Running Badwater135 - The World's Toughest Foot Race At The Hottest Place On Earth

It is extremely difficult for me to put into words how I feel about the honor of being invited to run Badwater this year.  This was the most difficult physical challenge that I have taken on in my life. This blog post is a humble attempt to share my experience in preparing for and competing in Badwater.  Please note, I am still raising funds for the Challenged Athlete Foundation, it is an important cause that I will talk in detail later in this blog.

Badwater is a 135 mile (217 km) non-stop foot race in California. It starts 282 ft. below sea level at Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park and finishes at the Mt. Whitney portal at 8,300 ft above sea level. The Badwater 135 course covers three mountain ranges for a total of 14,600 ft of cumulative vertical ascent and 6,100 ft of cumulative descent.  Death Valley records the hottest temperatures on planet earth. In this blog post I will do my best to summarize the experience from start to finish, in the hopes that future runners might learn something from my experience. I’m honored to be a part of the Badwater family for the rest of my life. 

THE INVITE: Badwater is an invitational only race, and it is a great honor and privilege to be invited to run Badwater. To get into the race, one has to meet qualifying criteria like previous Badwater completion, three 100 mile races in the previous 18 months or one of a select few races mentioned on the Badwater website. The application process asks for in-depth information about the applicant including thought provoking questions like, “Are you a good person?” or  “What have you learned from your races?” The Badwater committee independently rates the applications and whoever cumulatively gets the maximum points is invited to run in the race. There are approximately 50 rookies (first timers) and 50 veterans (those who have run before) invited each year.

I happened to be on a flight from Orlando to Chicago this February while the Facebook Live streaming this year’s field was announced.  When I heard my name get announced, I was in shock and awe. It truly took a couple of days to sink in. I asked Dave Kruspki to coach me, as he has run Badwater before and has crewed and paced other runners.  Getting a coach was very important since I have been using training plans from the internet for the past couple years, and wanted to put in a solid training effort for this monumental race. 

Excited having watched the Badwater 2019 field announcement, couldn't care much for Jeff Goldblum

Overall during the 5 months of training, I took Badwater very seriously.  I had signed up for other races before I was invited and used those as 'training' runs for the big race.  I ran Badwater Cape Fear in March, Badwater Salton Sea in April, and Keys 100 in May. Thus, I used the first two races of the Badwater Ultra cup as training runs for the Badwater 135. 

Badwater Cape Fear 51-miler was my first attempt to run a Badwater race.  It was a serene experience in the beaches of Bald Head Island, in North Carolina. I had to fight double high tides and run in ocean water for a good part of the race.  I had a sense of peace and joy at the end of this race.

Badwater Salton Sea 81-miler is a unique race with a team concept, where a 2 or 3 member team has to run together the entire distance. It was one of the most beautiful locations because of the views of the mountains near the Salton Sea, which is 2 hours east of San Diego).  This race taught me how to push through altitude sickness and to think on my feet to get to the finish line. I have to say, this race really prepared me for Badwater 135. It was not only the distance and elevation but also I learned how to run a race with a crew in a van that was also serving as a mobile aid station.  

Keys 100-miler was exactly 2 months before Badwater135, where I ran as an uncrewed runner (also called, screwed) with no support crew van. It was hot and humid Florida weather from Key Largo to Key West. Though I successfully finished the race, I ended up with severe tendinitis near my right leg shin.

BADWATER ULTRA CUP: Badwater Ultra Cup is a three-event series consisting of  the 51-mile Badwater Cape Fear in March, 81-mile Badwater Salton Sea in late April, and the 135-mile Badwater 135 in July. Those who complete all 3 races in one calendar year will receive the honor of Badwater Ultra Cup.  I had already signed up for the first two races before I was invited to run the 135, so I was excited to be eligible for the Ultra Cup challenge. 

While my training for all of these races was ramping up in March and April, I also started focusing on a clean diet, cutting off alcohol, quality sleep, heat training and other factors that would hopefully help me to be in peak condition.

