Nobody can say that running 135 miles in the desert is healthy

Now this is the sort of thing that I'd like to say I have done. It is an Ultramarathon through Death Valley. To my mind it is among the ultimate examples of mind over matter. Take a look at these facts from the CNN story:

135 miles through Death Valley, California

Start: 280 feet below sea level
Finish: 8,300 feet on Mount Whitney

Race time limit: 60 hours, 48-hour cut-off to get a belt buckle

Course pavement exceeds 200 degrees F, same temp used to slow cook a pot roast

Dangers: Heat stroke, organ failure, hallucinations, huge blisters, severe dehydration

Some of you will read that and think that the people who do it are crazy and perhaps they are, but there is something about it that really captures my imagination. It is unlikely that I will ever attempt it. Running is not where I excel, or should I say long distance running.

But I am still interested in doing the Ironman. That is a different sort of test of endurance that I think I am better suited for and would be just as proud to finish.