WAURT? (Where are you running today?)
미국에서 가장 낮은 곳에서 가장 높은 산을 향해 135마일을 달리는 ‘배드워터 135’(Badwater 135) 는 울트라 마라톤 대회 중에서도 가장 어려운 대회 “The World’s Toughest Foot Race”로 악명이 높다.
해수면 보다 86m(282피트)가 낮은 캘리포니아의 데스밸리(죽음의 계곡)에서 시작해 미국 본토(알래스카 제외)에서 가장 높은 산인 '마운트 위트니[14,505피트(4,421m)]'의 트레일헤드 '위트니포털(2,548m)'에서 끝난다.
원래는 데스 밸리에서 위트니 산의 정상까지 즉, 미국에서 가장 낮은 지점과 가장 높은 지점 사이를 달리는 대회였다. 두 지점은 지도상으로 80마일밖에 떨어져 있지 않지만, 호수와 산맥 3개를 넘는 우회도로 때문에 실질적인 거리는 157마일(253km)에 달하며, 두 지점 사이의 누적 고도 상승(elevation gain)은 19,000피트(5,800m)가 넘는다.
하지만, 미국 산림청(USFS)에서 위트니산 등반을 허가제(로또추첨)로 변경함에 따라 공식적인 코스는 위트니 포털에서 끝나게 되었다. 따라서 현재의 '배드워터135' 는 총 135마일(217km)이며 누적 상승 고도는 13,000피트(4,000m)이다. 한 낮 기온이 130°F(54°C)에 이를 수 있는 7월 초~중순에 열리는 이 대회는 기온, 기후, 지형 모두가 최악 조건으로 가히 인간의 한계에 도전하는 달리기 대회라 할 수 있다.
어려운 대회인 만큼 출전 자격도 매우 엄격해서 해마다 단 100명에게만 출전을 허락한다. '배드워터135'에 출전하기 위해서는 100마일 울트라 마라톤 대회를 3회이상 완주한 경력(13개월 이내 1회 이상) 있어야 하며, 출전하고자 하는 이유를 에세이로 제출해서 심사를 통과해야만 한다. 대회측에서는 본인이 출전하기에 앞서 다른 선수의 페이서(크루)로 먼저 참가하고 선수로부터 추천서를 받을 것을 적극 권장하고 있다.
지난 7일부터 11일까지 열린 올해(2022) 대회에는 모두 94명이 출전했다. 이중 미주 한인 최초로 캘리포나아주 오렌지 카운티 세리토스 시에 거주하는 샨 이씨(52세, 포레스트 러너스 코치)가 출전해 36시간 만에 완주에 성공했다.
달리는 중 물과 음식을 공급하고 10-30분 쪽잠을 자면서 뛰어야하는 대회이기 때문에 4명의 크루(Crew; 이재훈 팀장, 피터 김, 존 고, 자비어 송)가 동행했다. 4명의 크루팀을 구성하여 등록하지 않으면 출전 자격을 얻지 못한다.
이들은 번갈아 가면서 샨 이 씨와 함께 뛰고 차에 준비되어 있는 음식과 물을 공급했다. 이 씨는 너무 힘들면 차에서 10분 정도 자거나 도로 옆에 타월을 깔아 놓고 쉬며 잠을 청했다. 저녁에도 쉬지 않고 꼬박 이틀 밤을 달렸다.
이씨는 “도로를 달리면서 너무나 덥고 힘들어서 중간에 포기하고 싶은 생각도 했다”라며 “저를 위해서 페이스 메이커가 되어준 동료들과 온라인을 지켜보면서 응원하고 있는 클럽 멤버들을 생각하면서 중도에 포기하지 않고 끝가지 뛰었다”라고 말했다. 그에 따르면 한인이 이 울트라 마라톤에 출전해 완주하기는 이 씨가 처음이다.
이 씨는 36시간을 달리면서 발에 물집이 생기지 않도록 운동화를 3켤레, 양말 5켤레를 갈아 신었음에도 불구하고 론 파인 근처에서 물집이 생겨서 뛰기 너무나 힘들었다고 한다. 그는 “이 때가 가장 힘들었다”라고 말한다.
검도, 축구, 농구 등의 운동을 해오다가 지난 2016년부터 마라톤을 시작한 이 씨는 그동안 20여 회의 마라톤 풀 코스를 완주했다. 그중에는 100마일 산악마라톤 완주가 3회 포함되어 있으며, 마라토너에게도 힘든 철인 3종(아이언맨) 대회도 완주한 바 있다.
샨 리 씨는 순수 아마추어 달리미이지만, Zion Canyon Ultra Matathon 대회에서 100km 부문 전체 1등을 차지하는 등의 성과를 높이 평가 받아 몇몇 스포츠 용품사의 앰배서더로 활동하고 있다.
다음은 달리기 용품(의류)회사 PATH PROJECTS사에서 자사 웹사이트에 게제한 샨 리씨와의 인터뷰 전문이다.
BADWATER 135, IT IS ONLY POSSIBLE, IF YOU THINK IT IS POSSIBLE.
KREW member Sean Lee shares his recap of his experiences running Badwater 135 Ultra Marathon through Death Valley.
WHY RUN BADWATER 135?
“The world’s toughest foot race”? Some may agree and some may not. If you ask me, I’ll be honest. I don’t know. That’s not because I agree or disagree, but mainly because I don’t think I have enough experiences or knowledge to back that up.
