Hell and Back 10km

miller82

http://www.hellandback.ie/

has anybody done this before ? Whats it like ?

Also, I'm doing the next one (29th Jan) and i'm considering doing it in my Vibrams or Fila Skele. Initially i was going to just do it in normal runners but considering the first stage of the race involves running through a pond waist high, they would be soaked and very heavy for the rest of the race. Obviously the Vibrams / Fila wouldnt be as bad.
Any thoughts ?

SpiceWeasel

Ran it last October, tough run but definitely doable on a good day. I would say get out your rosary beads and start praying for decent weather otherwise it could be quite challenging.

There is a lot of climbing through tyres / pipes and over bales of hay so if your training for it don't just focus on the distance, i.e. running.

I would recommend ramping up on dips and chins for some upper body conditioning beforehand.

belcarra

I did this back in October or whenever it was last on and it was a good tough course. That happened to be a really nice day for it but I'm sure the next day will be the complete opposite! One guy lost his runners in the pond though so I would question the Vibrams as I assume they would be easier to come off in the pond?? (I've no experience of them apart from viewing from afar).
Also, this is on a trail run so I'd imagine the vibrams offer less cushioning from sharp rocks, etc?

I ran (And intend to do so again) in my mountain runners (Solomon Speed Cross 2 I think they are called). Sure they were heavy and squishy for the next 2km but they really didn't slow me down that much - It was the hill run and obstacles that did that to me!!

miller82

SpiceWeasel wrote: »

I would recommend ramping up on dips and chins for some upper body conditioning beforehand.

Cheers i was going to ask this actually

miller82

belcarra wrote: »

I ran (And intend to do so again) in my mountain runners (Solomon Speed Cross 2 I think they are called). Sure they were heavy and squishy for the next 2km but they really didn't slow me down that much - It was the hill run and obstacles that did that to me!!

Not sure i could be arsed shelling out 80 notes or whatever on runners for one race.

I wouldnt be worried about the Vibrams coming off. The cushioning might be an issue i suppose

Fazz

I'm in for this too.
Fair play if you do it in Vibrams but I'd be wary of The stream where rocks et could be quite sore.

I'd have thought Vibrams better suited for road/track and I think this race is likely to be a lot of uneven surfaces etc so it'll be runners for me, just have to decide which ones as they are likely to be wrecked I guess!

Sandwell

I ran in the autumn one and really enjoyed it. It is a well designed course and with the winter weather conditions should provide a tough challenge. I also think you'd be mad to run it in Vibrams. At several points you will be running through deep water/mud and will have no idea what kind of surface lies beneath. Added to that the, climb up the Little Sugarloaf is quite rocky. I've never worn Vibrams but I'd imagine the cushioning of a regular pair of running shoes would be pretty essential in a race like this.

While I enjoyed the first edition of this I won't be running it again this time around. There are several reasons for this but the main one is the price. It's ridiculously expensive for what it is.

bigslice

I see that this one is now sold out or fully registered, 1200 places it seems.

Doing it myself, looking forward to it. The price is a bit high, we registered as teams to save a bit but it was the novelty of the event that attracted me, hoping the weather stays dry but at this time of year, you should expect the worst and see how it goes from there.

miller82

jesus didnt realsie so many were doing it.

thirstywork2

Vibrams would be a no go on this course.Cusioning has nothing to do with it but purely grip.

My advise is fork out on a pair of trail shoes or you will struggle on this course.
I ran the first one and it wasn't bad,consisted of the pond,1k on hard trails.Field with some bails of hey and tyres and a cargo net you crawl under.
After htis it gets more technial and you have the big hill which you run up and down 3 or 4 times.

This year it will be much more slippery and muddy.check out this fb page for pictures of the 10ft wall you have to climb and some videos.
Im stil un decided but will probably give this a miss as im afraid of picking up an injury with my marathon in april.

http://www.facebook.com/HELLANDBACKCHALLENGE

miller82

thirstywork2 wrote: »

Vibrams would be a no go on this course.Cusioning has nothing to do with it but purely grip.

My advise is fork out on a pair of trail shoes or you will struggle on this course.
I ran the first one and it wasn't bad,consisted of the pond,1k on hard trails.Field with some bails of hey and tyres and a cargo net you crawl under.
After htis it gets more technial and you have the big hill which you run up and down 3 or 4 times.

