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Who is the Badwater Runner?
by
Greg Minter
Usually I don't deal in generalizations (wait for laughter)...however,
people ask me all the time what kind of people run Badwater. This isn't
a scientific study of any kind, just kind of a list based on personal
observation:
They're friendly! Everyone wants everyone else to finish. You can walk
up to the best runner in the field and ask advice, and you'll get a friendly
answer. A few may hope to win, but most people have a series of fallback
positions coming to the race. "I just want to finish. In under 60 hours.
Under 48 hours if I feel good. Or maybe top 10. Or maybe I can win if
I have a good day." Well, not all of us think we can win, but you do find
yourselves making deals with God and the devil along the way, either to
help you along or let you get away.
They're goal oriented. Overachievers. Well, they're not necessarily
rocket scientists and Olympians, but they do tend to have clear focus
of what they want to do in both their running "career" and their professional
& personal lives. They'll plan a career change or a six-month adventure
trek with little thought for failure or unfavorable consequences. They
believe they can do what they set their minds to.
They're bright and articulate. You don't get a lot of "Uhh" and "Ummm"
responses. Well, maybe later in the race, but that's a different issue.
They're not kids. Someone asked me if that meant they were more
experienced runners, but I think it truly means that they're more patient.
This course will burn runners up if they go too fast. Think puffs of smoke
and puddles of primordial goo. It's a simple matter of physics. People
overheat just like engines.
They're generally reserved. I find that the longer the distance, the
smaller the egos. At this point, no one cares what you've done before,
because everybody's done amazing things. So you're all back to an even
playing field. Of course, the only exception would be those who've excelled
on this course...those with multiple finishes and or wins still garner
a special respect from the rest of the field.
They're not adrenaline junkies. You get a little shot at the
start, and another at the finish, but not much in between. We don't have
much in common with sky divers or white water kayakers. The adrenaline
is meted out like a slow IV drip, and it's quite amazing how overwhelmed
you can feel when you're coming up on 90 miles. If we want our adventure
to stop, we take one step to the left and say "I'm done."
They see a cause and effect relationship in the world. To finish this
race, you have to do the training. First timers take it on faith that
if they follow the recommendations of previous finishers, they'll succeed
too (and they generally do).
They are confident but not arrogant (well most of them). You can't get
to the start without believing that you can do it. You may be nervous,
but you're going to think you can finish. There may be a surge of adrenaline
or two as you take your first steps, but within a mile, most runners sink
into their planned rhythm. This is why it's so crushing for those who
don't make it...you feel that you've done everything you needed to, and
you end up assuming that you have some innate character flaw. Of course,
that usually passes, and you realize that you either simply had a bad
day, or made some mistake that is apparent only upon review.
They are meticulous (or become so) in their planning. You find yourself
evaluating dozens of things in the months leading up to the race. You
keep a log book where you didn't before. Every decision about clothes,
food, drink, and training become magnified. If something works, you keep
it and hold on to it. If something doesn't work, it's tossed aside. By
race day, you accumulate a pile of trusted equipment and techniques that
you hope will get you through. You don't want any surprises by race day.
They have faith that if they put their minds to something that they
will succeed. I train beginning marathoners, and I tell them that the
hardest part of their program is making the committment to the event.
I think the same thing is true for Badwater. You have to decide
that you want to do it, then search out a guide to show them what to do.
And, of course, there's the person who doesn't fit any of these categories
at all. But I think if I were working as a profiler for the FBI, this
would be a good start.
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