Running for Freedom: My Journey as an Ultra Marathon Runner (2019) - full transcript
Gerald Tabios, Filipino Ultra Runner, runs his 5th Badwater 135, considered as the world's toughest footrace. Together with his crew, Gerald has to run 2 deserts, climb 3 mountains, run 135...
- Oh my God!
- First of all, our team is,
we call it team 81,
for this 2018 Badwater.
My crew is, first my crew
chief is Peachy Poso.
She has a stellar athlete.
She run more than 40
marathons and ultra marathons.
And she finished two
Boston marathons in a row.
And, she do reverse triathlons.
My second crew is Ibar, he
crewed for me two years ago,
from a Lone Pine to Whitney Portal.
And, he's also stellar athlete.
He runs lots of ultra marathons
and marathons as well.
And, last but not the least,
Steve Gerschultz.
He's a doctor,
in profession.
So he's also,
he runs like more than 50 marathons.
He do a lot of triathlons
and do ultras as well.
And, he's a doctor so he's
gonna take care of me.
Usually, if you run the Badwater,
you run like every two
miles, they do like leapfrog.
So, they give me all the nutrition,
food, water, make sure I have everything.
And then now,
the crews also one of the
crews can be a pacer too.
They crew from me after 42 miles,
and the rest to the finish.
What is a pacer?
- Actually, it's like,
it's not really a pacer because
you cannot run side by side.
They have to run behind the runner.
So they usually, they check on me like
if I'm doing good and then what I need,
then I have somebody to talk with.
Why do you like running?
- Oh, there's a lot of reasons.
One is, it's fun.
Number two is, for health reasons.
Number three is a camaraderie
among other runners.
And probably for is a runcation.
You know what I mean?
Like you go to other places,
you are sign up for a race and then you,
at the same time you are in vacation.
So why do you run the Badwater?
This'll be your fifth
time running Badwater.
- Unfortunately my fifth time,
because it's a love and hate relationship.
By the way, I mean, why do I run Badwater?
Because it's a difficult race
and it's a very scenic race.
It's very nice out in Death Valley.
- You know, the good part is,
I'd say that's about 65 right now.
What's your resting heart rate normally?
- It should be in around 45.
- Oh 45, it heats up and
It's hot out here, so.
- Yeah.
- It's probably 60 to 65 right now.
It's still fit, that'll work.
All right, take a listen to
your lungs and your heart.
Make sure that,
deep breath there.
Deep breath.
Right here.
Right here.
That's great, you got good lung capacity.
Yeah.
- Okay.
- That's good.
- Take a listen to your heart here.
No arrhythmias.
- All right.
- Yeah, yeah.
I think you're good to go here.
- Okay.
Thank you so much.
- Go get them.
Let's go.
No, I'm just fan,
I drove all the way from
Texas just to come--
Did you really?
- Yeah.
- Seriously.
Wow!
- Wow!
Yeah, yeah.
Well this sure is.
- If I had like my car or my bike.
- 2009,
like I happened to hike from
something like 5:30
No, I lost an inch, I am 5--
Like actually do you hike?
I'm like the shortest, right?
One five zero.
I'm supposed to be 149.
Yeah but, it's the elevation.
- Tell me reaction?
Yeah that's fine, that's fine.
- All right.
Are you okay?
- I think I'm okay.
Yeah.
- I think you'll find out.
- So I did--
- I'm just gonna throw up.
I'm gonna need it.
- No.
That's why I have Tums,
I have Peptbismal
you're covered.
Let's get
everybody down on the Badwater
sign for photographs--
- I think I'm gonna need my vest now.
Yes.
Number 34 are you here?
Number 34, you need to check in yourself,
get your and get weighed.
34!
Number 34.
34 now!
- So you need your beep
lights in a minute, right?
- Make sure you see me,
if I can't see your face.
- I want you guys to
step back a little bit,
you guys step back a little
bit to be a little freer.
All right, do we have any
more runners coming down?
Any other runners?
Lets go over the roster real quick.
I'll make sure we're all accounted for.
Eight o'clock
Here we are 2018, Badwater 135,
the world hottest footrace,
welcome to the event everybody.
Watch the
pole, watch the pole.
Watch the pole, watch the pole.
Thank you.
- Watch the pole, all
right, all right, all right.
- You good?
Empty.
- You still got?
It's empty, nothing.
- Empty?
You need one?
- I have nothing.
- Okay.
- Okay.
- Only the water that he don't have one?
Yes, he doesn't have anything.
Any, no nothing.
- He finished those?
- Yes, yeah.
- There you go.
Now we go driving.
No, no, no, we're going to
drive 'cause it's way to far.
- All right then, whoever--
He's too fast.
- Yeah, I know.
Come on, come on, come on, go.
I have nothing
- Rj.
- Cross cross cross.
- Cross, cross.
How come I cannot open this?
- Thank you
- Okay.
He said that they don't go too far
he needs lots of water.
Yeah, make them again.
- You know what you can do later on,
you can just go bring the whole tray.
You know, and then you
can just clean this one.
Okay.
That's good.
Right there.
- Gotcha.
I've put this one over here the 10, 12.
That's like every two hours
for his BO2 Max and salt.
So every time we finish it,
we'll just cross it so we
know if we give it or not.
- Okay that's fine all right.
Okay, now I think we can go.
- Okay.
- You wanna sit?
You want a chair?
- It's all ice.
- It's all ice.
- Again?
- Yeah.
And then this one is no ice.
Why is my nose is itching?
- Your nose, it's
probably, it's because its
dry.
- It's dry?
'Cause it's dry?
Maybe?
Yeah.
- My arm, it's so sticky.
- Water?
- Water yeah.
- Yeah, I'm gonna drink water.
A lot.
- Yeah, you need a new one of these?
- There's a lots of water right here.
- Yeah, can you put more water?
- More water?
Lots of water right here.
- Yeah that's CarboPro.
- You've wet this.
Stick it with a.
Be careful not to wet your.
Shoes.
- Shoes.
- I'm okay now.
We're almost, like four miles.
- Where to for almost?
- To a Furnace Creek.
- Five more.
- No five more, five more.
Five more
- five more.
We're 12 right, yeah five more miles.
We are 12 right now.
- Are you okay?
Are you okay?
- Yeah.
You need some gel?
No you haven't, okay.
- I dint take any gel.
But I didn't take anything.
Okay you're good.
- You got gel.
- You're good?
You're good.
- All right.
- All right.
Have fun.
- So he wants ice on this one.
- Just ice he says?
Just ice, yeah.
- Pretty much every strenuous workout,
I've probably been working out
fairly seriously, 10, 15 years.
And each strenuous workout does give you,
in my personal experience,
a high that lasts usually about 24 hours.
And, basically you feel
good during that time.
And it's the same effect
that you get with drugs
and many other areas.
This has a beneficial effect because
it can have you continued
to want to exercise,
at times when you would
rather do other things.
- It's my therapy
It makes me feels calmer after a run
and you go see my,
like, even on my fridge,
it's like, running is cheaper.
What do you call that one?
Cheaper therapy, something like that,
I forgot the word.
But yeah, it, it makes you
more calmer after the run.
- Oh, finishing the race,
It's just tough, you know.
I've been running with
Gerald, most of the races.
Probably with three of my a hundred miler.
Running with him.
But this one is just really different.
You know, the heat, the humidity.
It's just record breaking.
So, and I could feel that
Gerald is worried as well,
but I have no doubt that he can finish it.
There was no time
when you were thinking,
"Oh oh, we're gonna DNF?"
- No, no way.
It's just being around
with Gerald all the time.
I kind of know that, you know,
it's Gerald, there's no DNA for quitting.
Just probably drag Gerald
to the finish line or feet crawling.
But that's how Gerald is, you know?
- Well, Gerald Tabios was really impressed
when he finished his first Badwater 135.
Basically,
well I can say he is the first Filipino,
one of the first few Filipinos so,
who finished this.
And I have written an article wherein
I really recognize him as
the first back to back.
That means for two consecutive years,
he was able to finish the Badwater 135.
And I was really impressed
about his performance in
those two consecutive races.
- Gerald as a runner, he's very cool.
I mean, I don't know how he trains,
like or how we train for the Badwater,
because I know he has a
full time job also like me.
So me I trained after office
if I have one or two hours,
and I'll just training
the treadmill in the gym.
Gerald is very focused, dedicated
and he's really dedicated runner.
He's a cool runner for me.
Very nice, very sweet person.
And then he's a good friend of mine also.
Actually we're kababayans,
because I also,
my family, some of my
relatives stay in Bukidnon.
Also Visaya.
So you are also Visaya?
- Yes, yes, I can understand a few words,
but I don't speak the dialect.
- Yes so like, inside oven,
you're blowing road side, to
water night, even at night.
How do you survive that?
- I heat train, I train for it.
The only way.
I always talk to a lot of people,
who like past champions
who are my friends,
and they told me just do heat training,
heat training, continued training.
Do sauna, if you can
go to the race itself,
train on the course or go
to Palm Springs which I did.
Like I frequent Palm Springs every Friday.
Is it dangerous?
- It is.
It is very special, like hot.
That's just killing you,
It's getting into your skin.
And--
- I've been to the Philippines.
I ran the Bataan Death March.
It's hot and humid,
but this is a different heat
'cause it's penetrating into your skin.
All right, good job.
- I need the spray.
The dry spray?
- Yeah, this.
It's been a while.
Mutual Runner.
- Oops oh my God.
It's good.
- Nice one some lube.
- Lube.
It's like, what lube?
- I think I need like bandana.
- You need banana now?
- No, the bandana.
- A bandana?
I thought you said banana.
I'm not gonna put much, is this better?
- Yeah it's good.
It's cold.
- Yeah 'cause this is already warm.
It's starting to get cold too.
- Are we like five miles awy?
Yes.
But I will stay five
miles, if five miles
- Give me like two minutes.
Yeah.
- Can I have that water.
You want some
lube or you're good?
- I think I'm good, you think?
I have CarboPro right?
Yep you do.
More?
- It's the ice.
I think you got
a haircut just for this.
- What is that?
You got a haircut
'cause it's short in the
back a little.
You need a comb?
I think I'm good now, I'm just gonna.
Just for this I
- I'm gonna check my
system if it's working.
I feel cold when I stop.
- Yes of course, 'cause it's the.
That's why I don't want you to like,
wear like too much of ice.
Yeah, but right now you're fine.
- I'll see you in 15.
15.
And he is going.
This is uphill.
Your going uphill here.
- Is it uphill?
Yeah.
- That's why my muscles are like.
- Yeah, you can look down and
see their cars down there.
- What's the elevation now?
It's sea level.
More than
Probably a couple hundred up,.
- Oh my God, I just feel like,
I want to close my eyes.
Take a rest.
- Can I get some water?
- You want this jug to put your thing?
To put your feet up.
- Is there like a thing
that can make me up?
- Caffeine.
- What is that?
No to make me up.
Awake you up?
Sun's gonna
rise in about half hour.
- Yeah yeah, usually when sun rises.
Can you help him up please?
- Is there like a Redbull or?
Yeah, I think this is good.
- Couple of sips later,
yeah.
