2 Weeks

Two weeks to the Badwater Ultramarathon.

The lists aren't overwhelming me quite yet, something I can credit the "little steps" that I've taken to prepare over the past few months. As with any event where I'm a rookie, considering exactly what to pack can be a slight bit intimidating. How many coolers? What type of clothing? How much ice? What about food? But at "the end of the day" (or insert any other overused cliche of your choice), it's really just about running, walking, having fun, and respecting the elements...right?

If that is truly what it's all about, then I'm as ready as I'll ever be. The mileage is in the bank. The heat training has progressed really well. And I've managed to calm my mind and wrap my head around this incredible journey that sits before me now. On paper, it's 135 miles through scorching heat and relentless hills. But in my heart, it's something that no map or race report could ever hope to explain. Like that elusive family vacation where dad yells to the complainers in the backseat, "Kids, getting there is half the fun!" I think that I've experienced at least half of the fun.

But the "task" of the race is not nearly half over. I fully expect that halfway point to come, odd as it might sound, somewhere around the 100-mile mark of the course. You know...that point in every race--regardless of the distance--where you've passed the physical halfway point, but the real race is just beginning. At that point, it's not a race with other humans. It's a race with the demons within--the doubts, the laziness, the inner-couch potato.

So, onward I go, preparing the little details as best I can. My confidence has been buoyed by the recent heat wave that we're enjoying. Today's 100+ degree temps felt very, very nice to this sauna boy. I wore three layers of long sleeve shirts, a black cap, and a small backpack for good measure on my 10.5-mile jaunt. Other than a mid-run "bonk," I felt very energized by the end of the run.

And the sauna sessions--mostly around 40-45 minutes @ 165-170 degrees--continue. Add to this the unorthodox training of a kitchen remodel demolition (not highly recommended for the elite athletes out there), and it's been pretty smooth sailing. I've cut the caffeine intake significantly and throttled back on the cold adult beverages somewhat. My diet is pretty good. Hell, I'll even get a haircut sometime in the next week. Crazy, I know.

On the media front, I got some good news late last week. The local Portland CBS affiliate has lined up a day to shoot a story about my preparation for the race. Hopefully, we can focus the message not on the "loony runner guy" angle, but rather on the mission of Soles4Souls.

Here's a juicy race-prep detail for you to chew on: My normal shoe size is 12.5, and I'll start the race in that size. But the best laid plans of mice and men...During the race, the feet can swell significantly, resulting in a painful cramming of the feet into shoes that are now too small. Therefore, the other day I bought a pair of size 14 shoes as insurance. Guess I should keep the receipt, eh?

Thanks for your continued support, prayers, songs, well-wishes, good vibes, acts of random kindness, karmic balancing, unsolicited calf massages, hearty handshakes, pats on the back, toasts of health and cool breezes, and hearty Hi-Oh Silvers, Away!

Stares

Ye reap what ye sow.

Weeks ago, when I started the madness of going out on training runs overdressed, I thought that I saw a few people looking at me with odd expressions on their faces. Now I know that they were, in fact, staring at a certifiable madman in motion.

This was confirmed both yesterday and today as the temperatures crested the 90 degree mark. For some of you who reside in warmer climes, these digits on the thermometer don't mean a whole lot to you. But for us Oregonians, temperatures north of ninety are elusive, typically only falling on a few precious days in July and August. And any time they do, as the A/C's get cranked up and residents plow headfirst into summer mode (read: bad tank tops and all manner of inappropriate skimpy clothing), a guy running around the neighborhood in tights, long sleeve shirts, and a black hat must simply spell trouble.

As I passed a long line of cars waiting at a stoplight this afternoon, I saw the wide-eyed wonder and incredulity on their faces as they stared, wondering why in the world this idiot was dressed so...well, inappropriately. The absurdity of it all made me smile broadly despite the intense heat and sweat that stung my eyes. I laughed at them as much as I laughed at myself. After all, if I can't laugh at myself, what's the point? If it ain't fun, said some wise sage of yore, why do it? And somehow...despite the huge loads of laundry, despite all of that sweat stinging my eyes, and despite the heat that I'm about to face in just over 2 weeks, it's all a LOT of fun.

