Cooler

The weather cooled down this week. It was only 80 degrees in Death Valley when I checked the weather yesterday. It's supposed to warm up by next week. I'm hoping for temperatures of at least 110.

As it turns out, the tornado touched down in Windsor on Thursday morning, just a few miles away, at the exact time I was sprinting toward my house. I had no idea that running in a tornado would be part of Badwater training, but it is now. I wonder how many other Badwater runners have trained in a tornado?

Speaking of tornadoes, I'm in the process of packing for my trip to Death Valley next week. I'm trying to minimize what I bring and I've mapquested on a running store, Super Wal-Mart, and Whole Foods all within a reasonable distance of the airport and the highway to Death Valley.

One problem I've been trying to solve is how to deal with the need for at least one big cooler. We're going to need a lot of ice both days while I'm running. I don't want to buy new coolers since I have no idea what to do with them once we're done. It's not possible to mail them back on a Sunday when we're leaving. I could try checking them as baggage, but that might cost a lot, and I'm not even sure it's possible. Plus it would be a pain in the butt at the airport. I needed an economical, practical way to solve the cooler dilemma.

I own two ancient, beat-up Igloo coolers that I got in 1984, after I graduated from college, when I was living in the back of my truck doing forestry work in the summers. They still work but they are falling apart, cracking, stained, foul-smelling, etc. I've been wanting to replace them but never get around to it. I have a hard time getting rid of things that still work.

After my coffee this morning I got this bright idea. I went to the local post office and asked questions about mailing the coolers. Sending them priority mail they should be there in plenty of time even with the holiday. I taped them up and sent them, priority mail, to myself, general delivery, at the post office in Pahrump, Nevada. It's near the intersection of the highway that turns off and crosses into California as you enter Death Valley. It only cost $25.00 to mail both coolers, including delivery confirmation. That's less than a new cooler. I'll figure out a way to pass them on, maybe there's a thrift store in Lone Pine where I can drop them off when we're done.


If for some reason they don't get there, Pahrump is a big enough town that we could buy coolers there. It also sports a large billboard advertising the Brothel Art Museum in Crystal, and might be the last slot machines at the gas station before you cross into California.

I need to go to the sauna today and finish packing for tomorrow's race. The Wyoming Double Marathon starts east of Laramie at the Happy Jack rest area on I-80 at 6 am. It's going to be a long day.

I'm sending good thoughts and energy to Felix today, he's in Canada running the Sulphur Springs 100 mile race. Go Felix!