- Yeah.
And then I just wanna
need anew sets of water.
Oops!
- What happened?
- Nothing.
- You wet your self?
You want this one?
- This is, it's not empty
yet, but you can put some ice.
Yeah ice.
- I wanna go now.
Okay.
I'll see ya'.
I wanna get light.
- Good job.
- Okay.
One more there.
- One more stop and then.
And them we'll
be there at Stovepipe.
Stovepipe.
You want some massage?
- Oh no, look, get me some water.
Oh my God, I just love it here.
I like it too,
it's a comfortable chair.
- Everything becomes awesome.
I love this.
Oh, maybe bandana, right?
- Have this stuff too.
- I fee like a king.
Not a princess?
- Three of those, start there.
- I'm gonna be whining soon.
Like,
He's like, wait,
let me get the button and hit your head.
Or should I go say what June said?
- So where's that musket
sun, it's coming out right?
You want me to take that?
- Less than a mile.
- Almost there.
- I can see the cars, be right there.
- They are all lined up back there, yeah?
- Yeah.
- You're doing well.
Yeah sun comes up every half hour.
- It's all good.
- Once the sun comes up--
I pee like every one and a half mile.
- Yeah, yeah, that's plenty,
yeah, you're well hydrated.
- One more stop and then the
next one is Stovepipe right?
- Yep
- exactly.
Good job.
- Thank you.
Even though we might enough--
And I'll just fill
them in there.
- I think I'm gonna change.
I'm gonna change long sleeves.
Long sleeve okay.
Pit stop.
It's too early for the time.
- And then the blinky lights.
- Nelson had a black
and blinky light, right?
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
- I need you to do something,
you want the new one with that one?
- Yeah.
- So we're gonna walk.
- Okay.
Get it too fast.
Oh my God.
- No, no, towel first.
- I need towel?
- That towel just like here.
- All right.
- Do I need hat now?
- Well you could if you want.
But, it's still--
- Yeah, maybe the next stop, right?
- Yeah.
- You want that hat?
- Yeah later when the sun lights up.
- Are you gonna wear this one again?
- Yeah, just dried it out.
- I should store it.
- Thank you.
- What do you call it?
- Well, my friend Peachy has
a saying on her refrigerator.
Running is cheaper than therapy.
And, it's probably due to these endorphins
that make you feel good.
It also, physiologically just releases,
much of the stress that can
accumulate during the day.
It's recommended as most
people probably know
20, 30 minutes of exercise at
least several times a week.
And that amount will
release the stress that
accumulates and be very
beneficial and helpful.
You'll asleep better,
you'll eat healthier foods.
You'll just feel better about yourself.
Is it better than,
pills prescribed by doctor?
- Oh, absolutely.
Not only are you getting
the neural effects,
you're also getting the
cardiovascular effects as well.
So your heart muscle is strengthening,
your lungs are increasing in capacity.
So there's many beneficial
effects to exercise.
You don't need to run 135
miles to get this effect,
probably a couple of hours
a week is all you need.
But running 135 certainly is
going to increase those effects
and
is beneficial.
- Oh, a lot.
Without the crew, I would say maybe
I'm not so sure If it's possible,
or if they allow it,
to finish one 35 without a crew.
'Cause you have to have someone
to deal with your nutrition,
make sure that you have a proper nutrition
that you're hydrated enough.
And plus, you know, if you're a sleepy,
what will you do if you're
gonna just like take a cat nap
or you need to just like
sleep the whole hour.
So there's a lot that needs
to be done by the crew.
- So I was introduced
running like five years ago.
I was wearing my basketball shorts
and my basketball shoes running.
I got an injury because it's
not the proper way of running.
But after that, this is just like,
I love the sport, you know,
it's, you know, when you are working,
especially in New York,
it's very you know,
lots of stress in the work.
So when you're running,
it's like you are alone.
You can think of the things,
you know, work, family.
But just kind of distressing, you know,
it's you alone so,
that's how I love the sport running.
So we're giving
him some electrolytes.
- Yeah, we're gonna give
him some electrolytes
and some other
supplements called B2O Max,
which is a bronchial vasodilator.
So it helps get a little bit
more blood flow into the lungs.
And the electrolytes.
- So he's been taking that.
And the electrolytes,
they are essential to having
the body work correctly.
So we're giving mainly
potassium sodium, calcium.
A couple other electrolytes
that were giving
and that's so that the
cells function optimally.
When you are running in this kind of heat,
you're losing a lot of water
and a lot of electrolytes.
So both of them, you have to replace.
What's the danger
of losing electrolytes?
- If you lose too much electrolytes,
and then you replace it with just water,
you can get hyponatremia, which
is a dilution of the sodium.
And actually it can be deadly.
So that's one thing
you really wanna avoid.
That's why electrolytes
with this type of exertion
are very important.
What is the intervals
in the intake of electrolytes?
- We're going every hour.
So two, what we're giving is
something called endurolytes,
which is a supplement.
It's got about six different
electrolytes in it.
We're giving two of those every hour.
All throughout the race.
- Throughout the race yeah.
And then in addition,
he's hydrating of course,
it's a water and sugar mixture,
something called CarboPro,
which is a complex carbohydrate.
That's the fuel?
- That's a fuel, yes.
Equally important.
All right.
- He's gonna sit.
He's gonna sit, okay.
- On the shady one.
Can you finish this.
Just drink up the whole thing.
I'll give you water hold on.
Here, you good?
You know, I wanna go change
this one, it looks so down.
I have the, not really good
but it's a
Hey
'cause we just like pass that one.
That's the one the 10 a.m. that I told you.
- Where is it?
The
no, no, no two minutes.
- Oh that's 10?
Yeah that's 10 a.m.
So we're good.
- Okay.
- And then the next cut
off time is 8:00 p.m.
- Relax.
Where is the other one?
That one.
Can you get the,
just the handle.
Please, thank you.
Can you transfer some of the water here?
No, no, not that one.
Okay, thank you.
Yeah, I'm just checking my system.
You want more?
- No I'm good.
What is it?
Your vest?
- No it's okay.
My shoes melt.
- Watch your shoes,
watch your shoes.
- Melts, see this?
Melt.
Did that melt or just wear?
- It melts.
- It melts.
Tell me about it?
- It's a new shoes.
Five minutes ago
I would say it wears
easily cause it melts.
- Yeah pavement.
It's like,
- it's hot.
- It's hot.
All right let's go.
Yes let's do this.
I'm just gonna.
Carry on soldier.
- I'm just gonna pee.
You made it.
- I'm going to go down
To Panamint Spring.
- No, I looked right away--
- You need another scarf?
- Yeah, might as well.
What we gonna do,
you gonna take them at the downhill,
- Yeah.
- And then you take them
though the last five--
Fly to Panamint Spring,
and then Ibar is gonna
do a pill after that.
- It's still cold, but
it's gonna be hot down.
I'm okay.
Are you okay running down?
- Do I need something to kick in?
Going downhill?
- Maybe like, I'm gonna
get a shot of that.
CarboPro?
- No, no the CarboPro, and
then you can add more CarboPro.
No that's not a real
Finish that.
- Finish this?
- I'm just gonna go, get something.
Real downhill
or something there.
- Yeah.
I'm good.
- Just need water.
Are you ready?
So the first parking spots,
because you cannot park,
where there isn't designated parking.
How many miles
is that?
- It's like seven.
- One point.
Seven?
It's on the free park.
Oh free park.
Okay, let's go.
- Yeah, okay let's go.
I'm just gonna wet this
and the I'm gonna go.
- This is quite the race.
The highlights probably would be
the extreme conditions
that these runners run in.
You think, I'm actually running
my first a hundred miler
in a couple of months.
And I'm excited about that,
but if nothing like the
conditions of this race.
This race starts in
110 degree temperature,
and just goes up from there.
Very, very difficult race,
mentally very challenging.
These athletes are some of
the fittest in the world,
but that's probably not enough.
You've got to have the mental toughness
to get through this 135 minutes.
- It's a team effort, not
as like an individual,
you know, effort.
It's always a team.
If someone's, if you especially,
you know, on the second night,
so you just need to bite your lips.
'Cause everyone's goal
is to bring that runner
to the finish line strong,
no injury and you know,
everybody's just like,
you know, need to have the
patience I guess is the word.
- It's very important.
You know, when you are running
with this kind of distances,
you know, takes like 24 hours,
that's the backbone for your, you know,
and how you finish the race.
Because when you are tired,
you forget all these things.
You know, nutrition, you got a plan,
you have a spreadsheet, but
go to mile or hour number 18,
your done, like all right,
let's just keep on running.
But the crew will remind you of what
the things you need to do.
So I think running is
like probably 30 or 40 %.
Crew is like 60 or 70 %.
So that's very important to running.
- But it's still hot.
It'll take you 10 minutes
to do what we did in an hour.
- Yeah.
Right around your joints
- Yeah the joints.
- Then the muscles.
- I'll weigh it in,
Panamint Springs
- Panamint Springs.
Soonest.
- That's the next one.
- That's the next one, yeah.
Steve you were saying that
Badwater is difficult
because it's on pavement?
- Difficult 'cause it's on pavement
compared to a lot of ultras,
which are on the dirt
and it really takes a
beating on the joints,
taking the knees, the hips, the back.
It's much more difficult
running hard surface
compared to the dirt surface.
On the body.
- Is there like, something like
nutrition, to keep me going.
- We are taking a burger I see.
- Like bucket with ice.
- What are you saying, hurting?
- Just like put them in ice, all right?
We're gonna recycle this.
This are, environmental friendly.
Recycle the socks.
Thank you Peachy, you can pit it down now.
No, no, no.
- No, no, I'm gonna go
keep this one for later on.
- Yeah.
- Right, only one mile.
- Gerald is going on, Gerald
is Gerald doing five Badwaters
it's not, no offense meant
to people that does 5k.
I do a lot of short races,
but I don't think it's
even on the physical side,
I've seen that, I've read about it.
Not just Badwater.
I read about, you know, I
read about ultra runners.
For me it's 95 % mental.
So he's very unique 'cause
it's not the physical part,
he's very mentally strong.
So that's when if he
thinks he's gonna finish,
he's gonna finish.
So the body just follows.
We've seen that in some of the,
you know videos of,
ultra runners doing, you know,
100 day runs, you know,
through the deserts of,
you know, running through
what eight countries I think.
Even if they were hurt, they recover.
But they never stopped
running every day, you know?
So it's basically mind over matter.
You know, so once you think
that you're gonna finish,
and that's very rare,
most of the time before
you can even start,
you're really doubting yourself
and obviously to do five Badwater.
There's no doubt in this guy.
That's why he always finishes you know?
Because he is very strong mentally.
I think that's key
to being an ultra runner.
So you know that,
your pain threshold is
very high, you know?
Because there's so much pain,
but if your mind is
stronger than the pain,
then you don't feel that,
you don't worry about it too.
A lot of people do, you know,
so that's why before they can even start
there basically you
might as well not start.
'Cause see if you're doubting yourself,
then don't, all right?
'Cause that's 135 miles, you know?
So I've done it by diving.