This year it will be much more slippery and muddy.check out this fb page for pictures of the 10ft wall you have to climb and some videos.
Im stil un decided but will probably give this a miss as im afraid of picking up an injury with my marathon in april.

http://www.facebook.com/HELLANDBACKCHALLENGE

was not aware of the 3 or 4 times scenario

i have abandoned the vibrams idea, but was just going to run ti in a pair of Omni Saucony - you think wearing normal running runners will make you struggle ?

bigslice

On the website they advised that you should wear a older pair of trainers or the like as they will get covered in mud, water, etc. On the clip they had one lad lost his runner in the mud.

I'd not be using any new pair of trainers thats for sure.

miller82

The saucony are my old pair so i don't care about that, its just the grip side of things i'm getting worried about

thirstywork2

grip is so so important not only from performance point of view but safety reasons.The downhill will be tough to stay on your feet without sufficent grip.

If you don't have trail shoes then wear football boots.:eek:

miller82

thirstywork2 wrote: »

grip is so so important not only from performance point of view but safety reasons.The downhill will be tough to stay on your feet without sufficent grip.

If you don't have trail shoes then wear football boots.:eek:

ah fook

themoney

A few updates on facabook.

Bring it on!!!

Oryx

I've just spotted this thread, I'm signed up for this one, just for something different.

Plastik

Did the first one and I'll be out tomorrow also. Course looks a bit more challenging, but the weather is likely to make it tougher again. It's definitely going to be much wetter!

Oryx

Been wondering how much to layer up, if its frosty. Tis hard to judge!

liamo123

Oryx wrote: »

Been wondering how much to layer up, if its frosty. Tis hard to judge!

Just after seeing forecast ;

Good news : no frost

Bad news : Its due to p!ss rain for the day so maybe wellies and a umbrella :eek:

belcarra

liamo123 wrote: »

Oryx wrote: »

Been wondering how much to layer up, if its frosty. Tis hard to judge!

Just after seeing forecast ;

Good news : no frost

Bad news : Its due to p!ss rain for the day so maybe wellies and a umbrella :eek:

Not too bad, we'll be soaked from the first 100m regardless!!

Fazz

Well that was a bit of craic wasn't it? :eek::D

Man those descents were slippy!
I was retiring my Adidas Boston's after this race, and had no grip on the downhills at all. Only lost a couple places though, and a few slips taught me to back off or risk heading into the bushes for damage!

Great craic, lovely weather and a good buzz.
That sure is a hilly course, nice but hilly!

Think I finished 11th out of first wave anyway, 53mins give or take... Will see when results go up how many more slots down I am.
Good laugh had by all I hope... though I did see the ambulance heading away at the end hope not too bad.

The Davestator

Fazz wrote: »

Well that was a bit of craic wasn't it? :eek::D

Man those descents were slippy!
I was retiring my Adidas Boston's after this race, and had no grip on the downhills at all. Only lost a couple places though, and a few slips taught me to back off or risk heading into the bushes for damage!

Great craic, lovely weather and a good buzz.
That sure is a hilly course, nice but hilly!

Think I finished 11th out of first wave anyway, 53mins give or take... Will see when results go up how many more slots down I am.
Good laugh had by all I hope... though I did see the ambulance heading away at the end hope not too bad.

That was my first ever adventure race and I loved it. The rain really made it and added to the fun. Great course and it's clear now why it's pricey IMO.

My favourite part was the swamp!

Fazz

I got stuck in the swamp so not my favourite!
Was on my own and jumped into middle, got stuck and then told keep right.
Had to pull myself back up with the branch but I was in good.
Got back and right side then as 2 others came up behind.

Great laugh!

Rebelkell

it was very enjoyable. Pity about the mess the made of the finish where getting your t shirt was like trying to get on the last chopper out of saigon. Great course though the swamp was something else as was the water obsticeles. The cold!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Plastik

I think I was in around 1.07/1.08. Tough day at the office in that weather! Tougher course than the first one also.

Oryx

No idea on my time. Suffered on the climb up the mountain. I loved the obstacles tho, broke up the run well and made it interesting. I had a few near misses on those muddy descents but came home in one piece. I didn't think it was cold at all! I missed the bottle neck at the finish but it did get pretty bad as the second and third waves came thru.

Oldlegs

Great course. And TBH the crap weather acutually made the course even better

Minor moan about the organisation at the finish. Apart from the queues (which could have been avoided with minimal effort), it did not provide much for any spectators, and was too far from the last obstacles to allow finish & pond/bales to be viewed.
Also, the way the finish/clothes areas was laid out did not make much sense - especially as there was great food on offer in the other courtyard. I doubt the food vendors were overly impressed.

