'Till We Meet in Hell

I was injured last year when Blackstrap Hell was run. I envied all the Monsters their fun. This year Hell was canceled. Out by myself on a Gorham run, I was thinking how all the TMs would love these trails, but there really isn't enough of them to host a group run there. It was on this run that 'TWMiH began to crystalize.

Jeff's Hell had been a handicapped race based on time, with a staggered start based on a predicted time for the couse. Theoretically, everyone should finish at the same time if the handicapping algorithm was correct. So, whoever came in first, was the winner. OK, my 1.25 mile loop would be over before we knew it...BUT what if we fixed the time and handicapped the distance? Hmmmm.....An hour and a half seemed like a good work out and enough of a run to draw people to Gorham. The short, but challenging loop could keep everyone feeling like they were in it. AND it was a perfect way to have a party after since we'd all finish together!

To say I obsessed over the details would be, um, correct, perhaps an understatement. The logging that started a week before the event wrecked my usual loop. So I raked the new part of the course. Rick and I headed over early to put out ribbon to block any possible wrong turns, rake any stray leaves, and put out tenth markers. Blaine nicely agreed to come early to learn the loop; I figured if a front runner knew the course, he could lead the way. He met me up near the .8 mark and said he'd found his way without me. Good.

After I placed the last of the tenth markers (people without garmin could keep track of laps, then note the tenth they made it to in the time allowed), I headed back up to the parking lot where almost everyone was already assembled. Twenty-four of us headed down the trail to the start of the loop. I gave pre-race instructions and we were off!

Rick and I settled in behind Danielle and Randy. The way they chatted, it seemed like it was a walk in the park! By the .7 mile mark, either they pulled away or Rick and I dropped back. I guess Rick and I just settled in to a pace that we felt comfortable holding for the 1.5 hours. I'm not sure where we starting going past some of the runners, but I know exactly when we were lapped for the first time. Blaine, followed closely by Andy, sped past just 35 minutes into the race. Wow! This is when I decided I should start taking pictures to capture the event. I was pretty sure I wasn't in to pushing too hard, so the photos kept me from going too crazy AND I actually got some good shots! I guess I shouldn't have been, but I was surprised when Snowman lapped us next and not all that long after the leaders went by.

I have to admit that I felt really good getting the comments from my fellow Monsters about the course. Yay! I shouldn't have worried so much. The trail went down some very short, steep banks and immediately presented fun footing with water and roots. There was no way I could run one of the downs. The steep ups were a lot easier for me. I really credit running 2x a week here with being able to run the entire Stone Cat Marathon without any walking, even on the hills.

Dora had started the race with her daughter, Kelsey. They planned to just get in a couple of laps; Kelsey had gotten in late at the airport the night before. Dora then met up with us at Sebago Brewing for the post-race fun. So we lost two runners, but sometime along the way were joined by Four and his daughter's new puppy. Mindy stopped after a couple of laps (planned) and hung out at the start/finish taking pictures.

Rick and I more or less stayed together the entire time. We lapped or were lapped by everyone except Ian and Jim (of course I did hear Jim a couple of times!). Wait! We were with Danielle and Randy at the beginning, but that was it. Never saw them till the finish either. I do think the multiple laps on a short course proved to be a fun change. It was good to see the others and exchange banter/encouragement or just smiles.

At the end of the hour and a half, Rick and I were just about at the finish. In fact, it seemed like a lot of the runners were. Of course, a 1.15 mile course with two lobes made it so no one was ever very far from the start. There was some confusion recording the distances, but I think we got it all down in the end.

Blaine was the un-handicapped winner covering 10.9 miles. He never really shook Andy who covered 10.8. Now, Jeff had never seen the course when he was predicting the distances. He based his formula on the Scuffle and Bruiser races and so predicted that Blaine should be able to do 12.29 miles. Rick ran more than Jeff predicted. The handicapping was definitely in his favor. When Rick ran those races, he really was just hanging in to cover the distance and not able to race (recovering from injury (knock on wood), his fitness was never at the point where he could do any more than finish). I really wasn't thinking about that when I conceived the format!

So the fun part was over and the funner part came next. We all headed to Sebago Brewing to rehash the event, have awards, eat and drink, and celebrate Emma's birthday. Never were there so many BADASSES in one place!

The awards:
Blaine got a quart of Allen's Coffee Brandy for outright first
Rick got 3 - 22 oz, "Hell Awaits Imperial Porters" for first
Jeremy got 2 "Hell Awaits" for 2nd
Snowman got a "Hell Awaits" for 3rd *

* I found it very fun that Ryan was 3rd whether using the handicap or not. He was really right on Blaine's and Andy's asses covering 10.5 miles!

So, thank all the Monsters for making this a great event. Big thanks to Jeff for the handicapping algorithm. And, always, a huge thanks to Ian and Emma for giving us the TMs and for the party. We love you guys.

Some of the pictures and note the elevation profile...the hills really did get steeper as the race went on: