Team Pearl Izumi - Smith

If you’ve ever read Kirk Johnson’s book “To the Edge” about his experience running Badwater, you’ll see that he calls Lisa “The Sphynx of Badwater”.

Now she’s off to the Furnace Creek 508, also known as the Toughest 48 Hours in Sports. It’s an apt title. The course has a total elevation gain of over 35,000′, crosses ten mountain passes, and stretches from Santa Clarita (just north of Los Angeles), across the Mojave Desert, through Death Valley, to Twenty Nine Palms. Though she’ll be officially running as the “Empress Penguin” we’re sure “The Sphynx of the 508″ will be featured when a book about the 508 comes around.

Joining her at the 508 will be the mega-mile man, Joe DeSena. Afflicted with the same disorder as Lisa, he seems unable to be content with the race director’s decision of the starting line. So he’s decided to do a little warm-up ride from New York to the Furnace Creek 508 start. Just under 2,800 miles, it took him 14 days. You can read about it on his friend Chris Mitchell’s blog. He too is raising money for AIDS Orphans Rising, and you can donate at www.active.com/donate/USAjoe

To date, Lisa’s 810 has brought in $435,000 since May 1st; our goal is $500,000. You can donate here.

Way to go Lisa, now got get those 508 miles! Good Luck and Gods speed!