Good news today from my p.r. efforts, done primarily to benefit Soles4Souls awareness and fundraising: The local CBS television affiliate wants to film me and do a story next week about Badwater and my efforts on behalf of Soles4Souls. I'm very excited about that, believing that the words of P.T. Barnum ("All publicity is good publicity") will be prophetic. Thanks, as always, for your support.

Update

With just three weeks to race day, logistic planning now enters the picture in a big way. But the minutia of getting ready for an event such as Badwater still takes a back seat to physical preparation.

Heat training continues with a vengeance. I'm up to 35 minutes or so with each sauna (175 degrees) session. Daily weekday runs are the glue that holds everything together, and my long weekend runs are going very well. Finally, finally, finally, the Pacific Northwest is preparing for some hot temperatures. Other than our brethren in Alaska, methinks that the Badwater runners from Washington and Oregon are at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to the heat, given that most of the country has been blessed with plenty of high temps. But I'm not losing any sleep over those details, preferring instead to entertain the delusion that the milder temperatures are assisting the general quality of my running. Or something like that.

The logistic details: Flights. Hotel rooms. Rental cars. GEAR LISTS. Special apparel suitable for 125 desert heat. Food lists. Footwear concerns. I need to hire a full-time assistant just to help me out with these details! Thank heavens for my crew and their willingness to assist wherever needed.

July 4th looms. For me, it doesn't matter whether or not the corn is knee high, if I have enough (read: ANY) fireworks/firecrackers/smoke bombs, or if my potato salad is seasoned appropriately. For me, the day is a reminder of the freedoms that I enjoy, including my right to speak as freely as I do. The last patriot? I don't know, although I doubt it. What's the saying? I love my country, but.... I'll let you fill in the blanks. I promised myself that I'd steer clear of political issues in these missives, so let those be my final words on the topic.

Fame?

As a sports & fitness magazine editor, I'm pretty careful when it comes to endorsing various nutritional and sports supplementation products. Over the years, I've tried just about every powder, pill, drink formulation, and "energy" bar. Some of them, frankly speaking, would make a maggot gag...despite their claims of health and performance.

In 1999 or so, I met a guy that would change how I looked at refueling and sports nutrition. Steve Born, a veteran ultracyclist and accomplished athlete, turned me on to the products manufactured by E-Caps (the company now known as Hammer Nutrition). It was an eye-opening experience. In addition to field testing their products personally in numerous feats of endurance (RAAM, Furnace Creek 508, etc.), Steve had up-close-and-personal crewing experience for RAAM riders and ultrarunners. His front row seat to the trials, tribulations, and epic barfing sessions of the athletes under his wing served as valuable input to the scientists back in the Hammer laboratories. The results of much of the company's research led to a product called Perpetuem, which I now use as the cornerstone as the fueling strategy in my long workouts and races.

Like any athlete, I like to use what really works well. That's why when Hammer asked me to write a short testimonial, I didn't hesitate to put a few short sentences down on paper. You can see the company's ad and my testimonial on PAGE 4 of the 2007 "race bible" for the Badwater Ultramarathon.

Read more on my nutritional strategy HERE.

Rest

The real training, it has been said, is done between the workouts.

With a sore knee-induced two-day rest period behind me, I'm not 100% sure about that old coaching statement. As I write this, the roads beckon me for an hour long session, and I'm chomping at the bit to get outside.

There are a few benefits of (even a short) layoff. I feel pretty rested, despite the high mileage of late. I'm not going into the sauna already physically exhausted. Last night's 32-minute session was almost...dare I say...comfortable.

But fear not for me or my knee. All systems are a "go"--I'm just playing any small ache that drifts to the other side of "uncomfortable" very conservatively. Why wreck the entire plan now since I've invested so much? The poker player who wants to stay in the game doesn't move "all in" with every 7-2 off suit, right?

Running is the easy part--it's taking time off that tests my will, my patience, and my resolve. I've got to tap into my two decades of endurance athletic experience in order to know that good things indeed come to those who wait.

Or, as Axl Rose might have put it...

