05-31-2005                

INYO ULTRA MEMORIAL WEEKEND CLINIC

Prelude to the “Ben Jones Classic”

We just got back from the First Annual Memorial Weekend Clinic at Panamint Springs Resort (PSR).

The Inaugural Panamint Valley/Ballarat Loop 50K

The activities were based at Panamint Springs Resort (PSR). This was the first foot race in history in Panamint Valley that I am aware of in the last 40+ years since I have lived here.

Hugh Murphy came up with the idea of putting on an open-entry, user-friendly event in Death Valley and wanted to call it the “Ben Jones Classic” (BJC). This was a training run associated with clinics and seminars focusing on heat training plus seminars in (Exertional) heat disorders, blister care, and crewing. Hugh has plans for putting on running events in Death Valley. I have allowed him to use my name in forming the BJC. The main event for this year will be the Death Valley/Whitney 130-miler. Check out his website:

http://www.inyoultra.com

Contact him at:

hughmurphy@inyoultra.com

For further information you can also follow the “newsflash” portion of my website:

http://www.badwaterbenjones.com

The highlight of the entire weekend was having Marshall Ulrich and his wife, Heather, here with us. They arrived after traveling many miles in the week before to give a presentation before an audience of at least a thousand physicians in Santa Fe, New Mexico a few days earlier. Next they stopped in Tucson, Arizona, to visit his daughter. We knew whom it was when they arrived as their Colorado license plate stated “RUNFAR”. Heather has worked very hard with her computer and software programs to develop a Powerpoint presentation.

On Saturday evening the audience was captivated by with the presentation of the “Triple Crown of Extreme Sports” namely

     Ultrarunning including Badwater x 4 and the Badwater solo

     Adventure Racing including the Eco Challenge x 9

     Mountaineering including the Seven Summits

And the concept of “Sole Searching” and “When Getting to the Top is Not Enough.”

Not only did Marshall participate in questions and answers but also trained in the desert as he is getting ready for another Badwater Ultramarathon in about six weeks.

Twenty-two people showed up at the intersection of the Trona/Wildrose Road and Indian Ranch Road at around 0800 on Saturday 05-28-2005. Immediately greeting us was a two-foot sidewinder along the roadside.  We waited a whole for the support and crew people to arrive. The start area was about 20 miles from PSR. One mile south of Highway 190 takes us out of Death Valley National Park. The floor of Panamint Valley is around 1600 ft. elevation. The temperatures are usually six degrees below those of the floor of Death Valley itself. The temperature was 106 later in the day. Winds from the south probably hit 30 mph. The course was the shape of the number “6”. The loop part is 24.6 miles. After scratching the dirt of the wide jeep road and taking pictures and getting some last-minute instructions five 50K runners took off and the rest of us alternated strolling and shuttling forward. We went in a clockwise direction on Indian Ranch Road about 5 miles past the turnoff to Indian Ranch itself. (The owners of the ranch are my patients and this could be a site for future festivities besides those at PSR). Continuing south we went by marshes and some streams trickling down from the West side of the Panamints – namely places such a Jail Canyon and Surprise Canyon and Panamint City. The weekend jeep people passed us and seemed to be curious of the activities. At first I thought it was going to be a holdup but most of them seemed to be my patients. After about another 5 miles we arrived at Ballarat and discovered that there was a caretaker and a store with a few provisions and availability of showers. Heading west 3.6 miles it became quite barren. A few months earlier the whole area, except for the road, was under water. Where the Ballarat Road intersected with the Trona/Wildrose Road were three impressive monuments describing the prominent features of this historic area. Traveling northward with a 30 mph tailwind and a temperature of 106 degrees, it was another 9.2 miles to complete the loop of 24.6 miles. From there we continued in a northward direction to the pile of rocks at 31 miles with a yellow piece of paper with the letters “FINISH”. Next year we will establish the finish line 0.3 miles further ahead to the Minnietta Mine Road to make it safer from the traffic standpoint.

RESULTS:

Sampson, Shane, 41, Arcanum, Ohio; 06:00:49

Grafius, Dee Dee, 56; Independence, California: 06:09:00

Warren, Nancy, 41, Wilton, California: 06:42:00

Astairs, Juli, 46; Lake Zurich, Illinois; 06:44:23

Rasmussen, Marcia, 45; Squaw Valley, California; 07:05:41

We were proud that within a few months we could generate this much interest in what we plan to do and attract five of eleven of our BJC runners and even two of the BWUM runners as well as many crewmembers and family members. We held about ten hours of seminars and presentations. We also had a great time in the restaurant at PSR visiting and getting to know each other better.

Attendees:

Adams, Amy, support and

     Flaherty, Brian, friend

Aistars, Juli, BJC, with

     Thompson, Roger, crew

Arroyo, Aurora, support

Grafius, Dee Dee, with

     Amy, daughter, and crew

Hamilton, Jim, BJC, with

     Berry, Mary, significant other and crew

Jones, Ben and

     Denise, clinic hosts

Matsuda, Steve

Minter, Greg, BWUM, with

     Berry, Ken and Jeanne, crew

Moran, Maureen, and

     Alves, Linda, crew

Murphy, Hugh,

     Race Director

Parker, Ian, with

     Wife and two sons

Rasmussen, Marcia, with crew of

     John, husband

     Kangas, Rich and Mikko, father and son

     Turgeon, Elizabeth and Holly, crew

Sampson, Shane, and

     Donson, Lori, significant other and

     Mary, Lori’s mother

Thorpe, Dave, support, with

     Bishop, son

Ulrich, Marshall, with

     Heather, wife, crew, DVD producer

Warren, Nancy, with

     Charlene, mother

= 36

BJC = Ben Jones Classic

BWUM = Badwater Ultramarathon

Ben and Denise Jones