Badwater 2011

Badwater, its where so much of my thinking has been over the last 12 months. It left such an impression on me that this year that I gave serious consideration to applying again.

I wanted to experience the thrill of running through the desert, where roads drift off into a haze and blur at the end of your horizon level. I remembered fondly the night running in this wonderful environment and how special it is to run at night though the valley and the mountans. So I applied again to the Badwater race committee and was successful again in my application

 

I return this July 2011 to race this amazing race again, though this time with a twist!

 

I am aiming to be the first Kiwi ever to run the full and original distance of this run, the distance all the very first runners of this amazing race ran, being the Badwater basin to the summit of Mt Whitney and back to the portals, a distance of about 240km's, an added 33 km's onto the end of the race's 217km race distance.

 

 

This year too, the race time parameters have been shortened. There is no longer a 60 hour window to complete the race, you must complete the actual race within 48 hours.

While I did that last year, I certainly didn't add the summit onto it, and I can only imagine at this point trying to have done that last year. It would have certainly been interesting!!

 

So I'm in for a lot of training and another action packed 4 months of running.

 

I also wish to go back to Whakatane as part of my preperation and complete the 250km's into the East Cape that I didn't quite finish on the Cape2Cape run this year, so lots to keep me out of trouble. My legs have had 5 weeks of regular weekly care from the great gang at Queen Street Physio, and I've got a mean core strength program in place to gain strength through my core, so necessary for the long running time on your legs.

 

I hope you join me and continue to support the great work that the good people at The National Burn Centre are doing.

 

With the terrible earthquake we have just experienced in Christchurch, it would really please me as well to put New Zealand back in the news in a positive light.

Lisa, my wife, and I have made accomodation available to anyone in the Canterbury area who needs it. If you can, please do the same.

 

See you out there.

 

Dave Walker