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Sage advice comes today from the blog of my friend Lisa Smith-Batchen, a steeled veteran of dozens of hot weather races around the globe:

"The one thing I do know is this: you can ONLY think about the things you can control right then and there at the very second it is happening. You can't change what happened 2 seconds ago or the last step you took..you can only think about the next 2 seconds and the next steps you will take. You can't sit and worry about how hot it is or complain that it is to hot..you can ONLY control the steps to help keep yourself as cooled down as possible..the heat is not going to go away just because you want it to..."

Solstice

Oh no. The days are getting shorter! Run away! Run for your lives! Break out the headlamps and the torches of all manner and size, for the darkness descends upon us!

Oh how I love sarcasm.

On this most curious ancient day of celebration, the Summer Solstice, I try to remind myself how primitive we truly are, and marvel at our place in the universe. Yoda might say, "So small we are." On today's 2-hour training run, I tried my best to find my breath, be a bit more aware of my surroundings, and live in wide-eyed wonder as this little ball of rock that we call home rotates around the golden burning mother ship that lights our way. Sorry if that's a bit "out there" for you, but it's just how I try to make sense of my existence and place in the universe.

As for the physical responses of this run (and most all of my recent workouts), I'm feeling great. My weight is holding steady as I force myself to bump up my caloric intake. My legs are responding even to occasional surges that I throw into the middle of long runs. And I'm feeling strong, despite the high mileage.

Sauna sessions continue, including a 29-minute scorcher tonight in the 170 degree box. I noticed that it took almost 5 minutes for visible perspiration to form on my arms--a good sign that perhaps my body is starting to enjoy the heat more.

For those interested, here's a bit more on the Summer Solstice and related celebrations: "The celebration of Midsummer's Eve was from ancient times linked to the summer solstice. People believed that mid-summer plants had miraculous and healing powers and they therefore picked them on this night. Bonfires were lit to protect against evil spirits which were believed to roam freely when the sun was turning southwards again. In later years, witches were also thought to be on their way to meetings with other evil powers.

In Sweden Mid-summer celebration originates from the time before Christianity; it was celebrated as a sacrifice time in the sign of the fertility.

The solstice itself has remained a special moment of the annual cycle of the year since Neolithic times. The concentration of the observance is not on the day as we reckon it, commencing at midnight or at dawn, but the pre-Christian beginning of the day, which falls on the previous eve. In Sweden, Finland and Estonia, Midsummer's Eve is considered the greatest festival of the year, comparable only with Walpurgis Night, Christmas Eve, and New Year's Eve."

Happy Solstice to you. May the warm season bring you joy, health, and prosperity.

Insanity?

This is a quote from my friend Scott, who responded to my reflections on how the Badwater Ultramarathon is viewed within the ultrarunning world:

"When even insane people think you're insane, you must be really insane."

I thought that about sums it up, don't you?

Sweat

Heat training started in earnest last night (Monday).

The looks on the faces of the fine folks in the health club sauna...well, I wish I could put a price on their stares. I'd make more than a few bucks.

The temperature on the (notoriously unreliable) thermometer registered a steady 170 degrees F...ample to fry the brain of the ignorant ultrarunner who comes into this cedar box unprepared for its unforgiving ways. I split the 30 minute session into three parts: 10 minutes of sitting, 10 minutes of pacing, and another 10 minutes of sitting.

I almost made the entire 30 minutes. With 2 minutes left, it was more than I could take, and I had to exit. That's o.k. A journey of a thousand miles... (or in this case, a journey of 135-miles in Death Valley...).

Thanks for taking this (warm) journey with me. My best to all of my friends (especially my peeps from the 503, the 541, the 206, the 360, the 425, and the 509) who find themselves in Squaw Valley/Auburn, CaliforniAY for the Super Bowl of ultrarunning, the Western States 100. I spoke with friend Gail this evening, who hopes to simply finish the race. She will. Friend Ronda has put forth some informative missives on her dealings with the heat as she gets ready to toe the line at Squaw on Saturday. After last year's finish line drama, this year is sure to be a doozy. Good luck to all.

Friends

I love solitude. The times I spent running long miles give me a break from the world...a time to compose my thoughts, exercise my creativity, and deal with issues that trouble me.

But in the company of others--running with a good friend, for example--I can just as easily relax and watch as the time seems to pass a bit more quickly.

A few years ago during the Leadville 100 trail ultramarathon, my buddy Stan Holman became an angel for a day. Without his help as my pacer from the halfway point to the finish, there is no way I would have completed my first 100-mile race. No way. It's a favor that I'll be hard pressed to ever repay.

