Hellgate 100k 2007 – Benign conditions

 

December 8

 

It is midnight on Saturday morning.  Four years ago, the first running of this race was conducted on December 13, 2003.  For some reason, I decided that a 100k starting a minute after midnight sounded like a good idea.  Through luck and determination, I managed to finish that first race with only 10 minutes to spare on the 18-hour cut-off.  After that first race, many of us thought we would not run this race again because it was tough and long.  However, many of us returned for the second year.  Over the past four years, I have managed to finish each race.  Two have been close to the cut-offs (17:50 minutes in 2003 and 17:49 minutes in 2005), and two have been comfortably ahead of the 18-hour cut-off (16:17 in 2004 16:58 in 2006).  Along the way, nine other runners finished the first four races, as well.

 

Now, all nine of us survivors are on the starting line attempting to finish five Hellgates in a row.  David Horton, who is the race director, has nine bronze eagle trophies waiting for us at the finish line with each of our names engraved on them.  I think all of us feel a little bit more pressure having those trophies already engraved. 

 

Martha, Nathan, and Amy are crewing me through the night this year.  The conditions are rather tame this year as the temperature at the start is about 38 degrees.  The forecast says it shouldn’t get below freezing with the temperature rising tomorrow into the low 50s.  This is quite a change from last year’s eyeball freezing 12 degrees with 40 mph winds.  I am wearing shorts, two shirts (one long-sleeve, one short-sleeve), thin gloves, and a wool cap.  I am starting in Keen Wasatch Crest shoes, and I have my Camelbak.  The streams are low, and I think I can keep my feet dry on the first section where we usually get our feet wet.

 

Mile 3.5      42:43 (12:12 avg./mile) FSR 35

 

Soon after the start, I feel like I am wearing too much clothing.  Particularly, I don’t think I need my hat, but I cannot just toss it away.  I take it off and tuck it under my Camelbak belt.  My pace is quick early, and I feel good at this point.  The first goal of any race is getting to the start line healthy, and I have achieved this goal.  My chronic right ankle is good, and I will see how long it is before I start hurting it.  When I approach the stream crossing, I try to dance across the rocks, but the rocks are now wet from the quicker runners and I end up getting my feet wet.  This disappoints me greatly because I started with a pair of Keens since I didn’t think I would get me feet wet.

 

Mile 7.5      1:01:30 (15:22 avg./mile) Petites Gap

 

I take the climb on this section conservatively.  David Snipes and Regis Shivers leave me behind as they run up the road.  It is a nice night, but it is very dark because there is no moon.  There was some rain in the forecast, but so far things are dry.  When I get to the aid station, I am still bumming about getting my feet wet.  I change my shoes and quickly eat a bagel and drink some chocolate milk.  Martha says that the crews won’t be able to go to Headforemost Mountain because of ice on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Therefore, I probably won’t see her until mile 27.  I now have on my other pair of Keen Wasatch Crest shoes.  Hopefully, my feet won’t get wet again.  I also trade out my headlamp because, even with lithium batteries, there is only about 5-6 hours in them.

 

Mile 13.1    1:36:13 (17:11 avg./mile) Camping Gap

 

The night is dark, and this is the first technical trail section on the course.  My headlamp is lighting the trail well, and I avoid any falls on this section.  I seem to be making good time, but there are a lot of other runners around me.  I feel like I should be separating from some of them at this point, but I try to maintain my patience.  The technical section ends, and then there is a few miles to climb up to the aid station.  At the aid station, I get a cup of chicken noodle soup, which has a burnt taste to it.  I need the calories, so I drink it all.  I also grab some sandwich quarters and a few cookies.

