Good Morning, Sunshine

By Matt Frederick

Well, its about 4AM on Thursday morning, sitting here in HQ trying to keep eyes open and everything current. Can't wait till sunrise. That's always an uplifting event. The webcast has been running great and we've served A LOT of material. I'm happy with the layout and the flexibility that it affords. Its been an active night with results coming in every couple of hours or so.

So far, we've had approximately twenty drops that I'm aware of. Seems a bit high. Temperatures were up there again, and we've had some cloud cover as well. NPS listed yesterday's highs at 125 degrees F. Many of the runners and crews commented on the humidity and wind, which can really make a difference in how hot it feels and how it affects runners (and crews). It's also important to note that much of the road surface in Death Valley is new and very black. The new blacktop makes the ground temperatures even hotter than normal. I suspect that this has some additional effect on how hot things feel, and how quickly the body evaporates fluids.

Weather here in Lone Pine has been milder, overcast skies since last evening, with a couple of light showers. The conditions at the finish line are similar, although cooler. Cool enough that pants and some kind of long-sleeves are warranted.

Really hope that you've had a chance to take a good look through the webcast. There's a truckload of stuff here.