Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago
I’m 9 Days Until Death Valley.
I'll be frank. This is exciting and terrifying.
I'm in Las Vegas now, the closest city to Death Valley. Temps are running 105 to 112. Perfect for training.
My body is adapting to the heat well. That gives me confidence.
The cart is almost finished. Then a full week of dialing it in.
For 135 miles, that cart is my lifeline. Food, water, supplies. The only help I'm allowed.
No water stations, no crew, no help. This is a SOLO RACE.
1 man vs the hottest desert on Earth.
After 123 miles with the cart, I strap on a pack and climb the hardest marathon in the world. 10,200 feet of relentless climb to the peak of Mt. Whitney.
Total distance: 146 miles. No rest. No stopping. If everything goes as planned.
Just me. Crossing a desert floor, then finishing on a snow covered mountain.
This is why it's the hardest race on the planet.
My fears are legit. And valuable. Because the risks are real.
Heat exhaustion has ended the race, and the life, of other runners and hikers out here.
Any medical emergency is 3 to 5 hours away by road. Or a helicopter, if one's available.
The last 11 miles is a brutal hiking trail to the summit of the highest mountain in the mainland USA.
After nearly 146 miles with no sleep, my mind will be near delirious and my body near collapse.
That's when a fall, an injury, or a bad decision becomes real.
My will is going to say keep going, you're almost there. That instinct built my life. Out in the desert or on the mountain, it can also get me killed.
Only 5 people in history have finished this course.
Marshall Ulrich first did it in 1999. It took 13 years for anyone to break his record.
That was me, in 2012.
Now I'm 13 years older. 55 years old.
And the current record for a significantly faster.
My body is strong. But it isn't the same body. My mind is wiser. Less reckless.
To beat the record, this is more than strength or cardio. It's strategy, pacing, and sticking to the plan.
The record to beat: 57 hours: 18 minutes.
Just over a week to go. Start time: Wednesday, August 5th.
#badwater #running #LocalHandyman #marathontraining #dontletyourdreamdie
I’m 9 Days Until Death Valley.
I'll be frank. This is exciting and terrifying.
I'm in Las Vegas now, the closest city to Death Valley. Temps are running 105 to 112. Perfect for training.
My body is adapting to the heat well. That gives me confidence.
The cart is almost finished. Then a full week of dialing it in.
For 135 miles, that cart is my lifeline. Food, water, supplies. The only help I'm allowed.
No water stations, no crew, no help. This is a SOLO RACE.
1 man vs the hottest desert on Earth.
After 123 miles with the cart, I strap on a pack and climb the hardest marathon in the world. 10,200 feet of relentless climb to the peak of Mt. Whitney.
Total distance: 146 miles. No rest. No stopping. If everything goes as planned.
Just me. Crossing a desert floor, then finishing on a snow covered mountain.
This is why it's the hardest race on the planet.
My fears are legit. And valuable. Because the risks are real.
Heat exhaustion has ended the race, and the life, of other runners and hikers out here.
Any medical emergency is 3 to 5 hours away by road. Or a helicopter, if one's available.
The last 11 miles is a brutal hiking trail to the summit of the highest mountain in the mainland USA.
After nearly 146 miles with no sleep, my mind will be near delirious and my body near collapse.
That's when a fall, an injury, or a bad decision becomes real.
My will is going to say keep going, you're almost there. That instinct built my life. Out in the desert or on the mountain, it can also get me killed.
Only 5 people in history have finished this course.
Marshall Ulrich first did it in 1999. It took 13 years for anyone to break his record.
That was me, in 2012.
Now I'm 13 years older. 55 years old.
And the current record for a significantly faster.
My body is strong. But it isn't the same body. My mind is wiser. Less reckless.
To beat the record, this is more than strength or cardio. It's strategy, pacing, and sticking to the plan.
The record to beat: 57 hours: 18 minutes.
Just over a week to go. Start time: Wednesday, August 5th.
#badwater #running #LocalHandyman #marathontraining #dontletyourdreamdie
