Hell Down South 2014

Hello there people.

That was tough. Very tough. So tough in fact I did not know at times if I would finish it!

Of course I mean the Hell Runner Hell Down South. This year I am informed by +Chris that the course was much much tougher than last year. Although everyone (Nick (the human) and +Geoff) that the course was longer, it wasn't it was just much tougher due too all the rain we have been having lately.

First however let us rewind a little bit. +Chris has been writing about how he has been rebuilding his running over the past few weeks. Which is funny because he looks like he is running in the same way to me, only shorter distances, and getting more worn out!

So on Friday night we wandered over to Nick (the humans) for some pre-race fajitas. They were lovely but could have done with a little more scorpion for my tastes.

Here I am waiting for fajitas worried about the lack of scorpion in them!

As you all know nutrition is important for pre-race preparation. So made sure I ate lots of fajitas, ice cream and drank a few beers before falling asleep whilst the others played GTA. I have no idea what GTA is about but it looks like a game where you punch people in the head and get shot by police. How this is fun I have no idea but the guys seemed to love it. Especially when they died in odd circumstances! Very strange. 

So race day arrives to the gentle sound of it throwing it down with rain - joy - and at 7 AM we all groggily began to get up and ready. A few cups of coffee (got to stay hydrated and alert) and some breakfast from services - I love flapjack - and we were on our way to Longmoor Army Testing place.

When we arrived the rain was absolutely biblical and there were lots of signs about not touching anything you may explode. This did not fill me with any confidence. However I worked on some deep breathing and meditation exercises to calm my pre-race jitters. 

I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew the car was empty and I had been locked in! I started to shout for the guys and within a few minutes Chris reappeared apologizing and we headed off with Geoff to find Nick (the human). 

Something about Nick getting caught short and Geoff and Chris waiting for him to get back to the car and then needing to 'go' themselves. It was all very confusing and to be honest I wasn't really paying attention. I just wanted to get to the start, adjust my buff and run. 

The start was an experience in itself. This was the first truly 'big' event I have been too (over 1700 people). I have never seen so many people in one place before, especially on such a wet and cold day. There was also a strange aroma floating about which was neither nasty or unpleasant but strange. Chris later told me that was something called 'deep heat' apparently people use it to warm up muscles. I prefer lots of rubbing but maybe that is me, plus I like the feel of my fur... 

So the first wave of people (there were 3) set off and 20 minutes later we were stood on the start line. Once again there were lots of cries of "look a meerkat" etc to which I smiled and waved. There was a surge forward and I thought we had started, but it was just people getting up to the starting line and then...

A pause.

A longer pause I think for dramatic effect.

We were off. 

Chris and I had agreed to let Nick and Geoff race off and stick to our own pace for the race. This I believe was a very sensible and good thing to have done. 

The course started well enough, along a gravel road and under a bridge (I smiled to the camera people there - when the race photos come up I hope they look good). Then the course apparently changed from the one last year - the race director guy said that there was a 'twist' this year - we climbed a steep but short bank and were off road. Epic!

Then we were straight away wading through water and crossing fields, it was heaven, there were some small inclines but nothing too hardcore. I remember thinking that if the rest of the route was like this I would be OK.

It wasn't.

Very quickly the heathland environment gave way to mud and sand and very very wet sludge. Oh and hills, very steep uphills and downhills. Chris said it was similar to the Seven Sisters at Salisbury plain that they ran for the Gurkha Challenge. Only there were more, they weren't quite as steep - some felt it - and the conditions underfoot were very poor.

We were in some ways lucky though. The rain had stopped just as we were about to start the race and held off until we were back in the car after getting cleaned up and changed. 

However I pitied the people in the third wave, the ground was already pretty churned up for us and we were towards the front of the second wave. It must have bee terrible for people further back. 

There was also another issue. 

On an open course jogging, walking, scrambling we probably could have moved past quite a lot of people. The Hell Runner course was very narrow. Which meant queuing behind people quite a bit. This was fine for descents, a little bit of time to recover and catch your breath. Halfway up a steep and slippery incline it was less fun as you had to try to hold balance, not slip down the hill and then slowly move forward after being able to run up the first half of the hill. 

I do not have an issue with people needing to walk up the hills, God knows I had to at times, but maybe an alternate route or a wider course so people could get past more easily would have been nice. That said it was very freak conditions this year so maybe next year will be easier - Chris said the course was not this tough last year as it was less wet and slippy. 

