Hell Hole Hundred (60k)

Photo courtesy of Eagle Endurance, LLC and Brian Fancher Photography

Hell Hole Hundred (60k)

As summer break approached, so did my ever-increasing nerves that would soon lead up to my second ultramarathon. I knew from the beginning it would be hard to find a race in Florida to participate in, let alone an ultramarathon. Which is how I came across this race, since it was the only short ultra I could find that was in June that was closest to me. And by close, I mean South Carolina.

The H3 (Hell Hole Hundred) claims to be one of the hardest races on the east coast due to the heat, humidity, and flat course. As to which is harder, can certainly be debated: mountains or flat terrain (running on mountains allows people to take breaks walking while it's harder to know when to walk on a flatter course).

Coming into this race I knew I would do well since not only was I more prepared both mentally and physically, but I carried more gear with me as well as food. Finishing wasn't going to be a problem...

June 3 (Day before Race)

As my mom checked into the hotel, I brought up the luggage and started to unfold everything.

Shoes...check
Vest...check
Food...check
Clothes...check

I headed down to the hotel's gym to finish up one final run before the race. My legs felt so much more refreshed after two miles on the treadmill.

 Thankfully the only bad instance of the week before the race was nothing more than a minor cold. 

It's a good thing I got plenty of sleep the week before the race, because falling asleep the night of a race wasn't as easy as I had hoped.  After setting my alarm for 3:45am, I was off to sleep.

June 4 (Day of Race)

Once the alarm went off, I was already awake. Getting out of bed quietly as to not wake my mom, I made some oatmeal with a handful of walnuts. After changing into my race clothes and setting up my vest, I felt a rush of nerves as I looked into the mirror.

Once Mom was awake, we started the car to head on a 30 minute drive to the heart of the Francis Marion National Forest where the race would begin.

Just before the start

I wanted to do well in the race overall, but something in my head kept bugging me. And it wasn't just in my head but I could physically feel it...the humidity.

I've never experienced humidity like this in Florida and it was hard picturing how well I would perform in this new area regardless of the weather conditions.

A tropical storm had recently passed over the forest so I anticipated some humidity but the air was so thick with water that you could drink from it.

Hopefully, those grueling long runs will have helped acclimate me to some of the weather since it's still very similar to Florida.

When we arrived to the start area, my heart started to race uncontrollably. My body felt like it had been struck by lightning, every nerve going off, every muscle twitching, every heart palpitation multiplying.

Many people were wearing Altra's. Love it

As I walked down the aisle of cars towards the start, I waved a "Hello" and "Good morning" to some runners. I got the feeling everyone else was just as nervous as I was, which gave me a bit of relief.

The timer slowly counted down with about five minutes remaining. I filled up my hydration bladder and had my
pockets stuffed with granola bars and an electrolyte drink.

I talked to one of the guys next to me. Thomas H. was running the 100 miler which reminded me that of all the runs that I do, all the lone trudges on the sidewalk, I felt a longing to find other ultrarunners. Other people like me to share the experience, the pain, and the run. I felt a sensation of belonging as I was surrounded by ultrarunners from all over the east coast.

I felt more energized to be amongst like-minded people that run crazy distances for fun. That's when
the countdown began...and in a matter of seconds, I was off into the depths of the forest for what I
knew would be a long day.

Video only works on computers, Sorry

I started off at a comfortable pace, as I checked my heart rate to make sure my body wasn't just running on nerves. I stayed near the front for a while as some people slowly started to pass me. I wasn't surprised to not find Thomas H. since he seemed to "float" way out in front moving effortlessly with the trail.

The first half of the trail looked amazing. It was a lot bigger than the one near my house. Trees so tall they blocked the sky. Multiple hills were spread out amongst the course that made me feel like I was riding a child's version of a roller coaster. Hill after hill until the trail eventually flattened out. And  the cool mist was comforting until the sun came up.

Photo courtesy of Eagle Endurance, LLC and Brian Fancher Photography

When I arrived at the first aid station, I stopped to grab a rice krispies treat then was back on the trail. When I reached the second half of the trail which consisted of long stretches of white gravel road with trees on both sides, I met another racer who was wearing an orange race bib.

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The H3 consists of four events: 60k, 100k, 100mi, and the infamous El Diablo. The El Diablo is presented as being one of the toughest foot races on the east coast. It starts out with a 60k night run, then the racers start with everyone else at 7:00am the next day to complete 100mi. In total, the El Diablo is a staggering ~140.6mi.

Its easy to tell if someone is racing the El Diablo if their race bib is orange, unlike everyone else's green/white bibs.

.     .     .  

I started walking beside him to ask how he was doing. He was carrying two handheld water bottles and wore all black including calf sleeves. Many tattoos covered his skin, followed by a black bushy beard upon his chin. I can't remember his name since I only met him once on the course.

