'I was seeing double': Indie rocker endures extreme heat to finish marathon
Extreme heat can make even the most seasoned marathon runners struggle to get to the finish line — and this was the case for indie rocker Ben Gibbard.
Gibbard, lead singer and guitarist for indie band Death Cab for Cutie, completed the Western States 100 ultra-marathon for the fifth time on Sunday, June 29.
But before the musician made it to the end , Gibbard had trouble seeing straight as he was consumed by 90-degree by mid-afternoon.
"I think I was having heat stroke or something," Gibbard said in an interview with Runner's World . "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."
The Western States is the world's oldest 100 mile trail race, according to the marathon's website . The race starts in Olympic Valley, California and ends 100.2 miles later in Auburn, California. During the course, runners climb to more than 18,000 feet before descending nearly 23,000 feet to the finish line at Placer High School in Auburn.
These conditions, paired with the extreme heat, set Gibbard back quite a bit. However, the singer was eventually able to recover and complete the marathon.
"I can't believe I made it, and that was a very rough patch. I have been doing all this for a while now and the physiological effect is that it makes you feel unsafe," Gibbard told Runner's World. "If it wasn't for the volunteers at the aid station, I never would have made it. Everyone was so kind and did everything for me when I needed it."
Gibbard has been the frontman of Death Cab for Cutie ever since the band formed in 1997. He has recorded ten studio albums with the group, several of which have received Grammy nominations . Death Cab for Cutie's most popular songs include "Soul Meets Body," "I Will Follow You Into The Dark" and "Crooked Teeth" off their 2005 smash album, "Plans."
Gibbard was also member of the indie pop supergroup The Postal Service, released a solo album in 2012, and had a collaborative studio album, with Jay Farrar in 2009.
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Read the original article on MassLive .