 

Mile 21.9    2:20:18 (15:57 avg./mile) Headforemost Mountain

 

John Price and I are together as we leave Camping Gap.  John has told me this is his last year to try and finish Hellgate.  I hope he does finish this year because he is a good runner, who often beats me at other races.  However, for some reason he hasn’t been fortunate at Hellgate.  We pass each other back and forth for the first few miles on this section, and then I leave him as I start to get into a good groove.  The first several miles on this section are on a grassy road, and I am able to hammer the downhill portions very quickly.  When I get to the technical section, I continue to move smoothly and pass a few more people.  Just before the trail empties out to the road again, I catch up to Kevin Bligan, who is another one of the survivors.  We stop at the re-located aid station, and then continue up to the top of the mountain where the aid station is normally.  I hit my split at the normal location of the aid station and am pleasantly surprised that I made outstanding time on this section.  My split is 7 minutes faster than I have ever done this section before.  While Kevin and I are hoofing it up Headforemost Mountain, I find out that his wife’s name is the same as my wife’s.  However, he says she goes by Liz because Elizabeth is her middle name.  My Martha’s middle name is Elizabeth also—quite a coincidence!  After learning that tidbit of information, we and another runner are almost trampled by a buck that seemed to have gotten spooked and came charging down the hill through bushes and small trees.  Fortunately, he continued on down the hill and managed to avoid us in the process.  I didn’t get a count on the number of points, but I think it was at least six.

 

Mile 27.6    1:24:53 (14:54 avg./mile) Jennings Creek

 

After passing through where the Headforemost Mountain aid station would have been, I leave Kevin.  It is mostly downhill on this section, and so far I am feeling good on the downhills.  My right ankle has not rolled yet; my confidence is high; and my legs have a lot of spring in them today.  I quickly come upon David Snipes, Regis Shivers, and a third runner.  I decide to hang behind them for a while on the single-track trail.  Soon, Dan Lehmann (another survivor) is behind us as well.  When the trail opens up to a grassy road that will lead us down to the aid station, I take the opportunity to open up my stride.  I leave the group behind and pass a few other runners, including Jay Finkle before I get to the aid station.  Along the way, I step in a hole and take my first spill of the race.  Fortunately though, I do not twist my ankle or hurt anything.  When I get to the aid station, Martha and Nathan are just getting out of the truck because I am ahead of my projected pace.  My time on this section is almost 9 minutes faster than I have done it before!  I eat two sausage biscuit wraps and drink some Conquest before heading on up the trail.  It is now daylight, so I leave the headlamp and get a full Camelbak.

 

Mile 34.5    1:46:06 (15:23 avg./mile) Little Cove Mountain

 

Still feeling strong and in my groove, I proceed to push my pace.  I keep Jay behind me and catch up with Christopher Calfee.  When I enter a short stretch of technical single-track trail, I roll my right ankle twice.  It hurts quite a bit, but I don’t think I did any damage.  On the subsequent downhill, I continue to hammer and pass Rick Gray and another runner, and then I pass Rebekah Trittipoe and Kerry Owens.  As I come out onto another dirt road, I have Michelle Harmon and Joe Clapper right in front of me.  On the road up to the aid station, Kerry passes me back.  At the aid station, I drink some chocolate milk and eat a bowl of Ramen soup.  I leave the aid station about the same time as Rebekah.  A crew from the Roanoke Times is filming her, and I have to avoid the film crew.  I gained another minute on my best time, and I am now 11 minutes ahead of my fastest pace on this course.

 

Mile 42.5    2:11:12 (16:24 avg./mile) Bearwallow Gap

 

Rebekah quickly leaves me behind, and I don’t see Kerry anymore either.  I think I am still moving at a quick pace, but it is still somewhat depressing to be passed by anyone at this point in a race.  However, both of these ladies are outstanding trail runners, and my pride is not wounded for long.  I catch up to Michelle and Joe, who seem to be having a rough day of it.  I learn later that Joe was having some problem seeing.  During this section, Regis Shivers, who has left David Snipes behind comes by me looking very strong.  Along the rockiest section of the race, I catch up to Jordan Chang and a couple of others.  When I get to the aid station, I find that I have shaved another minute off of my best pace.  This aid station serves up hamburgers, so I take half of one.  It is less than tasty, as it seems like it was on the grill for several hours before being served to me.  As I wash that down with some chocolate milk, I see David come into the aid station.  I quickly finish up and get out of the aid station before David can even see me.

