Lisa Smith-Batchen had been from the lowest lows to the highest highs and back again. Physically, emotionally and geographically. And it wasn’t over yet.
Early on the morning of July 31, 2006, seventeen miles short of completing an epic journey of 310 miles, Lisa could go no further. Her body was giving out. Her spirit was beyond fatigued. Her mind was overworked and overloaded. In the darkest dark of night, she sat in the middle of the road, fully depleted. It wasn’t clear what would happen next.
Six days earlier, Lisa Smith-Batchen had returned to Death Valley California USA to tackle the greatest challenge of her life: to complete the Badwater 135 mile footrace, then summit Mount Whitney, and return to the Badwater start line after that. More than 300 continuous miles. The Badwater Double. Solo.
Many had tried the Double. Many had failed. Her background as an elite ultra endurance champion notwithstanding, Lisa was one of those who had not completed an earlier attempt.
But the desire to return never left her, and when the time came to start the 2006 Double, Lisa declared: “I’m more prepared than I’ve ever been for an endurance event.”
The Double started at 282 feet below sea level with optimism, and Lisa cruised through the first 41 miles with ease, despite scorching 125 degree heat. After a short break, she continued deeper into the course but something was wrong. She began to get sick, then sicker, and soon she could go no further.
She curled up in the back of the crew van and went to sleep, hoping for a miracle. “Somehow, when I awoke,” Lisa recalled, “the miracle had occurred. I felt better than ever, ready to finish the Badwater race at full strength.”
On she ran and powerwalked until finishing the first 135 miles of the journey in 49 hours, at 7000 feet above sea level. For Lisa, it was just the beginning.
Imagine what it’s like to have run 135 miles, and then be faced with the prospect of climbing an additional 7000 feet of elevation to summit the tallest mountain in North America.
Then imagine that the summit attempts were delayed and postponed by missing climbing permits, followed by an attempt aborted due to altitude sickness at 12,000 feet, and again delayed by securing a new set of permits.”
“For two days it seemed like we made no progress,’ Lisa said. “It was endlessly frustrating. I began to consider alternate plans. Perhaps the Double would not occur the way I wanted.”
Finally, Lisa caught a break, and climbed through rough weather to reach the summit by sunset on Friday, more than four days into the journey. “It was an exceptionally beautiful sight, absolutely worth the delays.” Lisa retreated down the mountain in darkness, arrived at the base by sunrise on Saturday, and began the journey back to the Badwater starting line.
Which brings us back to Lisa sitting on the road, fully depleted and utterly exhausted. Her body had given out for seemingly the final time. In the darkness, all alone, Lisa made a single plea to the heavens: “Mercy!” she cried. Later she recalled, “I wanted the finish to be special, and I wanted God to give me a new body to make it so.”
Indeed, mercy was granted. “Out of nowhere, I began running 6 minute miles!” Lisa remembered with a smile. “Incredible. Suddenly I had gone from my worst to my best.”
As the sun rose on the seventh day of Lisa’s Badwater Double, she crossed the line. 310 miles. From the lowest low to the highest high and back. Through exceptional moments and excruciating ones. To the finish of a lifetime.
Update: Lisa made this epic journey across Death Valley and back to raise money for the Religious Teachers Fillipini, a charity that for more than 300 years has been helping to educate women and children around the world. Lisa has been involved in this fundraising effort for two decades and as of December 2006, Lisa’s Badwater Double fundraising campaign has raised close to $300,000 that is providing food, clothing and education to orphaned children in Ethiopia.
