Hellgate 100K: The Last of the Beasts!

With one left to slay, and 5 weeks (from MMTR) to think about it, it was a bit difficult to stay totally pumped up about it. There was a definite high after both Grindstone and MMTR but it seemed I was ready to race again too quickly and ended up back down off the high before the next race. I was however still very excited to go to Hellgate. Hellgate weekend has it’s traditions and those were kept intact. We had a new runner and a new crew member, who I hope will write a crew report! We arrived at Camp Bethel just before 6pm, and greeted literally walking in the door by David Horton. His enthusiasm, as always, was already at a high and he wished me well, hoping that I would complete not only Hellgate but the Beast Series.

No matter how you think about it, it’s always a gamble…any race…any time…something can take you out of the game. For me, I know my weaknesses, all night, sleep deprivation, and always my mind.  From the beginning of the Beast, right at Holiday Lake, I started picking everyone’s brains about being up 2 nights at GS100 and used all I could of those techniques at Hellgate. I carried a big can of Red Bull in my pack, I had a mantra for the dark hours, and one for the daylight hours. Luckily, as I had started 2 Hellgates, the last 2 years, I knew what to expect in starting the race, so I was relaxed. I knew what to pack, I was however coached in how much time to think about changing before actually changing, haha. It is a bit of a wait from the end of the prerace briefing until it’s time to drive to the start.

I had planned to run the race with a fellow runner I met at MMTR, as long as we could keep in pace we would run together, his name is Mike. What I did not know was that Forrest intended to accompany me at Hellgate as well, as long as I was making the cutoffs. Chipper and I had also preplanned for her to take my car to the start so she could drive all the runners to the start and crew from there. At 10:50pm we were off, getting to the start with some time to spare, checked in, and stepped up to the start. The Canadian National Anthem was sung by 2 Canadian runners and then The Star Spangled Banner was sung by the rest of us. After that we rounded the gate with one min count down, Horton stepped out of the way, and off we went.

The start is flat and fast and some might wonder “are we going too fast?”, we are, fast enough to fall into the mud and again into the deepest water crossing…soaking my gloves, my ear cover(which I was holding at the time) and my sleeves up to my elbows. But you really only have a second to think about it and BAM! You’re on your way up the first of many, many climbs. A little concern was freezing hands and ears, so when we pulled into aid station 2, I asked Chipper if she would not mind trying to dry the gloves and ear wrap on the dash heater in the car and I could get them back next time I saw them. I knew I would be at risk of freezing on the way up to Headforemost Mtn but at least I might have them back once I got there. Chipper said she would try to dry them and then an Angel appeared, he looked just like Suresh, and he offered me his gloves and an orange hat that he pulled out of his pocket. How grateful I was ALL night and day for those gloves and the hat, and I never wear hats, but they were warm and wonderful!

After aid station 2, we got into a pretty good rhythm, the three of us and we moved right along. There was a tired point but I drank my Red Bull and woke up pretty quick. At the end of a long single track downhill, we came out onto the road and began the climb to Headformost Mtn, I checked my watch and knew I would be behind the time I wanted to get there but plenty ahead of the cutoff, and I stuck to my mantra, the sun will come out. We reached Headforemost at 5:50 am, 50 mins ahead of the cutoff.  The first worry out of the way, we refueled and moved on out. The next section had some fun downhill and I lead the charge down, down, down to Jennings Creek, which comes fast because not only are you running downhill but the lamps go off and the sun DOES in fact come up!

With the sum up and the “breakfast” aid station now behind us we headed up to Little Cove Mtn aid station. We met up with some other chatty runners on this section and we moved along well. We climbed up to Little Cove and it actually looked like it was closing when we got there, so I cruised through. Next up, Bearwallow Gap, with the second cut off of 12:30, and an 8 mile section to get there. Time to move quick which I think we did. We did a nice job of taking turns all day leading the group.  We reached Bearwallow Gap at 11:15am. Chipper and Suresh were there to greet us and take care of any of our needs. I knew they had been out freezing since midnight and they were still smiling for us. They were awesome! We departed and said we would see them at the finish, as they would be off now to run with Spuds, who was having a SPECTACULAR day!!

We left Bearwallow and about a mile later I crashed. This section of the race between Bearwallow Gap and Bobblets Gap is my favorite and I wanted to run, and I tried to keep up but it was tough. I urged Mike and Forrest to go on ahead, I told them I would get myself to the finish, but they stayed, and we pushed and pushed through to Bobblet’s Gap aid station, which had some awesome blue bubbly stuff to drink. I have to find out what that was! Out and down from there is some painful downhill for several miles and on and on and on in the forever section! And when you are not feeling well… it really takes forever. This section is advertised as 8 miles and it took 2:30 to complete. I was not moving THAT slow! (OK maybe I was J) We reached the final aid station at Day Creek but, right before we jogged in I had taken 3 advil and Mr. Bimble’s expresso gu (he gave me when we were getting ready back at Camp Bethel). I was at a nice low at this point and I chucked my trash in the can, told Forrest I was going to keep walking, that I knew he and Mike would catch up.

Most of the time aid stations are a welcome sight but very occasionally aid stations are a great place to stop. I was in tears, as some of you Bimbler’s have already seen, I am good at that during difficult races and sometimes not so difficult races, and I knew if I stopped there I might just not go on, and who wants to quit at the end game right, so I just kept going like nothing was there, no way out. The day time mantra, you never have to do it again after this, just finish this, sang in my head, it’s long I know but it worked! Forrest and Mike eventually passed me and headed out of sight on the climb. Lucky for me the advil and the expresso kicked in and I was able to climb a little faster on the second half and before I knew it I could see the gate to cross the Blue Ridge Pkwy, the last crest of the day, and downhill into the finish. I started to run down the hill and I was picking up to full speed when I saw the boys ahead. I looked at my watch for kicks and saw that if we moved along quickly enough we could get in before 17 hours, nothing like a goal in the very last stage. They said OK and down we went. We reached the lodge at Camp Bethel at 16:53 and change, with David Horton there to greet us for the last race as Beast participants! He brought us into the lodge and announced our finish to the onlookers (mostly other runners who were hanging around). We received our Beast Trophies from Clark Zealand, our Beast shirts and our Hellgate shirts as well.

It has been quite a year in 2011. The Beast was amazing. I could not have completed it if I did not have an amazing family, a mom who never lets me down, and children and friends that are really extended family, who support me in all that is important to me. Not just running. All the little things that add up to BIG things in the end can not be forgotten. That is how I got through the Beast.