Run With Mu

Crewing an ultra, especially an ultra in extreme conditions such as the Badwater 135 (BW), is about 99% pre-planning and 30% improvisation. I had never served as an ultra crew member prior to this year’s BW, and I had never been to Death Valley. All I knew is that our runner, Nattu Natraj, was a friend and my own inspiration to start running ultras around 5 years ago, and that he had nearly froze to death crewing me for the Ultracentric 24-hour last November. It was only fair he got an opportunity to slow-bake me in return.

I knew crewing Nattu would be largely a matter of simply following his own meticulous planning. Nattu leaves little or nothing to chance, and the activity for every mile and minute is mapped out and accounted for, including the timing for best-case and worst-case scenarios at every checkpoint. BW demands that type of planning , and Nattu lives it. All I would have to do as his crew member was follow directions, stay alert to those moments where a little improvisation might have to be called on, and try not to annoy my crew mates too much … all while taking decent care of my own needs. A dehydrated, exhausted crew member obviously isn’t worth a lot to the crew or his runner, so in the midst of the general excitement and activity we all had to remember to take a drink and a bite to eat now and then.

The basic crew set-up was a model of simplicity and efficiency. Five of us worked in two teams, alternating every eight hours until the final climb up to Mt. Whitney, where we all joined together. We had one crew van packed and organized with supplies, and another vehicle (Nattu’s car) to serve as a crew shuttle for shift changes. Most of the supplies were bought beforehand – everything from gels to solid foods, oral rehydration solution, blister treatment kits, and reflector night gear. We went through about 20 gallons of water during the race, crew and runner combined.

The day prior to the race was spent organizing the van to make sure we had easy access to the most-needed supplies, and could easily find the supplies that weren’t used as often. Nattu also went over his race plan with all of us and we had a chance to ask questions. He didn’t appoint a crew chief, leaving it up to us how to work out our roles. As it turned out, we fell into our roles naturally and there was no melodrama or petty politics. It’s a real tribute to Nattu that he chose people who, although only a couple of us had met previously, had skills and personalities that complemented each other very well.

Once the race started, we had to find a place to stop the crew vehicle literally every mile so we could tend to Nattu’s nutrition/hydration/gear needs. This is a bit of a trick at BW, as there is virtually no paved shoulder on the entire course. I will never be able to see a flat, open area just off a highway or road again without thinking, “good crew spot.” The crewing basically followed this pattern: as Nattu and the pacer approached the van, the pacer, who was carrying a walkie talkie, radioed ahead to the van to let the crew know what was needed – gel, salt tablet, fresh cap or other gear, etc. The van crew would then prepare the request and meet the pacer and Nattu out on the road as they approached. Multiply that by approximately 135 and there you have it.

You couldn’t provide pacing until after Furnace Creek, and once we started pacing him, we switched pacers every three miles. The temperature in Death Valley reached 120-121 that day, but coming from Texas and the sweltering humidity, the dry heat felt very different to me and actually not that awful. All in all, the Death Valley crossing went amazingly fast, with Nattu blowing into Stovepipe Wells a little ahead of schedule.

It was that evening, and into the next morning, where we experienced our first real challenges. Nattu was struggling with fatigue and stomach issues for most of the night and into Tuesday morning and slowed considerably, accompanied by the kind of mood shifts common in longer ultra events. As a pacer that night, I tried to keep (gently) suggesting every so often that he try different foods, gear, pace changes – motivational tidbits, anything to try shaking him out of it. Others did the same. Fortunately Nattu is very analytical and not given to a lot of drama, approaching his difficulties with one of his favorite aphorisms, “There’s a solution for every problem.” But it wasn’t until he took a 20-minute nap near Panamint Springs, followed by another 45-minute nap just past Panamint, that he finally began to come alive again.

As we paced him very early that morning, we noticed he began to slowly come alive again, and even passed a couple of people. But he passed them with grace, asking how they were doing and offering his own example of coming back from a bad patch as encouragement. As Doc and I left at the end of our shift and headed for the hotel at Lone Pine, we knew the next eight hours would be critical – would he continue to recover, or had too much time and energy already been expended?

Heading back west from Lone Pine for our next shift, the suspense mounted: how far would we have to drive before we saw the crew van? Within just a few miles, lo and behold, there it was! Karen, Bob, and Martin were really excited as they related the amazing story of Nattu’s recovery. He was hammering out the miles again, moving toward Lone Pine and passing many other runners, as jets from a nearby air force base buzzed the course. From there he headed into Lone Pine and started up the Whitney portal road for the final long, steep climb to the finish.

At this point all of the crew stayed together, crewing him every half mile up to the finish. Our excitement mounted as Nattu neared the finish area. Just as it was growing dark, we heard the gurgling of a mountain stream and smelled the pine and cedar trees around us, then saw a bright glow just ahead: the most famous finish line in ultra road racing. Nattu broke into a run and we followed behind, cheering, as he broke the tape in a stellar 37:10 … not long before a nearby campground fire forced a major course readjustment for most of the remaining finishers.

All in all, it was an amazing and exciting experience from start to finish. Crewing someone every mile in such a harsh and uniquely beautiful environment is hectic, but highly rewarding and inspiring. We worked well together as a crew and saw our runner through some tough times to a successful finish. To say that I’d be happy to repeat the experience with all of the same people is a strong measure of that success.

Thanks to Karen, Bob, Martin, and Doc for a great crew experience, and congratulations and thanks to Nattu. From pre-planning to organization to training, to devising a detailed but workable race plan and solving the inevitable challenges literally on the run while motivating and inspiring his fellow competitors, Nattu’s perseverance, ability, experience, and character paid major dividends. His third Badwater belt buckle is very well-deserved indeed. I was excited and proud to be allowed to tag along.

Just back in town from Death Valley and catching up. Nattu Natraj, our runner, did fantastic and completed his third Badwater in 37:10 — his best BW time and a real tribute to his perseverance. He gutted out a tough night Monday, came back from the dead shortly after a 45-minute nap just after Panamint Springs and blew through the next stretch of course all the way to Lone Pine, then climbed tough up Mt. Whitney to break the finish tape — and just before a campground fire forced a big course adjustment. It was inspiring to watch up close and an honor to be a part of it.

I’ll post a full race crew report soon.

SPF 65 sunblock? Check. Biohazard Halloween costume? Check. Way too excited? Check. I’m looking forward to my first Badwater 135 experience as I help serve as a crew member for my friend Nattu … who, this time next week, will be on his way to notching his third Badwater finish.

So much to learn, so much skin to burn. Let’s go to Death Valley.