Brain Fog

Life is getting back to normal. I'm back at work, doing projects and trying to focus on what I need to do next in my life. When I'm not at work, I take the girls for walks, I run normal distances or ride my bike, and I have time to do other things. Dennis and I have had some time together and we'll do more things this fall. I have been getting caught up on a list of tasks and projects around the house, my "A.B." list, that I've neglected for months.

It's still August and I said I wouldn't start seriously training for anything until September, which is next week. But I can't see getting too serious about anything yet, I'm having two issues that need to be resolved first. One is my thyroid, which has decided to become an issue again. When I suddenly change the demands on my body like I did when going from training as a full-time job to suddenly tapering, running the race, and then to nothing, my thyroid medication needs to be adjusted, but it takes a while before my thyroid decides what it wants to do about it.

I have been feeling tired the past few weeks. It came on suddenly. I have physical energy but I feel exhausted. It's hard to explain. My body can keep going but mentally I'm not there. It's called "brain fog". I've also been irritable lately. Afternoons are especially hard, all I want to do is sleep. But when I have the opportunity to take an afternoon nap, I can't fall asleep or I do sleep for a short time but I wake up easily and it's not very restful.

Last week I called in sick to work one day, I felt like I could not do another day. I used the opportunity to go get my thyroid checked. I've been wanting to since I got back from Badwater but I felt fine until a couple of weeks ago. I am edging toward hyperthyroid again. Given how I'm feeling, it makes sense. It's not as bad as it was a year ago, but it's headed that way so I have already cut my medication dosage back and will be re-checking in about 3 months. Until things start to balance out, I'm going to be hurting. Unfortunately 12 hour shifts don't stop when you're needing a nap every day at 2:00. I'll have to try not to bite anyone's head off.


Katy and I, along with several other ultrarunners over the past 5 years, have had long discussions about how to manage training for ultras when you have thyroid disease. Hashimoto's thyroiditis can be frustrating because it seems like your thyroid has a mind of it's own. I have learned to appreciate it and I don't want to rip it out of my neck like I thought I did when this all started, before I got diagnosed and treated.

I'm not going to let it stop me from training and competing in the sport I enjoy so much. But I do have to listen to my body, and now it is telling me I need to bring things back into balance. I've had to learn to be at peace with it and go with the ups and downs. I've also learned to pay attention and if things are not going right, I need to not force it, and I need to stop and pay attention to why it's happening.

Chris Kostman sent out his Adventure Corps newsletter along with some emails to Badwater participants. What I liked best was the Chinese proverb quote: "Better to light a candle than curse the darkness."


And the other issue is my left hamstring. I've been stretching, riding the bike and being careful about running, and I should try swimming but I haven't been to 24 hour fitness in almost 2 months. I have to figure out if it's going to be worth it to keep my membership, if I can get motivated to go over and swim, or do something. I hate to go somewhere to work out. I like it when I can go out my door and not waste time driving somewhere first. I'd rather use that time to be outside and moving. I might need to do something different if the hamstring doesn't respond soon.

I was running consistently but last week my hamstring got sore so I had to rest it. Today I ran an hour, feeling dead on my feet, but the hamstring was fine. I'll see how it feels tomorrow, when I go back to work for 4 out of the next 5 days. I am trying to run on at least one work day per week. On my days off I have been riding my bike again when I have the energy. I took last week off until Friday because I was feeling so wiped out.

Lately I rode to Berthoud a couple of times, going the long way through Loveland. I did a ride of 46 miles to the north end of Berthoud, and 56 miles yesterday. This time I was on county roads near Carter Lake. I could see the Flatirons west of Boulder. It's a scenic ride and it's going to get better as we get into fall, with all the colors.

We went to the cabin last weekend just for Saturday night and took the Buffaloes for a hike. The trees are starting to change colors up Tarryall Creek and it's so late in the season we missed the wildflowers, mushrooms, strawberries and raspberries. We did see a few mushrooms. All we did was that two hour hike and that was all I could handle, I was ready for a nap.

Reflecting

Today I spoke to the management group at the Fort Collins Coloradoan, our local paper. I talked about my experience at Badwater and tied together the lessons I learned and how the crew worked together to make it a successful run, applying these lessons to the business world. It was fun. I can talk forever about running.

