HOME > People > Last Gasp Bernie Boettcher Friday, 18 November
2011 11:03 TWEET COMMENTS 0  The Curse's Blessing - Page 2
Then, though it had been sunny for weeks, the clouds rolled in
on race morning, and the rain blew in sideways as temperatures
plummeted. You'd think this was bad luck, but no. The course
that would've been smooth and fast became muddy and technical,
which worked to my advantage since it felt just like
snowshoeing. Speedy is not how I typically run races, but I can
slide through slippery terrain like a river otter.   I finished
second and thought the storm was over when the sun reappeared at
the finish. But going home, I drove straight into a blizzard
near Salt Lake City. The windshield wiper broke climbing up
Soldier Summit pass, the wiper fluid ran dry and, when I stopped
to scrape the window off, the ice scraper broke. Picking it up I
noticed a big oil puddle forming under the car. My brakes were
smoking down the pass as I coasted to save the dry engine from
seizing. My face froze drivi