Summer calls to mind images of floating in a pool or going on a picnic, but if you’re Luis Escobar, your mind is on miles and miles of running in extreme heat and rugged terrain.
Escobar doesn’t just run marathons; he tackles ultra marathons, races that are a minimum of 26 miles.
The upcoming Badwater 135 Ultramarathon Escobar is training for, however, stretches 135 miles through desert from Death Valley to Mt. Whitney.
Escobar, one of 90 runners, will navigate through the desert in temperatures as high as 130 degrees while ascending from 282 feet below sea level to more than 14,494 feet above.
Competitors will be given 48 hours to complete the race, after which they’re asked to leave the course.
To qualify for the “world’s toughest foot race,” athletes from all over the world submit résumés based on past races, with only 100 applicants accepted and 90 allowed to participate.
The Badwater 135 is an exacting challenge, with no scheduled breaks or stops. Once the 48-hour clock starts, there’s no stopping it. Runners must sleep and eat on their own time.
This won’t be Escobar’s first Badwater 135 run. He completed the race in 2003 (he placed 7th) and 2006 (13th), and has twice photographed the race and served as a member of the support crew.
Training for this race is no small feat: “A lifetime of experience goes into preparing for Badwater,” Escobar said. “You show up in the best shape of your life, ready to race, and by the end you’re in the worst shape of your life.”
Escobar has been preparing for this race for many years. Running ultra marathons since 1990, he’s managed to stay in top physical condition while competing in a variety of ultra marathons from the Santa Barbara Redrock 40 to the Hawaiian Ultra Running Team 100.
The humble runner said his only goal is to finish, and with the unpredictable nature of the weather in Death Valley that will be quite a challenge.
He’d like to complete the race in around 35 hours, an improvement from his personal best by more than an hour. He also hopes to keep a steady pace with a 15-minute mile, but he’d be content just to start and finish.
Escobar will have his support crew—including his wife Beverley, his personal trainer, and a nutritionist—to ensure his safety throughout the journey.
Escobar furthers his training as a coach, working with the Righetti High School Cross Country team for the past nine years. He’s taken the Righetti Warriors to CIF multiple times.
In the fall, St. Joseph High School will welcome Escobar to the Knights’ athletic program as the head cross-country coach.
When asked if his excellence as a runner inspired his students, Escobar was very modest.
“I probably influence other students, but the opposite is true as well. I am so inspired by these teenage runners,” he said with a smile.
This article appears in Jul 7-14, 2011.