Badwater - Good luck Michele!

As I write this blog entry, two waves have started and the final wave of endurance athletes are about to start their journey from Badwater to Lone Pine.
135 miles of pure, hot hellacious torture.....

I've gotten to know Runner #38, Michele from Menlo Park, CA.
I first met Michele at the Rock-N-Roll marathon in Pheonix, AZ this past January.
I was the 3:40 pacer there, and this gal Michele starts talking to me at the expo near the pacer booth. She's telling me that it is her dream to qualify for and run Boston.
The next day, we go out and run the marathon, and I visited a bit with her on the course, especially miles 9 through 14. She was doing well, but slowing a bit at the time. She had an extra 5 minutes to qualify (she needed 3:45:59 or better).
Well, she ended up finishing around 3:43 and got her BQ!!!
I talked to her for a while, and she told me that race was the toughest thing she has ever done!!!
After a bit more visiting after the race, I started to find out a little bit more about Michele......She is a very accomplished endurance athlete and was being very humble in my presence.
You see, Michele has completed more than 6 - 100 milers, she has mountaineered the highest peaks on every continent, she's swum the English channel, swum to Catalina Island, and also has completed a TRIPLE ironman.
I met up with her in Boston this last April.
Yes, she got to fulfill her dream.....and more. She met up with some of her ultra buddies and ran the double that day, starting about 4AM and arriving in Hopkinton about 30 minutes before doing the timed run back down to Boston.
Back to Badwater, Michele is not the fastest runner out there, but you don't find them any tougher.
I predict that she WILL finish Badwater in under 48 hours.
I also predict that she will continue on with the additional climb to the peak of Mt. Whitney after she crosses the finish line at Whitney Portal.
YOU GO GIRL!!!!
I'll be cheering for you via the webcast!!!!