THE INJURY: Keys100 was a hot and humid tough race.  Going into it, I was of the mindset that I would use the conditions as a training for Badwater. But unexpectedly, I developed a leg injury during the race, and that put me out of commission for over 5 weeks.  During this time, I focused on physical therapy, non-impactful cross-training (Stairmill, stationary bike, treadmill on incline) and heat training in the sauna. For some reason, when I was injured and couldn't run, my mental determination grew exponentially. I woke up at 5 am every single day including weekends, and hit the gym for an hour on the stairmill, stationary bike or treadmill and 30-60 mins in the sauna.  I never once let myself think that I wouldn't be able to run Badwater, and I never complained about my tennis ball sized swelling on my right shin. I’m a firm believer that asking for a pity party will not help me in my training. 

PREPARATION: In addition to the training, diet, and sleep, I also cut off caffeine a few weeks before the race. The hope was that this would help caffeine kick in even stronger during the race. I have tried this in the past and it usually was effective.

I kept thinking that I have to give my best at this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and give my all. I do not come from an athletic background, so I wanted to ensure that I would give 100% to the Badwater experience.  I kept telling myself when I had bad days, tough training days, or long work days that I have to continue to be consistent in my training and not worry about not being able to run. I had run other long distance races including several 100-mile races, so during my injury I knew that I needed to focus on my fitness in whatever form that took. The injury was a blessing in disguise. If I was not injured, I would have just run 6 or 7 days a week and not focused on cross-training.  The injury helped my body recover from non-stop running for months, and to focus on cross-training, stretching and heat training.

My Crew @ Badwater Basin

My crew included Johnnie, Tim, Anastasia and Priya. We chatted about various race items and had a conference call a week before the race to go over certain things.

I also had a virtual crew chief, Amy, my partner in crime.  She created several lists and documents that we used to prepare for the race.  She also created various binders with documents including course maps, checklists, rules, etc. to be used in the van and before/after the race.

I appreciate that the Badwater organization encourages runners to raise funds for worthy causes. I decided to raise funds for the Challenged Athletes Foundation, an incredible organization dedicated to making someone’s dreams of racing, swimming, or running come true.  Their mission is clear: give those with the desire to live active, competitive lifestyles every opportunity to compete in the sports they love.

PRE-RACE: Flying to Las Vegas, driving to Death Valley National Park and staying at Furnace Creek all felt surreal, and of course hot.  It was over 125 F the day before the race. We purchased all the race supplies at Walmart in Las Vegas and drove the van to Furnace Creek.  We found it helpful to order some supplies ahead of time using the “Ship to Store” function; this allowed us to save both time and energy during the supply run. 

After settling in at the hotel in Furnace Creek, we drove to the Badwater Basin to take some pictures and sightsee.  My mind was thinking of a 100 different things, from how to pace myself during the race, how to handle the heat, how to communicate with the crew and pacers to what did I miss packing, what if I get nausea (which has been a big issue in my recent races), what if we run out of ice, what if the crew van breaks down, etc. I was glad that we went out to see the National Park to take my mind off these worries a tiny bit. 

On Sunday, we collected our race BIB number and the swag bag, and we also took some pre-race pictures. We attended the pre-race meeting for runners and crew chiefs which was very informative. Following that, we took a group picture of all 95 runners in front of the digital thermometer, which showed 125F.

I met several race veterans including Grant Maughan, Pete Kostelnick, Frank McKinney, Bonnie Busch and many other cool people.

RACE DAY: I woke up very early on race day.  The race start was not until 8 pm, but I couldn't sleep well the previous night.  I had a good breakfast buffet, packed all the race supplies I had brought, and met with my crew to go over the various things that I would need during the race. During the race we discussed topics like clothes, shoes, toiletries, nutrition, hydration, etc.  It started to sink in that the race was in a few hours. I then closed the window blinds and the door to get a good sleep before the race, but made a rookie mistake. I had fallen asleep for about 15 minutes when room service knocked on the door. I couldn't go back to sleep, but I laid awake with my eyes closed for the next 4 hours worrying about not getting enough sleep, and being awake for 48 hours.

