__________________________________________ Greetings and Thank You First and foremost, thank you for visting the website. This site was created by myself and my team, Team Heat. Team Heat was formed for my completion of the 2006, 2007 and 2008 editions of the Badwater Ultra 135 and the 2007 Western States 100. The Badwater race website is at www.badwater.com and the WS100 site is www.ws100.com. Feel free to take a look around the site; there is information about myself, my crew and some of the driving forces behind this journey. This journey has been a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual one. In addition, I will be posting resources to help you in your running. I feel blessed by the Lord in my own journey and hope that you are in your own journey. Click on the photo to the right to donate or click on the "How To Give For Africa" page up above for more info. This year, I am attempting to raise $6000 to build 2 wells in Uganda. 100% of funds raised go directly to this cause, not administrative costs. I thank my sponsors who help make this all possible. They make killer products and it's great to work with their awesome people. If you have any questions or want more information or just want to say hi, you can contact me at the email address gundy80@gmail.com. Thanks again and God bless.
Jonathan Gunderson
My brother Daniel and I at Daniel's College Graduation 5/12/07
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Latest Update 08/06/08 Part 1 of 2 2008 Badwater Race report
Just wanted to let everyone know I've posted part 1 of 2 of the race report. Sorry for the delay but this report feels longer than the race itself. You can view it by clicking on the "2008 Badwater Race" tab up above.
Cheers and God Bless,
Gundy
Latest Update 08/01/08 Back From Badwater (go to The Update Archives- Blog link above for archived "Latest Update"s)
Wow! What a great race! Even with all the ups and downs, 36 hours and 16th place overall was a great finish. Enjoy the slideshow, with the race report and the report of my Uganda trip (incredible) are coming in the next few days. Sorry I've been delinquent on this all. The training and being swamped at work just took over :). AC100 is next....I'll be skipping Headlands Hundred this year to focus on it.
Thanks to the Crew: Pete, Kimi, Trish, Jeff, Mike and Mambo Thanks to the Sponsors: Injinji Socks, Brooks, Arrowhead Water and JM Hyde!
Cheers and God Bless,
Gundy
P.S. I just want to give a HUGE thank you to all the donors who have already given for the Wells in Uganda!I am pleased that as of now, we have $12000 (including off-line contributions). Over 5000 people will be affected by these four wells!
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2008 Badwater Ultramarathon Slideshow
View the "Audio/Video" section for more footage from previous years and TV/Radio interviews....
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2008 Badwater Race Report (Excerpt)
Ten minutes before the start, we moved to the starting line on the roadway.Occasionally, I would glance towards Pete and Trish to my left in the crowd of crews, race officials and media who were snapping pictures.I was in a mental vacuum, a sort of black hole of thoughts.I had washed away all the thoughts of previous races and was ready to run my race.While others were either joking or smiling or crying (yes, crying), I stood there with little emotion.I had the crew I wanted, the plan I needed and the training necessary to get it done the way I wanted to get it done.......
Goals for 2008: -Limit breaks at aid stations at all 100 milers to 5 min./max, 2 min. preferred -Continue intense speed workouts at local track at least once a week -Make better use of solid food to combat nausea -Make the 100 mile race a focal point for training -Run better marathons as a base for running better ultramarathons -Use at least two-fixed time races as times of experimentation/refining -Run a sub-20 hour 100 miler -Run a sub-3 hour marathon -Use “Negative split” principle where applicable -Use 1st 2 Badwater experiences to make big leap forward in 2008
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The Mambo Way with Mambo Jose "There's the right way, the wrong way, and then The Mambo Way"
Edition 12- Week of 08/04/08 Mambo, I'm training for my first marathon. How do you recommend I train for it?
MJ: Good question. There are a lot of resources out there for marathoners to look at as far as training schedules are concerned. The most popular are Hal Higdon's, Pfitz and the Runner's World online programs. They won't work for everyone, but make training easier to manage at the outset. You can do a google search. The best recommendation I can make is to take it slow. You want to enjoy your first marathon and putting in the time to develop the proper base is the best way to ensure success and cultivate a love of running/fitness.
Questions for Mambo Jose? Email them to gundy80@gmail.com. __________________________________________
Random Questions and Answers
Q: What was your finishing time goal for this race? A: The first and most important goal was to finish. However, the initial pace was set at a 32 hour finishing time. I was on target for until extreme nausea slowed me up and forced me to rest in order to continue.
Q: How many pairs of shoes do you plan for the race? How many do you use? A: Five pairs. This includes two pairs which were 1/2 and 1 size larger respectively. This was in case my feet swell up too much.
Q: How did you keep your feet from melting at that heat? A: I run on the white lines separating the road from the shoulder. Other than that, there isn't that much I could do. It's Death Valley for a reason. I think getting to the edge of the valley at Stovepipe Wells (mile 42) in only 7 hours probably helped quite a bit.
