Death Cab for Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard took his love of running to a new level this weekend.
He competed in the Western States 100, one of the hardest ultramarathons in the U.S. that takes place in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains. Gibbard and the other runners start on the course Saturday at 5 a.m.
Gibbard told Runner's World that the 90-degree heat took a toll around mile 48 on Saturday. “I think I was having heat stroke or something. 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."
Yet he recovered enough to get back on the course and ended up finishing it at 8:15 am on Sunday morning.
Gibbard said, "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. 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."