B2H

Ed's first event for the year and what an undertaking, no make that a gruelling undertaking.  The "Bogong to Hotham" is referred to by many ultra runners as the hardest race mile-for-mile of any one day run in the country, I now understand why - hills, big hills!

I had been training up to now having come back from an over-train injury in October, so with not quite 3 months under my belt I headed last weekend to the Kiewa Valley in Victoria with some trepidation in what I was about to undertake.  Mixed with that was of course the excitement of participating in an event that crossed the highest of the Victorian high country, I just love alpine places and so I was very much looking forward to this run.

The pre-race briefing Saturday evening in the back of the Bogong Hotel was to a room full of very fit looking runners, many of whom had undertaken this run before.  The race director Andy made a point of the strict cut-off times and safety both for the runners and the volunteers manning the course.  All of a sudden it struck me that maybe I was biting off more than I could chew in the B2H.

I opted for the early start at 5:30am Sunday morning, as did the majority of the field.  The whole event had an informal and casual air to it however heightened with a sense of seriousness that refused to be dismissed, and rightly too as this is the B2H after all.  We started right on queue at 5:30am and it didn't take long for runners to spread out on the trail up Mt Bogong, about 1400m of climbing in 6k's.  I was pleased to reach the summit in just over 2hrs which suggested I was on time for a mid field runner.  It was good to be running finally down off Bogong and past Cleve Cole Hut, then down along the steep descent of T Spur to reach the Big River crossing in around 3:21hrs.  The climb up Duane Spur was the final insult for my quads but I managed Ropers Hut checkpoint around 4:45hrs, at this point someone suggested that I might just make the cut-off time at Langford Gap.  I wasn't relishing the idea of having to drop out at the midway point through missing the cut, so I took off as best I could and found the undulating terrain after Warby Corner helped me maintain a reasonable run pace interspersed with walk breaks.  I arrived into Langford Gap with 8 minutes to spare, I'd made the first cut-off and now the game was on.  It was nice accompanying various other runners along the aqueduct and up to Bogong High Plains Road where we made that cut-off with plenty of time to spare.

A light fog enshrouded the Bogong High Plains Road checkpoint and drifted across the high plain as groups of runners made their way toward Pole 333 running mainly over snow grass and rocks.  Wild brumbys grazed not far from the checkpoint at Pole 333 where we turned left to head out towards  Cobungra Gap.  It was warmer on the descent to Dibbins Hut next to the Cobungra River, but not as warm as it got heading up the last of the major climbs on Swindlers Spur, where my quads finally capitulated.

By the time I reached Derrick Hut I was reduced to mostly walking with the odd jog in between, the checkpoint crew informed me that the race leader had covered the final 6km to Hotham summit in 29 minutes, now there was something to chase - not!  I joined a couple of runners at Mt Loch and we ran the final few hundred metres together to Mt Hotham and our race finish in 11:44hrs.  Three other runners followed us with the course sweeps close behind and that was it for the 2011 running of the B2H, with a total of 47 out of the 83 starters completing the course.  A fantastic effort by the organisers and volunteers manning the course, really an outstanding event.

Day two after B2H and I'm feeling pretty chippa and thinking this is a good lead in to the Overland Track run in early February.  I was surprised by the amount of walking I was forced to do on the B2H course, but then a second glance at the Bogong Alpine Area map tells the story.  I think I've got my shoe and socks combination right, no blisters and my feet are in good shape.  This was my first major distance wearing Injinji socks and despite the fact I'm never likely to get them clean again they performed beautifully, power users tip - don't get the white ones.

Chalk the Bogong to Hotham up for next year Dave, we're there... ;O)