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Badwater 2001 Report Part 1(CA): Blade Norman

The Good the Badwater and the Ugly

"Ladies and gentleman, please return to your seats and fasten your
seatbelts.  Bring your chairs to a full upright position and stow any items
under the seat in front of you, as we prepare for our landing in Dallas."
It was the standard end to an uneventful and smooth air ride.  I had
awakened with a start, not realizing that I had nodded off during the trip
from Vegas back home.  This was the end of an adventure.  An amazingly
wonderful adventure, which had brought me together with an old friend and
into contact with several new.  It's sometimes hard to recall what seems
like a year's worth of living packed into a week's worth of time.  But here
goes..
 Last year, when I had to take a pass on Steven Silver's invite to
crew and pace as he attempted his 4th Badwater to Mt Whitney trek, I felt as
if I had let him down.  Sure, I had a valid excuse (work duties in Mexico
City) but I couldn't help but feel like I had really missed out.  This time
was going to be different.  Come hell or high water I was prepared and
determined to be there.
 The thing I was struck most by, was how different than other ultras
Badwater is.  Planning and team reliance are the most critical necessities
and absolutely make the difference between finish or failure.  The crew has
to be "rolling aid-station" with several points where ice and other
perishable need to be replenished.  This requires realistic planning and
experience.  Luckily, we had Jim Wolff as our crew chief who has all the
experience in the world.  Jim's taciturn pragmatism was the "steady-hand"
for the group. He knows what to do and when to do it.  That counts for
everything out on the Badwater course.  Most importantly,  Jim has played
this fiddle before and as recent as last year, crewed Steven to a great
finish.
 I could include a lot of cute crap about the pre-race, I guess. but
I'll skip that.  Mostly, everyone just wanted to get to the run.  The three
different start times are something you don't see in many races.  Everyone
is racing against the clock, of course. Start times are six, eight and ten
am. Steven had the ten o'clock start, which I think is the best start time.
 1) You can sleep a little later and have breakfast before it's time to run.
2) Since you start later after sunrise, you therefore have 2/4 hours less of
sun on the first day.  3) You can always draw positive power by closing on
teams that you are gaining on from the earlier starts. And finally past
track record.  Steven's best time in the past came on his only other 10:00
start.  (about 34 hours)
 So most of the ten o'clock wave get down to the start by around 9:30
am. This is about 17 miles back into Death Valley away from Furnace Creek
Ranch.  The race comes straight back up this road and F.C. is the #1
checkpoint.  We, in fact, got to see some of the 6:00 runners come back by
the first checkpoint before we left to go to the starting line.  The ten
o'clock star time finally comes and the runners move down the road toward
their destiny.
 Here again, is where you are reminded that this isn't like other
races.  Even though there are only 30 or so runners in each wave, this also
provides for 30+  crew vehicles and here is where the reason for the wave
start is obvious.  There is limited suitable shoulder on a good portion of
this course. Seventy-something runners with support could make for a
dangerous beginning.  A large size van is preferable and make sure that it
handle the heat.  White/verylight color and HD cooling is best. And be aware
that there are substantial mountains that will require some driving in low
gears.  The vehicle needs to be able to take it. Ours was a full size Chevy
and held up fine.  Be sure and watch your water gauge though.
 Lovely Laura Bernal was the flower of our group and the day before
the start she let it be known that she wanted to start the day as Stevens
first pacer.  She is also from El Paso (Steven home) and a good friend and
running partner of SS's.  Steve James, a 3:15 marathoner from California who
has been climbing mountains and sauntering up switchbacks since grade school
was our third pacer/crew member.  Steve's strong suits are his unending
positive attitude and enthusiasm. Finally, there was me. (Blade)  I was
there to help dispense with the whining when things got tough.  My creative
skills at foot surgery and damage control would also end up being required
on the second day.
 Off the runners go.It was about 106 degrees at the start and the
terrain of Badwater  looks like something from another planet.  Think about
the photos from Mars, which Voyager sent back and it will give you an idea.
 We would drive ahead about a mile and then pull off on the side of the
road.  As Steven and Laura would approach, it was time to prep water bottles
and get out the squirt guns.  We worked from the back of the van and after
two or three stops, started to get the routine down.  As the pair would come
up Steve, Jim and I would give them fresh liquids, spray them off with cool
water and offer food and encouragement.  Then it's back in the van, drive
ahead another mile and repeat.  This was going to become the natural flow.
It's like eating an elephant sandwich. you have to take it one bite at a
time.
 After about 5 miles Steven was starting to get into his groove and
making steady progress.  Laura was looking pretty red-faced and it was time
for a pacer swap.  We had talked beforehand about out pacer strategy.  It
was agreed that we would need to swap regularly to try and keep the pacer as
fresh as possible.  I knew that on the second day when things got tough,
this would help everyone.  Steve J. took over next and we continued on.
Drive about a mile and stop.  Spray down the runners and change out their
bottles. Drive another mile and stop.  Spray down the runners/change
water/offer munchies.  Getting the idea?  It seemed as if the hose downs
were needed as much as the fresh water bottles.  It was so dry and so hot
that water would evaporate almost immediately, once sprayed on the runners.
 By the time we were approaching Furnace Creek again, (Checkpoint #1) we had
made at least 15 stops.  The digital thermometer of the van was showing 117
and now it was time for Steve J. to swap out.  This was also to be our first
ice stop.
 Steven checked into the #1 station at 12:49 pm and we got a chair
out for him to take a quick break.  Meanwhile, Jim headed into the General
store of F.C. to get a few more bags of ice.  I was to take over as pacer at
this point and in about 10 minutes we were on the road again.  For the next
2+ hours we made steady progress toward Stovepipe Wells, the next check
station.  Jim wanted to get a little action, so he took a short turn out on
the road and then it was back to Laura's turn. Then I believe it was back to
Steve J. The rotation strategy seemed to be working well.
  Along this stretch into Stovepipe, we gained upon several teams from the
earlier starts.  At 6:45 in the afternoon we came into Stovepipe where there
is a store, gas station and motel with a small pool.  I got out and refueled
the van while Jim got more ice.  Laura went with Steven over to the pool to
sit down and cool off (?) for a minute.  I was going to take the next leg
and likewise went over to the pool to jump in and out quickly.   There were
several participants catching a break at this point.  This is also the point
where people have been going all day and begin to start dropping.  As I
walked up to the pool, I could see Major Maples sitting by the pool with his
legs in the water.  He had a bucket and was puking with great purpose.  His
race was done.  Others sat in pool chairs with a comatose look on there
faces. Reality was now setting in.  Some would get up and some would not.
Probably 9 or 10  runners wouldn't continue past Stovepipe.

                   End of part I