It's fun to answer questions about the run and reflect on what I learned. The publisher asked me what surprised me the most. I answered that it was how much pain I found I was able to withstand. Every time I talk about the race and think about it, something new occurs to me. It hasn't faded yet. I don't think about it constantly like I used to, but every few days I am reminded of something and I'm able to slip back into that dream world and lose myself in Death Valley again.


I'm back to running again. I'm up to running an hour at a time, most days. I've been waking up early before work and doing my runs, but it's getting to the point now where my run is long enough that I have to get up too early. It's hard to wake up at 3:30 or 4 in the morning, go running, and then work a 12 hour day that doesn't end until 7:30 pm.

I have been enjoying my early morning runs though. It's not as light in the mornings now and I've been enjoying the feel of night running again. That's something to look forward to as the days continue to get shorter.


I discovered a new place to run. Right now there are too many bugs to enjoy it most days unless there's a breeze, but once the cool weather hits this fall I am going to spend more time out there. It's dirt, gravel and asphalt paths and it makes some nice loops, perfect training for Across the Years.




Last week one morning I was at work, before getting report on my patient assignment for the day, and one of the employees from Facilities at the hospital came up to ICU and asked if he could give me a hug to thank me for doing my run for the Cancer Care Fund. He told me that he just had his PET scan and is cancer free. It completely took me by surprise, and he was so nice. It made me cry.

Between doing the run and getting so caught up in everything related to preparation for it, and then coming back and jumping into my usual routine, I haven't had much of a chance to think about the fundraising and charitable aspect of running Badwater. This was a reminder of how important the work of the Foundation and all the efforts to support initiatives like the Cancer Center and the Cancer Care Fund and research are to the real people, the individuals whose lives are directly impacted by cancer.

I have noticed that my body isn't quite ready to crank up the intensity of my workouts yet. I learned this painfully a couple of weeks ago. I rode to Flatiron Reservoir and I stopped at the top of a hill to look at my map. I forgot to take my feet out my cleats. I think I was tired. I tipped over and crashed on my left side, fortunately I wasn't going fast and there was no traffic. I got this nice chainring tattoo to show for it. I'm going to have to wait to increase my running miles and time on the bike, I can tell I'm not ready yet.

As far as my recovery goes, my feet are doing well. They are still peeling but I found that I needed new shoes at work. My feet were getting sore. It's funny how I think nothing of changing running shoes every few weeks but when it comes to work shoes, I was wearing the same pair that I got when I started nearly 2 years ago!

I've been tired and it seems like no matter how many days off work I have, I'm never recovered enough by the time I go back. It's been busy lately and it finally caught up with me this week. I had to take a day just to sleep and rest and do nothing. I did go and get some labs drawn including my thyroid, since I have a doctor's appointment next week, but other than that I couldn't motivate myself to do anything but walk the dogs. Fortunately I have 5 days off coming up after tomorrow. I need to go to the cabin before summer is over. Maybe this weekend.

Looking Ahead

I just checked the Across the Years website and I'm in for the 48 hour race, along with more than a half dozen other Badwater runners I know, including Lisa Bliss, Phil Rosenstein, Gillian Robinson, and a few new ATY faces who have Badwater ties.

Looks like Debra Richmeier is coming back too, and Tracy Thomas is in the 48 hour this time. The women's 48 hour should be very competitive and VERY fun. I can't wait! Looks like we will have a great time out there this New Years.

I started running slightly longer this week. I managed to work up to 30 minutes most days this past week, including my work days. My feet didn't hurt by the end of the day even with running before work. I got some good bike rides in, including a 50 mile ride one morning to Flatiron Reservoir past Loveland.

My feet are still shedding like a snake but they feel better. The itching has stopped and I am using a ton of lotion on them to try to soften them up.

Speaking of feet, the Drymax socks are working great too. I've been wearing them everywhere, running, biking, to work, around the yard. I use the walking, tennis and golf socks for work, and my feet stay more comfortable later in my shift in all of them. Standing on my feet all day and wearing cotton socks isn't the best thing. The Drymax socks are thicker and give my feet a softer surface to stand on and they really do stay dry after 13 hours.

I like the sport socks and the lightweight mesh running socks in my bike cleats, they are thinner and give my cramped feet more room, and keep my scrunched up toes dry.

So far I have tried the regular running socks and the lightweight ones and I like both of those socks. I really notice a difference in how dry my feet stay in the regular running socks. They are thicker socks and I usually don't like thick socks because of the size difference in my two feet. The thick Drymax socks stay dry and don't cause a problem wth friction or seams. So far I haven't tried the trail running socks, the hot weather running socks, or the maximum protection socks, but I will be doing all of those soon, as I get into my fall training runs.

