Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
Endurance Test
Aired July 29, 2003 - 09:51 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: You think running a marathon is a major accomplishment? It certainly is. But for Pam Reed, ultramarathons are more her speed, like this one, 135 miles, starting in Death Valley, ending halfway up Mount Whitney in California. The Badwater Ultramarathon considered one of the most grueling events in the entire world, and Pam Reed has now won it. Two years in a row, she has beaten the women and the men. Her finishing time this year, 28 hours 22 minutes, 52 seconds. And I talked with Pam about her strategy for such a race.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAM REED, ULTRAMARATHONER: The strategy was that my crew members came and they helped me, they handed me, you know, fluids along the way the entire time.
HEMMER: Do people ever ask you if you're crazy?
REED: All the time.
HEMMER: What do the men say that you whoop up on?
REED: Actually, the man who took second yesterday said he was inspired by being beaten by a woman.
HEMMER: Is that so?
REED: He was really great.
HEMMER: Are you able to eat while you're in this race?
REED: No, I didn't eat any solid food. I drank Ensure for my energy, and I drank Red Bull, and Mountain Dew and some juice and Gatorade.
HEMMER: So at the end of 28 hours and 135 miles, what kind of condition do you find yourself in, Pam?
REED: I was -- I felt really good, and I sat down, and I was able to give interviews, and then I got a little sick to my stomach. But then I felt fine, and I laid down for about a half an hour, and then I was fine.
HEMMER: How much longer can a person, can a human being, be capable of conducting races like these?
REED: I've been doing long distance running for about 11 years, and I am really conservative about it, the way I train, and I go really slowly, and that's what I love about these things. It's just slow plodding along. So I hope I can do it until I'm 80.
HEMMER: Wow.
Listen, you mentioned the word train. How do you train for this?
REED: I live in Tucson, and I just ran about five times -- for four days, I ran five time as day for about 40 minutes a time. And I -- that's about what I do. I never go on longer runs than maybe eight miles at a time.
HEMMER: Wow.
What's the prize? What do you get for this human torture?
REED: Yes, you don't really get a prize. I mean, you get -- I guess you get a belt buckle. You get the self-satisfaction that you were able to do it, and it's just -- it's gorgeous. And it was a lot of fun to be with the crew members that are really helping you out, and everybody here at the race was rooting for me to do well, and it helped me a lot.
HEMMER: I admire your stamina. I heard you say, you would never stop running, you don't want to stop running in a race like this and forget about the blisters.
REED: That's exactly right.
HEMMER: I have to imagine you come across a number of those.
Pam Reed, thanks for talking with us. No. 1 of 73, beat the women and the men. Thanks, Pam. Beautiful backdrop there, too, in California. Appreciate it.
REED: Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired July 29, 2003 - 09:51 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: You think running a marathon is a major accomplishment? It certainly is. But for Pam Reed, ultramarathons are more her speed, like this one, 135 miles, starting in Death Valley, ending halfway up Mount Whitney in California. The Badwater Ultramarathon considered one of the most grueling events in the entire world, and Pam Reed has now won it. Two years in a row, she has beaten the women and the men. Her finishing time this year, 28 hours 22 minutes, 52 seconds. And I talked with Pam about her strategy for such a race.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAM REED, ULTRAMARATHONER: The strategy was that my crew members came and they helped me, they handed me, you know, fluids along the way the entire time.
HEMMER: Do people ever ask you if you're crazy?
REED: All the time.
HEMMER: What do the men say that you whoop up on?
REED: Actually, the man who took second yesterday said he was inspired by being beaten by a woman.
HEMMER: Is that so?
REED: He was really great.
HEMMER: Are you able to eat while you're in this race?
REED: No, I didn't eat any solid food. I drank Ensure for my energy, and I drank Red Bull, and Mountain Dew and some juice and Gatorade.
HEMMER: So at the end of 28 hours and 135 miles, what kind of condition do you find yourself in, Pam?
REED: I was -- I felt really good, and I sat down, and I was able to give interviews, and then I got a little sick to my stomach. But then I felt fine, and I laid down for about a half an hour, and then I was fine.
HEMMER: How much longer can a person, can a human being, be capable of conducting races like these?
REED: I've been doing long distance running for about 11 years, and I am really conservative about it, the way I train, and I go really slowly, and that's what I love about these things. It's just slow plodding along. So I hope I can do it until I'm 80.
HEMMER: Wow.
Listen, you mentioned the word train. How do you train for this?
REED: I live in Tucson, and I just ran about five times -- for four days, I ran five time as day for about 40 minutes a time. And I -- that's about what I do. I never go on longer runs than maybe eight miles at a time.
HEMMER: Wow.
What's the prize? What do you get for this human torture?
REED: Yes, you don't really get a prize. I mean, you get -- I guess you get a belt buckle. You get the self-satisfaction that you were able to do it, and it's just -- it's gorgeous. And it was a lot of fun to be with the crew members that are really helping you out, and everybody here at the race was rooting for me to do well, and it helped me a lot.
HEMMER: I admire your stamina. I heard you say, you would never stop running, you don't want to stop running in a race like this and forget about the blisters.
REED: That's exactly right.
HEMMER: I have to imagine you come across a number of those.
Pam Reed, thanks for talking with us. No. 1 of 73, beat the women and the men. Thanks, Pam. Beautiful backdrop there, too, in California. Appreciate it.
REED: Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