Suggestions for next Winter's event -
1) Include a food voucher for use at one of the vendor stalls in the 'goodie bag'.
2) Include a few Standard Marquee's to allow for some cover in the rain.
3) Provide a bit more thought for the spectators (if the family can come and watch, it makes it easier to take part in the event )

All that said, this was a bloody good event, with great challenges. Definitely harder than the last course, even allowing for the rain,

Plastik

Results are online if you follow a link on their Facebook page. 49m 20 for the winner!

MonkieSocks

Great Craic........even the Mud Baths were free


I saw a few young Guys (Late Teens or Early Twenties) cutting the Slalom part of the course, LOSERS :mad:


I was in the third wave and most people in that wave were laughing their heads off on the downwards slopes, especially the downward bit before the Slalom.


That River crossing was especially cold:o

And for us back markers No Hot drink at the end
I think they need more than two Boilers.


Already looking forward to the Autumn one


Well done to everyone who took part

dermCu

As an event I thought it was good fun. It was fairly well run and the course was enjoyable. As a race however I thought it was a little bit unfair. It was a big advantage to be out in wave 1. I havent seen the results yet but I bet the fastest times were all from wave 1.

I understand it was the first time they ran it in winter so fair enough. Maybe next year they could do some grading i.e if you entered last year and you finished in the first 400 then you have a place in wave 1.

Plastik

There are a few wave 2/3 numbers placed very highly, but it's hard to know whether they went in those waves or skipped into one of the earlier ones.

MonkieSocks

Fair play to all the Marshals out on the course today, especially the guys at the Rope climb at the wooden obstacle.

They must have been out on the course very early and stayed out a long time.


Thanks Guys……………..great encouragement..............Great Job

Oldlegs

dermCu wrote: »

It was a big advantage to be out in wave 1. I havent seen the results yet but I bet the fastest times were all from wave 1.

Wave 1 was set up for advanced runners, Wave 2 for intermediate, and wave 3 for the rest. So obviously fastest runners would/should have come from wave 1. Another factor is that earlier entrants got a better choice of their wave. So if you were entering late, Waves 1 & 2 may well have already filled up and you were left with wave 3.

Some people on Facebook complaining of being in Wave 3 despite finishing in the bottom 1/3rd. Personally I chose to go in Wave 2 and finished in top 3rd (but still hurtin' )

About the stop/start back-ups, part of the challenge was to be able to pass people on the climb up the ridge and through the forest/swap sections. Maybe a bit of a backup at the Rope-wall but having had a breather you would have been all set for the quarry and the downhill to the forest. At the end of the day, it is all part of the race/challenge.

But glad you enjoyed it - I will defo be there for the next one.

miller82

Really enjoyed the race. It was a serious test. The descent was as much a mental test as it was a physical test. With the terrain and obstacles changing so much, the time flys by.

Finished with 1.08, and kind of feel like I left a bit in the tank. Very hard to gauge what pace you should be doing when its your first attempt and your not really sure when the obstacles are coming up and how much they will take out of you. The legs went to lead though after the swamp

Keep up the good work lads

bigslice

Great event, totally different throughout. I was in wave two and made a good dash to get pond early and away/ Was already passing walkers from wave 1 in the the field. Didn't find any delays round the course, the odd one but was often let past where possible.

Was going very well till the swamp and after that the legs just slowed up. Like someone said, i think i had more left in hindsight but just couldn't pick up the pace. Could have been the cold after the river either, feet were numb.

Footwear defo made a difference coming downhill, passed loads, i'd a good pair of New Balance trail runners and saw people all over the place in normal runners.

Just got in before the mad queues at finish - 1.09 176th place or so. One of the lads i travelled with was 17th and he was in wave 2.

MonkieSocks

Wave 1

Wave 2

Wave3

Hell and Back - Ireland's Toughest 10km
Extended Highlights

dermCu

Oldlegs wrote: »

Wave 1 was set up for advanced runners, Wave 2 for intermediate, and wave 3 for the rest. So obviously fastest runners would/should have come from wave 1. Another factor is that earlier entrants got a better choice of their wave. So if you were entering late, Waves 1 & 2 may well have already filled up and you were left with wave 3.