And it was a struggle with this drive,
first time I went there for not the crew,
but the watch the team,
I had my dog with me,
me and my dog had to
struggle just to kinda,
keep up with the race, you know?
So just imagine you're actually
doing it for 135 miles.
And again, average heat in Badwater
it's like at least more 110.
So that's very rare.
So I'm very proud of Gerald here that,
you know, it's like all very
inspiring what he's doing.
And I love that because, you know,
that's always, what I
want is to be involved
with something that would inspire people.
And that's what he has done, you know.
So thank you, thank you
for inspiring you know.
So what did you say?
- Have you seen those
cars they are going back?
With those crew.
May be they
are going back where--
They might be done.
Yeah, they might be done.
Yeah.
'Cause I know that number
one, probably somebody--
It's okay.
- It's like so, I'm ready to
get that temperature reading.
- Okay try, try--
133.
- It's hot.
133.
- I think it's a good idea that we walk.
- I think the electrolytes were--
- That one.
- Oh my God, my feet are burning.
- Wait, wat, wait.
Remove your glasses.
Gerald why do
you run the Badwater 135.
- What are you saying?
Why do you run the Badwater 135.
- I don't even know what the answer.
He loves me.
- I don't even know
what the answer for now.
'Cause I'm crazy.
Wait, wait, wait.
At this temperature, I don't know why.
- What a minute Gerald
didn't you just ask me a while ago?
- Yeah
This is crazy.
- Ibar, why did you join
the 135 race?
- It's heaven.
- I think I know what heaven means.
- I think we are a bunch
idiots, that's why.
- A little crazy.
- We're not even half way yet.
- Okay the half way, I think it's 72.
- Okay 70 is 140, okay.
Just over halfway.
- Okay, it's nice to know.
- All right, you gonna take this.
All right let's go.
- It's like, it's 200 degrees.
- Do you have enough?
- Again, I've been doing
this for a long time.
And my dream is to
see that Philippine flag
being waved at Badwater.
And I know a lot of guys
that were doing the race
and some of them I sponsored too,
but they were not Filipinos, right?
So, my dream was to see a flag.
The Philippines flag.
One day I said there
should be a Philippine flag
in the Badwater race
or at the Badwater race.
And I only knew four ultra
runners back in the days.
It was just Ben,
it was Carmela Laison.
The guy from San Francisco,
Rick Gaston and other girl Tess Gedes.
Tess Gedes owns that Rim
to Rim in the ultra race in
Arizona Grant to grant.
And she also owns that race in Hawaii,
which is the volcano, to
volcano I think, right?
So we only had four Filipino ultra runners
back in the day,
when we were seven or eight years ago.
So my challenge was,
"Hey, if anyone wants to do it,
"I'll take care of everything."
I'll pay for the entry fee
I'll provide the vehicle.
Everything they need 'cause we're ahead
hey, own a running store
so everything they needed
we can get right?
We can get sponsorship.
So that was a standing order.
Everybody one by one,
I remember Rick Gaston,
"I only do ultra, I
only do trail running."
And Tess Gedes too so,
I think it was boiling down
to just you and supposed
to be Carmella, right?
But for some reason, Carmella,
I think stopped, you know.
So Ben was like the best fit and Ben was,
"Oh man, I'm not gonna do it.
"I don't lie to do that,
"It's on the road as well,
"I don't want to do the road."
But eventually, you know,
the calling was there, you know,
and to be the first one
was, you know, scary.
But at the same time,
if the community like us we're
there to provide support,
then it could become a reality, right?
So I think that's something that
we're really so proud of being part of.
Not like going,
"Oh Ben will make it happen."
You know, like whatever you need,
we'll hey, I wanna share that.
'Cause we were in a very rare,
you know position because we're
in the running industry, you know?
And that's what I did
too in the Philippines,
we brought, not that there
were no running there,
but we tried to cultivate
running in the Philippines too.
Like a few years back
when we opened our stores
there you know so, very rare.
That was a funny story
back in the days now,
I was, and there's four.
I think I posted it on
them and then I challenged
the four of them who
wants to get.
It took him like two years.
I think he said, you know
what, I'm gonna do it.
It took two years, you know,
for somebody to really,
you know what let's do it.
And the rest is history, right, so.
- I run like the first six miles.
It was so hot.
After six miles, I stopped running,
even though it's a descent,
but they stopped running.
I walk, I decided, and then
that was so smart for me.
My pacer was Steve, and
then he told me that,
that is so smart.
You walk because it's too hot.
So it's a strategy.
So I don't wanna be overheated.
And you know that there's,
after the descent in Panamint Spring,
it's like you crossed that sand dunes.
That was so hot,
that was the hottest place that
I've ever felt in that race.
It feels like 135 for me.
I was even touching my shoes
and then my shoes got melt
in that
like mile
I wanna say like mile 68
it started to melt.
The rubber started ripping out.
And I was like,
I mean it's like a month old shoes.
It was crazy.
So how far are we in the course?
- This will be mile 80, when we get here.
Mile 80.
- Mile 80, yes so we are making progress.
So we're
almost to the 100 mile mark?
Almost to
the 100 mile mark yeah.
The next check off will be at 91, mile 91.
How's our runner going?
I think he's doing very well.
He's tenacious, he just does not give up.
That was really hot a couple of hours ago
as we saw and experienced.
And for him to make it through that,
that's pretty impressive,
he just kept going.
He's picking up speed?
- And he's picking up speed.
I think he's gaining confidence.
I can see that in him.
He's kind of bypassing
the van if you noticed.
And I think he's gonna finish strong.
How many people
have a DNF already?
- Well, when I looked at
the last check-in station,
there were somewhere between
12 and 15 that DNFed.
Wow.
- Including some.
Is this yours?
- It's not, no, no sorry.
Including
- I just don't
need to be conned.
Yeah.
Including some very elite runners.
Yeah, well.
- So yeah.
We're going strong.
- Going strong, hopefully keep it going.
- When I was in the Philippines,
I was like dreaming of
running some day in the US
like I was reading like,
I used to buy those magazines,
"The Runner's World"
magazines in the Philippines.
Like I go to like a PX Goods store
and then buy this old
'Runner's World" magazines.
And then I like,
"Oh, this is so cool,
"I'm gonna go there, I'm gonna
run the New York marathon."
I was like reading this Oprah wearing,
I mean, running the New York marathon.
So someday I'm gonna go
there, I'm gonna run.
Now, you have to be a runner.
You have to run fast to
be a competitive runner.
So I don't have time to train.
I work like a dog.
I work 10 hours a day.
So I didn't have time for training.
It's hard to juggle up like,
juggle family, training and running.
I mean training, running and your family.
Finally,.
- Tough.
- Yeah.
- All right good.
- Everything is Christine.
- That's really hot, you survived 135.
It's very, no, no, no, no.
I'm talking about the hat.
- I know.
- It's kinda like relevant to the race.
- 135 degrees.
- 135 degrees.
- Oh, the temperature,
that was so hot.
Badwater 135, 135 degrees.
- See it now.
- I know, I haven't
looked at my shoes yet.
- Yeah you've not.
- Yeah.
Not much, not as yours.
I can only run I know 126.
And I'm dead.
- That was hard,
to survive.
- My, allusions like kick in.
- Do we still have ice?
- Yes.
- We're gonna buy in a Lone Pine, right?
You think, you still have those bags?
- Yeah, I still have like three under,
or four untouched yeah.
- Untouched?
- It's not melt?
- No, 'Cause I bought,
there's like two in there
and then I bought another five.
So I guess we're good.
- What time is it?
- 7:01.
- Steve.
- No, he's already ready for it.
- 7:10,
7:10.
- Oh, okay.
- We gonna leave at 7:10.
What's 7:10.
- Rest
- like it's 7:01.
7:01?
- Like nine, yeah.
It's 10 minutes.
- Oh it's 7:10, got it.
- Do you want me to put you bandana?
Got it.
What is it?
- A bandana.
Oh, I don't need.
- You don't a bandana?
Okay.
- No.
- What is of importance,
well, for me, I've always
been in the running industry.
So especially as a Filipino,
that was kind of rare in the past.
So about 20 years, slowly I've met Ben.
Some guys as well.
There was only a few before,
And now there's like,
You have done what four now?
- Five.
- Five, so that's amazing.
So when we ID and they own that there,
when we were doing the blogs,
our blogs with BR and AR
and you know, that'd be,
I mean eventually we can produce someone
from the Philippines to
come and do our Filipino,
to do a Badwater and now,
So I think it's very important
cause it's inspiring.
We're all promoting
health and fitness plus,
the idea of there's no limit, you know,
right?
Now you can do 135
miles in 127 degree heat
and it's doable
and it's not just doable
by people we don't know,
but people we know.
So it makes the dream
a reality that there,
special athletes run.
They are very special but
knowing that they're also Filipinos,
it makes it very realistic.
So do this, we're
actually empowering everyone.
Hey, just follow your dream, you know?
So eventually it's gonna happen with us.
There's a little edge,
that we take like see
we're in this environment of running,
most accepted, most accessible
But are now we're seeing
actual Filipinos training in
the Philippines doing Badwater.
So that's for me the value
of inspiration by this guys,
you know, they inspired them to,
if they can do it, those
guys can do it as well.
I think I'm just happy now
I'm part of that because I'm
in that industry, you know?
So I think that's what I can add on,
Very important 'cause
we're inspired people.
And that's you know,
ultimate as a whole is to
inspire others, you know?
Especially reaching out
- What?
- They gonna be waiting for us.
- Yeah.
I think two miles.
- That's a classic
location right in there.
Yeah.
- It's red, it's not full
blister but it's red there.
- What is this?
- It's okay?
- My legs.
- You're a king man.
I don't wanna be a princess.
- At what mile?
90.
- Mile 90?
Yeah.
- No princess at mile 90?
That's like the new shoes right?
- No.
This is just like two mile.
Peachy are you
getting ready to run?
Oh yeah, but the runner is not.
I'm but he's not.
Let him rest though.
So from here
what's our next stop.
- Six mile, well we're
gonna do six mile exchanges.
So Peachy is gonna run six miles.
Run not.
Well, it's up to Gerald.
It's downhill so he might run a bit.
And then Ibar's gonna run
six and then I'll do six.
And then we're gonna go four, four, four,
and then we're hopefully
gonna be as Lone Pine
at that point.
And that'll be about daybreak,
probably around six o'clock, 6:00 p.m.
or a.m. excuse me.
And then it would probably take us about
four or five hours going up the 13 miles.
So that should be good time.
So my guess
is in 11 or 12 o'clock,
then we shall see.
And that would
be like, mid-sub 40s.
Yeah that'd be sub 40,
yeah which would be great.
Is Gerald picking
up good speed, good time?
He's consistent right now.
I don't know if we're picking up time,
but he's been consistent.
He just keeps going.
He may be can pick up a little
bit of time on this downhill.
It's down downhill yeah.
Especially if he were to run but.
It's a catch 22, If you run,
you get more tired and
then you need to rest more.
Otherwise blisters.
It's catch 22.
They'll be okay.
They're gonna be a little
painful but at this point
he just guts it out.
No major injuries?
