Hellrunner
Hi All,
Just finished Hellrunner on the weekend and it was tough, but I think I beat my previous time - yay me!
If any of you remember, I ran in it a couple of years ago and after heavy rains in the week leading up, it was a complete mud-bath. This year there was no where near as much rain, so the water sections were easier with the water in the 'Bog of Doom' only coming up to my waist instead of my neck.
I think that because of the easier conditions, the organisers made the course more hilly and windy. There were lots of sections where you are climbing up a hill almost on hands/knees, then going down the other side (same kind of slope), then turning around just afterwards and going back up and over.... That really killed me. Also right at the end there's a soft sand area of dunes you go up/down - last time this was more firm because of the rain, this time it was soft and extremely energy sapping.
I'm sure I was faster on the flatter areas than last time, but slower on the hills (I didn't train as much climbing hills this time and it showed). All in all I'm expecting I will come in somewhere around one hour thirty minutes for about an 11mile race (so 2 miles less than a half marathon), but will have to wait for the official results to come out.
I've got some pictures to show you the muddy awesomeness (and cold water) - and yes that is a moustache for Movember which will be disappearing in 3 days time. It makes me look ridiculous! Special thanks to my cheersquad - Lany - for pictures, encouragement and standing in the cold for an hour while we were 'in the hills' before we came back towards the viewing stations.
As always there were people in costume etc running which is great fun. Just to put me in my place, a guy who was probably 45-50 was in front of me almost the whole way but I only overtook him in the last 1-2 miles (you can see him in front of me just a we came out of the water). To see a guy that age kicking my ass certainly made me feel like a chump - gotta get fitter!
Anka
Just finished Hellrunner on the weekend and it was tough, but I think I beat my previous time - yay me!
If any of you remember, I ran in it a couple of years ago and after heavy rains in the week leading up, it was a complete mud-bath. This year there was no where near as much rain, so the water sections were easier with the water in the 'Bog of Doom' only coming up to my waist instead of my neck.
I think that because of the easier conditions, the organisers made the course more hilly and windy. There were lots of sections where you are climbing up a hill almost on hands/knees, then going down the other side (same kind of slope), then turning around just afterwards and going back up and over.... That really killed me. Also right at the end there's a soft sand area of dunes you go up/down - last time this was more firm because of the rain, this time it was soft and extremely energy sapping.
I'm sure I was faster on the flatter areas than last time, but slower on the hills (I didn't train as much climbing hills this time and it showed). All in all I'm expecting I will come in somewhere around one hour thirty minutes for about an 11mile race (so 2 miles less than a half marathon), but will have to wait for the official results to come out.
I've got some pictures to show you the muddy awesomeness (and cold water) - and yes that is a moustache for Movember which will be disappearing in 3 days time. It makes me look ridiculous! Special thanks to my cheersquad - Lany - for pictures, encouragement and standing in the cold for an hour while we were 'in the hills' before we came back towards the viewing stations.
Anka
posted by Anthony Hawke at 11:27 am
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