There are many THPL journeys and the Badwater 135 is truly one fo them. It is called the toughest footrace on planet earth. Covering 135 miles the race goes from Death Valley to Mt. Whitney CA. With temperatures reaching 135 degrees F the race puts the runners under significant stress from their first steps at the lowest elevation point in North America at 280 feet below sea level to the entry point of Mt. Whitney at 8,000 feet. Runners have 48 hours to complete the race with the winners working to challenge the record of 21 hours 56 minutes set by Pete Kostelnick in 2016.
For many runners and adventurists, entry into Badwater 135 is the jackpot of endurance sports. A lottery, running in at least three 100-mile races and a deep endurance sports resume are the first gauntlet to get through. So, even to get to the start line is hard. Races like the Badwater 135 attract those who have a sense of adventure, keen determination, a deep-rooted belief in their ability to endure and to embrace suffering. In a modern world where so much of what we do is geared towards making things easy this race is as much about survival as it is finishing in a good time. And in so doing, running a race like Badwater gives one the opportunity to find something that is difficult to find – personal fulfillment.
One of the entrants into the 2018 Badwater is a THPL guy, Don Reichelt, an ultra-endurance specialist who has competed in countless ultramarathons including 5 races of 100 miles or more with a 100 mile PR of 16:27. His journey as an ultra-runner coming to a pinnacle on July 23, 2018 when he starts the race at 11 pm (to avoid the heat – haha). Performance Tea is proud to support Don during his race - he will be using the Energy blend drink to hydrate himself and keep him going.
To quote Don - “Thanks @performance_tea for keeping my mind sharp and focused on all my goals! This stuff is AMAZING and if you haven’t tried it yet... you’re missing out. Gonna be a huge help during the grueling miles of Badwater.”
Loving life when we are rooting on a friend of ours