- No, he's just very fit.
Put together well.
Where are we at now Steve?
- We are six miles from the
intersection of the 395.
And how far
is that in to our race?
- In the race 13,
19 miles left.
Wow, we crossed the 100 mile?
- Yeah, crossed a 100
while you were snoozing.
How's Gerald?
- We didn't videotape you snoozing,
snoring though, but we could have.
I don't get into the desert.
How's Gerald doing?
- He's doing well, he's tired.
He's taken naps kind of.
He's marching forward?
- Every two hours, he's
marching forward, yeah.
All right.
- He's got a big climb coming up though.
That'll be interesting.
13 Miles left?
- 19 miles left.
19 miles left and do only.
- About six miles flat downhill
and then 13 miles up.
And it's only barely
six o'clock.
- Six o'clock, yep.
Yeah.
- So he's got a chance to finish under
40 hours.
- To beat his time.
- Well, we'll see.
My guess is still around 11
or 12 he's gonna finish so.
All right.
- We'll see how it goes.
The runner's high.
The runner's high is due to endorphins
that are produced with exercise.
And usually it's fairly extreme exercise.
You need to produce those endorphins.
And it's the same effect that
you get if you eat chocolate,
you fall in love,
You take narcotics,
all the same stuff.
It's a neurotransmitter that's in
the brain and it increases
during strenuous exercise,
during such things as ultras.
It's probably going off
the charts as far as,
the production of the endorphins.
- Oh, it's a weather.
This is the first time I felt that
the sunglasses melt on my face.
And that I really need to focus on Gerald,
to make sure that, you know,
hydration wise that he's,
hydrated enough to go to the 135,
specialty that's long stretch.
And we kinda changed
the strategy this year,
compared from last year so,
and being a chief crew is hard,
'cause you have to think
not just for the runner,
but for the whole team.
- The elements out there,
temperature wise it's
just record-breaking.
Now you can get run 135
degrees Fahrenheit temperature
but you know, Gerald's determination,
yeah, he's making it look really easy.
And that's the mental toughness
that I've seen in Gerald so.
- Oh Badwater
you're not disappointed with what
is being tagged as the
word toughest footrace.
So I have proven that, that's true
since I've ran for
about 50 kilometers from Stovepipe Wells
up to Panamint Springs.
So it's really true.
You have the elevation, the heat,
the distance and the wind.
- What can I say?
It's the hottest place on earth?
My God, it's very challenging.
Yeah, but it's beautifully dangerous.
I like the solitude,
but it's
the route.
It's majestic, but it's very dangerous.
But I love Badwater.
I fell in love with it
when I joined it in 2016.
So I told myself I'm gonna
come back for you know,
for another try.
- It's like you're in an oven.
You open the open and it
just blows into your face.
Like continuously.
I completed the race in 44 hours.
But a lot of it was tough,
like I, you can eat a lot,
you have to manage the, like
you have really heat train.
Like when I was at mile 42,
I think I over ate knowing that,
okay, I have'nt since the
start up the race 5:00 p.m.,
I hadn't had breakfast or lunch.
So that was my big meal, right?
And I was the tackle 17
miles of climbing so,
I over ate,
and during the climb was hot.
My body couldn't process it.
I was surprised like after
one mile or two miles
how come there's nothing,
I was about to throw up.
And after I cleared it up,
then I had been resurgent again.
- Badwater 135 isn't ultra marathon,
it's a 135 miles.
It starts from Badwater Basin,
which is 282 feet below sea level.
And then it crosses Death Valley.
And then it ends in Mount Whitney Portal,
which is 8,360 feet.
Mount Whitney Portal is a
trailhead of Mount Whitney,
which is the highest mountain in the
contiguous United States.
The race is always held in July,
which is the temperature is
basically 120 to 130 degrees.
Is it?
- I'll be right in there.
- Yeah maybe take it off right?
- Is it?
- Yeah, it's.
- It's not bad, right?
- It's not super bad, but it's red.
- And then this too.
- You gonna throw this.
This is disposable socks Ibar.
- Like this one?
- The one, no no,
There's a white one that.
Was that the one?
- It's gonna be the same spot probably.
- Same spot, right?
It's getting worse.
- Yeah, it's red, it's
not really a blister yet.
- Oh so.
- I'll just draw the outline of it--
- Yeah, yeah.
- It's like an area just about like that.
It's probably gonna get a blister.
- Yeah, we'll just have to fix it.
Yeah, towel thanks.
All right.
I told you it's plain bun.
- Bun and a burger.
- Burn and a burger, yeah.
- Is this a prank?
Got some more in there?
- What is this?
Eat some of that yeah.
- It is fine.
Is this yours?
- No that is Ibar's it's okay.
Oh it's a prank.
122.
- 122
122 wow!
- We have to go up that hill.
- So feeling--
Finish it finish it.
So sad Tess.
- So she decided to call it quits.
I think so yeah.
The record, is
29, that's the new record.
- I don't know.
- Yeah, it's something like 20,
20, 21 yeah.
- 29 is the highest.
- Wow super.
- It was 135, the weather yesterday.
That's what I told to my kids you know,
we're walking for almost two
miles at the Badwater Basin,
and your dad's runnning 135 miles.
You have to imagine that.
That's what he said, and then,
Rita Rona said, you know--
- you know, because you
can tell all your vacation,
like, no, I'm not proud of it.
I'm not telling anybody.
Donna
Interesting stories about Gerald.
- Gerald is an old school guy,
he's an old school guy.
He's not really a techy one.
Actually he just changed his cell phone
from the flip what's that?
It's flipped just.
Smartphone phone?
- Yeah, just three years
ago, something like that.
Because his boss will get angry.
He cannot easily accept
the picture or something.
And then Gerald was my boyfriend
since I was 14 years old.
And whenever he would go to our house,
he will sit down on the same place.
That's what I remember.
On that corner.
And I did not notice about that.
Who noticed was our housekeeper.
Oh, you know, Gerald is a nice guy.
He's not you know,
I mean he has one place
to stay in our house,
something like that.
So I think that's it.
He's a good father.
- Yeah, because my mom and
dad, I was still young.
My mom and dad don't want us to go out.
So if he wants to see me,
he will visit in our house.
And I wasn't able to ride in his car.
So he would just go to our house.
That was when I was 14 years old.
He's my first boyfriend.
So I love my husband very much.
He's coming now.
- It's not party time yet.
Oh okay.
- We still have 11 miles to go.
- Give me a dance, give me a dance.
Almost there.
Go Gerald.
Great job man!
Yeah we got it, you need
rest room or anything?
No, I'm good.
- Okay good job.
You guys are wild--
Go bro, let's go.
Well, what did he ask?
- He's asking, where's the kid.
He's always like that.
He's always, you know,
whenever we go away, he's always,
"Oh, where's the kids?
"How's the kids now?
"Can you call them?"
He's like, that was really a good father.
You're wearing
your jacket out really.
- No I'm good.
- You're good?
- Yeah I'm good.
- You're doing good daddy.
Kids enjoyed.
- Is there a bathroom,
I'm gonna clean my teeth.
- Oh you want?
Where's the bathroom.
I don't know, where do yo go usually?
All right, have fun guys, be safe.
Bye bye.
- Right now he's more stronger though.
Even though the time is really late,
but he's still more stronger.
- Yeah, that's why we know that he
can survive there.
- He's gonna be faster there
than usual, yeah.
- We know that he can
survive there because,
he's still straight.
And then even though
29 runners DNF now so,
even slow just okay,
as long as he can finish.
- That's why I told him,
he's tougher than Badwater.
- What?
Badwater.
- He's tougher than Badwater.
Yeah.
- He was like, this is
tough, but you're tougher.
Do you miss him?
Yeah.
- I think he's around the corner.
Phil, yeah yeah.
Phil is our friend, a good friend of ours.
He's a race director of
the Great New York hundred miles race.
Yeah, he's the race director.
He's a good friend of ours.
He and Gerald jam each other.
He plays piano and Gerald
sing or whatever plays drums.
They go together.
He's a nice guy.
- Gerald, sorry I missed you Lone Pine.
I ran after you and I just missed you,
but you got to another one man,
congratulations crush it!
All right Phil.
- All right all right.
I'll see you there.
- Take care.
- I'll see you at the awards or whatever.
Phil all ready?
- Yeah where I saw these
guys at McDonald's.
- Because I want you to go with us also.
But you go finish.
When are you going home?
- Tomorrow.
- Tomorrow?
Oh yeah, where are you going tomorrow?
- I'm not going home though.
I'm going to New York
and then getting on a bus
to Virginia Beach for a party,
my cousin he's throwing for me,
it's along story.
- Oh Phil, James this is Phil McCarthy
the race director of the Greater New York
100 mile running expedition.
Yes, he's a good friend of
Gerald.
- What kind of songs
do you guys sing?
- 70s, 80s songs.
Yeah.
- Yeah.
He's a musician.
- Yeah we like to jam
at their house.
Nice.
And he's about to break the world record.
- Yes, we're running across the country
from San Francisco to New York.
That's coming up.
- Yeah, good luck.
You can do it Phil.
Yeah, Phil is a good friend of ours, yeah.
All right.
- I think I can feel just beaten down.
How many miles more to go?
- We've got about six, six and a half,
something like that to go.
We're gonna do two more miles.
And then our anchor's gonna take over.
Ibar is gonna do the last
four miles, steep four miles.
What's the elevation
from here to the destination?
- We're about 5,200,
we're going to about 83?
- 83 right?
- Something like that 82, 83.
So we've got about 3000 more.
3000.
- And then so, it's gonna
be about 500 each mile,
particularly the last four miles.
That's gonna be really steep.
So Ibar's gonna work out
for him the last four miles.
He might give up?
No.
No.
Last 10K come on!
DNF.
- No.
Last 10K.
I know, what do you call it?
One foot in front of the other.
It's a climb.
- No, no.
No, 3.6.
You got
a 5K
from that corner up there,
you got a 5K to get up there.
- Okay.
- The Badwater 5K.
- I'm just gonna check my,
check all my systemic if it's working,
and I'm good to go.
- Okay.
- I'll see you at the.
See you at the party.
- Oh you not gonna go and.
- No, I got people to watch.
- Gotcha.
- Okay.
- Yeah, I'll see you tonight.
- Yes, thank you.
- How many people have a DNF so far?
We have 29.
29?
- 29 is the count for DNF.
Is that a
record breaking number?
- Of that that I don't know,
but it is a very high number.
It's almost one third of the total
count of racers, yeah.
- I have pin this one,
I will be the 30th.
- You will.
Yeah right?
- Right, no you gonna finish.
You gonna finish.
I've already put you down
here you're gonna finish so.
- No turning back.
- Okay, thank you.
- I said, I'm not gonna give him the 30.
- You know, you do not want to be the 30
- Yeah.
- No.
- Thank you.
Welcome I will see
you at the finish tonight.
- All right thank you
so much, see you later.
Finish line.
Ibar finish line.
- Yep.
It's not gonna be easy.
Going back to the hotel.
- Section by section, one mile at a time.
Yeah that's the best strategy
for running long distance.
You don't have to think
about 135 miles ahead.
