Hellrunner 2017 - November

Race Central

So this was a re-visit of Hellrunner for me, and the second time in one year.  I won't really have as much to say, as my first blog was very detailed - and incredibly useful this time round.

The Prep

I started upping my training in October, when I entered, though I had been keeping fit with short runs and long mountain bike rides.  I knew the key was the hill reps, so I started pushing myself locally, on Hankley Common, which is an important military training area, and very similar to the Hellrunner terrain..  I was using Brooks ASR-13 running shoes, which I have to say area simply the best shoes I have ever owned - they are just so comfortable.

I was using Strava on my Apple Watch to help with training, which is great, as you don’t need your phone... and if you have a compression top sleeve over it, it will do a great job picking up your heart beat.  I was doing 3 runs a week, plus a gentle ‘social’ bike ride or two... and luckily, November was a period when I have less work, so I was free to obsess over all things running ;-)

Kit wise, I purchased a 2XU long sleeve compression top, to match my bottoms, and some tops and shorts from Sports Direct - cheap Karimoor gear, which does the job, whilst having some useful pockets.  My shoes, as mentioned before, were a great investment, and they totally suited my feet and running style.

Strava was great for the training - I found I could really push myself against my previous times, as well as friends times... it made a huge difference.

Day Before

I pretty well did exactly what I had done previously - getting all my gear ready.  The blog I’d written in January was great - this year I packed a waterproobf (which also proved useful).  My last day running was 3 days before - an 8 miler with some hill reps - though I didn’t push it.  I was still nervous, but wasn't worried about the water features - I'd done it before, and knew they were nothing compared to the hills.

Race Day

I left 5 minutes late (8.25am), and entered the site via the Griggs Green entrance (about 8.45am)... and was 2 cars from getting a parking space in the main site :-(. In future, I would say, try to enter via the Longmoor entrance, as it is quicker... if you are early enough

Race kit was varied...

I parked, probably 20 minutes from the main site... and it wasn’t the best signposts to locate the start.  I then waited in the car - by chance I was parked next to my running companion Henry (whom I ran hell runner with in January).  We chatted, until he had to leave - he was in the first wave of runners, so would be starting at 10am.  I moved off at about 9.35am, and just followed the few people in front of me.  Most people doing Hellrunner seem to have done it before, so they are the ones to follow.  I was in the second wave, so my start was at 10.20, and all the starts were running to time.  There were some new races earlier, with army folk with rucksacks etc.  So the track would be pretty churned up - but that’s the price of delaying your decision entry.

Wave 1 about to depart

As I wasn’t parked on site, I wore tracky bottoms and my down jacket, and carried my kit bag.  At 10am, I handed my bag into the baggage marquee.  I then paced around in circles... nervously.  10.20, we watched the Hellrunner chap speaking into his mic - we couldn’t hear him, as the speakers were pointing the wrong way... the Hellrunner devil chap danced around, and we were off!!!

The Race

I’d trained hard, so I saw this as a race, and pushed myself from the start.  At the very start, I was on the left of the pack (at the start gate), so had to run through a deep puddle... so was immediately wet!  The race continued, and apparently there were some extra hills.  It was pretty well as I remembered, and before I knew it, we were at the first bog... and the most incredible traffic jam.  There had been jams before, but this was a new level.  It felt like it took me 10 minutes to get through the bog, though I’d say it was longer than before.  This was very frustrating - again, a symptom of 2nd wave.  Furthermore, as I had caught up with a few first wave runners, the queues got worse.  OK, when I hit the hills, I was maxed out, but I could definitely have done this faster.

The lake was fun, as were the bogs.  And when we hit the final hills, they were definitely relentless... though I was prepared for more.  So onto the Bog Of Doom.

Up until this point, I was definitely feeling the effect of pushing myself - on one hill, I felt quite sick, but that faded.  I did take my gel at 4.4 miles, and I reckon it was a life saver... it just reloaded me!

So the Bog Of Doom... it’s the most iconic feature of the Hellrunner Down South, and yes, it didn’t disappoint. There wasn’t quite as much water level this time, which actually meant it was harder to wade through - you couldn’t bounce. Apparently, just before I had got there, the ‘aqua man’ had placed a log across, so you had to go UNDER. This I did - which was great - as I wouldn’t have chosen to fully submerge. As soon as I jumped into the bog, I could hear my wife and middle / youngest sons cheering me on. Again, this was pretty emotional, though a real highlight. I was buzzing, even as fell flat on my face as I approached the bog exit...

with medal, water, and goody bag

The Finish

At the finish with my support crew

And before I knew it, I was jogging over the finish line, and being handed my rather superb medal, the goody bag, and my new Hellrunner 2017 (Nov) T-Shirt! I approached my wife, Holly, and asked he to help turn off my Strava. Correction, I motioned to my wrist and the watch, and couldn’t make a sound - I would have cried if I did... and that wouldn’t have been right ;-) (at the finish, everything is wet, so touchscreens don't work very well!).
And the biggest surprise, was I had finished 10 minutes quicker than I did in January. I was incredibly happy with this... and knew I could have done better if it hadn’t been for the hold ups. We took photos, I drank water, then I searched for the changing block. There was a tiny portion of the marquee set aside for this purpose - hidden away. I literally had to ask 6 people until I was directed to it. Luckily, I had my taupaline and towels, so I simply changed outside, with only a few accidental flashes. The walk back to the car, was OK, though I could imagine it being really tough if you had given the race 100%. The drive out was interesting, as there were no exit signs. I followed a car that looked like it knew where it was going - which it didn’t... and other cars followed me.  Eventually, I left the site and headed home, to a warm bubble bath, whilst my entire kit went through the washing machine - easy wash at 30! And it came out clean - or at least most of it did! Interestingly enough, the best implement to clean the muck off me in the bath was an exfoliating glove (or two of them) - the mud was really tough to get out before I used this.

