August 4, 2007

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DEATH VALLEY DASH

Clermont's David Harper competes in an invitation only 135-mile
race through the notorious desert.

Brittany Ghiroli Special to the Sentinel

August 4, 2007

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David Harper laced up his athletic shoes July 23 and, like an
estimated 382,000 American marathoners per year, got ready to race.

But
the 42-year-old Clermont resident wasn't running the standard 26.2 miles, and
the starting line wasn't a town square filled with thousands of ready
participants.

Instead Harper, one of 84 invited runners worldwide, was
preparing for the most extreme form of running in the country: a 135-mile trek
known as the Badwater Ultramarathon.

The sign says it all: Welcome to Death Valley.

The
California course stretches over the Panamint Mountains to the top of Townes
Pass at an elevation of almost 5,000 feet. From there, runners catch an initial
glimpse of the first of three mountain ranges they will ascend. At the summit,
temperatures are cooler: about 112 degrees instead of the usual 130. In fact,
the asphalt along the course gets so hot, it has been known to melt
participants' shoes.

Harper, running his third Badwater race, is no
stranger to the hellish course conditions. In his two prior outings, he has
battled heat, hallucinations and debilitating blisters.

Still, the
businessman finished last year's race in sandals, placing 57th of more than
80.

"I'm extremely outdoorsy and just love to explore," said Harper, a
frequent trail runner. "The sights I have been able to see and places I have
gone to on foot can't be driven to. They are things most people only dream
of."

Harper and his running crew saw another dream come true this year,
finishing in 46 hours, 13 minutes, good enough to earn a elite belt buckle given
to those who finish in under 48 hours in maybe the world's toughest foot
race.

"We went in with the buckle being a goal of ours, and the past two
years, we've encountered some problems," said Harper of himself and his crew's
prior trials.

This year's accomplishment was like icing on the cake, he
says, because the buckles were even larger than usual, in part to commemorate
the race's 30th year.

Though elated about his Badwater finish, the avid
runner isn't about to hang up his shoes and relax.

Instead, Harper hopes
to become one of 11 people and the first Florida resident to complete the Death
Valley Cup. In addition to completing Badwater, participants must complete the
Furnace Creek 508, a 500-plus-mile bike ride, in the same calendar year. Harper
hopes to race in the Furnace Creek in October.

The course features more
than 35,000 feet of elevation and crosses 10 mountain passes, stretching across
the Mojave Desert through Death Valley before ending in Twentynine Palms,
Calif.

Harper, who has been active all his life, began running in 5- and
10-kilometer races before eventually working his way up to
marathons.

"People think I just jumped out of bed and started running 100
miles," he said. "But really it takes years to build your body up for something
like this."

It is the thrill of pushing his body to the limit that
ultimately led Harper to ultramarathon racing.

"It was just always about
what I could do even longer, or even better to push myself," he said. "People
have all kinds of hobbies -- for me, this is it."

Consequently, he is
looking forward to the Furnace Creek 508 because it is another chance to test
his body's limits.

"Completion of both of these events in the same year
is pretty exclusive, and now that Badwater is over, I'm really looking forward
to October," Harper said.

He does have a few post-race indulgences, such
cold beer, milkshakes and other junk food.

"I like to let my body relax
for about a week and put back on my weight," Harper said. "Every race I crave
different things, but no matter what, I rest. It [Badwater] really takes a toll
on your body."

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Copyright © 2007, Orlando Sentinel

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