You just think about
one station at a time,
like 17 miles, 42 miles.
And then that 17 miles,
you have to cut into another section
until one foot in front
of the other.
- First of all, our team is,
we call it team 81,
for this 2018 Badwater.
My crew is, first my crew
chief is Peachy Poso.
She has a stellar athlete.
She run more than 40
marathons and ultra marathons.
And she finished two
Boston marathons in a row.
And, she do reverse triathlons.
My second crew is Ibar, he
crewed for me two years ago,
from a Lone Pine to Whitney Portal.
And, he's also stellar athlete.
He runs lots of ultra marathons
and marathons as well.
And, last but not the least,
Steve Gerschultz.
He's a doctor,
in profession.
So he's also,
he runs like more than 50 marathons.
He do a lot of triathlons
and do ultras as well.
And, he's a doctor so he's
gonna take care of me.
Usually, if you run the Badwater,
you run like every two
miles, they do like leapfrog.
So, they give me all the nutrition,
food, water, make sure I have everything.
And then now,
the crews also one of the
crews can be a pacer too.
They crew from me after 42 miles,
and the rest to the finish.
What is a pacer?
- Actually, it's like,
it's not really a pacer because
you cannot run side by side.
They have to run behind the runner.
So they usually, they check on me like
if I'm doing good and then what I need,
then I have somebody to talk with.
Why do you like running?
- Oh, there's a lot of reasons.
One is, it's fun.
Number two is, for health reasons.
Number three is a camaraderie
among other runners.
And probably for is a runcation.
You know what I mean?
Like you go to other places,
you are sign up for a race and then you,
at the same time you are in vacation.
So why do you run the Badwater?
This'll be your fifth
time running Badwater.
- Unfortunately my fifth time,
because it's a love and hate relationship.
By the way, I mean, why do I run Badwater?
Because it's a difficult race
and it's a very scenic race.
It's very nice out in Death Valley.
- You know, the good part is,
I'd say that's about 65 right now.
What's your resting heart rate normally?
- It should be in around 45.
- Oh 45, it heats up and
It's hot out here, so.
- Yeah.
- It's probably 60 to 65 right now.
It's still fit, that'll work.
All right, take a listen to
your lungs and your heart.
Make sure that,
deep breath there.
Deep breath.
Right here.
Right here.
That's great, you got good lung capacity.
Yeah.
- Okay.
- That's good.
- Take a listen to your heart here.
No arrhythmias.
- All right.
- Yeah, yeah.
I think you're good to go here.
- Okay.
Thank you so much.
- Go get them.
Let's go.
No, I'm just fan,
I drove all the way from
Texas just to come--
Did you really?
- Yeah.
- Seriously.
Wow!
- Wow!
Yeah, yeah.
Well this sure is.
- If I had like my car or my bike.
- 2009,
like I happened to hike from
something like 5:30
No, I lost an inch, I am 5--
Like actually do you hike?
I'm like the shortest, right?
One five zero.
I'm supposed to be 149.
Yeah but, it's the elevation.
- Tell me reaction?
Yeah that's fine, that's fine.
- All right.
Are you okay?
- I think I'm okay.
Yeah.
- I think you'll find out.
- So I did--
- I'm just gonna throw up.
I'm gonna need it.
- No.
That's why I have Tums,
I have Peptbismal
you're covered.
Let's get
everybody down on the Badwater
sign for photographs--
- I think I'm gonna need my vest now.
Yes.
Number 34 are you here?
Number 34, you need to check in yourself,
get your and get weighed.
34!
Number 34.
34 now!
- So you need your beep
lights in a minute, right?
- Make sure you see me,
if I can't see your face.
- I want you guys to
step back a little bit,
you guys step back a little
bit to be a little freer.
All right, do we have any
more runners coming down?
Any other runners?
Lets go over the roster real quick.
I'll make sure we're all accounted for.
Eight o'clock
Here we are 2018, Badwater 135,
the world hottest footrace,
welcome to the event everybody.
Watch the
pole, watch the pole.
Watch the pole, watch the pole.
Thank you.
- Watch the pole, all
right, all right, all right.
- You good?
Empty.
- You still got?
It's empty, nothing.
- Empty?
You need one?
- I have nothing.
- Okay.
- Okay.
- Only the water that he don't have one?
Yes, he doesn't have anything.
Any, no nothing.
- He finished those?
- Yes, yeah.
- There you go.
Now we go driving.
No, no, no, we're going to
drive 'cause it's way to far.
- All right then, whoever--
He's too fast.
- Yeah, I know.
Come on, come on, come on, go.
I have nothing
- Rj.
- Cross cross cross.
- Cross, cross.
How come I cannot open this?
- Thank you
- Okay.
He said that they don't go too far
he needs lots of water.
Yeah, make them again.
- You know what you can do later on,
you can just go bring the whole tray.
You know, and then you
can just clean this one.
Okay.
That's good.
Right there.
- Gotcha.
I've put this one over here the 10, 12.
That's like every two hours
for his BO2 Max and salt.
So every time we finish it,
we'll just cross it so we
know if we give it or not.
- Okay that's fine all right.
Okay, now I think we can go.
- Okay.
- You wanna sit?
You want a chair?
- It's all ice.
- It's all ice.
- Again?
- Yeah.
And then this one is no ice.
Why is my nose is itching?
- Your nose, it's
probably, it's because its
dry.
- It's dry?
'Cause it's dry?
Maybe?
Yeah.
- My arm, it's so sticky.
- Water?
- Water yeah.
- Yeah, I'm gonna drink water.
A lot.
- Yeah, you need a new one of these?
- There's a lots of water right here.
- Yeah, can you put more water?
- More water?
Lots of water right here.
- Yeah that's CarboPro.
- You've wet this.
Stick it with a.
Be careful not to wet your.
Shoes.
- Shoes.
- I'm okay now.
We're almost, like four miles.
- Where to for almost?
- To a Furnace Creek.
- Five more.
- No five more, five more.
Five more
- five more.
We're 12 right, yeah five more miles.
We are 12 right now.
- Are you okay?
Are you okay?
- Yeah.
You need some gel?
No you haven't, okay.
- I dint take any gel.
But I didn't take anything.
Okay you're good.
- You got gel.
- You're good?
You're good.
- All right.
- All right.
Have fun.
- So he wants ice on this one.
- Just ice he says?
Just ice, yeah.
- Pretty much every strenuous workout,
I've probably been working out
fairly seriously, 10, 15 years.
And each strenuous workout does give you,
in my personal experience,
a high that lasts usually about 24 hours.
And, basically you feel
good during that time.
And it's the same effect
that you get with drugs
and many other areas.
This has a beneficial effect because
it can have you continued
to want to exercise,
at times when you would
rather do other things.
- It's my therapy
It makes me feels calmer after a run
and you go see my,
like, even on my fridge,
it's like, running is cheaper.
What do you call that one?
Cheaper therapy, something like that,
I forgot the word.
But yeah, it, it makes you
more calmer after the run.
- Oh, finishing the race,
It's just tough, you know.
I've been running with
Gerald, most of the races.
Probably with three of my a hundred miler.
Running with him.
But this one is just really different.
You know, the heat, the humidity.
It's just record breaking.
So, and I could feel that
Gerald is worried as well,
but I have no doubt that he can finish it.
There was no time
when you were thinking,
"Oh oh, we're gonna DNF?"
- No, no way.
It's just being around
with Gerald all the time.
I kind of know that, you know,
it's Gerald, there's no DNA for quitting.
Just probably drag Gerald
to the finish line or feet crawling.
But that's how Gerald is, you know?
- Well, Gerald Tabios was really impressed
when he finished his first Badwater 135.
Basically,
well I can say he is the first Filipino,
one of the first few Filipinos so,
who finished this.
And I have written an article wherein
I really recognize him as
the first back to back.
That means for two consecutive years,
he was able to finish the Badwater 135.
And I was really impressed
about his performance in
those two consecutive races.
- Gerald as a runner, he's very cool.
I mean, I don't know how he trains,
like or how we train for the Badwater,
because I know he has a
full time job also like me.
So me I trained after office
if I have one or two hours,
and I'll just training
the treadmill in the gym.
Gerald is very focused, dedicated
and he's really dedicated runner.
He's a cool runner for me.
Very nice, very sweet person.
And then he's a good friend of mine also.
Actually we're kababayans,
because I also,
my family, some of my
relatives stay in Bukidnon.
Also Visaya.
So you are also Visaya?
- Yes, yes, I can understand a few words,
but I don't speak the dialect.
- Yes so like, inside oven,
you're blowing road side, to
water night, even at night.
How do you survive that?
- I heat train, I train for it.
The only way.
I always talk to a lot of people,
who like past champions
who are my friends,
and they told me just do heat training,
heat training, continued training.
Do sauna, if you can
go to the race itself,
train on the course or go
to Palm Springs which I did.
Like I frequent Palm Springs every Friday.
Is it dangerous?
- It is.
It is very special, like hot.
That's just killing you,
It's getting into your skin.
And--
- I've been to the Philippines.
I ran the Bataan Death March.
It's hot and humid,
but this is a different heat
'cause it's penetrating into your skin.
All right, good job.
- I need the spray.
The dry spray?
- Yeah, this.
It's been a while.
Mutual Runner.
- Oops oh my God.
It's good.
- Nice one some lube.
- Lube.
It's like, what lube?
- I think I need like bandana.
- You need banana now?
- No, the bandana.
- A bandana?
I thought you said banana.
I'm not gonna put much, is this better?
- Yeah it's good.
It's cold.
- Yeah 'cause this is already warm.
It's starting to get cold too.
- Are we like five miles awy?
Yes.
But I will stay five
miles, if five miles
- Give me like two minutes.
Yeah.
- Can I have that water.
You want some
lube or you're good?
- I think I'm good, you think?
I have CarboPro right?
Yep you do.
More?
- It's the ice.
I think you got
a haircut just for this.
- What is that?
You got a haircut
'cause it's short in the
back a little.
You need a comb?
I think I'm good now, I'm just gonna.
Just for this I
- I'm gonna check my
system if it's working.
I feel cold when I stop.
- Yes of course, 'cause it's the.
That's why I don't want you to like,
wear like too much of ice.
Yeah, but right now you're fine.
- I'll see you in 15.
15.
And he is going.
This is uphill.
Your going uphill here.
- Is it uphill?
Yeah.
- That's why my muscles are like.
- Yeah, you can look down and
see their cars down there.
- What's the elevation now?
It's sea level.
More than
Probably a couple hundred up,.
- Oh my God, I just feel like,
I want to close my eyes.
Take a rest.
- Can I get some water?
- You want this jug to put your thing?
To put your feet up.
- Is there like a thing
that can make me up?
- Caffeine.
- What is that?
No to make me up.
Awake you up?
Sun's gonna
rise in about half hour.
- Yeah yeah, usually when sun rises.
Can you help him up please?
- Is there like a Redbull or?
Yeah, I think this is good.
- Couple of sips later,
yeah.
- Yeah.
And then I just wanna
need anew sets of water.
Oops!
- What happened?
- Nothing.
- You wet your self?
You want this one?