Start Line

RACE START: I got up at 6 pm, ate a sandwich as pre-race meal, took a shower, got ready with my race gear.  My crew minus Anastasia drove me to the start; because Anastasia was pacing me for the first section, she stayed back at the hotel to sleep. 

When I got dropped off at the start line, I was weighed in.  It is very important to maintain certain things during this hot race, such as not losing too much weight.  Another health checkpoint is urine color and frequency, which is a good indicator of one's nutrition. We took the start line picture, listened to the national anthem and just like that I started running the Badwater135.

Somewhere in Death Valley

During the first few miles, I tried to maintain a decent pace, holding myself back from running too fast.  A fellow runner told me in the first few miles, "if you feel like you are running slow, run slower.” I had water in one handheld water bottle and Hammer Heed (an energy drink) in another. Within the first few miles, I start smelling the energy drink and that gave me nausea. My crew leapfrogged me, and met me approximately every couple miles.  I asked them to exchange Hammer Heed for Gatorade powder mixed with water, which worked for a couple miles until that caused me to be nauseous My crew kept note of what I ate and drank, and the frequency of my peeing. So far, apart from nausea, the race was going fine.

And then my first puking experience came up without any notice. I had around 130 miles and over 45 hours to go, so I knew that this was too early to be puking. But, I didn't let the thought worry me too much. I tried to cut back on the energy drinks and focus on solid food and water as hydration. Ginger chews were my saving grace for nausea. I would encourage all runners to be open-minded about having a variety of food, energy drinks, and nausea remedies ready for every race. It’s important to experiment with different things during training runs of course, but during the races your body might respond differently to certain types of food or drink. Though we had brought many different types of food, I survived mostly on Cup Noodles, the Walmart equivalent of Ensure, ginger chews, and coconut water during the race. 

Somewhere in Death Valley

There were 4 places in the 135 mile course with access to stores and bathrooms: Furnace Creek (mile 17), Stovepipe Wells (Mile 42), Panamint Springs (mile 72) and Lone Pine (122). I made sure to stop at every bathroom. We also had a quick pit stop at Furnace Creek, where we picked up Anastasia. 

In all this, I focused on simply moving forward. My goal was to reach Stovepipe Wells (mile 42) at the earliest and climb to the first time cut-off at 50.5 miles with as much cushion as I could build.  Race rules dictate that my pacer can join me at mile 42, and I was happy to have Anastasia join me then. This was about 6:30 am, so she supported me as the sun started to scorch us both. I reached the first time cutoff with a 45-minute cushion. This was about 15 minutes behind my goal, but I did not dwell on that.

The next cut-off was at mile 72. This 22 miles involved approximately a 10 mile ascent and a 10-mile descent, and it was hot as f***.  Anastasia and I ran as much as we could and power hiked any climbs.  

The sceneries all along had been magnificent. But during this stretch is when I had a surreal spiritual experience.  All I could see were huge mountain ranges, massive and distant, with a single road winding through them, and I felt like a speck soaking all this in in slow-motion.  The sceneries were truly alien.

When I reached mile 72 at Panamint Springs, I had a burger that my crew had bought for me.  It was hard to swallow, but I knew that I needed solid food. After this short break, we started climbing up Father Crowley.  This was a steep, windy ascent where the crew cars were allowed only to park at 8 designated spots during the 13 mile climb. I started feeling ill right off the bat.  Within the first mile, I threw up all the burger and Coke I had consumed, but at least I felt good after that. We continued our ascent in a decent pace. I put on music and started jamming up the climb.

I had downloaded two books to listen to during the race: David Goggins' “Can't Hurt Me” and Michele Obama's “Becoming”.  I listened to the first half of Can't Hurt Me, which was a really motivational book. Goggins and I have many similarities in life.  Even though I knew that he had run Badwater, when the chapter on the race came up, I was super excited while he was describing the same course that I was currently running.

