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Himalayan 100 Race Report
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part 1
. HIMALAYAN 100-MILE REPORT.
I had looked into running the Himalayan 100 mile race a few years before but decided it looked a little too easy. After all there's no backpack to carry and they actually feed you, and its only 100 miles (a normal training week). I decided it would be good to run it this year and take my wife Julie as she had taken up running and wanted to run a multi stage race. This would be a good gentle introduction into ultra running for her. I had gathered as much information and race reports as well as talking to previous competitors in the event and was pretty confident I had everything covered. The only one unknown quantity was how we would cope with the altitude. Julie had done good training with close friend Beverley who was also coming along, and, apart from a swollen tendon in my shin which had recovered after rest and treatment, we were looking forward to doing relatively well and getting around unscathed. I have never been as wrong!!
28 + 29 October
Practically 2 days of travelling came and went. A short stay in the smog centre of Delhi followed by an internal flight to Bogdagra Airbase where we transferred to the small wind up dinky buses that drove us to our final destination at Mirik. Elevation 5000ft.
31 October
After a good nights rest and recovery we had a little sight seeing tour around the forests of Mirik. Also a chance to meet and greet old and new friends in preparation for the up and coming event.
. HIMALAYAN 100-MILE REPORT.
I had looked into running the Himalayan 100 mile race a few years before but decided it looked a little too easy. After all there's no backpack to carry and they actually feed you, and its only 100 miles (a normal training week). I decided it would be good to run it this year and take my wife Julie as she had taken up running and wanted to run a multi stage race. This would be a good gentle introduction into ultra running for her. I had gathered as much information and race reports as well as talking to previous competitors in the event and was pretty confident I had everything covered. The only one unknown quantity was how we would cope with the altitude. Julie had done good training with close friend Beverley who was also coming along, and, apart from a swollen tendon in my shin which had recovered after rest and treatment, we were looking forward to doing relatively well and getting around unscathed. I have never been as wrong!!
28 + 29 October
Practically 2 days of travelling came and went. A short stay in the smog centre of Delhi followed by an internal flight to Bogdagra Airbase where we transferred to the small wind up dinky buses that drove us to our final destination at Mirik. Elevation 5000ft.
31 October
After a good nights rest and recovery we had a little sight seeing tour around the forests of Mirik. Also a chance to meet and greet old and new friends in preparation for the up and coming event.
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31 October-Race Day 1 24 miles
We all had an early wakening again at 4:30 in order to have breakfast and travel the two hours to the actual start of the race at Manebhanjang (6800ft). The locals were there to greet us and after a small ceremonie we were finally up and running at 8.30am. My one and only claim to fame for the whole week was hitting the start of the hill in second place after a whole 400m. From there, there was only one place to go and that was backwards. The route just went up and up along these small windy cobbled roads, (and no not the London Marathon type cobbles, I think they were trying to be polite calling them cobbles, more like large stones laid willy nilly in the hope of catching you out and tripping you up breaking your neck type cobbles) without so much as a dip until around 8 miles (9500ft) we hit a large downhill, the only problem being I knew we finished at 11600ft so whatever we were about to go down meant climbing back up again. We had to tentatively pick our way down the steep ruts, unless you were like some of our American friends and totally fearless and just throw yourself down them and hope for the best. It finally levelled back out at 8000ft at around 11miles. It began climbing relatively steady at first but as it got higher the hairpin turns at each corner were practically getting vertical. As the altitude rose I could feel the pressure in my head and breathing getting tighter. As we rose above 10,000 feet it was all getting a little too much, I was feeling nauseous and was walking about 20 paces before having to stop for a rest (I now know what these mountaineers are going through when you see them on the TV. near the top of Everest, taking 3 steps then having to stop each time as though they have just run a marathon. I suppose I will now have to cross the ascent of Everest of my, to do list). As the time went past noon the clouds descended and it became bitterly cold, people had said it got a little chilly in previous years but don't remember them saying anything about sub zero temperatures. I hauled my ass up that damn mountain before having to rest up on one particularly steep part trying to regain my breathing once again and trying to stop my heart jumping out of my chest. I must have been on this stone for a good 5 minutes before I guy came round the corner and told me the finish was just there. Sure enough I had been on the last bend all the time literally 50 paces from the finish line. I crossed the line and was shown our shack that was to be our room for the next 2 nights; I immediately changed into my warmish clothes and climbed into my sleeping bag in an effort to get warm. Julie and Bev finished a mere 8 mins behind me. I had found the first guy an Austrian, Christian Scheister, had finished in under 4 hours, he is an absolute running machine and was to continue for the whole week. After grabbing a light meal we both jumped back in our sleeping bags and huddled together for warmth and drifted off to sleep, we were shattered, it was 5pm.
