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The turn has tabled! This time Peter interviews Kevin about his Badwater 135. After years of saying he'd never run it, Kevin crewed Francis in 2024 and Peter in 2025, then decided he had to see what it felt like to cross Death Valley on foot. He started the 9 PM wave feeling the best he'd ever felt in a race. He ran sub-10 miles in 118°F heat and hit mile 50 by sunrise. Around mile 20, though, a mild pain in his lower left shin started and steadily got worse. He held on through Towne Pass, Father Crowley, and the long flat stretch to Lone Pine, reached mile 100 in under 21 hours, and ground up the Whitney Portal Road to finish in just under 31 hours. A few hours later, the ER in Lone Pine diagnosed cellulitis.
We also cover:
- Kevin's 18-hour, 21-minute 100-mile PR and Western States qualifier at Canal Corridor 100, and Peter's truly untrained 73 milesHeat acclimation from altitude training in Leadville plus sauna sessionsKevin's fueling plan: about 70g of carbs per hour with Open Fuel and gelsThe Badwater hotel puzzle that comes before the race itselfPeter's birthday unicycleStarlink in Death Valley, walkie-talkie mischief, and Chris's homemade battery-powered misting packA surprise dinosaur in Lone PineThe ER trip, a "syphilis" scare, and a recovery drive to Bishop (with a stop at Schat's)
Welcome, Open Fuel! We're excited to announce Open Fuel as our newest sponsor. Use code DISTANCE for 20% off.
Our other partners:
- Mount to Coast: Use code DISTANCE. Kevin and the crew ran in the Badwater-edition C135s.Janji: In the post-purchase survey, select "Podcast," then "Distance to Empty."TrainingPeaks: Create a free account and send us your welcome email, and we'll mail you some Distance to Empty bib boards.
Swag: Send a screenshot of your receipt or survey to @distancetoemptypod on Instagram or distancetoemptypod@gmail.com for free swag. Options include new "Normalize Crying in Ultras" hats, "Have a Nice Run" shirts, and bib boards. For a limited time, any Open Fuel, Mount to Coast, or Janji order over $50 also gets you one of Kevin's TrainingPeaks training plans of your choice, free.