The Story Behind The Journey That Never Ends
The journey began in early 2001 when I was dealing with my grandmother's fourth bout with cancer that began in June of 2000. At the same time, I found out that my Ugandan (East Africa) mentor and pastor of 2 years, had advanced liver cancer. I dedicated my run at the San Diego marathon to them. When they passed away within 2 ½ weeks of each other in July of 2001, I was left with a gaping hole in my life. I kept running numerous marathons every year, but over time, the desire and challenge waned. I needed something new to push me, something that expressed my own character as well as the faith and perseverance my grandmother and mentor/pastor had displayed in their multiple fights against cancer. As an avid backpacker, it was during my 8 day backpacking trip to Mt. Whitney in August of 2003 that peaked my interest. While enjoying the view from the summit, I learned of the Badwater Ultra race. It was billed as a true test of not only a runner’s ability, but also his character and heart. I began telling friends about the race, making pacts that if I were to ever run the race that they would come out to support me.
In April of 2005, I completed the 50 mile Ruth Anderson race in San Francisco and in September of 2005, I met the qualification standard to apply for Badwater when I competed in and finished the Angeles Crest 100 race (www.ac100.com). The race is run through the Angeles Crest National Forest in Southern California beginning in the town of Wrightwood near the Mountain High Ski Resort east of Los Angeles and ending in Pasadena. Total distance is approximately 100.5 miles with elevation gain of 21,610 ft. and elevation loss of 26,700 ft. The race starts at 5890 ft., peaking at around 9300 ft. elevation, and ending at a few hundred feet above sea level. My final finishing time was 31 hours, 45 minutes, finishing 44th out of a starting field of 93. There were 58 finishers overall. It was a difficult race that ultimately tested my physical and mental health in ways that I had not seen. However, it is only a precursor to the mental, physical and spiritual challenges yet to come in the Badwater.
Running in the Badwater, for me, represents the ultimate rite of passage. In many cultures, going into a state of deprivation, fasting and suffering are rites of passage. They require the individual to reach breaking points, from which the old is shed and the new is born. The desert is no stranger to these rites, a place of extreme heat that elicits images of bones and scavengers. The desert’s bare and lonely landscape illuminates its uninhabitability for man, devoid of many of the things necessary for human life, let alone the creature comforts we groan for now. Many runners have even experienced hallucinations, brought forth by the extreme stress the body is under. For me, though, what resonates most is the image of Jesus fasting in the desert for 40 days only to culminate in the temptations of Satan before entering ministry. I hope that this race represents a gateway, a sort of transition point between the life I’ve lived and the life yet to come. I want to go to a place where the challenge requires me to be extraordinary and where the chance of failure matches or outweighs the chances of success. If being extraordinary is simply doing the ordinary extra, what more ordinary than the act of placing one foot in front of another? And what more extra than doing so in the most extreme of conditions?
For me, the discipline displayed in the simple act of fasting from food and water but doing so in a way that it no longer pointed to the strength of humanity, but the strength of divinity. It is under the most extreme of circumstances in our lives that the greatest of victories will be won. The Badwater, to me, is about finding my true identity, uncovering the character which drives me and moving forward in the life set before me by the Lord. There are few days in a man’s life where he can look back and say he was truly extraordinary. But for all the days of my life that I have either failed or barely met the standards I set for myself, competing in and finishing the Badwater would truly be a great testimony. For everyone who has inspired me, everything that I stand for and everything that I believe and trust in, this is ultimate race. I have been dreaming about this for a long time, and hope this race will be one that I, as well as my crew of friends, family and other supporters, will never forget. It is an honor to compete in this prestigious race and it would be an honor to represent all of you in this effort. Your consideration to donate funds for the charitable organization listed or even for personal race supplies/needs is greatly appreciated; your support and prayers in any form means a tremendous amount to me.
