You know when the temperature gauge reads sub-zero the morning of a run it’s going to be a tough one. Combine that with the title Hellrunner then it’s clear you’re going to need a certain amount of will power and endurance! Several of us from the club committed to take on this challenge and, on Saturday, braved the wilds of Longmoor Military Training Camp to complete 12 miles of challenging off-road running which included the famed Hills of Hell and the Bog of Doom!
On arrival, sleet and frozen puddles rattled our nerves a little, but spurred on by women’s and men’s changing tents and the promise of some of the infamous Carol Sergeant’s cake on completion; we set off as a group of 7 with a musketeer-like moto of all-for one-…. determined to spend as little time as possible on the course! A few other braves souls from the club also crossed the start line ahead of us with a look of the New Year Madness about them.
On arrival, sleet and frozen puddles rattled our nerves a little, but spurred on by women’s and men’s changing tents and the promise of some of the infamous Carol Sergeant’s cake on completion; we set off as a group of 7 with a musketeer-like moto of all-for one-…. determined to spend as little time as possible on the course! A few other braves souls from the club also crossed the start line ahead of us with a look of the New Year Madness about them.
The false hope which we developed early on, where we managed to stay relatively dry and even “quite warm in the sun”, was soon dashed when one of famed Hill of Hell took its first victim. Taking a slide, I managed to grab hold of a low-hanging branch, which subsequently lifted my feet from the floor and catapulted me into a rather ape-like flip mid-air to then dispose me somewhat further down the Hill. Whilst I found this mildly amusing it only served to heighten the fear factor of those in front and behind!
The Bog of Doom saw us create a simulation of a human life raft, where we had to keep Tiggy’s head above water, Martyn’s shoes on, whilst the rest of us tried not to die from panic. But, in true Hedgie spirit, we got each other through and emerged as a team at the other end.
From there it truly was a run from hell, the freezing temperatures making it impossible to dry off or defrost. Despite the best efforts of the Angels with music and jelly babies a couple of miles from the end (no, we weren’t hallucinating, there really were angels), there was little more than a frown or some “lively language” from our group. The unwavering support of Jim and Ali combined with Sheryl's amusing pet names for parts of our anatomies which had frozen, carried us through 4 more waist-height water crossings before the finish line.
The Bog of Doom saw us create a simulation of a human life raft, where we had to keep Tiggy’s head above water, Martyn’s shoes on, whilst the rest of us tried not to die from panic. But, in true Hedgie spirit, we got each other through and emerged as a team at the other end.
From there it truly was a run from hell, the freezing temperatures making it impossible to dry off or defrost. Despite the best efforts of the Angels with music and jelly babies a couple of miles from the end (no, we weren’t hallucinating, there really were angels), there was little more than a frown or some “lively language” from our group. The unwavering support of Jim and Ali combined with Sheryl's amusing pet names for parts of our anatomies which had frozen, carried us through 4 more waist-height water crossings before the finish line.
Now, don’t let us put you off, all of us would recommend you should experience it once in your lifetime! And, despite all
of the previous 400 words, I can share a secret with you - this was the second year in a row we’ve done it! Almost like we weren’t sure just how bad it was the first time round! It is a well-organised event which pushes you to your limits and, quite importantly, has a fabulous goodie bag and medal at the end.
I can’t remember at which point in 2014 “never again” turned into “shall we?”, but I’m pretty confident that the same won’t happen this time round – twice is definitely enough. Isn’t it?.......
of the previous 400 words, I can share a secret with you - this was the second year in a row we’ve done it! Almost like we weren’t sure just how bad it was the first time round! It is a well-organised event which pushes you to your limits and, quite importantly, has a fabulous goodie bag and medal at the end.
I can’t remember at which point in 2014 “never again” turned into “shall we?”, but I’m pretty confident that the same won’t happen this time round – twice is definitely enough. Isn’t it?.......
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