Once we were out of all the uphill and down hill mudslides we ran through a lot more water and then up and around a woodland. This bit was excellent, the ground was soft and boggy and there were trees and water. It felt a little bit like being in a war film. Without the violence and risk of death. 

Epic stuff. 

We then ran up another fairly steep climb which lead to the top of the course. The view there was amazing. Looking out over the plains even in the misty not quite clear day was very impressive. 

We had also caught up with some people from wave 1 - who started 20 minutes ahead of us - which gave us a bit of a boost (sorry wave 1 people) it also brought lots of conversation about how people were doing, and why a meerkat was running.

No I don't mind people asking my name or why I am running with humans, not at all, however I do dislike the way they talk to Chris and not to me. Like I am some sort of pet! Very rude!

My favourite was the man who asked why I was running, to which Chris explained that I started as a fill in for Nick (the human) and now run the events (especially when other people - Dave, Chris V, Ben all of whom ran last year but not this - cant make it). This prompted the guy we were running with to ask if the mates were dead. 

Just like that, serious, no attempt to sugar coat it or be tactful. Its amazing how some people think. I put it down to the guy being tired from getting beaten by a meerkat!

Anyways we reached a very steep downhill, and unfortunately we had to go on all fours. There was an issue though and this raised its head a few times, and there is a chance someone may have a photo of this so I will come clean. There were the odd downhills that were too steep or had too big a gap between footfalls for someone of my stature. This meant Chris had to carry me. However he had to scramble using all 4 limbs in order to stop himself taking a tumble (as we said touch course) so he held me in his mouth using my buff. LIKE I WAS A PUP AND HE WAS MY MUM! 

How embarrassing. All I could do is smile and people and shrug. 

We wound more and more around the woodland and slid down some banks and scrambled up others and then we hit the BOG OF DOOM.

Now before we set off we were told by the race director to help each other through this as it was flooded and they had renamed it the SEA OF DOOM (always needs capitals). However as we were approaching it we head rumours that it was 7ft deep. We (Chris and I) did not believe this at all. 

It bloody was though. 

I am not a strong swimmer. Not really, I can paddle and I can splash through short, shallow water but to swim through a bog. With the smoke going off. Not for me. I managed to hold onto Chris' arm and hell waded along the shallows pulling me along. A little like St.Christoper I guess. 

Once again there were crowds and we got lots of cheers and cries of 'look a meerkat' we also got a mention from the DJ announcer, although truth be told I can't remember what he was saying as I was trying to avoid drowning. 

I need to point out though that there were life guards with flotation aids at regular points and people who could not make it through the bog (Nick and Geoff both swam it) were allowed to run around it. We almost did but I wanted to complete the whole course so we pressed on. 

Exiting the BOG OF DOOM meant more photos taken and chats with people, we had been running for a while in the same group who were really pleased that I had made it through the bog unscathed!

We were also now into the last 4 km of the 16 km. A few more hills, a crossing over a large lake/river thing. Yet more photographers and we hit sand. 

Beautiful, strength sapping, kind underfoot sand. 

I do enjoy running on sand (meerkat) but at the end of a long event it is very tiring. Still Chris got caught walking by a photographer here last year and he was in no mood to let up. In fact I think we actually powered across the sand quicker than we had run for the last few km's. It was probably because this part was relatively flat, could have been because it was close to the end, but was more likely because it was fairly open so we could move past people easier.

We then got back to the gravel road we started on and powered our way to the finish. Finishing in a time of 2 hours and 10 minutes. 

Chris was very pleased with the time as it knocked a whole 10 minutes off last years results and on a much tougher course (I don't think I mentioned this). 

I was very pleased as I survived in one piece! 

We then got foil blanket and bit of food and some water and headed to the car. I drove home wrapped in a towel.

Drying off in my towel.

When we finally got home I had a quick shower and then with my medal on settled into to watch some DVDs all wrapped up for the evening. 

Chilling like a villain.

Chris took a close up photo of the medal with is much nicer than the one he got last year!

Awesome medal.

And that was the Hell Runner Hell Down South. There is probably more that I have forgotten or just didn't recall as well as I might have. 

In short it was hilly, muddy, tough, wet and very enjoyable. 

Our GPS map can be seen here if you are so inclined.

Today I will be mostly putting my paws up and doing very little. Though I may have a hot chocolate first!

Oh and be sure to check out Chris' trail runners prayer! 

Until next time.

Lace up, lace up!

Nick