I have been riding the roads and looking up at the foothills, wishing I could be running the trails along Devil's Backbone and Coyote Ridge. I will be, soon enough. I am going to sign up for the 24 hours of Boulder and use that as my big training run before Across the Years.

This past week I was exhausted, but it was probably because I did a night shift last Sunday and it didn't feel like a normal night shift. I was dead on my feet by 2:30 am and never got a second wind. Then trying to sleep all day Monday the girls kept waking me up barking at the birds who decided to build a nest in our gutter, the baby birds were starting to fly and driving the girls crazy.

Then Tuesday I did my civic duty, remember that jury summons I got before Badwater that I postponed, well I had to go to the courthouse that day and it took them all day long to choose the jury for a criminal trial that was supposed to last 8 days. Fortunately I didn't get picked, but it was late afternoon before I got home and I missed my nap time. I've been sleep deprived all week. Then work has been busy busy busy, and my last two shifts this week I was running all day long, nonstop without time for lunch and not getting out on time either. I was ready to drop when I got home at 8 pm on Friday.

This weekend Dennis and I had plans to go to the cabin but we were both exhausted, so we stayed home and did a little yard work and a lot of relaxing. I haven't been up in the mountains all summer.
We will try to go in the next few weeks and run the trails between Como and Breckenridge. This is the best time of year, in the early fall. Time to hit the trails!

No Small Feat

In the weeks since I've been back from Badwater I've heard from so many people congratulating me on my finish. I appreciate all the kind words, support and enthusiasm coming from people in the community, the PVH system, and the runners and ultrarunners both locally and out of town.

I've decided to extend my fundraising for the Cancer Care Fund to my future races, like Across the Years and other ultras I'll be doing in the future. The people at the Foundation have been so fantastic to work with. My support for this program doesn't end with Badwater. I hope everyone reading this will consider donating to the PVHS Foundation Cancer Care Fund, the information is on the main blog page to the right. Even a small amount makes a difference for someone in need.

I've been asked to speak to two different groups about my Badwater experience. Each talk is focused on different aspects of the event but have in common self-discipline, teamwork, goal setting, staying focused on the end result, and how it applies to the business world or the world outside of running. I never thought I'd be doing motivational speaking but I think it's easy to talk about something you have so much passion for.

I went back to work this week. It wasn't bad being on my feet the first two days but my feet ached on my last day of work.

I'm back to walking the Buffaloes every day, we're up to 2 miles. Went out for my first run yesterday, five minutes. My feet are still peeling, along with the skin around my ankles from the asphalt burns. My feet are delaminating! Here's a progression of how they look, from last week to this week:







The generous people of Drymax sent me an assortment of socks this week and I'm going to wear them and give them feedback. Here are just a few.

I already wore the sport socks riding my bike, and the running crew socks on my walks and short runs. I have been riding 20 to 35 miles a day this week and those sport socks did keep my feet dry inside my cleats. It's been hot in Fort Collins this week, temperatures around 100 degrees. Everyone is complaining, but I'm more comfortable outside than in the house.

I discovered the bike path in Loveland the other day, which added another 10 miles to my ride. After two hours on the bike my feet were screaming in my cleats. I had to stop and loosen my laces and let my feet out of the box for a while to stretch my toes before I could ride all the way home. My left foot is wider than my right one and always gives me more problems.

As I increase my mileage over the next few weeks, I'll be trying the Drymax trail running, hot weather running, and at least a half dozen other varieties of socks. I plan to wear them at work too, since I'm on my feet running around for twelve plus hours.

I sent my entry into Across the Years for the 48 hour run. If I get a spot in the race, that will be my next big race. They select runners in a lottery since there's so much demand for running the race. It's on a 500 meter track at a small private facility so they can't have open entry.

I can't wait to get back to trail running. I'm thinking about signing up for something around 100 miles this fall. Probably 24 Hours of Boulder. Heartland 100 is already closed, and the other ultras are getting too late in the season, I want some good training time before Across the Years at the end of December.

Hopefully this year the weather will be better at 24 Hours of Boulder. Last year was nasty, running by the light of my headlamp in a garbage bag at 2 in the morning in driving sleet with the wind whipping my face coming off the reservoir, not my idea of a good time. Personally I'd prefer 130 degrees with blazing sunshine anyday.