- This is, it's not empty
yet, but you can put some ice.
Yeah ice.
- I wanna go now.
Okay.
I'll see ya'.
I wanna get light.
- Good job.
- Okay.
One more there.
- One more stop and then.
And them we'll
be there at Stovepipe.
Stovepipe.
You want some massage?
- Oh no, look, get me some water.
Oh my God, I just love it here.
I like it too,
it's a comfortable chair.
- Everything becomes awesome.
I love this.
Oh, maybe bandana, right?
- Have this stuff too.
- I fee like a king.
Not a princess?
- Three of those, start there.
- I'm gonna be whining soon.
Like,
He's like, wait,
let me get the button and hit your head.
Or should I go say what June said?
- So where's that musket
sun, it's coming out right?
You want me to take that?
- Less than a mile.
- Almost there.
- I can see the cars, be right there.
- They are all lined up back there, yeah?
- Yeah.
- You're doing well.
Yeah sun comes up every half hour.
- It's all good.
- Once the sun comes up--
I pee like every one and a half mile.
- Yeah, yeah, that's plenty,
yeah, you're well hydrated.
- One more stop and then the
next one is Stovepipe right?
- Yep
- exactly.
Good job.
- Thank you.
Even though we might enough--
And I'll just fill
them in there.
- I think I'm gonna change.
I'm gonna change long sleeves.
Long sleeve okay.
Pit stop.
It's too early for the time.
- And then the blinky lights.
- Nelson had a black
and blinky light, right?
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
- I need you to do something,
you want the new one with that one?
- Yeah.
- So we're gonna walk.
- Okay.
Get it too fast.
Oh my God.
- No, no, towel first.
- I need towel?
- That towel just like here.
- All right.
- Do I need hat now?
- Well you could if you want.
But, it's still--
- Yeah, maybe the next stop, right?
- Yeah.
- You want that hat?
- Yeah later when the sun lights up.
- Are you gonna wear this one again?
- Yeah, just dried it out.
- I should store it.
- Thank you.
- What do you call it?
- Well, my friend Peachy has
a saying on her refrigerator.
Running is cheaper than therapy.
And, it's probably due to these endorphins
that make you feel good.
It also, physiologically just releases,
much of the stress that can
accumulate during the day.
It's recommended as most
people probably know
20, 30 minutes of exercise at
least several times a week.
And that amount will
release the stress that
accumulates and be very
beneficial and helpful.
You'll asleep better,
you'll eat healthier foods.
You'll just feel better about yourself.
Is it better than,
pills prescribed by doctor?
- Oh, absolutely.
Not only are you getting
the neural effects,
you're also getting the
cardiovascular effects as well.
So your heart muscle is strengthening,
your lungs are increasing in capacity.
So there's many beneficial
effects to exercise.
You don't need to run 135
miles to get this effect,
probably a couple of hours
a week is all you need.
But running 135 certainly is
going to increase those effects
and
is beneficial.
- Oh, a lot.
Without the crew, I would say maybe
I'm not so sure If it's possible,
or if they allow it,
to finish one 35 without a crew.
'Cause you have to have someone
to deal with your nutrition,
make sure that you have a proper nutrition
that you're hydrated enough.
And plus, you know, if you're a sleepy,
what will you do if you're
gonna just like take a cat nap
or you need to just like
sleep the whole hour.
So there's a lot that needs
to be done by the crew.
- So I was introduced
running like five years ago.
I was wearing my basketball shorts
and my basketball shoes running.
I got an injury because it's
not the proper way of running.
But after that, this is just like,
I love the sport, you know,
it's, you know, when you are working,
especially in New York,
it's very you know,
lots of stress in the work.
So when you're running,
it's like you are alone.
You can think of the things,
you know, work, family.
But just kind of distressing, you know,
it's you alone so,
that's how I love the sport running.
So we're giving
him some electrolytes.
- Yeah, we're gonna give
him some electrolytes
and some other
supplements called B2O Max,
which is a bronchial vasodilator.
So it helps get a little bit
more blood flow into the lungs.
And the electrolytes.
- So he's been taking that.
And the electrolytes,
they are essential to having
the body work correctly.
So we're giving mainly
potassium sodium, calcium.
A couple other electrolytes
that were giving
and that's so that the
cells function optimally.
When you are running in this kind of heat,
you're losing a lot of water
and a lot of electrolytes.
So both of them, you have to replace.
What's the danger
of losing electrolytes?
- If you lose too much electrolytes,
and then you replace it with just water,
you can get hyponatremia, which
is a dilution of the sodium.
And actually it can be deadly.
So that's one thing
you really wanna avoid.
That's why electrolytes
with this type of exertion
are very important.
What is the intervals
in the intake of electrolytes?
- We're going every hour.
So two, what we're giving is
something called endurolytes,
which is a supplement.
It's got about six different
electrolytes in it.
We're giving two of those every hour.
All throughout the race.
- Throughout the race yeah.
And then in addition,
he's hydrating of course,
it's a water and sugar mixture,
something called CarboPro,
which is a complex carbohydrate.
That's the fuel?
- That's a fuel, yes.
Equally important.
All right.
- He's gonna sit.
He's gonna sit, okay.
- On the shady one.
Can you finish this.
Just drink up the whole thing.
I'll give you water hold on.
Here, you good?
You know, I wanna go change
this one, it looks so down.
I have the, not really good
but it's a
Hey
'cause we just like pass that one.
That's the one the 10 a.m. that I told you.
- Where is it?
The
no, no, no two minutes.
- Oh that's 10?
Yeah that's 10 a.m.
So we're good.
- Okay.
- And then the next cut
off time is 8:00 p.m.
- Relax.
Where is the other one?
That one.
Can you get the,
just the handle.
Please, thank you.
Can you transfer some of the water here?
No, no, not that one.
Okay, thank you.
Yeah, I'm just checking my system.
You want more?
- No I'm good.
What is it?
Your vest?
- No it's okay.
My shoes melt.
- Watch your shoes,
watch your shoes.
- Melts, see this?
Melt.
Did that melt or just wear?
- It melts.
- It melts.
Tell me about it?
- It's a new shoes.
Five minutes ago
I would say it wears
easily cause it melts.
- Yeah pavement.
It's like,
- it's hot.
- It's hot.
All right let's go.
Yes let's do this.
I'm just gonna.
Carry on soldier.
- I'm just gonna pee.
You made it.
- I'm going to go down
To Panamint Spring.
- No, I looked right away--
- You need another scarf?
- Yeah, might as well.
What we gonna do,
you gonna take them at the downhill,
- Yeah.
- And then you take them
though the last five--
Fly to Panamint Spring,
and then Ibar is gonna
do a pill after that.
- It's still cold, but
it's gonna be hot down.
I'm okay.
Are you okay running down?
- Do I need something to kick in?
Going downhill?
- Maybe like, I'm gonna
get a shot of that.
CarboPro?
- No, no the CarboPro, and
then you can add more CarboPro.
No that's not a real
Finish that.
- Finish this?
- I'm just gonna go, get something.
Real downhill
or something there.
- Yeah.
I'm good.
- Just need water.
Are you ready?
So the first parking spots,
because you cannot park,
where there isn't designated parking.
How many miles
is that?
- It's like seven.
- One point.
Seven?
It's on the free park.
Oh free park.
Okay, let's go.
- Yeah, okay let's go.
I'm just gonna wet this
and the I'm gonna go.
- This is quite the race.
The highlights probably would be
the extreme conditions
that these runners run in.
You think, I'm actually running
my first a hundred miler
in a couple of months.
And I'm excited about that,
but if nothing like the
conditions of this race.
This race starts in
110 degree temperature,
and just goes up from there.
Very, very difficult race,
mentally very challenging.
These athletes are some of
the fittest in the world,
but that's probably not enough.
You've got to have the mental toughness
to get through this 135 minutes.
- It's a team effort, not
as like an individual,
you know, effort.
It's always a team.
If someone's, if you especially,
you know, on the second night,
so you just need to bite your lips.
'Cause everyone's goal
is to bring that runner
to the finish line strong,
no injury and you know,
everybody's just like,
you know, need to have the
patience I guess is the word.
- It's very important.
You know, when you are running
with this kind of distances,
you know, takes like 24 hours,
that's the backbone for your, you know,
and how you finish the race.
Because when you are tired,
you forget all these things.
You know, nutrition, you got a plan,
you have a spreadsheet, but
go to mile or hour number 18,
your done, like all right,
let's just keep on running.
But the crew will remind you of what
the things you need to do.
So I think running is
like probably 30 or 40 %.
Crew is like 60 or 70 %.
So that's very important to running.
- But it's still hot.
It'll take you 10 minutes
to do what we did in an hour.
- Yeah.
Right around your joints
- Yeah the joints.
- Then the muscles.
- I'll weigh it in,
Panamint Springs
- Panamint Springs.
Soonest.
- That's the next one.
- That's the next one, yeah.
Steve you were saying that
Badwater is difficult
because it's on pavement?
- Difficult 'cause it's on pavement
compared to a lot of ultras,
which are on the dirt
and it really takes a
beating on the joints,
taking the knees, the hips, the back.
It's much more difficult
running hard surface
compared to the dirt surface.
On the body.
- Is there like, something like
nutrition, to keep me going.
- We are taking a burger I see.
- Like bucket with ice.
- What are you saying, hurting?
- Just like put them in ice, all right?
We're gonna recycle this.
This are, environmental friendly.
Recycle the socks.
Thank you Peachy, you can pit it down now.
No, no, no.
- No, no, I'm gonna go
keep this one for later on.
- Yeah.
- Right, only one mile.
- Gerald is going on, Gerald
is Gerald doing five Badwaters
it's not, no offense meant
to people that does 5k.
I do a lot of short races,
but I don't think it's
even on the physical side,
I've seen that, I've read about it.
Not just Badwater.
I read about, you know, I
read about ultra runners.
For me it's 95 % mental.
So he's very unique 'cause
it's not the physical part,
he's very mentally strong.
So that's when if he
thinks he's gonna finish,
he's gonna finish.
So the body just follows.
We've seen that in some of the,
you know videos of,
ultra runners doing, you know,
100 day runs, you know,
through the deserts of,
you know, running through
what eight countries I think.
Even if they were hurt, they recover.
But they never stopped
running every day, you know?
So it's basically mind over matter.
You know, so once you think
that you're gonna finish,
and that's very rare,
most of the time before
you can even start,
you're really doubting yourself
and obviously to do five Badwater.
There's no doubt in this guy.
That's why he always finishes you know?
Because he is very strong mentally.
I think that's key
to being an ultra runner.
So you know that,
your pain threshold is
very high, you know?
Because there's so much pain,
but if your mind is
stronger than the pain,
then you don't feel that,
you don't worry about it too.
A lot of people do, you know,
so that's why before they can even start
there basically you
might as well not start.
'Cause see if you're doubting yourself,
then don't, all right?
'Cause that's 135 miles, you know?
So I've done it by diving.
And it was a struggle with this drive,
first time I went there for not the crew,
but the watch the team,
I had my dog with me,
me and my dog had to
struggle just to kinda,
keep up with the race, you know?