Photo courtesy of Eagle Endurance, LLC and Brian Fancher Photography

After trudging through the white gravel road which seemed to stretch for miles, the heat started getting to me. Combined with the humidity, my head was starting to heat up so I got my hat wet at a water station. Thank goodness it was ice cold. 

When I headed back into the forest to finish up the last miles through the first loop, which is around 16.4 miles, I passed another 100mi racer sporting a bright blue ultimate direction vest and light brown sun hat with neck covers.

I started chatting with him about the race and about his history of ultras. He told me his name was Matt, and said he wanted to enter in the Badwater 135 someday. This is the hottest foot race on the planet taken place in death valley during the hottest part of the year where competitors start from the lowest
point and slowly climb their way up part of Mount Whitney, covering a distance of 135 miles. 

I've heard of the race but never actually met someone crazy enough to even think about it. I wished him good luck completing the race and in entering the Badwater. Then I went on to complete the last couple of miles to finish the first loop.

Thank you for being the best support crew/driver/mom/photographer ever!

Initially I felt great. I didn't feel sore at all. Maybe it was due to my improved nutrition plan, or maybe my oversized Altra Olympus that saved my feet. I was more consistent with training as well as cross training on the bike as well as core work. Whatever it was, I was happy to have made it back so quick.

And it was only going to get worse. As the sun rose up high in the air, I could feel the change in temperature of the air. No more cool mist just what felt like being sprayed with warm water. 

The humidity still clung to the air and keeping my heart rate down was challenging since I couldn't cool off unless I completely stopped. 

Finally, I made it to the aid station at the halfway point. I saw Matt again but he was already starting to look tired from the heat. I refilled my hydration pack and asked one of the volunteers how many other racers for the 60k were in front of me. "Just one guy. About 20 minutes ahead". I was flabbergasted. "Really? I'm in second place?"

With a boost of confidence I doused my hat with water, and was back on the trail. One guy passed me who was running the 100k. He wore a hat with a sponge holder on top. I smiled at the idea, and suddenly wished for my own sponge hat. 

The last section of the white gravel road was nothing short of misery. It was hot, sun shining right down on me. I was pouring with sweat and somewhat worried that I was going to cramp up soon from all this water loss. Thankfully I had salt tabs.

With all that time on the trail, I started thinking that if I use my tank top as sun shield for my neck
and attach it with my hat, I could essentially help cool myself down.

Smiles and salted potatoes after the second loop

So once I reached another water station, I took off my shirt to soak it in some cold water, then hung the strap part of the shirt on my head with my hat over it and voila!

Now I had my own sun hat soaked with cold water. My neck started to cool down and I felt so much better.  

I caught up with another racer whose name was Thomas. He was a member of the Hartford running club from Maryland. He was running the 60k race as well. I chatted with Thomas for the rest of the way through loop 2 until he eventually stayed way out in front as I couldn't keep up with him in this heat. 

He must have been more acclimated to this heat much more than I thought especially since he was wearing all black and cruising down the trail like it was another training run. 

After finally completing the last stretch of loop 2, I took a short break to help myself stay in the moment of this race. I didn't need any distractions at that point with only 3 miles left to complete. 

At this point I was mainly walking with a little bit of running here and there. I've never trained in temperatures like this. Resulting in one longest 3 miles I've ever done. I used a mix of short step work, and lots of walking. I came across the halfway point for the 3 miles spray painted in orange on the white gravel road. 

Thomas was probably done by this point when I saw him earlier listening to sports news on his mp3 player looking like he just started the race. He just kept going at a comfortable running pace the whole time.

When I entered back into the forest, I met another racer decked out in a bright neon yellow/green shirt and black/red Salomon pack. I talked to him about his ultrarunning experience which baffled me. 

Final sprint to the finish!

He said he tries to get in a 50k every month with a 100k or 100mi race once a year. I thought that was incredible, to do that many races in a year. I wished him good luck and sprinted the last half mile. I felt every muscle and ligament in my legs as I approached 6:20 pace. 

When I finally reached the opening back into the parking lot, I noticed the disco ball hanging above the entryway. It served as a comical reminder. That if your not having fun, running long distances will seem 10x worse. And throughout the whole experience of coming to South Carolina, racing, meeting new people, and sharing stories, I felt so happy to be in the atmosphere of it all. 

Once I received my finisher's coin, and pint glass, I congratulated Thomas and headed back to the hotel. Still thinking of all the competitors who had anywhere 30-70 more miles to go.

Finisher's Coin

.     .     . 

A few days after the race, the results popped up on my phone. I was so excited to see my name next to 3rd place. This was only my second ultramarathon and for me to see such an improvement was amazing. Hopefully my chances of getting sponsored will only increase.

Thank you to all the volunteers and to Chad Haffa for putting on this race. It was a heck of a
challenge and hope to be back again someday. Maybe El Diablo?

Event Pint Glass