Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie completed the Wester States 100-miler ultra marathon:
But by mid-afternoon, he was so consumed by the 90-degree heat that he literally couldn’t see straight.
The 48-year-old Seattle resident is a veteran ultrarunner who has finished more than two dozen trail races since 2012, including four previous 100-mile events. But in his first crack at Western States, he thought he was doomed.
“I think I was having heat stroke or something,” Gibbard said. “By the time I got to the top of the canyon at Devil’s Thumb, I couldn’t see. I was really nauseous. I was seeing double and had to lay down. I was shivering even though they were putting blankets on me. I was in bad shape.”
Eventually, Gibbard started to feel better and the aid station volunteers helped him get rejuvenated by sipping warm soup broth. From there, he got back on his feet and continued his journey and made it to the 62-mile aid station in the small town of Foresthill at 8:50 p.m.
Shoutout to my college friend Nick (mentioned in the article) for helping train and pace Ben!