So just imagine you're actually
doing it for 135 miles.
And again, average heat in Badwater
it's like at least more 110.
So that's very rare.
So I'm very proud of Gerald here that,
you know, it's like all very
inspiring what he's doing.
And I love that because, you know,
that's always, what I
want is to be involved
with something that would inspire people.
And that's what he has done, you know.
So thank you, thank you
for inspiring you know.
So what did you say?
- Have you seen those
cars they are going back?
With those crew.
May be they
are going back where--
They might be done.
Yeah, they might be done.
Yeah.
'Cause I know that number
one, probably somebody--
It's okay.
- It's like so, I'm ready to
get that temperature reading.
- Okay try, try--
133.
- It's hot.
133.
- I think it's a good idea that we walk.
- I think the electrolytes were--
- That one.
- Oh my God, my feet are burning.
- Wait, wat, wait.
Remove your glasses.
Gerald why do
you run the Badwater 135.
- What are you saying?
Why do you run the Badwater 135.
- I don't even know what the answer.
He loves me.
- I don't even know
what the answer for now.
'Cause I'm crazy.
Wait, wait, wait.
At this temperature, I don't know why.
- What a minute Gerald
didn't you just ask me a while ago?
- Yeah
This is crazy.
- Ibar, why did you join
the 135 race?
- It's heaven.
- I think I know what heaven means.
- I think we are a bunch
idiots, that's why.
- A little crazy.
- We're not even half way yet.
- Okay the half way, I think it's 72.
- Okay 70 is 140, okay.
Just over halfway.
- Okay, it's nice to know.
- All right, you gonna take this.
All right let's go.
- It's like, it's 200 degrees.
- Do you have enough?
- Again, I've been doing
this for a long time.
And my dream is to
see that Philippine flag
being waved at Badwater.
And I know a lot of guys
that were doing the race
and some of them I sponsored too,
but they were not Filipinos, right?
So, my dream was to see a flag.
The Philippines flag.
One day I said there
should be a Philippine flag
in the Badwater race
or at the Badwater race.
And I only knew four ultra
runners back in the days.
It was just Ben,
it was Carmela Laison.
The guy from San Francisco,
Rick Gaston and other girl Tess Gedes.
Tess Gedes owns that Rim
to Rim in the ultra race in
Arizona Grant to grant.
And she also owns that race in Hawaii,
which is the volcano, to
volcano I think, right?
So we only had four Filipino ultra runners
back in the day,
when we were seven or eight years ago.
So my challenge was,
"Hey, if anyone wants to do it,
"I'll take care of everything."
I'll pay for the entry fee
I'll provide the vehicle.
Everything they need 'cause we're ahead
hey, own a running store
so everything they needed
we can get right?
We can get sponsorship.
So that was a standing order.
Everybody one by one,
I remember Rick Gaston,
"I only do ultra, I
only do trail running."
And Tess Gedes too so,
I think it was boiling down
to just you and supposed
to be Carmella, right?
But for some reason, Carmella,
I think stopped, you know.
So Ben was like the best fit and Ben was,
"Oh man, I'm not gonna do it.
"I don't lie to do that,
"It's on the road as well,
"I don't want to do the road."
But eventually, you know,
the calling was there, you know,
and to be the first one
was, you know, scary.
But at the same time,
if the community like us we're
there to provide support,
then it could become a reality, right?
So I think that's something that
we're really so proud of being part of.
Not like going,
"Oh Ben will make it happen."
You know, like whatever you need,
we'll hey, I wanna share that.
'Cause we were in a very rare,
you know position because we're
in the running industry, you know?
And that's what I did
too in the Philippines,
we brought, not that there
were no running there,
but we tried to cultivate
running in the Philippines too.
Like a few years back
when we opened our stores
there you know so, very rare.
That was a funny story
back in the days now,
I was, and there's four.
I think I posted it on
them and then I challenged
the four of them who
wants to get.
It took him like two years.
I think he said, you know
what, I'm gonna do it.
It took two years, you know,
for somebody to really,
you know what let's do it.
And the rest is history, right, so.
- I run like the first six miles.
It was so hot.
After six miles, I stopped running,
even though it's a descent,
but they stopped running.
I walk, I decided, and then
that was so smart for me.
My pacer was Steve, and
then he told me that,
that is so smart.
You walk because it's too hot.
So it's a strategy.
So I don't wanna be overheated.
And you know that there's,
after the descent in Panamint Spring,
it's like you crossed that sand dunes.
That was so hot,
that was the hottest place that
I've ever felt in that race.
It feels like 135 for me.
I was even touching my shoes
and then my shoes got melt
in that
like mile
I wanna say like mile 68
it started to melt.
The rubber started ripping out.
And I was like,
I mean it's like a month old shoes.
It was crazy.
So how far are we in the course?
- This will be mile 80, when we get here.
Mile 80.
- Mile 80, yes so we are making progress.
So we're
almost to the 100 mile mark?
Almost to
the 100 mile mark yeah.
The next check off will be at 91, mile 91.
How's our runner going?
I think he's doing very well.
He's tenacious, he just does not give up.
That was really hot a couple of hours ago
as we saw and experienced.
And for him to make it through that,
that's pretty impressive,
he just kept going.
He's picking up speed?
- And he's picking up speed.
I think he's gaining confidence.
I can see that in him.
He's kind of bypassing
the van if you noticed.
And I think he's gonna finish strong.
How many people
have a DNF already?
- Well, when I looked at
the last check-in station,
there were somewhere between
12 and 15 that DNFed.
Wow.
- Including some.
Is this yours?
- It's not, no, no sorry.
Including
- I just don't
need to be conned.
Yeah.
Including some very elite runners.
Yeah, well.
- So yeah.
We're going strong.
- Going strong, hopefully keep it going.
- When I was in the Philippines,
I was like dreaming of
running some day in the US
like I was reading like,
I used to buy those magazines,
"The Runner's World"
magazines in the Philippines.
Like I go to like a PX Goods store
and then buy this old
'Runner's World" magazines.
And then I like,
"Oh, this is so cool,
"I'm gonna go there, I'm gonna
run the New York marathon."
I was like reading this Oprah wearing,
I mean, running the New York marathon.
So someday I'm gonna go
there, I'm gonna run.
Now, you have to be a runner.
You have to run fast to
be a competitive runner.
So I don't have time to train.
I work like a dog.
I work 10 hours a day.
So I didn't have time for training.
It's hard to juggle up like,
juggle family, training and running.
I mean training, running and your family.
Finally,.
- Tough.
- Yeah.
- All right good.
- Everything is Christine.
- That's really hot, you survived 135.
It's very, no, no, no, no.
I'm talking about the hat.
- I know.
- It's kinda like relevant to the race.
- 135 degrees.
- 135 degrees.
- Oh, the temperature,
that was so hot.
Badwater 135, 135 degrees.
- See it now.
- I know, I haven't
looked at my shoes yet.
- Yeah you've not.
- Yeah.
Not much, not as yours.
I can only run I know 126.
And I'm dead.
- That was hard,
to survive.
- My, allusions like kick in.
- Do we still have ice?
- Yes.
- We're gonna buy in a Lone Pine, right?
You think, you still have those bags?
- Yeah, I still have like three under,
or four untouched yeah.
- Untouched?
- It's not melt?
- No, 'Cause I bought,
there's like two in there
and then I bought another five.
So I guess we're good.
- What time is it?
- 7:01.
- Steve.
- No, he's already ready for it.
- 7:10,
7:10.
- Oh, okay.
- We gonna leave at 7:10.
What's 7:10.
- Rest
- like it's 7:01.
7:01?
- Like nine, yeah.
It's 10 minutes.
- Oh it's 7:10, got it.
- Do you want me to put you bandana?
Got it.
What is it?
- A bandana.
Oh, I don't need.
- You don't a bandana?
Okay.
- No.
- What is of importance,
well, for me, I've always
been in the running industry.
So especially as a Filipino,
that was kind of rare in the past.
So about 20 years, slowly I've met Ben.
Some guys as well.
There was only a few before,
And now there's like,
You have done what four now?
- Five.
- Five, so that's amazing.
So when we ID and they own that there,
when we were doing the blogs,
our blogs with BR and AR
and you know, that'd be,
I mean eventually we can produce someone
from the Philippines to
come and do our Filipino,
to do a Badwater and now,
So I think it's very important
cause it's inspiring.
We're all promoting
health and fitness plus,
the idea of there's no limit, you know,
right?
Now you can do 135
miles in 127 degree heat
and it's doable
and it's not just doable
by people we don't know,
but people we know.
So it makes the dream
a reality that there,
special athletes run.
They are very special but
knowing that they're also Filipinos,
it makes it very realistic.
So do this, we're
actually empowering everyone.
Hey, just follow your dream, you know?
So eventually it's gonna happen with us.
There's a little edge,
that we take like see
we're in this environment of running,
most accepted, most accessible
But are now we're seeing
actual Filipinos training in
the Philippines doing Badwater.
So that's for me the value
of inspiration by this guys,
you know, they inspired them to,
if they can do it, those
guys can do it as well.
I think I'm just happy now
I'm part of that because I'm
in that industry, you know?
So I think that's what I can add on,
Very important 'cause
we're inspired people.
And that's you know,
ultimate as a whole is to
inspire others, you know?
Especially reaching out
- What?
- They gonna be waiting for us.
- Yeah.
I think two miles.
- That's a classic
location right in there.
Yeah.
- It's red, it's not full
blister but it's red there.
- What is this?
- It's okay?
- My legs.
- You're a king man.
I don't wanna be a princess.
- At what mile?
90.
- Mile 90?
Yeah.
- No princess at mile 90?
That's like the new shoes right?
- No.
This is just like two mile.
Peachy are you
getting ready to run?
Oh yeah, but the runner is not.
I'm but he's not.
Let him rest though.
So from here
what's our next stop.
- Six mile, well we're
gonna do six mile exchanges.
So Peachy is gonna run six miles.
Run not.
Well, it's up to Gerald.
It's downhill so he might run a bit.
And then Ibar's gonna run
six and then I'll do six.
And then we're gonna go four, four, four,
and then we're hopefully
gonna be as Lone Pine
at that point.
And that'll be about daybreak,
probably around six o'clock, 6:00 p.m.
or a.m. excuse me.
And then it would probably take us about
four or five hours going up the 13 miles.
So that should be good time.
So my guess
is in 11 or 12 o'clock,
then we shall see.
And that would
be like, mid-sub 40s.
Yeah that'd be sub 40,
yeah which would be great.
Is Gerald picking
up good speed, good time?
He's consistent right now.
I don't know if we're picking up time,
but he's been consistent.
He just keeps going.
He may be can pick up a little
bit of time on this downhill.
It's down downhill yeah.
Especially if he were to run but.
It's a catch 22, If you run,
you get more tired and
then you need to rest more.
Otherwise blisters.
It's catch 22.
They'll be okay.
They're gonna be a little
painful but at this point
he just guts it out.
No major injuries?
- No, he's just very fit.
Put together well.
Where are we at now Steve?
- We are six miles from the
intersection of the 395.
And how far
is that in to our race?
