BRIAN MANLEY'S 1999 BADWATER RACEREFLECTIONS Dear Ben,      It's been sixweeks since the race, and I'mstill on a "Badwater high."  I'm highfrom the unselfish help given to me, and my crew, by Lisa Smith and hersister Julie. Before we even got our bags into the hotel, Julie and Lisawere there to offer crewing and racing tips. I'mhigh from watching Chris Moon hike the final few miles to the finish line.I'm high 'cause, when Major Maples became disqualified after accepting anIV, he didn't quit. He continued on with his crew to lift a fellow crew'svehicle from the deep sand, then helped Maria DeJesus get to the finishline.  I'm high after hugging Louise Cooper Lovelace, a woman recentlyoutof chemotherapy for breast cancer, shortly after she finished this amazingrun. I'm high because when Lisa Smith got to mile 129 and had to go to thehospital for an IV, she didn't quit either. She returned with her crew tofinish what she started; an effort to raise money for breast cancer andspinal cord injury research.      I would be remissif I didn'tpersonally thank you, and Denise, for providing us (runners) with currentand constant race information before, during and after Badwater 1999. Youwere great encouragement out there on the course thanks Ben.      I'vebeen trying to succinctly describe my feelings after finishing thisincredible event.  I'min awe after witnessing the individual acts of indescribable courage andselflessness.  I'llecho the words of my new friend, Lisa : AIlove the people who are involved in this event. There is a silentunderstanding between us all. You don'thave to explain yourself or get asked WHY you do this? We all know why. Itis pure love to test oneself. Badwater. It teaches us so much aboutourselves. You feel so strong and powerful. You will always have this withyou and the people become your family. We love you unconditionally.      I just finishedthe Leadville Trail 100 on Saturday (09-21-22, 1999), and I had the pleasureof seeing Denise (Jones), Adam (Bookspan), Marshall (Ulrich) and Scott(Weber).  Many of Scott Weber'sathletes were out there to race.  I paced one of them toWinfield.  Marshalland I were running through the woods at mile 65 in the middle of the night,and we both agreed that our bodies were "beat" from Badwater,although Ithink Marshall has more reason to feel tired than I do; I didn't do theBadwater solo, THEN do the race.  That man is made of iron!      Ben, you may postthe following story to your web site if you wish. I personally did a lot ofInternet research before running this race, and the biographical storiesgave me a good idea of what I was getting myself into.Sincerely,Brian Manley, #22

P.S.: Yes, I want toreturn next year!  Or is that the high talking??? BRIAN MANLEY 1999 BADWATER RACEREFLECTIONS     I remember it likeit was yesterday.  I had the September, 1991 issue of UltraRunningmagazineopen to page 36 . . . and the title of the article was Death Valley Mt.Whitney: Some Good, Often Bad, Always Ugly. I began reading about KennethCrutchlow and other adventure racerswho lost so many brain cells doing the run from Shoshone in southern InyoCounty to Scotty'sCastle at the northern edge, that they had the bad sense to go back to DeathValley on an almost annual basis to do it again and again through the early1970's.The story continued on to tell of the birth of a run from Badwater, which isthe hottest(134 degrees at Furnace Creek in 1913) and the driest place (1.5 inches ofrain per year) in the world, to the highest point in the contiguous UnitedStates Mount Whitney's summit (14,494 feet), Crutchlow was the first to doit in 1973.  The article told of one runner in the 1991 race, Dr. BenJones,who added a little humor by using acoffin to store ice during his race. Having immersed himself in the meltedice water at mile 111, he is reported to have claimed to be the first runnerto have risen from a coffin to complete a race. I was hooked. I knew thatsomeday I'dbe on that course killing brain cells.     The day begins at4:00 a.m. as we leave our hotel and begin driving to the start of the race,70 miles away.  This hotel room, which is at the half way point in therace(Panamint Springs Resort), will be ours for the next two days in case mycrew needs sleep.  We meander through the curves of highway 190 as itsnakesthrough the Panamint mountains, then across the valley floor towardsBadwater.  We stop at Stovepipe Wells to pick up ten bags of ice thatwepre bought the day before, and to fill the van with gas.  As weapproach theturn to Badwater, we can see a Hi Tec vehicle blocking access to theturn off.  They wave us to continue east to an alternate startinglocation. Seems the torrential rains last night washed enough mud across the road tomake it impassable.  We cruise to the alternate start, but on the way acarpasses us just as our van is wading through a mud puddle, and SPLAT! We'recovered with mud!  Not such a big deal except that the left window isopenand Greg and I get a surprise mud shower.  At the alternate start weassemble along the highway with all the other crew vehicles. My crew and Iconfer on all the last minute details; how much carbo mix to how much water,what food to have ready, etc.  We're all set to assemble at the start

whenBen Jones announces that snow plows have cleared the road to Badwater, andwe're heading back there for a 10:00 a.m. start.     After a nicebreakfast at Furnace Creek, we all get our vans moving to Badwater. What acaravan!  Forty two race crews and several movie crews all lined upalongthe bare desert highway.  At the starting area all of the racers gatheraroundthe Badwater sign for a pre race photo, "then five minutes to thestart" is announced.  Ihurry to get my race number on my long sleeved Sun Precautions jacket, thentake my place among the other 41thrill seekers.  One of the racers,AdamBookspan, who is a symphony musician, plays our National Anthem on thetrumpet.  Count down from ten and we'reoff!     I'mVERY happy to be moving as I settle into an eight minute per mile pace. Thefirst ten miles are one big traffic jam.  Crew vehicles are desperatelytrying to reach their runners without blocking the course. At about milefive, Andy sets out a hurdle that we brought as a practical joke, so I stepover it.  Greg and Jeff stop each mile for the first 15, then every twomiles after that. I alternate energy drink with water, and keep a bandannawith ice in it around my neck constantly.  This allows crisp, coldwater tosoak the front of my shirt, which feels wonderful even with the slightestbreeze.  Greg paces me off and on for many miles.  I feel great asthe milespass.  At around mile 20, I'm running with Maria DeJesus from the U.K.She'srunning well, but is wearing a soaked cotton tee shirt.  I ask her ifshehas a racing shirt with wicking fabric, to which her crew man saysAyes,@but she refuses to switch shirts because her sponsors names are on it. A few more milespass and I crest a hill where I can see Jeff and Greg playing hackysack. At least they'reenjoying themselves!     At mile 40, Iapproach Stovepipe Wells as a strong cross wind begins to whip sand acrossthe road.  The onset of the sand storm coincides with the onset of anauseain my stomach.  I'mbeginning to feel sluggish and tired.  I stumble into the general storewhere I jump on the scale that Greg and Jeff put out to weigh me.  174pounds I'velost two since the start.  I'mmet with a movie camera and questions from some of the productioncrew. They ask how I'm feeling and what I intend to do.  I tell them that I'mgoing to sit down until I feel better, so I get into the van and close myeyes.  My heart sinks as I realize I'mgetting worse instead of better.  An hour passes, and as I sit in thepassenger seat of our crew van, I see other racers making their way past us