And Stan keeps on giving, most recently yesterday during a 6.5-hour run in the Columbia River Gorge. His company made the hours seem like minutes. We discussed our kids, baseball, and life in general. In the shared experience, we enjoyed Mother Nature up close and personal, but didn't have to suffer the nuances of the weather (freezing cold, at times) alone. Lean on me.

When the chips are down and all hope seems lost, give me a good friend like Stan anytime to help me get through the tough times. There's no price that you can put on friendship.

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Training for Badwater is progressing well. I hit my high mileage watermark last week with a tally just shy of 90 miles. Logistic planning and heat training get ramped up this week...health club sauna, here I come.

Congrats to Olga Varlamova who completed the Bighorn 100 in Wyoming in just over 30 hours this past weekend!

The flora of the Columbia River Gorge always excites the amateur botanist in me. The Bear Grass was especially striking. The thorny spines of the Devil's Claw I can do without. And some of the greenery seems to hold more water than a sponge. As we ran through some of the more overgrown trails, we would come out soaking wet just from the moisture that was on the leaves.

Contrarian

As much as I don't like it, I'm turning my training philosophy on its head during my quest for the Badwater finish line.

The hard/easy method espoused by famed coaches Arthur Lydiard and Bill Bowerman? Ha! To hell with easy days...they all seem hard.

Hit the trails instead of the roads? How will I condition my legs for the pounding dished out by the Death Valley highways? I haven't seen dirt in weeks.

Low mileage? Now, that I can deal with!

Sometimes, breaking out of one's comfort zone--no matter how uncomfortable that comfort zone might be--is needed in order to shake things up a bit. Even ultrarunners, extreme athletes of all stripes, and the super-fit or super-athletically gifted can benefit from mixing up the training regimen from time to time. And that's exactly what I'm doing.

I haven't hit the roads with this much vengeance in the last 5 years or so. But it's really starting to feel good, even though I'm in the midst of my highest mileage weeks. Something about steel needing to be tempered in the red hot fire, perhaps. I'm not sure. But I am sure that the hard, long miles are starting to show their benefit in ways I hadn't expected.

For example, I noticed a significant slowing of my metabolism and ability to "magically" produce muscle fiber about 4 or 5 years ago. Gone were the days of dropping pounds at will, when I just "wanted" them to go away. But this Badwater training, which often has me draped in numerous layers of clothing to attain some semblance of a mental training benefit, easily is helping keep me lean and mean.

I've talked with many people about how much extra weight a good ultrarunner should have on their frame before a key race. Is the "hungry" look just too fragile of a physiology for the long, grinding miles of a 100+ mile ultramarathon. I think the jury is still out on that one. But there's no amount of leaness that my taper won't be able to cure. If need be, I can (re)pack on a few extra pounds in the weeks just before the race.

Enough about weight loss and gain. It's time to hit the roads, doing away with conventional wisdom with every step. I wonder what long-held theory of mine I can turn upside down today?

Meet THE CREW

Please allow me to introduce you to the 3 fine individuals that will be helping me reach the Badwater Ultramarathon finish line. Click HERE or see the link on the right ----> to find out who these folks are and what makes them tick.

Adventure

Whether or not you have an inner longing for artic polar exploration, you have to admire the spirit and sense of adventure of those among us in the human race who push the limits of possibility.

One trio’s sense of adventure is chronicled HERE. The story of Borge Ousland, Mike Horn, and Thomas Ulrich is something you must read if tales of pirates, explorers, and adventurers ignite the sparks of your soul and fan the flames of your internal quest for adventure.

I found that one paragraph of the story mirrored my own attitude toward feats of endurance that bring us to the precipice of existence:

“The idea that these men have a death wish seems to amuse them. It isn't a desire to be closer to death that attracts them, they will tell you—it's a desire to be closer to life. They've been to the mountaintop. They know that willpower can be built, that ordinary people, like themselves, have abilities beyond their reckonings. They're just the ones who are out there, scouting the wilderness on behalf of the rest of us. Not marking dots on a geographical map anymore—that was accomplished long ago. What they're exploring now is the inner map, the mental and emotional map. What will they learn, about themselves, from being in a position where nothing matters except to stay alive? What, exactly, is the human being capable of? This is what drives them.”