Did I clean it all off?

What next...

And now, as I sit in a gymnastics hall, whilst my middle son leaps around and participates in a ‘gymnastic birthday party’!!!, I take the chance to chill and reflect. It was great fun, the training was hard, and I do feel shattered. Would I do it again? I reckon I would... but this time, DON’T wait till later to enter it, as you will be put in the 2nd wave, or heaven forbid, the 3rd wave!  It's great that so many people do this, and incredible that there is a whole race with people with rucksacks on... but you do end up dodging them if you are in a late starting wave.  But that's only my fault, as I delayed my entry!

 I guess my change in attitude, has been from simply completing the course... to completing the course with a competitive time - and beating what I have done before. Which I guess can only be a good thing.

The Stats

Strava!

note the pace dropping right down for the Hills of Hell

not sure how accurate this is, as the watch has no altimeter...

Definitely a higher average than usual.

... and so I'm a Veteran...  will it get better for hereon, or worse?

...and some additional details

So I did fairly well this year, so I was obviously doing something right... and here are a few points - maybe so I can learn from them next time.

Food

The day before, I had pasta in the day, and pasta in the evening - basically carbs.

In the morning, on the day of the race, at around 7.30, I made myself a smoothie, with milk, almond milk, oats, blueberries, dried apricots, apple, banana, and maple syrup - using an Ultra Ninja food processor.

Before the race, in the central race area, I had a couple of sample Cliff bar cubes, plus and energy gel cube.

During the race, at the 4.6 milked drinks station, I ate / drank my Apple Crumble flavour Torq Gel sachet... which gave me a huge boost.  If this was just in my head, then who cares, ‘cos it worked.

After, I ate whatever there was in the goody bag... (I should really have had a protein drink prepared... this seemed to work when I was cycling the South Downs Way).

Kit
Shoes

OK, my Brooks ASR-13s are the best shoes I’ve had... not that I felt like I could have had a little more grip on the very steep sections.  I do look enviously at the Salomon folk at these races, with their nobly soles, and quick tying laces, but I have never been able to fit the shoes.  My feet are simply too wide... or just a weird shape.  Maybe I can change the laces, but the only reason for this would be so that I can undo them at the very end - I had double knotted my Brooks, and they were very hard to undo after the race, with freezing fingers.

Coming out of ‘Mud Pit Of Hell’ (the thickest bog), my shoes definitely felt heavier, but that feeling soon wore off.  Maybe other shoes suffer equally?

Clothing

This is a tough one.  Socks were fine, shorts and 2XU ‘under-shorts’ did a great job (the Karimoor shorts were brilliant for putting my gloves in, and keeping the gel pack in the rear pocket).  I had the long sleeve compression top with a short sleeved T over it... and at one point I was getting too hot, so I tried lifting the compression top up... but it’s too tight, so felt uncomfortable.  It was just for a small part of the race I was too hot, and the rest of the time it was good.  So I’m not sure what the answer is.  Maybe just one  closer fitting t-shirt?  It was around 5 degrees on the day, with a misting of rain, so not really that cold.  If I’d been in the first wave, there wouldn’t have been so much hanging around in the first bog, where the severe cold definitely got to me.

Short Term Shakedown of the... Cube Stereo Carbon Race 27.5 2016

This all started, when I noticed the fork on my Camber wasn't getting it's full travel.  A quick circuit around Swinley, and I knew I had a problem, as it was only achieving about 50mm of its promised 120mm (ironically, I managed some super quick times on this ride... not sure what that says).  So my fork was booked into a service at TF Tuned, and I prepared myself for a week without a bike.  I was actually going to attempt to resurrect my old Voodoo Bizango, but luckily, a 'school dad' friend stepped in at the last minute and said "If you need a bike, you can borrow mine".  Not appearing to be ungrateful, I tentatively asked if the bike was full suss, and if it had a dropper posts etc.  It transpired that apart form it being a size 'large', it ticked all the boxes (this was a school dad who obviously liked his mountain biking).  The bike itself was a Cube Stereo, 650b, which is a make I've never ridden, and one that has never really been on my radar.  So it would be a totally new experience, and I didn't know what to expect.  After the kids bedtime, I headed over, under the cover of darkness, to make my way up Dug's Drive to collect the bike.

The bike...

First impression, visually, was it was a lovely looking bike.  Mat black with red decals on the frame, red and white on the rims... a aleck head angle, and sweet looking shocks.  And then I picked it up!!! Wow!  This bike was light.  It turned out it was the carbon version, and you could totally tell.  It had a 1 x 11 chains, a Reverb dropper post, 140mm Pike fork (140 or 150),  Fox Float shock (not sure of the travel here - but bigger than the Camber - see specs at the end).  Tyres were Nobby Nics, tubeless, flat HT pedals.  It had everything going for it, and I couldn't wait to get out and try it.

The next day, I lowered the seat post right down.  I had about 4mm left on the tube, so the ride would be good.  The shocks took a bit of tuning.   Have to say, the rear shock on the Camber is a dream to setup, with it's auto sag feature.  With the Fox Float on the Cube, it seemed to be trial and error... ride it, let out 5 psi, ride it again, then check again.

