Hellgate: the grand finale

Each race in the Virginia Beast Series is different--vastly different, really. However, none of the education I received for Hellgate actally prepared me for Hellgate. I read race reports, picked the brains of several friends, studied the profile, but in the end, it was something to be experienced before forming any conclusions. It's the brainchild of Dr. David Horton (look him up. #legend)

I tried to sleep on the 5 hr. trip up to Camp Bethel on Friday. We arrived by 4PM, and checked in at 5. Dinner was at 6, and it was so great catching up with my utra-fam from Virginia and abroad. These people aren't just amazing athletes--they're fantastic human beings.

After getting dressed for the race, I headed to the race-briefing. It was nice getting to catch up with Bethany Patterson and others. I’ve already made the decision to not do any VA races next year, and I will truly miss listening to Horton give his talks.

Pre-race meeting - always entertaining

Go Time Ken drove 3 runners and myself to the race start at Hellgate Trailhead. That’s another interesting thing—rides to the start are determined at the meeting. We sang ‘O, Holy Night’ and I almost cried. Uh oh. When I get emotional, that usually means I’m tired. Then, we sang ‘The Star Spangled Banner,” as is customary at Horton races. At 12:01AM, we were off and running.

The Warmup The first several miles were actually super enjoyable. I loved how there were no severe hills in the first 5-ish miles. Most of all, I enjoyed running this and the way up to Petites Gap with ladies! I’m a fan of each one. In step with one another, up up up we went. Running. Almost the whole way up. Ouch. I made sure to go right through the aid stations quickly because it was bitter cold (to me, anyway). One thing that frustrated me was that I kept falling, especially on the road climbs. I counted ten falls in the first fifteen miles! I’m curious to know if anyone else fell a lot. In the higher elevations, the snow was beautiful and not deep enough to make it hard to run. I’m not sure where, but there was a bear pretty close to the road where we ran. Thankfully, a guy with us saw it.

Yay! Ken! When we arrived to Camp Bethel on Friday, we found out that the Blue Ridge Parkway sections that crews were supposed to use were still closed. I had to re-input GPS coordinates in Ken’s phone, and accept the fact that I wouldn’t see him until AS5, Jennings Creek. That was around mile 28, and close to 6 hours in. I had hoped to reach the 50K mark by 6 hours, so I was making great time. Ken was able to get a couple hours of sleep, but the below freezing weather prohibited any more. He did a fine job at crewing, as usual, but I could tell he was sleep deprived as well. Oh, and it’s becoming pretty customary for something to happen to our cars while on these trips. This time, the Yukon’s automatic trunk door stopped working.

Leaves. Lots of leaves. I began to have some fun on the Devil Trail and on all the single track. It felt so much like where I typically train, but with leaves up to my calves. I fell a couple more times and really had to watch my footing, especially on the descents. Passing was difficult in some spots and I felt kind of bad when anyone stepped aside. I don’t usually twist my ankle when I run, but it was common that day as I shuffled and ugly-ran through the leaves.

Who am I, where have I been, and where am I going? -Carl Sandburg Eventually, I realized that I had no idea where I was on the course. I had no clue if I was on the “pretty section” or the “forever trail,” until I finally reached the final AS at Day Creek. I had worked so hard to stay in 2nd place that I had nothing left and my mind was doing funny things. I moved to 3rd place earlier, and Kelly was really looking strong when she passed me. I felt exhausted when I saw Ken, and he consoled me by telling me, “You have the rest of the year to rest. There’s no money in this. Then next female is at least 20 minutes behind you. Take it easy and just go!” With over 6 miles left and an almost 3 mile climb up ahead, I had a renewed purpose. Pray. Draw strength from all you’ve seen God do recently. Remember your little buddy Bryce and his hard fought battle with cancer. Be a champion like Bryce. Do it for Bryce.

Preparing for my toughest climb of the day out of Day Creek

I got to the top of the climb, stopped for several seconds to catch my breath, and met a sweet lady who didn’t get into Hellgate this year. The next 3+ miles were all downhill, because there’s nothing better than fast downhill running after wrecking your legs going uphill. (Sarcasm) It was nice to see Sophie Speidel while on this section, and she gave the good news that I only had about 1.5 miles to go. As I ran into Camp Bethel, I wasn’t thinking anymore. I was officially done, and completely obliterated. I crossed the line and collapsed on the ground, something I’ve never done before. This moment was a whole year in the making. I finished, and I finished well

I guess this is "finishing well?"

3rd Female in 13:21 (goal was sub-14:00), 18th Overall, Virginia Beast Series champ

Special thanks to David Horton and Clark Zealand. It has been so much fun running Virginia races since 2014!

Thank you volunteers! If I could do one thing differently, it would be to eat at the breakfast aid station. Sigh.

To all the wonderful people I’ve met through these races, thank you for your wisdom, influence and friendship.

Gear:

Altra Lone Peak 4.0

Nathan VaporHowe

Injinji Trail Midweight Mini-Crew socks

Nutrition:

Tailwind

HUMA Gel