Q: Where did you sleep during the run? A: I slept a total of about 30 minutes this year, but not by choice. I needed to let my stomach settle and get my wits back.
Q: Did you ever get bored running that long? A: It's kind of odd to say this, but there's no time to get bored. In Death Valley, your focus is on survival. It was just too hot and too humid with air pockets in the 120s to 130s to lose focus on the initial goal of getting out of the valley fast. After that, I had enough pacers/crew to chat with or encourage me. Sometimes, you're just putting so much effort into a big hill or at high heat in Owens Valley, there is nothing else to focus on.
Q: Does the clock stop when you sleep? A: The clock never stopped until the 60 hour time limit is reached. Sleep was a luxury that I used only as needed.
Q: And why did you do this? A: Simply put, I am driven to do things which ultimately reflect the things which mean the most to me: my faith as a Christian, my character, my family and my friends. If I believe I am not a quitter, if I believe that I am perserverer, if I believe I am then what better place to start than Badwater. It will serve me later in life when I am in other life-changing predicaments.
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Website Visitors
2008 Badwater Ultramarathon Fundraising- World Harvest Mission's Uganda Well-Building Program
CLICK HERE or on "WHM and Donations" page to learn more about the program!
Badwater Donor Thanks
Latest Ipod Additions 08/08/08
1."Are You Gonna Be My Girl?", Jet
2."Steady As She Goes", The Racanteurs
3."One", U2 4."Play That Funky Music", KC and The Sunshine Band
5."Bring The Noise", Public Enemy
6."Ms. Jackson", Outkast
7. "Magic Carpet Ride" , Steppenwolf
8."Lay Down My Pride", Jeremy Camp
9. "Enter Sandman", Metallica
10. "No Woman, No Cry", Bob Marley
Top 10 Reasons I do Badwater
1. Because God is there right beside me every step of the way. When I'm tired, he gives me energy. When I'm irritable, he gives me something to laugh at....like myself (hehe). When I'm hungry, he gives me something to eat. When I want to quit, he keeps me going.
2. Because sometimes in life when we experience tragedy and overwhelming sorrow, we need to take those feelings and help others understand what made those people so special to us. R.I.P. Grandma, Eridard, Patrick.
3. Because there's a big difference between knowing the path and living it.
4. Because of all the friends and family helping in this monumental effort. I love you all, because life has always been a team sport and I believe that I'm "fielding the best team" money can never buy. Your giving of your time and the chance to go through this with all of you whether present or not means more than I can ever express.
5. Because my sponsors have been tremendous. Thank you so much for supporting me and supporting the charity work that means the world to me. You helped me take a dream and turn it into reality. You helped me take my passion for life and unleash it in the desert.
6. Because nothing worth having or doing in life comes without struggle.
7. Because some day I'll look back on this and never wonder what might have been.
8. Because sometimes I have to be reminded that I'm only human, and Death Valley can do that for you in a hurry.
9. Because for all the planning in the world, what more exciting than doing a race in which you have the opportunity to fail to finish as much as you the opportunity to successfully complete the journey.
10. Because I get to create a website and share all my dreams and passions with all of you.
Ultramarathons completed:
2005 Ruth Anderson 50
2005 Angeles Crest 100
2006 Ruth Anderson 50
2006 Badwater Ultramarathon 135
2006 San Diego 100
2006 Quad Dipsea
2007 Ruth Anderson 50k
2007 Diablo 50
2007 Angel Island 50k
2007 Badwater Ultramarathon 135
2007 Headlands 50
2007 Angeles Crest 100
2007 San Diego 100 (50 mile official finish)
2007 Javelina Jundred 100 Mile Run
2007 Rodeo Beach 50k
2008 Pacifica 50k
2008 Rocky Raccoon 100
2008 San Diego 100 (50 mile official finish)
2008 Pacifica 50k
2008 Badwater Ultramarathon
2008 Hotter Than Hell 12 Hr
2008 Salt Point 50k
2008 Angeles Crest 100
Marathons completed:
2001 Los Angeles Marathon
2001 San Diego RNR Marathon
2002 Los Angeles Marathon
2003 Los Angeles Marathon
2003 San Diego RNR Marathon
2004 Los Angeles Marathon
2005 Los Angeles Marathon
2005 San Francisco Marathon
2005 Honolulu Marathon
2006 Los Angeles Marathon
2006 San Diego RNR Marathon
2006 California International Marathon
2007 Redding Marathon
2007 Pacific Shoreline Marathon
2007 Los Angeles Marathon
2007 San Diego RNR Marathon
2007 California International Marathon
2008 Los Angeles Marathon
2008 Boston Marathon
2008 San Diego RNR Marathon
Copyright 2006 Jonathan Gunderson. All rights reserved.
