It was on a trip to Death Valley this past winter that I had one of my favorite runs ever. Why was I there? My in-laws were on a longer western road trip and invited me to spend a couple of days with them in the park. Having followed the Badwater Ultramarathon for several years, I eagerly agreed to it. Besides being a good road trip with extended family, it was an opportunity to run in a desert with a legendary history.\u00a0We were staying about 30 minutes outside of the park and would have two full days there. The first morning, I chose to do a 3 mile run outside our hotel (this was still in the middle of the desert and I could mostly run down the double-yellow line on the road as there was zero traffic) to shake out the travel kinks, and then a distance run the second morning.<\/p>\n
Fair warning–this adventure does not involved getting lost in the desert, running out of water, or having my shoes melt to the pavement as I struggle through a final few miles. The reason this was one of my favorite runs is that often there may be small glitches on a highly anticipated run, such as race nerves, less-then-ideal conditions, not preparing well enough the morning of, etc. It probably would have been a favorite given the location, but you never know with certainty how a run will go.<\/p>\n
My first idea for running in Death Valley was to do a point-to-point run along Badwater Road and Highway 190 and have my family pick me up at a pre-determined time and place. Among that and other variations, I ultimately chose to do an out-and-back from the Furnace Creek Visitor Center along 190 and I covered somewhere between 11 and 12 miles.\u00a0I was training for some spring and summer 5Ks and 10Ks so this distance worked within my overall training schedule.<\/span><\/p>\n The morning of the run, the temperature was approximately 63 degrees when I started–much cooler than the summer temps. On the drive down into the valley as I was making final adjustments to my running backpack, the excitement of running there was difficult to contain. I’d been looking forward to this for a long time. We arrived at the Furnace Creek visitor center, I took a last swig of Gatorade, and hit the road.<\/span><\/p>\n While there was minor traffic along the highway, this is an empty and wide open place. The desert, salt flats, and surrounding mountain ranges are gorgeous in their desolate way. Many people might find it tedious or worrisome, but I could run unhindered by anything except my own abilities.<\/span><\/p>\n There was a slight headwind on the way out. It was gentle enough that I didn’t have to push extra hard, but it was also enough that it was more difficult to hear. With almost no traffic, that wasn’t a big issue but I was on a highway where people may not expect to see a runner. Not to worry, given how flat the area is I had wide views behind and ahead of me and could see cars long before they would be near me.<\/span><\/p>\n On the way out, I was relatively conservative with my pace.\u00a0(For the purposes of safety, I had told my in-laws I’d be back within 90 minutes and I didn’t want to go outside of that.)\u00a0The goal of the run was to enjoy it and not have to push myself to an extreme on the way back. I had decided on 40 minutes out and then however long it took to get back. Based on how I was feeling, which was good, I went a little longer than 40, figuring I could do a negative split on the return. When I stopped to turn around, I took some photos, then started the trek back. With the time I took for the stop, I was going to have to do a healthy negative split to make it under 90 minutes but as I was running back and feeling better and better, I remembered that I was at, and actually below, sea level. No wonder I felt good. I picked up the pace some more, taking advantage of the pleasant temperature and ample oxygen. There was a point where I knew it would be close on whether I would get back in under 90 minutes.\u00a0I had paced myself well enough that, though the last mile or so turned into an all-out race to the finish, I had the all-too-rare feeling of being able to run faster and faster with no limits. With moments to spare before I knew my father-in-law would jump into the car and start combing the road for a lost runner, I cruised in with the exact negative split I needed.<\/span><\/p>\n Is this meant to brag? Nope, just to show that your best planned runs can go as you envisioned them. Based on a previous post<\/a><\/span>, you can see why making adjustments could become necessary, but do hold out hope for the runs that go the way you want.<\/span><\/p>\n I didn’t get to go back to Death Valley the following morning as we needed to head to Vegas for my flight. However, I did another 4+ miler outside the hotel along the desert highway. Our hotel was at an elevation of 3,000 feet or so and with it being February, it was 34 degrees. I had only brought shorts and a t-shirt for running. Related to my post<\/span>\u00a0about running while traveling<\/a>, I didn’t have the ideal attire but for a 30 minute run, no big deal. My hands and ears got a little chilly but by the time I was back and packed to leave, I was thawed out.<\/span><\/p>\n Death Valley is hallowed running ground for me. The 11-12 miler fulfilled the desire to run there, but also whetted my appetite for more. Desert running may not be for everyone for various reasons, but from my view it’s the ultimate untamed running experience.<\/span><\/p>\n Running food review of the week:\u00a0<\/span>(note–gels, bars, chews, and other items affect everyone differently. Try them on a short run before using them for a key training run or race): Gu Birthday Cake<\/a><\/span>. This is the “having your cake and eating it too” portion. This Gu tasted like a Costco or Target sheet cake and not just the cake part. They blended in an icing flavor so it was the same taste as a big mouthful of cake with the icing on top. Did it work? How could it not? Yes, nice energy boost, and probably better than the simple sugar rush you’d get from using actual cake. So, you can have your cake and eat it, too, at least until you’re down to your last packet.<\/p>\n One final note: the photo this week is a close-up of salt crystals on Devil’s Golf Course in Death Valley National Park. I did not run on the golf course, obviously the crystals are not running-friendly.<\/p>\n