In what i can only claim to be a very spasmodic blog recently some people may have picked up that again this year i will be at Badwater, this time not running (if i'm honest probably the next time i put an application in for this race will be when there is an Aussie trying to beat my 3 finishes here or possibly many years on going for an age record - i'd have to be 75 so don't wait around to much for that one !).
Instead i am crewing Indian runner Arun Bhadwaj, he flew into Las Vegas last Monday (sure i lost him at the airport but i never claimed to be perfect), and since we have been doing some training in the heat (which isnt really that hot - high 90's low 100's, although at times quite humid as well as going through Walmart discussing the sorts of foods required and that work here.
I have had one race here, my third Running with the Devil 50 Miler , have to admit this was my worst run there, first 30 miles was fine, but from then on my stomach simply couldnt handle the Hammer Heed drink. At the half way mark i'd got through in just under 4 hours and had lost only 3 LBs so all was good, but with a half marathon to go was told i was dehydrated (this was determined by a race official giving me a drink that was apparently salt and sugar and tasted terrible, if i couldnt taste that i was dehydrated ????), so ended up sitting under a shelter drinking cranberry juice and pepsi cola and eating oranges and lollies for the best part of half an hour.
Finally i went off and struggled a bit as i had only filled my handheld with water (which is no use in a race of this sort), next aid station had another gel and filled the handheld with Pepsi Cola instead, was worried about using it as my main drink as i feared it could dehydrate me but had to chance it.
Last 5 miles or so were horrendous with alot of wind, and i could feel my calves tightening, cramped up shocking with half a mile to go and ultimately had to use a Hammer Gel i'd picked up on the road to get going again !!. Eventually ended up doing 9:31:41 for 12th place, not good at all, still sometimes these things just dont work !.
Only thankful i didn't end up doing the Badwater solo the week after, with Mt Whitney under snow (and needing climbing gear) and Anna Maria unable to arrive earlier (to crew me), i've got to put that ambition on the backboiler for the moment :-(
Now to put all my experience and knowledge of Badwater to good use to help Arun achieve his goals.
