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...