First ride - Day 1

I was meeting up with a mate at Swinley on the Wednesday, so I took the bike for a local blast around The Devils Punchbowl, just to get accustomed to the feel.  After an initial ride, I found myself adjusting the saddle, as I was too stretched out.  This fixed the problem, though as I rule, I felt a little stretched on this bike, though the more I rode it, the better it felt... it was large after all, and I definitely need a medium bike.  It climbed well, though with a little less pace than the 29er.  With drop-offs and jumps, it was a dream - being the 27.5 size definitely makes a difference here, though being such a light bike helps as well.  After this first ride, I was definitely impressed, and was looking forward to the Swinley shakedown.

above:  the Stereo in The Punchbowl

Day 2 - Swinley

It was pretty well the prefect day to be heading out for a ride.  I was meeting up with Greg, a man who is living the mountain bike dream - working one half of the year to pay for the other half driving around the UK and elsewhere to trail centres etc, living in a van, mountain biking.  And he does it on a Santa Cruz, and swears by them... which is certainly an endorsement for this expensive range of bikes.  I lifted my bike off my roof rack, and once agin struck by how light it was... something which I may keep saying, but it's one of the most striking things about this bike.  It was Greg's first time around Swinley, but he had no problem keeping up - testament to the fact he lives, east and breathes mountain biking... (though I'm probably not that quick myself).  That said, I could definitely push this bike as far as I wanted to.  It was beautiful on the berms, and simply ate up the rooty sections of the Labyrinth.  I definitely noticed the wide bars, though the bike was so nimble, I could always avoid the tighter gaps.  Due to the lightness of the bike, I was having to adapt on the corners, to keep my grip - it did feel like it could skip out from under me at points, but this could have been down to the rebound settings in the forks - which utterly confused me... fork AND shock.  I reckon I ended up setting the rebound on the middle setting for both, but really don't know what I ended up with.  As it was, I adapted to whatever the bike was doing, and had a great time.

above:  my footage at Swinley

below:  Greg's footage of me at Swinley on the Cube Stereo

below:  Greg's footage of The Labyrinth

It's worth noting, that this bike had a few modifications.  I'm pretty sure it came as 2x10 / 11, where as this one was the single chainring.  Also, Dug told me the shocks were different.  Whatever it was, the result worked well.  

Thoughts...

Small points, were that the chain at times had problems going into the lowest gear.  Also, the highest gear ratio meant that on the very fast sections, where you want more push form the pedals, it ran out.  It had a 30 tooth on the front, so maybe I'd go with a 34 instead, and maybe up the size of the largest chainring on the back, just to cope with the super steep hills.

Another slight issue, was the rear brake lever locking up, on sections of very bumpy, longish downhill.  I don't know what this was, but a quick release of the lever would reset it (the pads wouldn't lock on, it was just the lever went very stiff on the out position).

Not a problem, but worth noting, is that with the position of the rear shock, you have to lean right down to swap over the lockout.. so have to do this well in advance of a relevant trail.  I imagine I'd get used to it, but do prefer the easier to reach shock position for the Camber.

The 27.5 wheels, though not as fast up the hills, are superb.  I had no problem flying up a very steep climb I usually do, and the tyres were super grippy.  Through sand, it was no problem as well.
The Reverb post is really great - definitely prefer it over the Specialised one.  It's super smooth, and very easy to find mid positions.  It was the longer post, which meant could now lower when dropped down - something else I would like on my bike.  Also the button on the bars is actually quite easy to use, and i wouldn't say it's any worse than the 'gear-lever' style one on my Camber.
The overall travel of this bike is more than mine, but I'd happily swap to a longer travel, after trying out the Cube.  Ok, there is a debate that you just don't need longer travel if you're not hammering down mountains constantly, but I reckon there's no problem having it just for the times you do.  Yes, it may not be as economical in riding, but really, who cares... you won't be as quick, but you'll be having fun.

I was impressed with the grip I achieved from the pedals... but I am pretty sure, this is due to the fact my 5-10s are worn where the DMR pedal pins go into the shoe... and hence, the HT Pedals were finding new rubber to grip to.  Once again, I found myself lifting my foot to change pedal position (which isn't a bad thing in my view... it just means you have great grip).

The seat was a Selle Itallia Trail... which I found pretty sore and not too comfortable, but maybe that's just not being used to it.

The bars were 780mm RSA, with some fairly pleasant squishy rubber grips fitted.  Though the bar felt super wide, I'd be inclined to leave it like that, as I got used to it, and it seemed to give me more control over the bike (the Camber is 760mm).  I would actually go for the simple plain grips as well.  I always wear gloves, and the sticky rubber compound never failed.  Not sure what it's like in the wet though.

Conclusion

Yes, I would get a bike like this - very much.  I would change the gear ratio, but that's about it.  It's the 2016 model, so is probably going super cheap (relatively) somewhere, though I doubt there are any left.  What it has made me realise, is that 27.5 is definitely the wheel size for me, and I'd have no problem heading up to 130mm, or even 140.  It was a great ride - I'll be very sorry to see it go.

Specs

You can see the original listing at the Cube website here:

cube-stereo-140-c62-race-275-carbonnflashred-2016

These are the specs for the bike direct.  Note it is not 1 x11, and I suspect the handlebars and shocks may have been changed.