Our team was entered pretty early and we were down as advanced. I think it was probably just a mistake that we were put in wave 2. No biggie but it certainly slowed us compared to teams that were in wave 1.

Oldlegs wrote: »

About the stop/start back-ups, part of the challenge was to be able to pass people on the climb up the ridge and through the forest/swap sections. Maybe a bit of a backup at the Rope-wall but having had a breather you would have been all set for the quarry and the downhill to the forest. At the end of the day, it is all part of the race/challenge.

Cant say I fully agree with that. It wasn't part of the challenge for the first 30 guys in wave 1 so if this is pitched as a race then its not a level playing field unless all of the people who intend to race are given the opportunity to be in wave 1. In fairness I think that was probably the case and the example of our team and a few others was well in the minority. I'm not having a go, just something for the organisers to make a note of for the next event so that they can further improve next time around.

Looking at the results there there were some great runs by guys who made their way through the field. Look at the guy who started in wave 3 and finished in ~ 18th If he did start in wave 3 then he passed out hundreds and must have had a savage run. You can only imagine that he would have been much further up the standings if he was in wave 1.

MonkieSocks

The above 4 Videos stitched together in avi. format, can be downloaded from
https://rapidshare.com/files/3521614647/Hell_And_Back_January_2012.AVI

belcarra

dermCu wrote: »

Our team was entered pretty early and we were down as advanced. I think it was probably just a mistake that we were put in wave 2. No biggie but it certainly slowed us compared to teams that were in wave 1.



Cant say I fully agree with that. It wasn't part of the challenge for the first 30 guys in wave 1 so if this is pitched as a race then its not a level playing field unless all of the people who intend to race are given the opportunity to be in wave 1. In fairness I think that was probably the case and the example of our team and a few others was well in the minority. I'm not having a go, just something for the organisers to make a note of for the next event so that they can further improve next time around.

Looking at the results there there were some great runs by guys who made their way through the field. Look at the guy who started in wave 3 and finished in ~ 18th If he did start in wave 3 then he passed out hundreds and must have had a savage run. You can only imagine that he would have been much further up the standings if he was in wave 1.

I know I received an email from the organisers (13th Jan) to forward the details of my team, i.e. name, t-shirt size and also which wave we would like to be placed in.
We chose Advanced which turned out to be Wave 1. The other options were Intermediate and Beginner which would have been Waves 2 & 3.
Did your team captain not get this email??

miller82

bigslice wrote: »

Was going very well till the swamp and after that the legs just slowed up. Like someone said, i think i had more left in hindsight but just couldn't pick up the pace. Could have been the cold after the river either, feet were numb.

Yep, exact same thing happened to me. also struggled big time in the normal runners

Rebelkell

I cunningly wore normal runners leaving my perfectly good trail runners at home worried I might ruin them. What was I thinking!!!!!!!!!

MonkieSocks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_05MUKiC5k

Oryx

I just noticed I'm in that video.

Slogger Jogger

If you liked this, then the imra Annagh hell hill race next Sunday is made for you. Link to pics on IMRA thread on A/R/T main forum. All barriers are natural, nothing constructed. :cool:

Rebelkell

Once again a great hell and back race. The 7 and a half foot wall was nearly the end of me as i fell backwards off it.

boccy23

I've never done an adventure race but looking at this, I was thinking of giving it a go. I know that a normal 10Km is no line of time, but my PB for 10KM is 51:22mins. How much longer that you average 10KM would this obstacle 10KM?

MonkieSocks

boccy23 wrote: »

I've never done an adventure race but looking at this, I was thinking of giving it a go. I know that a normal 10Km is no line of time, but my PB for 10KM is 51:22mins. How much longer that you average 10KM would this obstacle 10KM?

I would recon with an extra 20 to 25 mins, it would depend on some of the queues at the obstacles.

Just don't go off at your normal 10k pace as there is a good climb up th little Sugarloaf.

It's great craic and I would highly recommend it.

The Davestator

boccy23 wrote: »

I've never done an adventure race but looking at this, I was thinking of giving it a go. I know that a normal 10Km is no line of time, but my PB for 10KM is 51:22mins. How much longer that you average 10KM would this obstacle 10KM?

my PB for 10 k is 48 and it took me 1:29 last Jan! I actually found it easier than a normal 10k as the obstacle as a little break from running and use different muscles etc.

thirstywork2

I ran 48/49 minutes and my flat pb 33.13

redhand07

Hey all, any one taking part in the JAN/FEB run?