Thank You, Hellgate
Hellgate 100K is coming up this Saturday! Am I ready? Hmm. Physically, I’m probably 60% ready, if 100% is my tip-top shape and 0% is sitting on my butt not running. Hellgate is serious business. It has something like 13,000ft of elevation over 66.6 miles. The weather will be freezing overnight, but knock on wood, it looks like the chances of rain and snow are pretty low.
I’ve run this race twice, both times placed 4th, and finished with times of 14:18 and 13:57. I was in very good shape for the first one, pretty darn good shape for the second one. BUT- in the first one when I ran 14:18, it rained a LOT, and I spend a lot of time changing out my clothes and warming up, and had a painfully slow “forever section” which is toward the end of the race, and then I remember refusing to run the last long uphill of the race, and got passed by a ton of people.
The second time, I went out really fast, had horrible stomach issues soon after that lasted until at least Bearwallow Gap, and didn’t really find my groove until the last twenty miles of the race. I had a great “forever section” and closed really well in the last six miles (which I remember being up three miles, down three miles), and I remember being determined to RUN that last uphill.
So, for me, the name of the game is trying to find ways for present me to beat my former self. Present me isn’t as fit, because I’ve been prioritizing working my butt off in grad school; but present me also has two Hellgates under her belt. I think I could beat my past self if I stay smooth and steady, and remember to eat and drink frequently.
When I run out in the Fells near my house, it’s usually pretty slow going because of the rocks and roots, and little ups-and-downs throughout. I’ll glance at my pace and think “if this were my pace at Hellgate, I’d be doing great!” As in, it’s a great reminder that I do not need to run FAST to have a solid race.
On the one hand, when I look at my training this fall, it’s easy for me to put myself down and write off my training volume as “nothing”. I’ve felt frustrated that I couldn’t do more. But then I think of just how darn consistent, dedicated, and creative I’ve been with finding ways to get my runs in, whether it’s commuting to school, finding gaps between classes and rehearsals, and a whole lot of night running. I wouldn’t have been that consistent if I didn’t have Hellgate looming on the calendar, because there’s no option but to be prepared for this race. I mean, unless you really love to suffer.
So, I feel thankful to have Hellgate on my calendar. Hellgate got me out the door and has kept me moving. It’s helped me to remember my core outdoor-loving self, and get me out of my very-focused music student bubble. It’s helping me to stay fit and prepared for my long term goal, which is thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail this summer. It’s going back to my trail running roots, as this was my first ultra race in 2019. It’s one more piece of the puzzle, one more checkpoint on the grander journey.
💫
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‘Til next week! ~Mercury
Photo by Chris Tanner