Two years ago a friend of mine, Mosi Smith, introduced me to his friend, a fellow member of the United States Armed Forces who was also running at the Carlsbad Marathon where I was pacing. Since that time, Robert Hillery and I have met on numerous occasions at races across the country. I found out early this past year that Rob would be trying something that is on my absolute to-do list- Ultraman.
What is Ultraman? It is a three-day, 320-mile stage race held in Canada with the same race’s world Championship being held in Hawaii. The first day consists of a 6.2-mile swim, followed by a 90-mile cross-country bike ride. Stage two is a 171.4-mile bike ride. Stage three is a 52.4-mile double-marathon run. Each stage must be completed within 12 hours. Participants who do not reach the finish lines within the time limits are disqualified. Ouch. All around.
So when Rob not only completed Ultraman Canada and then ran the world championships in Hawaii, I decided it was time to sit down and give him an interview.
Dane Rauschenberg: When did you begin running?
Rob Hillery: High school initially, but I only did enough for basic fitness and to get into the Naval Academy. Even at the academy, I only ran just enough to keep the weight down, pass the Physical Readiness Test, and not be too slow for group runs. I was naturally okay at it, not talented by any means at all. My sport in school was power lifting, which was all I loved to do. It is ironic that I am in the sport I am given my history in that sport.
DR: Were you an athlete growing up?
RH: I played soccer and baseball in little league as a kid, then wrestled, played golf, and started power lifting in high school. I was best at power lifting out of everything, which is why I chose to pursue that sport into college.
DR: When did you start triathlons?
RH: My first triathlon was the Camp Pendleton Sprint Triathlon in 2008. Mosi Smith (our mutual friend) had been talking to me about trying them for about a year, and after he bugged me enough, I finally broke down and bought a bike in June of 08, then did that race in August. I had done a few running races up to that point in my life (three marathons I think), but that was it. Little did I know how much I would fall in love with the [triathlon].
DR: What made you even think about doing an Ultraman?
RH: After two Ironmans, I wanted something more; something different. I’d known about Ultraman since 2008, after reading about it online. My first thought was like anyone else’s…..”Wow, this is stupid. Who the hell would do something like this?!” Mosi and I of course talked about it once in awhile, and over time as I got more and more addicted to the sport, it slowly turned from “No way in hell. Never.” to “Man, how could it be possible? Those distances!” to “You know, it would be pretty cool to stand on the finish line of that race.” to “Maybe, just maybe if I trained my ass off, it might be possible to finish it. Just maybe.”
DR: Was it an easy decision once you caught the bug?
RH: Mosi put in his application to Canada late last year, and that’s what really got me thinking about it. So in January, I said screw it and put my application in. I was about #7 on the waiting list, so I said “Well, I won’t get in anyway. At least now I can say I tried. Done.” Low and behold, I found out in April that I got in and received an official invitation. “Holy sh*t. I really have to do this now!”
DR: What happened in your normal training regimen after you realized you got in?
RH: The rest of the summer was nothing but training. Nose to the grindstone for four months straight. But it was an unforgettable experience and I’ll never forget it. I found out while at Canada that there were spots reserved in person to go to Hawaii in November. After the amazing experience at Canada, as soon as I crossed the finish line I told them I wanted to go to Hawaii. The rest is history as depicted in the videos. Ultraman isn’t very well known at all, but it’s a very unique, special experience. That’s why I wanted to capture the essence of the experience in the videos for all to see. (Click HERE to go to Rob’s facebook page to see his video.)
DR: You ran the entire 52-mile portion carrying a flag which was all part of your plan to raise money for the Semper Fi 1 in 10 program? Tell us more about that.
RH: The Semper Fi Fund is a charity that raises money to assist wounded Marines with things that they need for their recoveries from their injuries that the government can’t provide. The details are on the website, but they are basic things that we wouldn’t think of unless we had some of their injuries: Ramps in vehicles and homes for leg amputees, hand controls for vehicles, specialized workout equipment, etc. The government doesn’t provide any of this, but it is very expensive. The charity exists to provide these things for our wounded Marines. “1 in 10” is a fundraising campaign for this charity that Mosi and I started in 2010. “10” is for 2010 (the year it started) and “1” is for 1 million, our ultimate fundraising goal. We will not stop until we get it.
DR: So Canada was your first Ultraman. Which race was more difficult? I can see Hawaii was slower for you but that doesn’t necessarily mean it was harder.
HR: Hawaii was by far more difficult. The climate just killed me. It’s weird because Canada’s course is tougher, but the elements definitely evened the score and then some. I think also because Hawaii was towards the end of the year, and I had done Silverman three weeks before, that my body was just beat up and needed a break from the year. And on Day 1 I got really seasick during the swim, to the point that I couldn’t really drink or eat much on the bike. It got so bad toward the end that I got so dehydrated that I locked up three times on the bike and needed to stop and get massaged by my crew before I could keep going.
DR: Which parts of each race are the hardest? (e.g., the second day of biking) or does it depend mostly on what is your best sport?
HR: The hardest parts varied between the races. Hardest part of Canada (if you break the days out by themselves instead of the building fatigue from the days) was Day 2. 170 miles on the bike with all that climbing was just brutal. Really long day.
Hardest part of Hawaii was definitely Day 1. Being seasick, dehydrated, and cramping so bad (Day 1 ended 4,200 ft. higher than it started, so you had that net climb on the bike for the day) is what contributed to it all. Definitely had to dig down deep to finish it.
I think digging deep is an understatement and I cannot wait to see what Rob will do next.