Television presenter, Laura Woods, will be going through HELL & BACK this weekend when she undertakes Ireland’s toughest physical and mental endurance challenge in Killruddery Estate, Bray. Over the last few weeks, Laura has been busy preparing for her hellish adventure, which will require her to go over, under, around and through numerous man-made and natural obstacles, including Sniper Alley, Ice Baths, 10 Foot Walls and Electric Shocks. Buplex, a new HELL & BACK Partner for 2016/17, is delighted to announce the “Buplex Hellside”, a slippery 100-foot waterslide designed to help weary HellRaisers slide through pain. Buplex is also offering helpful tips to aspiring HellRaisers like Laura on pain prevention and management.
To prepare for their day in Hell, participants should be prepared to push through the pain barrier as to make it thru’, they have to learn to accept pain throughout the course. Muscle weakness and a build-up of lactic acid are usually the main causes of pain but this can be helped through some basic gym exercises and building up fitness beforehand.
“At first I was worried about the more difficult obstacles and muscle ache from running. But over the last few weeks I’ve done some outdoor jogging, some upper body exercises in the gym and lots of lunges to build up my leg strength”, said Laura Woods, TV presenter and adventure race newbie. “Now I’m really excited and there’s a group of us doing it so we’ll be there to help each other slide in the mud!”
Commenting on the new partnership, Helen Murphy, Brand Manager for Buplex said, “we’re really excited about our new partnership with HELL & BACK – one of the most exciting brands in the adventure industry – as it appeals to people of all ages with a sense of adventure and aligns with the Buplex brand messaging that we have no time for pain in our action-packed lives. Also, as Buplex is an Ireland-only brand we really wanted to partner with a uniquely Irish event and as the country’s largest and most popular obstacle course run it is the perfect fit”.
Buplex and HELL & BACK’s eight tips to help HellRaisers push through the pain:
- Build up your leg and core strength by doing body weight exercises like lunges, burpees and air squats or create a circuit of 40 seconds of work and 20 seconds of rest. This can be burpees, followed by lunges with the bar and weights, press ups, jumping jacks, air squats, planks, mountain climbers and knee highs.
- Be prepared on the race day and wear fingerless cycling gloves for climbing, trail runners or astro boots for grip, compression leggings that cover the knee, a technical t-shirt and/or a compression top. Avoid cotton or flimsy materials that may rip and if you want to be really savvy duct tape your shoes on so they don’t get stuck in the mud!
- There are great warm up sessions on the day before each Wave Start, so make sure you take part to help loosen up your muscles beforehand and prevent injury.
- Revamp your attitude! If your thoughts are of fear, dread, doom and gloom, you significantly reduce your chance of running/ jumping/ scrambling through all the obstacles for any significant amount of time.
- Don’t run at an impossible pace! Remember this is a challenge instead of a race where finishing is considered victory, so run slower or walk to ease your muscle pain.
- Set micro goals by breaking down each challenge and just think of the fun you’ll have sliding down the giant Buplex Hellside!
- If you’re hitting a low on the day, think of all the amazing photos you can share on Facebook later on and have another slide in the mud so people can see the conditions you went through.
- Don’t forget to warm down after the race – some forget when they’re celebrating. If you feel a sore muscle or got a knock anywhere on the course, speak with a member of Order of Malta, follow the RICE technique and speak to your doctor if the problem persists:
- Rest – stop and protect the injured of sore area.
- Ice – cold will reduce pain and swelling. Apply a cold pack for 10-20 minutes, three or more times a day. After 48 to 72 hours, if swelling is gone, apply heat to the area that hurts. Do not apply ice or heat directly to the skin. Place a towel over the cold or heat pack before applying it to the skin.
- Compression – wrap the injured or sore area with an elastic bandage will help decrease swelling. Don’t wrap it too tightly though.
- Elevation – elevate the injured or sore area on pillows while applying the ice. Keep the area level or above your heart to help minimise the swelling.
“We’re very pleased to have Buplex on board as a HELL & BACK Partner for our 2016/17 events and hope it is the start of a long and successful relationship with the Irish brand”, said Aidan Walsh, General Manager with Alive Outside. “HELL & BACK is all about conquering the elements that are thrown at you, whether that’s the temperamental weather conditions, the gruelling natural environment or the torturous man-made obstacles. HellRaisers don’t have time for pain whether they are wadding through a swamp or scaling the Little Sugar Loaf so the Buplex brand messaging fits in really well with our overall ethos”.