- In the race 13,
19 miles left.
Wow, we crossed the 100 mile?
- Yeah, crossed a 100
while you were snoozing.
How's Gerald?
- We didn't videotape you snoozing,
snoring though, but we could have.
I don't get into the desert.
How's Gerald doing?
- He's doing well, he's tired.
He's taken naps kind of.
He's marching forward?
- Every two hours, he's
marching forward, yeah.
All right.
- He's got a big climb coming up though.
That'll be interesting.
13 Miles left?
- 19 miles left.
19 miles left and do only.
- About six miles flat downhill
and then 13 miles up.
And it's only barely
six o'clock.
- Six o'clock, yep.
Yeah.
- So he's got a chance to finish under
40 hours.
- To beat his time.
- Well, we'll see.
My guess is still around 11
or 12 he's gonna finish so.
All right.
- We'll see how it goes.
The runner's high.
The runner's high is due to endorphins
that are produced with exercise.
And usually it's fairly extreme exercise.
You need to produce those endorphins.
And it's the same effect that
you get if you eat chocolate,
you fall in love,
You take narcotics,
all the same stuff.
It's a neurotransmitter that's in
the brain and it increases
during strenuous exercise,
during such things as ultras.
It's probably going off
the charts as far as,
the production of the endorphins.
- Oh, it's a weather.
This is the first time I felt that
the sunglasses melt on my face.
And that I really need to focus on Gerald,
to make sure that, you know,
hydration wise that he's,
hydrated enough to go to the 135,
specialty that's long stretch.
And we kinda changed
the strategy this year,
compared from last year so,
and being a chief crew is hard,
'cause you have to think
not just for the runner,
but for the whole team.
- The elements out there,
temperature wise it's
just record-breaking.
Now you can get run 135
degrees Fahrenheit temperature
but you know, Gerald's determination,
yeah, he's making it look really easy.
And that's the mental toughness
that I've seen in Gerald so.
- Oh Badwater
you're not disappointed with what
is being tagged as the
word toughest footrace.
So I have proven that, that's true
since I've ran for
about 50 kilometers from Stovepipe Wells
up to Panamint Springs.
So it's really true.
You have the elevation, the heat,
the distance and the wind.
- What can I say?
It's the hottest place on earth?
My God, it's very challenging.
Yeah, but it's beautifully dangerous.
I like the solitude,
but it's
the route.
It's majestic, but it's very dangerous.
But I love Badwater.
I fell in love with it
when I joined it in 2016.
So I told myself I'm gonna
come back for you know,
for another try.
- It's like you're in an oven.
You open the open and it
just blows into your face.
Like continuously.
I completed the race in 44 hours.
But a lot of it was tough,
like I, you can eat a lot,
you have to manage the, like
you have really heat train.
Like when I was at mile 42,
I think I over ate knowing that,
okay, I have'nt since the
start up the race 5:00 p.m.,
I hadn't had breakfast or lunch.
So that was my big meal, right?
And I was the tackle 17
miles of climbing so,
I over ate,
and during the climb was hot.
My body couldn't process it.
I was surprised like after
one mile or two miles
how come there's nothing,
I was about to throw up.
And after I cleared it up,
then I had been resurgent again.
- Badwater 135 isn't ultra marathon,
it's a 135 miles.
It starts from Badwater Basin,
which is 282 feet below sea level.
And then it crosses Death Valley.
And then it ends in Mount Whitney Portal,
which is 8,360 feet.
Mount Whitney Portal is a
trailhead of Mount Whitney,
which is the highest mountain in the
contiguous United States.
The race is always held in July,
which is the temperature is
basically 120 to 130 degrees.
Is it?
- I'll be right in there.
- Yeah maybe take it off right?
- Is it?
- Yeah, it's.
- It's not bad, right?
- It's not super bad, but it's red.
- And then this too.
- You gonna throw this.
This is disposable socks Ibar.
- Like this one?
- The one, no no,
There's a white one that.
Was that the one?
- It's gonna be the same spot probably.
- Same spot, right?
It's getting worse.
- Yeah, it's red, it's
not really a blister yet.
- Oh so.
- I'll just draw the outline of it--
- Yeah, yeah.
- It's like an area just about like that.
It's probably gonna get a blister.
- Yeah, we'll just have to fix it.
Yeah, towel thanks.
All right.
I told you it's plain bun.
- Bun and a burger.
- Burn and a burger, yeah.
- Is this a prank?
Got some more in there?
- What is this?
Eat some of that yeah.
- It is fine.
Is this yours?
- No that is Ibar's it's okay.
Oh it's a prank.
122.
- 122
122 wow!
- We have to go up that hill.
- So feeling--
Finish it finish it.
So sad Tess.
- So she decided to call it quits.
I think so yeah.
The record, is
29, that's the new record.
- I don't know.
- Yeah, it's something like 20,
20, 21 yeah.
- 29 is the highest.
- Wow super.
- It was 135, the weather yesterday.
That's what I told to my kids you know,
we're walking for almost two
miles at the Badwater Basin,
and your dad's runnning 135 miles.
You have to imagine that.
That's what he said, and then,
Rita Rona said, you know--
- you know, because you
can tell all your vacation,
like, no, I'm not proud of it.
I'm not telling anybody.
Donna
Interesting stories about Gerald.
- Gerald is an old school guy,
he's an old school guy.
He's not really a techy one.
Actually he just changed his cell phone
from the flip what's that?
It's flipped just.
Smartphone phone?
- Yeah, just three years
ago, something like that.
Because his boss will get angry.
He cannot easily accept
the picture or something.
And then Gerald was my boyfriend
since I was 14 years old.
And whenever he would go to our house,
he will sit down on the same place.
That's what I remember.
On that corner.
And I did not notice about that.
Who noticed was our housekeeper.
Oh, you know, Gerald is a nice guy.
He's not you know,
I mean he has one place
to stay in our house,
something like that.
So I think that's it.
He's a good father.
- Yeah, because my mom and
dad, I was still young.
My mom and dad don't want us to go out.
So if he wants to see me,
he will visit in our house.
And I wasn't able to ride in his car.
So he would just go to our house.
That was when I was 14 years old.
He's my first boyfriend.
So I love my husband very much.
He's coming now.
- It's not party time yet.
Oh okay.
- We still have 11 miles to go.
- Give me a dance, give me a dance.
Almost there.
Go Gerald.
Great job man!
Yeah we got it, you need
rest room or anything?
No, I'm good.
- Okay good job.
You guys are wild--
Go bro, let's go.
Well, what did he ask?
- He's asking, where's the kid.
He's always like that.
He's always, you know,
whenever we go away, he's always,
"Oh, where's the kids?
"How's the kids now?
"Can you call them?"
He's like, that was really a good father.
You're wearing
your jacket out really.
- No I'm good.
- You're good?
- Yeah I'm good.
- You're doing good daddy.
Kids enjoyed.
- Is there a bathroom,
I'm gonna clean my teeth.
- Oh you want?
Where's the bathroom.
I don't know, where do yo go usually?
All right, have fun guys, be safe.
Bye bye.
- Right now he's more stronger though.
Even though the time is really late,
but he's still more stronger.
- Yeah, that's why we know that he
can survive there.
- He's gonna be faster there
than usual, yeah.
- We know that he can
survive there because,
he's still straight.
And then even though
29 runners DNF now so,
even slow just okay,
as long as he can finish.
- That's why I told him,
he's tougher than Badwater.
- What?
Badwater.
- He's tougher than Badwater.
Yeah.
- He was like, this is
tough, but you're tougher.
Do you miss him?
Yeah.
- I think he's around the corner.
Phil, yeah yeah.
Phil is our friend, a good friend of ours.
He's a race director of
the Great New York hundred miles race.
Yeah, he's the race director.
He's a good friend of ours.
He and Gerald jam each other.
He plays piano and Gerald
sing or whatever plays drums.
They go together.
He's a nice guy.
- Gerald, sorry I missed you Lone Pine.
I ran after you and I just missed you,
but you got to another one man,
congratulations crush it!
All right Phil.
- All right all right.
I'll see you there.
- Take care.
- I'll see you at the awards or whatever.
Phil all ready?
- Yeah where I saw these
guys at McDonald's.
- Because I want you to go with us also.
But you go finish.
When are you going home?
- Tomorrow.
- Tomorrow?
Oh yeah, where are you going tomorrow?
- I'm not going home though.
I'm going to New York
and then getting on a bus
to Virginia Beach for a party,
my cousin he's throwing for me,
it's along story.
- Oh Phil, James this is Phil McCarthy
the race director of the Greater New York
100 mile running expedition.
Yes, he's a good friend of
Gerald.
- What kind of songs
do you guys sing?
- 70s, 80s songs.
Yeah.
- Yeah.
He's a musician.
- Yeah we like to jam
at their house.
Nice.
And he's about to break the world record.
- Yes, we're running across the country
from San Francisco to New York.
That's coming up.
- Yeah, good luck.
You can do it Phil.
Yeah, Phil is a good friend of ours, yeah.
All right.
- I think I can feel just beaten down.
How many miles more to go?
- We've got about six, six and a half,
something like that to go.
We're gonna do two more miles.
And then our anchor's gonna take over.
Ibar is gonna do the last
four miles, steep four miles.
What's the elevation
from here to the destination?
- We're about 5,200,
we're going to about 83?
- 83 right?
- Something like that 82, 83.
So we've got about 3000 more.
3000.
- And then so, it's gonna
be about 500 each mile,
particularly the last four miles.
That's gonna be really steep.
So Ibar's gonna work out
for him the last four miles.
He might give up?
No.
No.
Last 10K come on!
DNF.
- No.
Last 10K.
I know, what do you call it?
One foot in front of the other.
It's a climb.
- No, no.
No, 3.6.
You got
a 5K
from that corner up there,
you got a 5K to get up there.
- Okay.
- The Badwater 5K.
- I'm just gonna check my,
check all my systemic if it's working,
and I'm good to go.
- Okay.
- I'll see you at the.
See you at the party.
- Oh you not gonna go and.
- No, I got people to watch.
- Gotcha.
- Okay.
- Yeah, I'll see you tonight.
- Yes, thank you.
- How many people have a DNF so far?
We have 29.
29?
- 29 is the count for DNF.
Is that a
record breaking number?
- Of that that I don't know,
but it is a very high number.
It's almost one third of the total
count of racers, yeah.
- I have pin this one,
I will be the 30th.
- You will.
Yeah right?
- Right, no you gonna finish.
You gonna finish.
I've already put you down
here you're gonna finish so.
- No turning back.
- Okay, thank you.
- I said, I'm not gonna give him the 30.
- You know, you do not want to be the 30
- Yeah.
- No.
- Thank you.
Welcome I will see
you at the finish tonight.
- All right thank you
so much, see you later.
Finish line.
Ibar finish line.
- Yep.
It's not gonna be easy.
Going back to the hotel.
- Section by section, one mile at a time.
Yeah that's the best strategy
for running long distance.
You don't have to think
about 135 miles ahead.
You just think about
one station at a time,
like 17 miles, 42 miles.
And then that 17 miles,
you have to cut into another section
until one foot in front
of the other.