It's only been two weeks since I finished Badwater but I still have my Death Valley National Park permit on my windshield. I can't let go of it yet. I come home on my days off and sit downstairs where it's quiet and cool, and close my eyes and go back to the race. I have a feeling it's going to be hard to NOT do it next year.

I feel so slow and sluggish on my feet. I have to learn how to run again. This year I trained to finish Badwater, and nothing else. I spent so much time moving slowly that I have to retrain myself to move at a decent pace. By New Years I should be able to work some real running into my schedule!

Between getting back into training, wrapping up some work-related goals this year, public speaking, and sock-testing, it's no small feat!

A Fresh Start

The past few days have been quiet, I'm home with the Buffaloes and wrapping up Badwater business. I haven't done much thinking about Badwater except for re-living the experience in my head, which is a nice escape.

It's amazing how not needing to heat train has changed my attitude, I've been thinking about air conditioning. It's been warm in Ft. Collins and immersing myself in a cooler full of ice sounds good now.

I did go for a 20 mile bike ride the other day. I could have kept going, but my feet were screaming in my cleats. They're still slightly swollen and the blisters itch. Last night I finally went all the way through my race goodie bag and found all kinds of nice skin care products from Kiehl's, once of the race sponsors. There was this bottle of mineral salts to put in the bath, and that's what I did.

I am planning to ride again today and tomorrow if I have the energy. I might even go up to Estes Park and get out of town one last time before I go back to work.

The other day I spoke with Miles from the paper, he interviewed me about the race and came over to take a picture of me with my buckle. He's doing a follow-up story to the one he did in May.

Yesterday I did try taking the girls for a walk, but I only made it one and a half blocks from my house before my feet started hurting, so I had to turn around. Looks like the only thing I'll be able to do for a while is ride my bike. I suppose I could swim at 24 hour fitness, but I need to get a swimsuit. It took a good 3 weeks after Across the Years before I was able to run, I expect it will take at least that long this time.

I did come up with a short list so far of things I could do next time to improve my race, things I will do differently next time. I'll add that to my earlier post and keep compiling my thoughts there.

It's a cool morning and I'm going to try riding to Loveland. I might have to bring a knife or pair of scissors in case I need to cut holes in my cleats.

The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

The pictures on this post are for Ken. He gave me the idea, in our half-crazed, sleep-deprived state as we drove back home from Lone Pine. The title of this post is appropriate, given the fact that so many Western movies were filmed in the Alabama Hills near Lone Pine.

Over the next few weeks and months I'm going to update and add to this post, compiling a list of thoughts on what worked, what I'd change, and what I've learned from my first race at Badwater. I want it to become a reference for anyone thinking about doing Badwater who wants some ideas or advice. Steph and I are going to have "debriefing session" after we get feedback from all the crew members about how things could be improved. I also want to add some thoughts on what I learned during the race, including what I learned about myself.

I'm too tired right now to put anything meaningful on that topic in this post, so check back if you're interested.

At this point, six days after finishing, my feet have been improving. My feet and ankles are now normal size, but the itching under the blisters as the skin dries and separates is driving me crazy! I am not sore, I never did have any muscle soreness except for behind my left knee, my uper left calf and my left hamstring, which all suffered from the way I had to alter my gait due to the pain from the blisters.

Future race plans? I'm not sure. Yesterday I started thinking I want to do Across the Years again. I feel like I ran so much within myself at Badwater, since I wasn't able to run the second day as I'd planned, I have a lot left over.

Yes, I do need to recover from Badwater, but when I race, I want to blow out all the carbon, both mentally and physically. Mentally I know I did that, withstanding the pain of the last 51 miles. But physically, it leaves me feeling like I want more.

I want a chance to get rid of all that excess energy from the training so I can feel I used up all the physical effort I can possibly use. I'm going to see how I feel by September, and over the next week, I'll contemplate sending my entry in for the 48 hour race at Across the Years.

Check back here periodically and I'll add to this post as I process everything.