• FRAMEC:62 Monocoque Advanced Twin Mold Technology, ATG, ETC 4-Link, AXH
• COLORcarbon´n´flashred
• SIZE16", 18", 20", 22"
• FORKFox 34 Float FIT4, Open/Medium/Firm Mode, Tapered, 15QR, 150mm
• SHOCKFox Float DPS, 200x57mm, Open/Medium/Firm Mode, LV Air Canister
• SHOCK HARDWARETop: 30x8mm, Bottom: 22x8mm
• HEADSETFSA Orbit I-t, Integrated, Top 1 1/8", Bottom 1 1/2"
• STEMRace Face Ride 35
• HANDLEBARRace Face Ride 35 Riser, 760mm
• GRIPSCUBE Race Grip, 1-Clamp
• REAR DERAILLEURShimano XT, RD-M8000-DGS, ShadowPlus, 11-Speed, Direct Mount
• FRONT DERAILLEURShimano XT, FD-M8025-D, Direct Mount, Down Swing

• SHIFTERSShimano XT SL-M8000-I, Direct Attach
• BRAKE SYSTEMShimano XT BR-M8000, Hydr. Disc Brake (180/180)
• CRANKSETShimano XT, FC-M8000, 36x26T, 175mm
• CASSETTEShimano XT CS-M8000, 11-40
• CHAINShimano CN-HG600-11
• WHEELSETAnswer Atac AM, 15QR/X12, Tubeless-Ready 584x23C Rims
• FRONT TIRESchwalbe Nobby Nic Kevlar 2.35, TrailStar, Tubeless Easy
• REAR TIRESchwalbe Nobby Nic Kevlar 2.35, PaceStar, Tubeless Easy
• SADDLESelle Italia X1 Trail
• SEAT POSTRock Shox Reverb Stealth 31.6mm, 430x150mm (380x125mm for smallest frame size)
• SEATCLAMPCUBE Screwlock, 34.9mm
• WEIGHT12.5 kg

Taking The Band Abroad - Off To Doha

Rollercoaster in Doha

The view from the beach in Doha - pano by Rob Blackham

So taking the band abroad has always been an elusive goal.  For a start, we barely have the availability, as weddings are often booked one year in advance, and for the popular dates.  the other, is the budget, as most trips actually take up days either side of traveling.  So for whatever the reason, we, as a function band, had never played abroad (as Redwood we had played in Ireland, and as session musicians for Damian Wilson, myself and Holly had played in Belgium).

The band in Doha

So here I am, the day after returning from two successful gigs in Doha.  How did this happen?  And what would I do differently, given the chance...

The opportunity came about after an online enquiry from an agent, Hear and Now,  who dealt in gigs abroad.  They had found us online, and were looking for a suitable band to play St Patricks gigs at The Intercontinental Hotel in Doha, Qatar.  It was a pretty tough quote to put together, but after looking at the time spent, versus the novelty value of the gig, I came to a figure, which after various negotiations was agreed upon.  I figured we would be loosing the days before and after the gigs, plus that fact it was St Patricks, for a band who played a strong mix of Irish and party music, it was a sought after date.  The client would pay for direct flights (approx £564 per person on Qatar airways), transfers, all food and accommodation, visas (should be around £25 each) etc.  We would have to pay for parking at the airport (£89 for Heathrow Parking, Terminal 4, short stay car park).  The overall fee effectively came out around the same as 2 local weddings, with early setups... The other important element, was that the client would provide the backline, amps and kit for the band... so we would just require our instruments.  We would have to work something out with our monitoring setup, as we run various sequences with click track, and use in ear monitoring, which is not standard.

The Kit

What did we take?  We were allowed 30kg checked in luggage and 7kg hand luggage.  For drums, Chris took his snare and a bass drum pedal.  He had all his kit in a super strong Samsonite luggage case.  For my bass guitar, I bought a flight case for £189 from Thomman.  Into this I put the bass, 2 guitar cables, tuner and mains lead, and various in ear radio units.  For guitar, Rob used a standard hard case, and a mini travel pedal board which went into his luggage.  Jake took his fiddle in a backpack style case, which served  as his one hand luggage item (he mis read the brief and packed 30lbs of checked in luggage as opposed to 30kg!!!).  I had worried about the violin as hand luggage, but there was no problem at all.  For the in ear situation, I packed 2 in ear units - the Sennheiser and the LG - along with 4 belt packs.  The packs would run in mono, but this really had very little effect on the mix (it would provide 4 independent mixes).

A teddy bear in Doha Airport

I had worried about the possible 'import / export' of good problems which could be run into, taking gear in and out of a country, but decided to ignore it, as any literature implied I would be using a shipping company etc.  It was obviously in reference to a much bigger operation than 5 musicians heading over to a country to play a few gigs.  Sometimes going by the book simply introduces more problems than it can solve... (see 'Carnet' application, or applying for import without a carnet... it is truly a can of worms, best left closed... for now) . Maybe in future, I would apply for import without Carnet', though it is a process that should be done a few weeks before to be safe.