I heard about this race soon after I finished my first ultra race in 2015 @ Los Pinos 50K known as the toughest 50K in S. Cal. Yes, I ran Los Pinos 50K as my first race and fairly did well by sacrificing 4 toes nails and mild IT band issue. I guess my friend who took me to Los Pinos 50k saw something in me that I didn’t even know about and told me all about “the world’s toughest foot race” on the way home.
Later part of last year, I lost that friend in a tragic death and knew I had to sign up. I wanted to run Badwater 135 because I wanted to see where my limit was, I wanted to run the race that only very limited runners are invited, and I wanted to run it because I wanted to prove that my friend was NOT wrong.
HOW DID I TRAIN FOR BADWATER 135?
My ultra running friends seldom make fun of my training oh well.. if they can still call that a training. I don’t have any set training plan, training blocks nor run high mileage. I just run here and there at a comfortable pace with low heart rate. I was labelled as “couch to 100K runner”or my training is “questionable”. Nevertheless, I crossed the finish line at UTMB in 2021 and even have a podium finish at a 100K. I guess I am just good at winging it! But I knew it won’t work this time.
My main focus in training are no overtraining and injury free. So I kept my running mileage low as usual like 30~40 miles per week but made sure I did the heat training as many previous finishers had suggested. I went out to Palm Springs to run under the heat with some elevation gain and even got a gym membership to use their dry sauna. I spent about 30 mins everyday at the sauna for 7 days before the race as heat acclimation training. Did it help? Yes, I definitely think so.
HOW DID THE BADWATER 135 RACE UNFOLD?
My wave started at 9:30 PM. I couldn’t believe it was 120 F outside although it didn’t feel like it at all. I was calm yet excited. I was ready to run the race of the year if not the race of my lifetime.
I had only one handheld water bottle to start the race thinking it should be ok after all it’s a night run for about 40ish miles. Oh how I was wrong. Soon as I started running I realized I needed my ice-bandana Right Now! at 10:00 PM. Many things crossed my mind as I ran my first 3 miles. Am I really ready for this? Am I not running too fast? What if my nutrition plan doesn’t work? What if it gets too hot to continue? Would this be my first DNF? I decided to sit down as soon as I ran into my first crew stop. I needed to shake off all negative thoughts and calm myself… but mostly of all I felt already tired. Usually I break down 100 mile races into 25 miles so it’s more manageable and not too overwhelming. So I broke down Badwater 135 into 20 miles as well. But after running 3 miles, I couldn’t see anything after 3 miles. I just couldn’t see it. I asked my crew to meet me at every 3 miles. So Badwater 135 had become Badwater 3 times whatever miles left.
LOWEST POINT OF BADWATER 135 AND HOW DID I WORK THROUGH THIS?
Yes, the race was tough! But the distance wasn’t too bad since I was running slow with each 3 miles pit stop. The high temperature was manageable with placing ice all over my body. But the sleep deprivation was so real and so bad from the first night. Again, I usually get sleepy on the 2nd night during the race and I take a quick 10~15 mins nap if needed.
Badwater 135 was quite different. Even thought I was well rested before the race, I was so sleepy from the first night and had to stop the running and took a nap multiple times. Mostly they were 10 mins quick ones here and there except the couple of 30 mins ones on the 2nd night. I guess the heat was draining the energy much more than I expected. I couldn’t move another step without actually laying down and sleep. I didn’t care if other runners would pass me or not. Interestingly I would see same runners and crew vehicles around me even after taking a quick nap. I guess other runners were going through what I was going through as well… repeating the 3 miles pit stops.
I thought things would get better by the time we get to Lone Pine which is out of Death Valley National park and would have only 13 miles to the finish line. Again, how I was wrong. Even with changing 5 pairs of socks and 3 pairs of shoes, I had blisters on my both feet and hiking up to Whitney Portal with the sun in my back wasn’t fun at all. The last stretch was 13 miles with over 4000 ft of elevation gain.
So is Badwater 135 “the world’s toughest foot race”? Personally now I do agree with that statement. Not because it’s technicality nor the distance or other elements that we had to endure, but because there is no “fun”part in the race once we were on the road until crossing the finish line when other ultra races are fun and exciting until they aren’t which is usually after passing the half point. Oh did I mention that I sat down during every single crew stop? That’s roughly 45 stops and I was ok with that. No shame in 45 stops.
WHAT GEAR DID I USE?
DURING THE TRAINING:
DURING THE RACE:
- Sykes AT 5”Shorts
- Tahoe CL 5”Base Liner
- Unita AD Short Sleeve Shirt
- Muir Cap in White
- Shoes: Asics Metaspeed Edge, New Balance 1080V11, Cloudultra by On
ANY ADVICE TO OTHERS RUNNING AN ULTRA RACE?
Running an ultra race is more than just running a long distance. The nutrition is very important and so is the equipment. Don’t stop searching for a better answer just because it worked out this time.
Train properly without getting injured or burned out. It’s better to undertrain and still perform 90% or even 80 % of your capacity than getting injured and not performing at all. People ask me how I run 100 milers and 135 miles this time. Then I tell them I see people running 200 miles and even 250 miles. It’s only possible if you think it’s possible and move forward. And mostly enjoy your runs!