 

Mile 49.5    1:43:15 (14:45 avg./mile) Bobblets Gap

 

I push the pace hard on this section, but I run it very smartly.  There are some good climbs, but there are also plenty of gradual downhill sections on which to make good time.  I pass one or two runners, but for the most part, I am by myself on this section.  Nathan meets me about a quarter mile from the aid station, and I am glad to see him because it means my crew is at the aid station.  When I get to the aid station, I decide to change my shoes because I feel some hot spots developing.  Jay Finkle catches back up, and he says he hasn’t seen David.  I eat most of a grilled ham and cheese that Martha’s has fixed, but then throw the rest away as I think I might have to take a squatting bathroom break soon.  I gained another 4 minutes on my best pace, and I am now 16 minutes ahead of my 2004 time when I ran 16:17.  Unbelievably, I think I have a shot at a sub 16-hour finish.

 

Mile 56.1    1:59:23 (18:05 avg./mile) Day Creek

 

Starting off from Bobblets Gap, I push the 2+ mile downhill section.  Initially, I feel really good, and then my heel starts hurting for some reason.  I back off slightly and fortunately, it doesn’t bother me when the course returns to the trail.  I don’t know if the change of shoes caused the problem or what.  I maintain a steady effort through this endless section that contains over a mile of Horton miles.  I have on my Oakley sunglasses as this section comes towards the afternoon sun.  Both Amy and Nathan come out to greet me as I near the aid station.  Nathan is going to run the last section with me.  I tell him that I won’t be waiting for him, and if he falls behind just follow the trail markings to the finish.  I give back one minute to my best pace, so now I have to make up a couple of minutes if I am going to finish under 16 hours.  I grab two cups of Coke and a bagel at the aid station.  I have 74 minutes to go 6.3 miles to finish under 16 hours.  I take off a shirt and leave wearing just a single short sleeve shirt and shorts, along with my Camelbak, of course.

 

Mile 62.4    1:08:14 (10:50 avg./mile) FINISH

 

I pass Jay Finkle leaving the aid station, and I tell him we can still make it under 16 hours.  He doesn’t feel as motivated as me and wishes me luck.  I speed hike the 2.8 miles up to the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Nathan is hanging with me, jogging at times uphill to stay with me.  My plan is to get to the BRP in 40 minutes and then I will have 35 minutes to go the last 3.5 miles downhill.  Nathan and I hit the BRP at 38 minutes and change.  I am really pumped now because I think I have enough left in my legs to run 10-minute miles downhill.  I start running fast as we pick up speed going downhill.  Nathan stays right at my side.  After about 10 minutes, I realize that I am probably going much faster than needed.  Nathan is laboring to stay up with me, so I know I am probably doing at least an 8-minute per mile pace.  My heel doesn’t flair back up, and we hit the one-mile to go mark with almost 15 minutes before 16 hours.  So, we comfortably cruise the last mile in 8:30 or so, and I finish over 6 minutes under 16 hours!

 

Official Finishing Time          15:53:47

 

43rd out of 105 starters (82 finishers under 18 hours)

 

In the end I ran personal best times on 6 of the 10 sections.  Three years ago when I finished in 16:17, I never imagined that I could do the course faster.  This was one of those races where I always had something more left in the tank and my legs never lost their spring.  The weather for December in the mountains of Virginia was perfect, and I ran an awesome race to finish my fifth Hellgate in a row—5 for 5!  All 9 of the survivors finished as well.  Some claim they are done running Hellgate, but I have heard them say that before.  After the benign conditions this year, the memories of last year’s eyeball freezing cold are a distant memory.

 

Having my family with me, and Nathan running the last section with me, is extra special.  We are all completely exhausted when we get home, but I love the experience at Hellgate.  My running plans for the next few months will be flexible.  I will probably catch a 50k or two and will run the Bull Run Run 50 miler in April if I get in the race.  My 100-miler is going to be the Massanutten Mountain Trail 100 in May.

 

Never stop running,

Darin

 

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