At some point during this stretch, Anasthasia felt sleepy and headed to the van to take a nap, so Tim started pacing me.  My quads were completed shot by then with all the downhill running. My IT band was an issue right from the beginning as we were running on one side of the road, which means my body was constantly at a slight angle, which is not ideal.  At one point near mile 52, I tried to get into the van to sit for a minute, lost my traction and fell on the gravel on the side of the road. I cramped my left leg and right arch, and had to be helped to get up. I appreciated that Tim asked me during this time, “Are you hurt or cramping?” This helped my crew to realize what they needed to do to support me. I was able to continue to race after just a few minutes when my cramps subsided. 

As one would experience in ultras, I started doing mental trail math at mile 84, as I was getting concerned about not meeting the next time cutoff due to my pace. I came up with a new goal: reach mile 90 within 2 hours.  Then I hoped to run each of the following 10 miles within 3 hours each. This would help me to know if I was running on pace, slow or faster. There could be no reason for such mental math, but when you are out there in the wilderness, a lot of things go through your head and my goal was to keep abreast at a decent pace so that I can build a cushion in my cut-off before reaching mile-122 at Lone Pine.  

Tim and I continued at a steady pace towards Lone Pine, which was more than a 50k to go. We talked a bit on various topics.  I saw two shooting stars, one on Monday night and one on Tuesday night. We also heard fighter jets at night, which is a Badwater tradition.

As Wednesday morning was approaching, I started hallucinating a bit.  The rocks and bushes started appearing as alligators, lions, tigers, horses, etc.  For some reason, my body felt really good for the entire distance of the race, and my mind  was sharp. I was able to tell Tim, “I think I am hallucinating”, and focus on the race ahead of me. Hallucinating is relatively common during the evening portion of ultramarathons, so this didn’t worry me too much. 

At mile 96, I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore.  By this time, I had been awake for more than 45 hours.  I took a short 25 minute nap and started running again. We reached mile 100, but we still had 35 miles to go.  I started my relentless forward progress. At this point, the sun was coming out on the second day. We were running towards Lone Pine through salt beds, which didn't smell the greatest but I am sure we didn't smell that great either...

As we were approaching Lone Pine (mile 122), I was getting antsy and asking my crew, “How far to Lone Pine?” at every mile.  The sun was getting hotter and I just wanted to get to Lone Pine with as much cushion as possible. I reached Lone Pine 3 hours before the cutoff, and I had run 39 hours at that point. After a very short break, I started climbing Mt. Whitney to get to 8,300 ft of elevation. This was the toughest part of the course, as I had already been awake for almost 2.5 days and had ran 122 miles. For the remainder of the race, I knew that the heat and elevation would be steep and the roads would be windy.

The crew stopped as much as they could during this climb.  Just seeing them every time was a good mental break for me.  At some point, with 5 miles left to go, I was getting seriously dizzy.  So, instead of looking at the steep mountains to either side of me, worrying about the wind or the windy roads or about the vehicles coming at us, I kept my focus on the white line, which would get me to the finish line.  Tim was of tremendous help to me during the last several miles. He offered to do anything as a pacer, though he was tired and in pain and fighting his own fatigue.

FINISH LINE: The last 3 miles were torturous.  And finally after all the miles, the heat, the climbs, the nausea, the pain, the fatigue... I saw the finish line.  My crew and I ran towards the tape and just like that we were done.

It had taken me 44 hours 12 minutes and 39 seconds to run 135 miles. By the time I went to sleep at 11 pm Wednesday, I had been awake for over 65 hours with one short nap break. It was a whirlwind of a journey indeed.

I broke down into tears at the finish line. I got the coveted Badwater buckle from the race director Chis Kostman, along with the Badwater Official Finisher t-shirt. This is Kostman's 20th year of directing Badwater, what a great accomplishment. We took a lot of pictures there.  It was very emotional to have completed this huge race, and I have no words to express how I felt. 

Chris Kostman

I am planning to write a detailed blog that will be much more technical in nature with my running checklist, packing list, purchase list, crew stuff, etc etc. so that others can benefit from my experience. I will link it here when ready.

PRODUCTS USED: PATH Projects, Altra, Salomon, Suunto 9, Outdoor Research, Trail Toes, 2Toms, Amphipod, CEP, Balega, Gatorade, Gu, Hammer Heed.