Travel

just so we knew where we parked

We asked for a direct flight.  This is a must, unless you want to spend most of the time traveling, sitting in airports etc.  To Doha, it is a 6-7 hour flight direct (Doha is 3 hours ahead of GMT), then 30 minutes drive to The Intercontinental.  We flew from Heathrow at 21.30 on the Wednesday, so arrived 2.5 hours early, to allow for delayed check in with the baggage.  As it was, the check in was very smooth (we had done it on line), and the guitars were simply dropped at the oversized baggage gate.  I had booked the parking a month before - the official Heathrow short stay parking - which came to £89.  I chose this as it was literally next to the airport, so a few minutes walk to the check in desk.  You keep your car keys, so very easy on return as well.
Customs didn't prove any problems, though I had the in ear systems in my hand luggage, so had a few question in Heathrow and Doha about them, but nothing bad.  On the return, I put them in hold luggage.

view from the hotel room

A few hours later, we were sitting on the plane - and wow, what a different experience than Easyjet!!  Spacey comfy chairs, incredible selection of films and TV.  The food was great, with a constant supply of drinks.  I had bought a neck pillow in the airport, which turned out to be a waste of money, as the seats had neck rests anyway.  They provided you with headphones - but the best solution is to buy an adapter from the airport (double mini jack kind, about £7), and use your own in ear headphones... as the sound of the plane is loud, and you miss a fair bit of quiet dialogue.  Chris was very proud of his noise canceling headphones - and I was secretly jealous.
Customs in Doha was ok - they did ask about they guitar cases.  I said "I'm a musician..." and fairly blank looks.  Then he said "Oh you play guitar"... and all was good.  The answer, is just to say you play guitar, for any kind of musical instrument, or piece of equipment.
We were picked up by an Intercontinental minibus and taken to the hotel.  We had arrived and all was good.  Stage one was complete!

The Hotel

the hotel by night

We had asked for rooms in the hotel, and not staff rooms.  Hence the rooms were fantastic - and we had one each.  I'd say this is pretty important, as it can get pretty high pressure on this kind of gig, so it's great to get space.  I'm really pleased we asked for the rooms in the hotel, as it was easy to get to and from the gigs, and to take the guitars back to the rooms after.  It was an ideal situation.

The Intercontinental in Doha is a 5 Star hotel, and having stayed there, you could see why.  The food was out of this world, as was the service.  Everyone was super friendly, and helpful.  Often in the UK, the musicians are slightly looked down on by the other 'services' at events - but this is definitely not the case abroad... or at least on this occasion.

The Show

Pre-gig, night 1.

Due to the ticket sales being lower than expected, the first night was in the main marquee on the beach as expected, but the second night was moved to the smaller in-house venue.  For the marquee gig, the venue had hired in all the backline and kit.  There was an in-house engineer who also did the lights (and smoke machine!).  The kit was OK, though the drums were super dirty, or so Chris said.  The guitar amp was a Roland JC120 - which is a pretty basic amp - and the bass amp was a Roland as well.  All the plugs are standard UK 3 pin - however, the bass amp had a 2 pin plug, which they plugged into the socket... what could possibly go wrong?
So as all guitarists / bassists will have experienced, you occasionally get what feels live a 'live' mic - which is electrically charged.  I will say that this was one of the worst examples I've experienced.  I moved to say something into the mic and WOW.  At which point I told the sound engineer to do it.  He received a hefty electric shock, so he told his mate, to touch it!!!  His mate was wise, so he simply touched the mic with a 'lightbulb' screw driver, whilst touching my bass.  The bulb lit up!!!!
20 minutes later they had put a UK plug on the amp, which was earthed, and the sound check continued.  The desk was a digital one, so we had our own in ear monitor mixes, which were mostly pretty good - though by the end of the gig, the engineer managed to cut the front of house guitar, and boost it in everyone's in-ears... not the best monitoring experience.

photo Sixt Cars

The lights were pretty good, though the smoke machine tended to drown one side of the stage, and just about reach the other... small points.

Rob and Jake playing' Irish tunes

After sound check, we got changed then ate at the amazing restaurant... then on to the gig, to start at 9pm.  We played 4 forty minute sets, and were finished by about 1.30am.  After, we chilled and drank a few bears in the marquee as they packed down (note, you cannot drink alcohol outside in a Muslim country - it's a strict rule).

Onstage at the Paloma Bar

Day 2, the venue changed to the in-house club / bar.  We were using the in-house gear, which had the same desk as the one we own in the UK, so that was good.  We also had the incredibly helpful in-house band leader helping us - Tom - which was super useful (plus his friendly guitarist, Danny).  We had 4 in ear mixes, and split the remaining two aux sends across the 4 floor wedges (so no reverb)... and it seemed to worked well!  Both the guitar and bass were going straight from head units to the PA, so no amplified backline, and the drums had a perspex shield around them.  It was setup for a small club.
Again, this was a 4 times forty minute set gig, and we finished around 1.30am.  We then relaxed with a few beers past closing time... well earned beers!

Homeward bound

Holly on stage

The next day, after breakfast and a brief lounge by the pool, we were taken to the airport.  We left the hotel at 10.30am, airport by 11, a quick and efficient check in, then boarding and take off at 12.55.  The timings may have meant a fuller flight, but it was still pleasant, and the service was great.  Back at Heathrow, customs were swift, though the baggages took a little while to come through. The guitar cases, as before, came through to the large baggage gate (3A).  It was then a few minutes walk to the car, and as we had already paid for the parking, straight home!!!

... and here is the footage for both shows, put together into a short promo!

... and finally, a useful packing list...

As this may prove useful, here is the list I made to pack... some of it is more relevant for me, but is a general idea...