Finishing altitude 11600feet
accumalative ascent for day: 8400feet
accumalative decent for day 3400 feet
1st man 3:55.
Paul 6:37 Julie and Bev 6:44
http://www.26point2.co.uk/26point2/index.php
However, I agree with everything TYRM has said!
1 November-Race day 2 20 miles
We awoke at 4.30 to catch the sunrise in the chilly frost. We had since found out that it was very much colder than it should have for this time of year and in fact the coldest for 14 years. Apparently this makes altitude worse which hopefully explained why we were having such a rough time. We watched the sun rise in awe over Kanchenjunga (28660ft). Got some brilliant snaps, then Everest (29028ft) in the distance was pointed out to us, as well as Lohtse (27890ft) and Makalu (27790ft). After another early morning breakfast we set of for the second stage at 7am in a hope to run most of the route in the warmth before the clouds came down again at midday. I was feeling much better as we set off along the ridge. Never believe anyone in the hills when they call it a flattish coarse, all it means is that you will not require climbing gear for that day. We came to a severe downhill which seemed nice at the time, then I remembered it was an out and back route, this downhill would require climbing on the way back. I started climbing the final hill just as the front-runners came hurtling down it towards me. It was just short of a mile to the summit before the glorious turn around at Molle and a chance to rest the legs with a bit of downhill running. I met Julie and Bev at the bottom of the hill looking good and pacing themselves well. I came to the bottom of the steep hill at around 12 miles and again it seemed like my legs were failing me again. I just couldn't get the oxygen to the muscles in my legs for them to perform. Again it was a long slow haul up the hill to the top, I then just walked and jogged the last 4 miles or so to finish undoing all the hard work I had put in at the start. Julie and Bev finished off extremely well overtaking quite a few people along the way. Once again the clouds had descended and the cold came in. We huddled around the small fires in the top huts while we ate before being given the hint by one of the porters that he was sleeping there and it was his bedtime. We retreated to our cold bunks once again for a chilly nights sleep.
acculamitive ascent for day 3400feet
1st man 2:53
paul 4:17 Julie and Bev 4:46
2 November Race Day 3 26.2 miles.
Enough was enough, after another cold night and yet another early start, 6am. I decided that I would at least try and enjoy 1 day seeing that my race plan was up the pan. I set out with my wife and Bev in a determined effort to enjoy myself. We retraced the route we had done the day before to Molle where, just after, doing an 8-mile circuit to Phalut and back. The first descent into the circuit we were greeted with the lead runner making steady progress running up this ridiculously steep hill. We carried along the fairly flattish ridge until we could see the turn around point on the top of a hill. We made steady progress until we eventually came back to the turn off point. Hopefully the rest would be relatively easy until the finish as it was to be all downhill. It wasn't as easy as it sounds as the surface was uneven and large ruts everywhere (ideal for turning ankles). This down hill section was to take us from 11500feet down to the forest floor at around 7000feet, a massive 4500feet descent. Soon after all the ruts Julie was struggling with her knee and it was becoming too painful to run on. I took the honourable decision to carry on walking with her and let Bev go ahead with another group we had caught up. It was still one of my memorable moments of the whole event. As we made our way down the mountainside we passed through small communities of houses and schools. No matter where you were the school children were all dresses in their smart school uniforms. The small path zigzagged for mile after mile with no visible sign of any road. It must have been one hell of a trek for the locals for their daily papers!
All the children waved and greeted us as we passed by like some sort of oddity, I don't suppose they get many westerners in this area. As we dropped ever lower the temperature rose ever higher. We eventually reached the bottom alongside of a river and Julie nearly broke my arm as she clung tightly while we crossed one of the rickety bridges over the river. From then on the path widened as we made our way along a large construction works where they seemed to be Suring up the road and hill. Large concrete blocks disappeared into the forest below in a massive scheme to keep the road there as long as possible. On the opposite side of the valley you could see a large land slide that I suppose they were trying to stop happening on our side. We eventually came to the lodge in Rimbik that was the finish. After a few beers and our first hot wash since starting we basked in the warm sunshine warming ourselves thinking we were finally on holiday.
Accumulative Descent 9200feet
1st man 4:21
Paul and Julie 8:19 Bev 7:37
Actually I don't think I'm allowed anyway.
Well done Paul, Bev and Julie.
Bit worried about you though, what are the antibiotics for? Is it back to the desert in future or will you do it again?
Rob, I do remember your very P***ed of facial expression at the end of marathon day!
Will send out email to everyone tomorrow - off to see Bridget Jones tonight so looking forward to a laugh or two!!!
part 4..
