of the Race. He knows Joe Schlereth, Robin Smit, and John Shehedy all previous Badwater participants. I have since heard from him and he did finish in less than 60 hours. The Austrian Twin Team of Angelika Castaneda and Barbara Warren were in the area And did a double ascent/descent of Whitney using the mountaineer’s route in 23 hours. They are getting ready to climb Kilimanjaro. Last weekend a Whitney trail crew worker, Jason Lakey, did a rapid ascent/descent of Whitney via the mountaineer’s route in 03:10:07! I regard doing Whitney still as part of “Doing Badwater.” So you see, “Badwater Just Won’t Go Away!” Ben Jones The story about Al Arnold and his presence here this year is another story, which I won’t go into right now. Below are some very nice remarks which makes it even more of a special thing to “Do Badwater.” BADWATER 1977 AND 2002 REFLECTI0NS BY AL ARNOLD Good morning, Denise and Ben: If the smoke has cleared up by now you must have some great sunrises and sunsets. When I was on my trek these wonders of nature were so beautiful that I just wanted to go on forever. If I can ever get beyond the trauma of my knees, that are sans cartilage, I would like to take a hi-tech video unit with me and re-trace my steps including the "offshoot" form Panamint Springs called “No Name” Canyon. That might be scary this time because I would know what to expect. One of the blessings of being a "Pioneer" is to expect the unexpected. Every new turn is a new adventure. I'm sure that every ultra runner who visits Badwater for the first time is, at that moment, and for himself/herself, truly a pioneer. What a great thrill it must be for the both of you, who have been there so many times yourselves, to see, firsthand, these athletes, filled with emotions that only Badwater reveals. And, as you know, it may "hit them" when they least expect it. My "least expect it" moment was when I walked up onto the stage at Furnace Creek .............. 25 YEARS LATER ............................ Just think about it for a moment, I was just a guy with a very "strong heart", and no purpose other than trying to prove to people that you are capable of doing more than is expected. Nothing more. No publicity or fame, but just expanding the envelope further than before. I love Classical Music and as such, I guess I can express my feelings through Copland's: "Fanfare For The Common Man", I believe it was part of the closing ceremony of the LA Olympics. I'm just a common man; with a very strong heart ... NOTHING ELSE. I used to love listening to the radio program: "Death Valley Days". The both of you are a team whereby your commitment has extended the legends of "Death Valley ULTRA Days" to a new dimension. I feel so honored to have met you and be a part of "IT". My very best to you both, AL JOGGERNAUT@badwaterultra.com,  (AL ARNOLD) "SEARCH" :(badwaterultra.com) and get a feel of the quest.   Return to Top