IMPORTANT STUFF

1. Passport

2.  Printout of visa

3. Suit jacket and trousers - belt + SHOES

4. Waistcoat

5.  Suit socks x 3

6.  White Shirts x 4

7.  Tie

8.  Music Gear.

Tuner transformer

Longer tuner lead + standard guitar lead

Important music sheets printed out

In ear transmitters x 2 

In ear power leads

In ear headphones

In ear xlrs x 3 (next time take 4)

Bass guit in flight case

Bass strings

iPad stand

iPad

Power bank iPad

Battery charger plus battery's x 8

OR take 16 batteries

(next time take guitar stand)

9.  Filming / Documenting stuff.

GoPro

GoPro battery's x 2

GoPro memory cards x 2

2tb hard disc storage

Go pro clamp

Go pro tripod

(next time take memory sticks for audio)

(next time take loads more quality photos, definitely record front of house audio via mic recorder... and definitely shoot more than one video angle)

10.  PERSONAL CLOTHES FOR DAYTIME

Day / night clothes - shorts, etc for 4 days

Toothbrush - toothpaste

Sun lotion

Kindle

Sunglasses (important as you look pretty worn out in the mornings)

11. TO WEAR ON WEDNESDAY EVENING TRAVEL

Soft shoes

Jeans

Shirt - short sleeve

Jacket - maybe suit jackets

Playing from 9-1.30am, a well deserved post gig refreshment

Did we mention the sponsors...

Rollercoaster with the folk from Sixt Car Rental - photo Sixt Cars

These guys did sound and light on night 1 - photo Sixt Cars.

Hellrunner 2017

It all started with the Brownie Brothers clip on Facebook.  One brother nearly collapses, and the other stops, and helps him over the finish line.  September 2016, I saw this, and re-posted to my brother, suggesting the Reading Half Marathon.  And he agreed.

So on 7th October, my 45th birthday, I was given a new Apple Watch Series 2, which in part, I hoped, would aid me in my quest to train for the Reading Half Marathon, which I promptly entered.  I had done a marathon, and quite a few half marathons before, so I knew the deal, but I was seriously unfit... in the running sense.  Mountain biking was a different thing - I was pretty fit for that activity.  But the two exercises use very different muscles.

The Training

I started running,  once or twice a week, maximum around 5 miles, and cycling on the other days. By December, I was able to run 9 miles off road - there isn't really any road running where I live.  It was at that point, my biking friend Henry, posted an article about the Hellrunner Race, which would take place in around a months time.  It wouldn't cost me anything, so I thought 'why not!'  The resounding question from most people is "Why?', which is fair enough.  It would be around 10 miles of hills, mud, and lakes, in freezing conditions.  And after accepting, I was asking myself the same question.  Why?

Number 0011!

I was nervous, almost regretted telling Henry that I would do the race, but there was no going back, so I buckled down did did my best to prepare.  Gear would be important, as I had never run in these conditions before, and that was the one aspect I could at least get right (or try to).  I started with my trainers.  My current ones were road running shoes - and were most probably around 10-15years old, so really past their use by date.  I went to various shops, attempting to find shoes to fit my super wide 'E' size feet, and eventually found something almost right at Alton Sports in Farnham.  I would have 'over-pronating shoes' but as it was trail running, apparently this didn't matter.  The only ones that felt ok, were the Asics brand - and these ones were Gore-tex.  I'd been told that Gore-tex weren't great, as once they let the water in (over the top), they don't let it out.  Anyway, I was desperate, so I took the ones that fit.  I purchased new running tights, and new socks, and was ready to go.

First time out with them was OK - no aches in the feet, and they seemed to have pretty good grip.  I decided to aim for 3 runs per week - short, medium and long - whilst keeping up 1 or 2 bike rides.  Pretty soon, I was up to around 11.5 miles cross country, and on the medium run, I was doing reps of hill work on Hankley Common (very sandy, steep sides, used for army training).  I looked into what previous Hellrunner winners had worn, and one article talked about compression shorts, and long sleeve thermal top, gloves, neck scarf etc.  So I ordered some 2XU Compression shorts... which were pretty snug, and as Christmas was approaching, I put a compression top on the my gift list.

Devils Punchbowl Fun Run -
with Charlie (and the youngest Elliot photo-bombing)

Christmas Day, I was opening a DHB compression top, and trying it on.  It was definitely on the tight side.  If I sucked my stomach in I looked ok - I'm a medium height, not slim, so I sometimes move towards large.  The next day, I tried out my outfit with the Boxing Day fun run in the Devils Punchbowl, with my 9 year old son - it worked well, and I decided to run home, as opposed to take a lift.  At this point, I'll mention that I was feeling very anxious about my level of fitness - and it literally kept me up at night... and woke me early in the morning.

So with two weeks to go before the Hellrunner, I kept up the training, though I felt the most benefit from the hill work in Hankley.  I would drive to the car park then run up the hills, as fast as I could, stagger the ridge, then run back down - for around an hour (which would be 5 miles).  The long runs were good, as they gave me confidence in the distance.  The last but one long run, I was out for over 2 hours, an ran around 11.7 miles.  It was useful, as it was freezing temperatures, so I knew my clothing would be ok.  The next run, I tried eating a gel pack halfway through - again, useful, as it gave me an insight as to how well my body would take to the intake of food (I had never before eaten or drunk anything more than water on a run).  I just felt with this kind of race, I would need the extra, instant energy.  From my biking 'epics' along the South Downs Way, I knew how important fuel was to keep you moving... though again, cycling is entirely different to running.

Friday 13th Jan 2017 - day before the Hellrunner.  

I was pacing around the house, trying on outfits, packing my kit for the run, and working out what supplies I would need.  It had snowed the previous night, and the temperatures were teetering around freezing, so my worries lay around how cold I would get.  I went for Merrino socks, which were actually more hiking socks, but I had tested them out before, and they were fine.  The trainers were Asics Gel-Fujitrabuco 5 G-TX, which were holding out well.  2XU compression shorts, with Ronhill shorts over the top, then the DHB compression top (long sleeve), with Icebreaker merino long sleeve on top of that.  I had merino but / neck scarf, and nike running gloves... and my Apple watch (kept safe under the sleeve of the compression top.)  In the pocket of my Ronhill shorts, I had a raspberry ISO gel, and a hand warmer (just in case).  As you may guess, I have a tendency to obsess about things, but I reckon when it's an endurance race, it's ok to concentrate on the details...  I safety pinned my number - '0011' - to my Icebreaker top, and then packed my kit bag.

