Between Heaven and Hell(gate)

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Sweet and Savory, Cats and Dogs, Fire and Ice, Yin and Yang… How do these pairs “fit”? Seemingly, they fit purely because they do not. They are opposites, utterly unfit to be in each others’ presence, and yet, in their differences, they somehow thrive on their reactions to each other.I had the distinct privilege, for the second year in a row, to accompany the Bimble team to Hellgate. Four Bimblers: Mr. Bimble, Spuds, El Toro, and Loopy went to “feel the heat” and all four proved their mettle by finishing the race, strongly. But, this is not their story. Their stories are told elsewhere. This is my story, the story of a witness to greatness, a witness to hardship, a witness to fortitude, a witness to beauty. This is my humble attempt to share some of my awe with those not fortunate enough to travel to the race and crew.

Every ultra is a paradoxical combination of competition and cooperation, pleasure and pain, high and low, and this, the 8th running of Hellgate, was no different. Ultras are also a combination of “hurry up” and “wait”, of climb and fall, day and night, and yet, once again, it all “fits” together. So it is with Hellgate and our Team Bimble:

Mr. Bimble… A man who almost always appears calm and cool. He moves with an ease through the ranks of these accomplished athletes , not even intimidated by David Horton’s bluster. Mr. Bimble always appears “in control” and methodical, and clear on “the mission”. And so it goes, that he moved through the race confidently, with purpose, and without complaint. All of this while always maintaining a good sense of humor. Mr. Bimble shows me how to take a task seriously, respectfully, but still have fun with it. The fact that he garnered an age group win was just a seeming side effect of his efforts.

El Toro… A man with impressive poise and wisdom despite his youthfulness. He came with goals, and left with an accomplishment. He did not accomplish his goal, he accomplished something far greater. He persevered, even as his plan fell apart. He “rolled with the punches”. In my eyes, he wrestled a victory away from the jaws of defeat. Like I said, ET is a young man with poise. I believe he has the wisdom to realize what he did this weekend was remarkable. If I stumble and fall in the 2021 running of the TCU(?), I hope he is the MD who stitches me up. I know he would then tell me to get my butt moving and finish the race!

Spuds… A man with heart. Really. His approach to training and racing is different from many others, both by necessity and by choice. Some extremists would say he undertrains. They don’t see the truth. Spuds trains to accomplish what he wants. He trains to maintain some fun in the run, but also some confidence on race day. Spuds tries to do things that satisfy him, that give him a sense of accomplishment, and that maintain his sanity. I have never seen Spuds take a tumble, literally or figuratively. Think about it, fellow Bimblers, have you ever seen Spuds down on the ground? It must be a rare event indeed. Spuds does what he loves, and loves what he does, and that is probably the surest formula for success that anyone has yet devised. A smart man indeed.

Loopy… Always giving 200%, except when she is giving 300%. The ultimate pragmatist. When something MUST get done, well, it darn well will get done. This was a “revenge” year for her. There was unfinished business at Burning River and Hellgate to be dealt with, and so it was. All kinds of obstacles to training slowly faded away (hah! They didn’t “fade away”, they were PUSHED away) and resulted in a high degree of readiness for Hellgate. The dreaded cut-off times loomed large, after last year’s debacle, but her crew (IGGY and me) knew that would NOT be a problem. Still, we, or at least me, were taken aback as the “buffer” grew and grew, ultimately resulting in a finish time 2 hours and 5 minutes below the cutoff, and an age group win! A final mile way, WAY under 10 minutes left this part-time pacer unable to keep up. If I ever get a big basket of lemons, I will definitely ask Loopy how to make lemonade. I am confident that she knows how.

OK, so what is my point in all of this? Well, I am at least as emotionally tired as the four Bimblers above are physically exhausted. Look, neither these folks, nor me, saved the world this weekend. They didn’t find a cure for cancer, nor eradicate world hunger. Still, they are heroes to me. They all taught me, as they do frequently, and as other Bimblers do, frequently, important life lessons. My point is, the people and the lessons are all different. We all sometimes get lumped together as “the crazies”, and we certainly share a LOT in common. Yet, that is too simple a view, way too simple. The race itself shows that. Seeing Karl Meltzer toe the line with guys who would DNF. Seeing grizzled veteran Grand Masters (sorry Mr. B, yes I mean you) toe the line with a woman who gave birth just 4 months ago. Hearing people saying “I will NEVER come back” and others ask “When does registration open?”. These all remind me of the diversity of experiences and personalities present. The Blue State Liberal Connecticut Yankees coming down to the heart of the Bible Belt, bowing their heads when the frequent prayers are offered. The spectacular views looking down into the pastures in the valleys from the top of the Blue Ridge, no greater or less that the views looking from those pastures up to the mountains. The shufflers and the racers. The runners and the crews. The cold and the warm, the dark and the light. The “hours on the feet” and the 9 hours in the car.

I guess that what I am writing about is the contrast, the huge swings in how you feel, the huge discrepancies in what you see, and hear. It is a whole bunch of “the best of times” and “the worst of times” all in one weekend. The only coddling and true consistent comfort is that it was spent with only the best of people.

I have said this before, but I will say it again. Run, don’t walk. Ask, don’t wait. Beg, don’t ask. Insist if you must. Crew. As soon as you can, as often as you can.