Long before they draw their first breath of super-heated air, competitors at the Badwater Ultramarathon in Death Valley, California, (www.badwater.com) must acclimate themselves to 130-degree conditions—that’s Fahrenheit, by the way.

Just ask Dr. Lisa Bliss, of Spokane, Washington, who placed 15th in 2004 with a time of 37 hours, 41 minutes. A physician at the Sacred Heart Inland Neuroscience & Spine Center, Bliss didn’t just complete the course, she served as its medical director in 2003 and again this past July. As such Bliss is uniquely qualified to devise training programs tailored for this one-of-a-kind event, which traverses some of the most formidable geography in North America.

So how does the diminutive, 37-year-old Bliss prepare for a 135-mile desert race in her home city where the average July temperature is a pleasant 68 degrees? She locks herself in the sauna for 90 minutes at a time, and runs in a parka when others are wearing T-shirts.

“People were asking ‘Who is this crazy woman running around Spokane?’ They thought I was a novice runner who was way overdressed. I made the news because of it.”

She also drove on warm days with the windows closed and the heat cranked to maximum.

“It gives you a feel of what it’s like to breathe hot air. You have to do it so that first breath at Badwater isn’t a shock, because it’s so hot on your lungs. It’s just brutal.”

Utilizing a special infrared sauna, which produces drier air similar to air found in the desert, Bliss heat-trained for three months prior to the 2004 Badwater, an invitation-only event limited to 80 athletes selected by committee. Three times a week, she set the sauna at 140 degrees, and either slept or exercised during her lengthy confinements.

“In the end I was very well heat trained,” says Bliss. “I didn’t have any trouble with the temperature. A lot of people will run on a treadmill in the sauna but I didn’t think that was necessary. Of course, I drank constantly, and took electrolyte tabs. When you heat-acclimate your body it learns to sweat sooner, sweat more, and how to sweat with less sodium loss. You have to learn how to process more fluid, because if someone was to drink the amount we consume in the desert they would be sick. I was able to drink two liters of water every half hour at Badwater with no problems.”

Throughout the race Bliss monitored her core temperature by means of heat-sensor pills and a remote. Except for one recording of 101 degrees, which is normal during exercise, her core temperature was a steady 98.6.

“Even during the hottest part of the day when it was 130 degrees at Furnace Creek my core temperature was fine, and I felt good. It just didn’t feel that hot to me. If people don’t heat train they’re not going to make it at Badwater. We see it all the time there. People get heat exhaustion and their bodies rebel. Their stomachs rebel, their muscles rebel, and they get heat cramps. They have to drop out of the race, and we have to pack their bodies in ice to cool the blood down.”

A study in extremes, Badwater punishes athletes and their crews in ways no other ultramarathon can. The dry air produces nose bleeds; the 200-degree asphalt highway causes feet to swell and blister—a difference of 2,500 meters in elevation from start to finish presents yet another daunting challenge.

Desperate House Rules:

At Badwater the emphasis is on survival rather than winning. A few tactics veterans employ to reach the finish line:

• Spread gel across the bottom of your feet to reduce friction.
• Cut out the toe box of your shoes to avoid blisters.
• Change into larger shoe size when your feet begin to swell.
• Run on the outside white line of the road, which is cooler than the black asphalt.
• Maintain a watchful eye on your support crew. “We treat more crews for dehydration than runners,” notes Bliss.

Legendary British marathoner Jack Denness, 70, who has battled the course thirteen times since 1991, reports. “Heat is the number one difficulty, followed closely by dehydration. My one DNF [did not finish] was due to heat exhaustion.”

American Dean Karnazes, 42, the 2004 winner, (www.ultramarathonman.com) recalls his greatest source of discomfort:

“The air is so dry just breathing hurts. No amount of training in ski gear can prepare you for the burning hot air you breathe. At a point you feel so terrible all you want to do is stop.”

Author of the engrossing Ultramarathon Man (available at Amazon.com), Karnazes completed the course in a remarkable 27 hours, 22 minutes, ending the brutal race with a dramatic dash up Mount Whitney.

“You typically think of the heat when trying to psychologically prepare for Badwater, but there is also tremendous elevation change along the route that tends to get overlooked. It’s easy to cook your quads early on. The climbing is something I’ve traditionally underestimated.”

During the ascent of Mount Whitney, Karnazes experienced his maximum heart rate, an estimated 190 compared to an overall average of 140, but he’d be the first to admit it’s the amount of heart athletes display at Badwater that matters most.