The Kit Bag

And here is what I took with me...
The bag itself - waterproof, and lots of space - it got very cold, and you don't want to be hunting around a tiny rucksack.
Change of clothes - warm socks, pants, thermal leggings, merino long sleeve top, fleece long sleeve top, fleece jacket (I wore this on the way there), running t-shirt (in case I decided the long sleeve merino was overkill.
2 bin liners, plus 2 plastic carrier bags - to put you dirty clothes / shoes in after the race.
Towel - though mine had a huge hole in it at crotch level - not great for getting changed discreetly with.  No, worries - at least it was an old towel, as it was used to removed the grime.
Baby wipes - good for cleaning of muck
Bottle of water.
Fleecy hat.
Shoes - comfy trainers.
We were very lucky where we parked, but others had a 20 minute walk back to their cars - so clothing after the race was important.  Other times a waterproof would be important.

... and here is what I should have taken.
Gloves for after - your hands get freezing, and the ones you are running in are filthy, and wet.
North Face Down Jacket - the fleece didn't cut it.  After the race, you can't beat a warm down jacket - period.
A decent hand warmer - mine were very old, and really did very little... I had to use the car heater to defrost my hands.
A large plastic mat, or towel to get changed on.

Saturday 14th Jan - Raceday

8.15am race day...

As expected, I didn't sleep too well, but the morning came, and I hurried downstairs to make my pre-race breakfast.  This was an oats, apple, blueberries, banana, almond milk, and semi skimmed milk ... all blended into a smoothy.  The weather was set to be around 1 degree, with sunshine all day - so perfect conditions.  Henry picked me up around 8.20am (the race start time was 10am)... I noted he was now wearing long running tights, even after telling me to definitely not have anything long over the legs, as it would just get cold when submerged in the icy bogs.  I pointed this out, so he changed to just shorts - not that I imagine it made much difference to him.

We arrived at Hellrunner location (Longmoor Military Training base) around 8.50am... and it was perfect timing!  We were able to park incredibly close to the start, which meant we could leave our gear in the car for after the race, as opposed to leaving it at the kit-tent (which may have meant queuing for it after).  We then chilled until around 10am, then moved over to the start area.

We parked here... see the start in the distance.

Me and happy Henry - pre race

There was a good vibe around.  The crowd was a real mix - from people who looked like they were there just to have fun, to the ones who looked like toughened army recruits (and there would have been a few of them here).  Loads of them seemed to have the Salomon shoes with weird laces (the kind that don't actually tie at the top)... There was a mix of running tights, and no-running tights, along with long sleeve, and short... it seemed varied, and I figured I'd be ok - though I did feel 'comfortable' on top, which in retrospect, was a warning sign.

The 'paddock'

The mini fun run race had started 10 minutes late at 9.40, so main race in turn started late.  There were 2 waves - the first for individual runners, and the second, for teams.  We were in the first wave, so we followed the crowds around to face the start line... and around 10.10am, there was a slow surge forward, and we were off!  It was a chip timing event (the chip was in the race number), so the slow start didn't really matter.  I pressed go on the Nike Run Club app on my watch - it counted me down '3,2,1..'

The Hellrun

Immediately for the start, there were large puddles across the road.  Most people tried to avoid these, where as others ploughed through.  I was of the thought, that if you could avoid the soaking shoes for long enough, it would help in the long run, so to speak.  It was fairly smooth terrain to start with, though we moved onto sandy tracks.  The freezing and wet conditions helped in the sand, as it kept it firm.  Henry stayed with me, though he could have easily sprinted off - having finished 45th the previous year (there were around 1250 runners this year).  The tracks soon turned to single tracks, and soon the hills turned into steeper hills, and then into steep scrambles, and loose descents.  A few miles in, there was a waist deep bog to cross, though this was over before it began.  With sloppy wet feet, I pushed on.  Around mile 5 there was a drinks station.  I should really have taken my energy gel at this point... and more importantly, I should have taken my long sleeve compression top off... I was seriously overheating.  I first took off my head scarf, and then rolled up my Icebreaker sleeves.  This cooled me a little, though as the miles went on, the hills became more frequent.. so I tried taking off my gloves.  However, I realised that I needed my gloves for some of the ascents - and I needed my hands to control myself going down the hills, as it was pretty slippy.  The hills were for the large part sandy gravel and rocks, so going up was slow, but coming down was more of a scramble.  Around mile 7, we were informed by the marshals that we were approaching a bog.  To be honest, it was a relief for me, as it would soon cool me down.

The bog itself was about 20 metres long, and really sticky and gloopy.  Some parts were chest deep (or deeper), and others less so.  And there were tree roots along the bottom, which caught a few people out.  It was hard work, and pretty slippy.  However, before long, we were out of the bog and running, up a hill, again  My super Gore Tex trainers managed to create a super suction around my toes, which was pretty uncomfortable, but bearable. 