3rd November Race Day 4 13miles
After a relatively good nights sleep and a light breakfast we were on the start line for a 9am start to the road race part of the run. I had swapped my cold weather gear for shorts and vest and road shoes. I had decided to give this stage a good crack; at least I was going to have a go at one stage. The first 4 miles were all down hill and it felt good to be up and running and feeling well for a change (unbeknown it was to be the last time I felt well at all for the rest of the trip). As we weaved our way down the winding hill the temperature slowly creeped up again until we hit the bottom of the valley and made our way along the small road passing the tunnels that were in the hillside that lead to the hydroelectric dam somewhere along the end of its long tunnels. Water was being pumped out of these long tunnels that gave you a choice of picking your way over the streams over saving time and just wading through. On one of the particular deep stream a bus driver had conveniently parked his bus in front of the small bridge crossing to give it a wash (I later discovered this on our return journey as Julie had crossed by the bridge whilst my feet received a severe soaking). We crossed one more rickety bridge where the timbers were looking pretty rotten and the workmen were starting to replace them with metal plates. Then it was up and up once more. It was once again a survival to the line on the never-ending hills. After another 3 mile climb the finish line was crossed. I sat down to recover but it seemed a bit chilly. Very soon I was shivering uncontrollably, I had become dehydrated and in the first stages of hypothermia (what more could go wrong). I forced as much fluid down myself as possible and when Julie had finished we were given a quick return back to lodges were we had started from via the land rover rather than the slower buses. I am pretty sure it was the first signs of the virus I had picked up kicking in good and proper. I missed the rest of the nights festivities as I lay in bed feverish and sleeping not knowing if I would even get to the last days start line or not.
1st man 1:28
Paul 1:59 Julie and Bev2:20
Behind the bar,
Engine pub
Hunslet
Leeds
my final instalment will give my thoughts of the events good and bad, but happy memories, betcha can't wait
4th November Race Day 5 17 Miles
The final day beckoned as we climbed aboard the bus that was to take us back to where we had finished the day before for the start of the final days run. It nearly took longer by bus than what we had run it the day before such was the downhill gradient.
As we set off we had the cheerful thought that this was the last uphill of any kind. The small problem being that it was a fraction over 6 miles long. I had decided to take this stage easy and at least it would give me a chance of actually finishing. I started my steady day at the complete back of the field and just enjoyed the views and the sounds of the birds as we made our way ever upwards and through the small local villages. My one good deed for the week was nearing the top of the final climb when I came across one of the Brits with the doctor complaining about severe cramps in his leg and was ready to stop. I scolded him severely and told him that he was near the top of the hill and from there it was nearly all flat and even if he had to crawl in he should finish it or he would regret it. He told me he would be ok and have a little rest and continue (he later confessed that if it hadn't been for me he would have jumped in the land rover and called it a day). At each checkpoint I was checking the progress of my missus, Julie, and Bev. I just couldn't seem to make any progress on the 6 minutes they had picked up in front of me. With 10 kilometres to go I pushed for home picking up a few places along the way, my legs were tired and painful but I just wanted to finish as quickly as possible. Just before the final bend I came up to Julie who's knee was playing up again so we finished the final 800 metres together. The local schoolchildren were there to cheer us over the finishing line. I have never been so thankful to finish an event and believe me I have finished some ultras in a bad state.
1st man 2:06
Paul, Julie and Bev 3:37
After another long trip back to the Mirik Lodges and an even longer presentation night (its impossible to embarrass these Indian chappies into submission even after some hints from our American friends that it was overstretching our patience a little). So after thanking everyman and his dog and giving every award that was available in India we finally retreated for our evening meal then an early bed. Thus began the next morning nearly 2 days of travelling back to good old Blighty. I have never been as happy to get home in into my own bed to try and recover. Don't know what I contracted over there but it wasn't very nice, I have never been so ill for so long in my life, which only leaves a few questions:
Would I do it again?
Maybe one year, if only to prove to myself that I can do better and enjoy it a little more if not as ill.
Would I do anything different?
Absolutely, I tend to think that if you do something different you haven't done before it is a learning curve. So, I would go out earlier, far too much travelling the way we did it and not enough time to relax, drink heaps more water.
Would I recommend it?
Once again, absolutely. The difference of the silence and the scenery up in the mountains to the noise of the birds and the greenery in the lower parts of the hills was definitely worth the visit.
The main part was the amount of people actually running the event, a chance to get out on your own as well as a chance to talk and get to know everyone from around the world after each day's event. Give it a try I don't think you will be disappointed.
1st man overall 14 hours 43mins
Paul 24 hours 50 mins
Julie 25 hours 47 mins
Bev 25 hours 04 mins
Would you do it again?