Ideas for what I could do differently
1. start out in Drymax socks- they might have kept my feet drier early in therace as opposed to Balga socks which I started in.
2. When it was humid that morning I probably was dripping water into my shoes, I should have either wrapped a towel around my waist, or changed shoes and socks as soon as I even suspected I was getting wet feet. I think this is what set me up for blisters later in the race.
3. I paced myself too slowly the first day. Planning to walk all the first day is a good strategy, but I could have done more running than I did.
4. Running the second day, which was my original plan. Since my feet will be better next time, I will be able to do this!
5. Mental preparation for the final stretch up the Portal Road. I'll make at least one trip out there before my next Badwater and run up the Portal Road. I did have a fast split relative to the other runnersgoing up there, I am a strong walker. I think there are parts of the road I could have been more prepared for which would improve my pace even more.

I'll add more as time goes on...

Badwater 2008: A Blistering Pace, Part Four: Post-Race

After the race, we were staying at one of the "other" motels in Lone Pine. Steph had tried to get rooms at the Dow Villa, where race headquarters was, but they were already sold out by the time she tried to make reservations, which was the same day I got confirmation of my entry back in February! The room in this other motel wasn't great. We did have a tub with whirlpool jets in it, but other than that, the sink didn't drain, there were ants in the room, the coffee maker was weird, and the doors stuck so that everytime someone in another room opened or closed their door, it would make a horrible squeaking noise followed by a loud SLAM! Our door did that too.

We went to the post-race pizza party from the Pizza Factory in Lone Pine. Never has pizza tasted so good! It was an opportunity to thank people who helped along the way, like Don Meyer, Gillian, John Vonhof, Ben & Denise, and to see everyone one last time before we all went our separate ways. Until next year.





I need to say some things about the crew. They went far beyond my expectations and a Badwater race does not happen without a crew. The runner needs a crew to help them through challenging, dangerous conditions. The crew helps the runner along by anticipating their needs, being aware of issues like blisters or dehydration before they develop into serious problems, and does everything in their power to keep the runner from having delays along the way that might impact their performance and ability to finish or reach a pre-set time goal.

from left: Katy, Nick, Steph, Ken, Alene



My crew did all of that and more. They were so efficient, I never lost a second through the whole race due to the crew. All of our crew stops were moving, and the only things I stopped for, other than the blister care, were for sunscreen, peeing, sleeping, and just a few short, pre-planned breaks to get out of the sun and off my feet.

Nick paced me the last 45 miles of the course along with a few other short stretches the first day. He kept a conversation going only when I wanted to, he anticipated my fluid, food, and sleep needs, and was able to allow me to go into my "zone" to escape the pain I was having. He kept track of my progress without pushing me. I didn't need to be motivated by anything outside of myself, and he recognized and respected this. All he did was encourage me and answer my quetions when I asked.

Katy paced me on the long hot tough climb out of Stovepipe Wells to the top of Townes Pass and talked with me when I wanted to talk. She was super-efficient at crewing, and she sensed my needs and always was ready for me. Her energy was so good to be around. It's not always easy to find people you can be with while you're trying to concentrate and perform at your best, who don't drain your energy. Katy was perfect for me, she was there only to help. She didn't place any demands on the energy I needed to use to focus on moving forward. And on the final climb up Whitney Portal, she was the one person guiding the crew, she kept us going when we were all so exhausted. She was exhausted too, but she got us there. She got me there, powered by red jello.

Steph was the ultimate crew boss, she took charge of the planning and organization and made sure I had all the details in order, all the paperwork, she made travel arrangements and knew what had to happen and when. She handled tense situations tactfully and knew how to divide the workload and rest periods among the crew members. She had the toughest job with the most responsibility, and she saw it through to our success. She's been with me since I first brought up the topic of Badwater, last December on our way down to Across the Years. She's still working on Badwater now, sending pictures, sorting through receipts, and compiling ideas that we'll talk about sometime soon, on ways to improve on the Badwater experience.

Ken made me laugh with his crazy comments on the state of the universe, he made countless runs for supplies along the course, he paced me in the heat of the first day when my spirits were at their lowest point. He drove almost 800 miles on the way home when my feet were so swollen and painful, all I could do was put them up on the dashboard in between icing them in the cooler. He made sure I was hydrating and eating on the way out to the race and back. He took hundreds of great pictures too.

I can't thank the crew enough for their efforts and dedication to our success. It is organized chaos, it's exhausting, sometimes thankless, and relentless beyond the finish line. They get hungry and sleep-deprived and have to somehow remember to take care of themselves. The crew continues their work even after the runner has crossed the finish line, cleaning the van, organizing the gear, and finding the owner of every piece of equipment and clothing in the crew's possession.


Nick took off Thursday morning as he had to pick up Dana at the airport in Denver. Katy climbed Mt. Whitney on Thursday with Ed Green, Dale Perry and a few guys from Florida on Bob's crew. Like me, Bob decided not to do Whitney, he was too beat up.

Steph and I used Thursday as a recovery day, we did some laundry to keep things from really getting nasty on the trip home, straightened my car, and finished separating everyone's gear to go home in the proper vehicles. I iced my feet and elevated them, making notes and writing down everything I could remember from the race. I was still pretty out of it but feeling generally good. I'll be glowing for a long time over this one.

After Katy got back we ordered pizza from the Pizza Factory again and then we sat around relaxing and went to bed early.



Early Friday morning we were carrying the last of our bags out of the rooms before we checked out. I picked up my last bag and I jumped and let out a little scream. This was what I found, exactly where if I had not placed my bags down there, at the foot of the bed, I would have stepped on it...


Ken heard me and came into the room. He put a plastic cup over the scorpion, trapping it. We left it that way. When I went to the front desk, after I paid the bill, I whispered to the clerk, cupping my hands over the sides of my mouth but mouthing my words clearly, for the dramatic effect... "By the way, there's a scorpion in our room. It's under a cup on the floor. You might want to let housekeeping know about it."

Needless to say, I'll pick a different motel next time.

Going Home
Steph and Katy left in the rental van to catch their flight from Las Vegas to Denver. Nick drove home in his car and took the new cooler plus some of my other gear which made it a lot more comfortable for us driving home in my car. At least we could adjust the seats. Ken and I drove back from Lone Pine to Green River the first day and then to Glenwood Saturday morning. Ken did all the driving until we arrived at Glenwood so I could keep my feet on ice in the small cooler between my feet. I dropped him off and drove the rest of the way home to Fort Collins and got home by mid-afternoon Saturday

The girls greeted me with their big Australian Shepherd smiles and howls. Iris threw herself at me, screaming, giving me a big hug, and Isabelle ran around in circles, stopping to lick my face on every lap. Dennis was at work for a few hours. He left me a note to call him. I called and he said he was coming home.

I spent most of Sunday sorting through gear, unpacking, and doing laundry. I finally cleared a path to the front door around noon. Then Dennis and I decided to go out to the Rio for lunch and a margarita. After that we came home and I've been blogging ever since.

Everyone on the crew made it home safely. I'm going to pick up my gear from Nick tomorrow.

I'm going to make a separate post later to discuss the things that went well, the things I would change, and what I learned in general from my first Badwater. For now, I'll wrap up with a couple of comments. I'm sure my thoughts will evolve over the next few days, weeks, and months.

I need to figure out my next race, but my legs and feet have some healing to do first. Once my feet go down to their normal size, I'll be able to put my cleats on and go for bike rides. For now, I am starting to move out of the ravenous phase where I want to eat everything in sight.

I found out that the temperature in Death Valley on the two days of the race was only 114 and 119. That's cool as most race years go. It was humid, and I think the temperature in the hottest part of the course was closer to 120 in the middle of the day. The cooler temperatures certainly made for fast times. Both the men's and women's course records were broken. Most of the field finished, and almost everyone buckled. I don't think the cooler temperatures worked to my advantage, since I rely on my strong walking pace. Under hotter conditions, I think I would have finished a lot higher in the overall places. But that doesn't matter. I took what the course gave me, I dealt with it, and I learned so much. I know I am capable of running much faster, certainly under 40 hours is within reach. I think this year I would have been capable of that had I not spent so much time off the course and being unable to run the second day as I'd planned.

That gives me a goal for next time. Everyone wants to know if I'll do it again, and the answer is ABSOLUTELY YES! I won't be able to afford to go back and race next year, but I'm going to start saving right away and I think that in two years I can pull it off. Next year I won't be able to stay away though, so I'm looking into the possibility of helping with the race, either on the race staff or crewing for someone else again. This race has given me so much, I want to give something back to it. Great ultras are like that, they become part of you, and you become part of the race. I feel this way about Across the Years, too. It's like a family.

Check back in the coming weeks. I'll be posting a lot of material related to crewing and planning for this event, what I learned, and what I think will work better next time. I'll be telling my story, times and places TBA here on the blog. I'm hoping to raise more funds for the Cancer Care Fund, too. I'll keep it going for future races, not just Badwater.

I want to thank everyone reading this for their support and enthusiasm.


BE BAD!