Here some photos of the Kiehl's Badwater ultra marathon I ran this July you may enjoy viewing and a brief summary of my run. The 135 mile race begins at Badwater, California, the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere, the course snakes through Death Valley West 0n Highway 190 and passes over two mountain ranges and crosses over onto Highway 395 before finishing at Whitney Portal, halfway up Mt Whitney, the tallest peak in the 48 states, 14,492 feet. The Badwater race is invitation only. This would be my 5th year running this race. Considered by many the the toughest footrace on earth. Only 80 runners are allowed to participate. Death Valley is one of the hottest and driest places on earth. There was a large international crowd of runners entered. Runners from France, England, Germany (Germany having the most runners representing a foreign country), South America, Canada and the USA to name a few. Death Valley is a strange place, little vegetation, sun baked landscape which is like running on some other planet. Yet Death Valley has a stunning beauty about it. Record rainfall in California created a once in a hundred year bloom of wild flowers in Death Valley this year. Death valley does not care who you are-how fast you run or medals you won, Badwater will do all it can to break you down if you let her. De-Hydration, nausea, cramping, heat exhaustion, blisters are all part of running Badwater. No runner escapes suffering one of these. Badwater becomes a very technical race to run with these factors involved.
 
Running this type of race takes a great deal of training and preparation. Few will ever understand unless you have run a race of this magnitude. You train in order that your race goes well, if you can plan that way. The physical extremes you push your body are great. Temperatures reached 120 degrees, a rather "cool race day" compared to previous years. 2003 we had highest temperature recorded 133 degrees at the Badwater race, oddly enough I ran my fastest time. You do not run this race with out a support crew. They carry your ice, water and food in their support vechiles. They are real hero's to us Badwater runners. Despite some nasty cramping at 35 miles which I had to stop and handle, I was flushing out all my salts and minerals faster than my body could absorb them by drinking more water than your body is used to, the result being experiencing severe heat cramps, your leg tendons become "over stretched piano" wires with sharp spasms that are quite painful. I had lost already 11 pounds. My competent crew took good care of me and after about 5 hours lost and now fully re-hydrated, I was able to continue my race, disapointing as it was for me and knowing now I would not break my fastest time, I was quite thankful I was able to return to the race. My crew were fantastic on how they got be back together. Running at night through Death Valley is a spiritual experience. You see things you think are there and are not. An interesting phenomena many Bad water runners experience. Our support van was lighted up with Christmas lights which created quite an effect in the desert darkness. My rest breaks were short but effective. Running at night was cooler and my appetite finally returned. Townes Pass is the longest climb in the race, you leave sea level at Stove Pipe Wells and a steady climb for 18 miles to the top of Townes Pass at almost 5,000 feet. Then it is a long down hill run into Panamint Valley the 72 mile point, there a major check point. Now heating up again as the sun is in the bright sky. Suddenly F-16 jet fighters zoom past us at sub-sonic speeds us on a training flights out of China Lake Naval Air Base. They seem to know we are running-they put on a show for us with their dazzling twist and turns that you would see in Top Gun. A real rush to for the runners.

Running the Badwater you experience many emotions. You body aches all over, you hit low and high points, yet exhausted, you do what ultra runners call "digging deep" for that last tap of energy you have. Knowing I am fund raising to help youth, my engery seems to come back to me magically. Failure is not an option at this point. The last 13 miles we run through the western movie town of Lone Pine, California on highway 395. This is where you  really know you are reaching the finish, dawn yet to break, I begin my final climb 13 miles to the 8,000 foot Whitney Portal Road finish. I have the road to myself. Not a runner in sight. Now I begin to feel the effects of little sleep catching up with me as I weave in and out on the road, out of my support crews eyes which are 1 mile ahead waiting for me. My crew gives me an icy towel on my neck which seems to wake me up. One of my crew gives me ice an mocha coffee, that was the best tasting coffee ever as I gulped it down in seconds. Dawn now breaking, the view of the Sierras are in view and majestic. As a ritual, I have my wonderful crew run the last mile in with me to the finish. You know in your mind you are almost done, the switchbacks on the road tend to tease you, like as if they want you to really earn the finish. The turns seem never to end.  Finally we cross the finsih line tape in 46 hours and 56 minutes. I do earn the coveted belt buckle. I am humbled and honored I finished my 5th Kiehl's Badwater ultra marathon. Never easy. My crew were stellar on how they cared for me. They were amazing. Most importantly I ran for a higher purpose, to help The Way to Happiness Foundation change lives of kids who do not have a easy time, the effects of gangs, drugs, crime, I am honored and privileged once again to be able to help them. I want to thank all the staff at TWTH for their loyal support. My crew for supporting this great cause and volunteering all there time.

Congratulations to all the heroic Badwater runners and Scott Jurlek's record breaking performance and to those who did not finish, your efforts are noble.

My crew: Thank you all. No finish for me with out your help. You all were awesome!

Big Kudos to:
Russ Beal my Crew Chief and Vetran on this race. Great work Russ. You do so much for me and the team Way to Happiness.
Mike Reitman, first time ever crewing and did a super job!!
Lisa Bennett, Great job!! Thanks a bunch Lisa!
Brian MacKenzie, Incredible pacer and crew. A future Badwater runner.
Gary Hilliard, Vet ran Ultra Runner and Mt Disappointment 50 km race director who paced me through some very tough times and was a big inspiration to in many ways he may not even know.

J.R.