Certified...

Monday the weather forecast predicts a high temperature of 118 in Death Valley!

It might get to 90 here. I hope we get the hot days when I'm not at work. I have Monday off.

Easy running week, I ran about 10 miles on each of my 3 days off, and concentrated on heat training. I've been getting overdressed before my run and cranking the heater on my way across town. Every time I drive I have everything turned up to the max.










This coming week I need every possible spare second to do a little planning for my race in Wyoming where I plan to test a number of things for Badwater, and then a lot of planning for my trip to Death Valley the following weekend. I'll have to be ready with an equipment list to buy in Las Vegas, since I'm flying and I won't be able to take much on the flight. Here's what I would need to bring:










I get the feeling that white powder in baggies is not the best thing to take through security at the airport, what do you think? I mapquested a running store in Las Vegas and we'll have to stop there to get Heed and gels and stuff....











I wonder if they have Heed sniffing dogs in the airport in Las Vegas?









I can see it now, I'm on the no fly list. I get to the airport, attempt to check my bags, and they're on me, like flies on...









Then they send a second pair of dogs in to double check.










Book 'em, Danno!










Turns out some neighbor called in an anonymous tip to report this unsavory looking character headed for the airport.










I don't know about you, but I'd start locking my car doors if I saw that in my neighborhood.

Friday's sauna session was short but the temperature was at least 170 degrees. Normally it's 150 to 160 in there but when I went in it was noticeably hotter. I lasted a half hour and that was more than enough. I can do an hour at 150, sometimes 160, but the hot box was cranked up.

I have figured out some interesting facts during my sauna sessions. There are exactly 62 boards placed diagonally across the ceiling on the inside of the sauna. And Sauna spelled backwards is "anuaS". I thought you'd want to know that.

Saturday it was a warm day and I overdressed in four heavy layers, and spent 3 hours alternating walking and running, testing my new electrolyte capsules that I got from Zombie Runner. They're called Salt Stick and they worked! No bloating. I was able to wash it down with Heed or water and never had an upset stomach.

I have tried most of the brands of electrolyte capsules out there and they never seem to be the right mix, they cause bloating and upset my stomach. I finally figured out one of the culprits, whey. It's EVIL. It hates me.

I've tried different liquid and powdered food supplements in my nearly 20 years of running ultras and anything I've ever tried with whey always caused cramping and bloating. Why do they put EVIL whey in with electrolyte mix? The other thing about the electrolyte capsules is the manufacturer recommendations for dosing are made for bigger people. Under normal ultra conditions there's no way my body needs that much electrolyte replacement.

I've been looking for something and up to now what I've been using is a magnesium capsule combined with pinches of table salt, and trying to add calcium and potassium through food. I know in Death Valley I might not feel like eating solid food at times. I took one salt stick capsule every hour (it's not too hot today) and drank some Ensure supplement, the vanilla flavor. Tastes pretty bad but I was able to run and it didn't upset my stomach. It has 250 calories in an 8 oz bottle, plus vitamins and electrolytes. Not bad if I could down a few of those the first day. I'm going to try Boost too. I am going to need to get enough calories to keep my energy up for the second day when I can run more of the course, and for that final climb to Whitney Portal.

Next week when I'm running across Death Valley I'll be testing everything- my foot taping, electrolyte and fluid replacement, liquid and solid food intake, and pacing myself in whatever temperatures the desert gods bring me.

I'm working on the equipment and supplies list with Steph now, we're trying to figure out who has what so we can minimize buying extra stuff.

It's crunch time. Everything is happening, and only 8 weeks left!