A few more hills, and we hit the lake feature.  This was a scramble down a slippy, sandy hill, with a step / jump into the water.  Increasingly, down the hills you would use trees and branches to steady your descent.  The water itself was pretty cold, but for me was a welcome relief, and cooled me down.  I even doused my hands in it - though more to clean the previous bog muck off the gloves.  It was then a scramble half way up the other side... then back down into the lake again (and this side seemed to be a slippy sandy clay like substance - not great for a steady foothold).  The next feature was a bizarre marquee with a loud sound system inside - and people handing out water and jelly cubes. I took some cubes, but couldn't really swallow them - I was definitely tiring, and needed every breath I was taking to keep going.

We carried on into the woods.  By now, the trails had a mix of pine with sand and dirt.  We could hear the music in the distance as we hit around 8 miles, and came up a hill to look out over a beautiful valley (dirt bikers tearing around in the distance).  I knew this section, as it was part of the Shipwrights Way - an off road trail that runs from Alice Holt to Portsmouth.  The familiarity was a nice boost, but soon we pushed up to the ridge, and started the descent in on the other side.  It was at this stage, that the organisers had obviously decided to throw in the 'Hell' part of the run.

We went up... and we went down.  We climbed up, and we slid down.  The music in the distance was definitely getting louder - which meant we were getting closer to the finish - but the ascents and descents just continued.  Worse still, you could see, when going down, where you would then have to go up.

Now at this stage, I will admit that I was pretty tired.  Around mile 9, I stopped to drink / eat my ISO Gel pack.  I suck about half a mouthful in... then knew that I wouldn't be able to eat any more.  Maybe it gave me a little boost - who knows.  At the top of one hill, a marshal gave me a few jelly babies.  I nibble the ear of one, but then threw it away.  Again, I couldn't take anything down.  In the past, I NEVER walk when running, but this time, walking, or climbing, was the only thing to do up the hills.  Looking back it frustrates me that I was walking, but at the time, it was all I could do.  Henry stayed with me the whole time, and it was a great boost having him lead the way.  When the downhill evened off, I had no problem running.  I was exhausted, but just with climbing steep hills... though I could have gone on.  Finally, the music became so loud, it became clear that we were near the end, and NO MORE HILLS!!!!!

The Bog Of Doom

The Bog Of Doom - 2 guys, me, and Henry, Jumping' Around

Apparently, this was the first year that they had the bog at the end - and I have to say, it was a good idea.  It was a super buzz to get into the water... even if it was super cold.  I had coloured smoke blasted at me, flames thrown above my head... to the sound of House Of Pain, Jump Around - so apt.  I could see my wife Holly, and oldest son Charlie, at the end of the bog, looking for me.  It felt great.  At that point, I realised the easiest way through the bog was to bounce from one part to the next - a kind of moon walk.  I was smiling, and buzzing.... though I was also aware of the intense coldness I was experiencing - especially down below.  I waved, and bounced, and I could hear and see my family waving and cheering, and before I knew it, I was climbing out, and running down the finishing straight. YES!!!

I crossed the line with Henry, collected my medal (army cadets were handling all the goody bags etc.) then walked out into the race 'paddock'.  I felt quite emotional - but with quite a few deep breaths, I held back the tears.  There was a steel drum band playing next to the finish line, adding to it all.  It was over, and I had a superb medal around my neck to prove it (along with a very fine running t-shirt, and a treat laden goody bag).

The Band

We took photos, and then went to the car to get changed, whilst Holly and Charlie walked back to there car (they were parked about 20 minutes away - again making me realise how lucky we were to get the parking space).

Definitely relieved.

We then went to the bog to capture some of the post race ambience, before heading back to the car, and heading home (with the heaters on full blast).  Just over an hour after I crossed the finish line, I was soaking in a hot bubble bath, and feeling pretty chuffed at having completed the 2017 Hellrunner Down South.

Points to remember for next year ;-)?

Finish in the background... finishers in the fore.

This would be more of a reminder.  

Do not over dress!  You will definitely heat up, and the water sections are only a small part of the run.  On top, wear long sleeve compression top, with a short sleeve race top over that.  

Do take the chance at 5 miles to drink an energy gel. It will cost you 30 seconds, but save you much more later on in the race. 

Gore-Tex trainers - great for normal trail running - but not too good for deep water and bogs - they don't let the water out.  My hunt for the perfect running shoes continues.

A slim waist belt would be useful, if just to store gloves / scarves etc. if needs be... and maybe to carry a few jelly babies.

Do get to the race early - it's better than a 20 minute walk after the race to you car.
The Apple Watch is actually really good.  OK, it doesn't give ascent, but it told me every mile I went, and told me what pace I was going... and in training this has been brilliant.

After the Race...

I do remember reading that your shoes and clothing gets trashed.  In reality - stick it in the washing machine, and it's fine.  Same with the shoes - take the insoles out, and wash them as as well (with the insoles).  I tucked into the usual post race protein heavy meals, and Holly treated me to a crispy fried beef with rice Chinese (M&S)... and when else would I have anything so extravagant ;-)

More photos...

The Bog Of Doom

So Why Do It?

I've been thinking a lot about the 'why' question, which is often what people who don't want to do the race, will say to you.  I think the reality is, it is an event that really pushes you, and for me, took me out of my comfort zone.  The training itself is hard, and cannot happen over night.  There is no 'quick fix'.  It's kind of a life lesson.  Some things will take a lot of work, and planning, and on the day, will be tough... but each step is a step closer to that goal.  If you know what it feels like to achieve the 'unachievable', then you may be more likely to take on other challenges, in all aspects of life.  I guess that's the reason why... though in the end, it really was just good fun.  Hellrunner 2018?  Well now I've done one, I don't see why I can't do another!

My times.

The map my Apple Watch gave me... sadly it doesn't record ascent!

A few Of The Goodies...