Enjoy.

Definitions

For some time, I've hesitated to use athletic labels to define myself.

Inevitably in various conversations, someone will say/ask, "So, you're a runner, right?" or "So, you're a triathlete, right?" It's hard to know exactly how to answer. I run, I ride, I swim, I play. Usually, my response is something like, "Well...yes. I run/ride/do triathlons..."

For many people, there's comfort in knowing just exactly what type of sport they enjoy most. I have many friends who eagerly, happily, and confidently say "I'm a runner" or, "I'm an ultrarunner."

I feel uncomfortable with such labels, feeling as if they limit my potential as an athlete, and to some extent, as a human. I realize the pitfalls of such an attitude--"jack of all trades, master of none."

But allow me a few examples.

Michael Jordan was best known as the premier "dunker" in the NBA during his career, right? No. That's just how his career started. As the years went by, Jordan's game evolved from king of the slam dunk to outside shooter, great defender, and overall team leader. Today, when we talk about his career, we discuss his well-rounded game.

Example #2: Lee Iaccoca will forever be known as the man who saved Chrysler...right? Well, that's just part of his story. Rewind the tape a bit further and you'll find that he was the pivotal force behind the development and marketing of the legendary FORD Mustang.

Example "C": American distance running star Lynn Jennings was best known for her incredible streak of 3 consecutive World Cross Country titles in the early 1990s. And once again...that's just scratching the surface of her career. Often lost behind the highlight reel of those 3 storied victories are an Olympic Bronze medal in the 10,000 ('92, Barcelona) and an eye-popping thirty nine national running titles during her long career.

My point? What if Michael Jordan had been content to accept the label of "Dunkman" and play out his NBA career perfecting his above-the-rim game? What if Lee Iaccoca had retired from Ford, happy with his contribution to industry, and had never taken up the challenge presented to him in 1980s Detroit? What if Lynn Jennings listened to the media and focused solely on her career as a cross-country runner, never again to set foot on the track after her first few big c.c. victories?

Am I exaggerating the power of labeling oneself? I understand the positives of self-identity. Your parents told you: "Just do your best. If you're going to be an accountant, be the best accountant you can be. If you're going to be a ditch-digger, be the best damn ditch-digger you can be. Wear the label with pride.

As for my athletic pursuits, I simply choose to eschew the labels, preferring instead to keep my options open. An ultrarunner today. A bike racer tomorrow. And maybe a basketball player or car designer next week.

Why "Desert Fish"?

Between the range of temperatures from 32 to 80 degrees F, living is pretty comfortable.

Sure, there are different levels of comfort. If you're alone in the wilderness on a mountainside overnight with a broken leg and it's 38 degrees and rainy, you're probably not going to feel too comfortable.

But generally speaking, in our modern society, with minimal adjustment, we can adapt our environments to deal with the minor fluctuations in temperature.

However, find yourself in an environment where the ambient temperature is outside of that 32-80 degree range, and you'll probably be singing a different tune. It's in these temperature extremes where only the bold go willingly, eagerly, wearing smiles and carrying anticipation.

That's where I'm headed on July 23, 2007. To the environment where most sane people do not go by their own accord if given the choice. Specifically, I'm traveling from my home in the temperate climate of Portland, Oregon, USA to Death Valley, located in Southern California, USA. The goal: To finish the BADWATER ULTRAMARATHON, a 135-mile footrace through one of the harshest climates on earth.

So, why "Desert Fish"?

Imagine a fish (of any variety) being taken from its home in the sea and immediately placed in the desert. Imagine what the fish would be thinking, could it process a complex string of thoughts: How will I breathe? Will there be water for me to swim in? What will I eat if and when I do find water in which to live? The fish would be waging an immediate battle for survival. Using every fiber in its fish body to overcome the severe challenge, adapt, survive, and hopefully...thrive.

I make this journey with an immense amount of respect: Respect for the desert, for the distance, for the race, and especially, for those who have gone before me on this incredible journey of the mind, spirit, and body.

Thanks for joining me as I prepare for this race, and thanks for sharing the details of a simple man on a simple quest for the finish line.

Greg