Out and Back
In a nutshell
In 2017, elite skyrunner Hillary Allen fell about 50 metres from a rocky ridge during the Tromsø Skyrace. The book is an open account of survival, rehabilitation, depression and her return to the trails and to Tromsø.
Who it's for: Runners and non-runners looking for proof that a comeback is possible despite the doctors' verdict.
Maybe not for: If a long account of recovery and mental lows isn't your thing, a large part of the book may feel endless.
Injury. A problem few runners avoid. Our Achilles tendons hurt, we get plantar fasciitis, we suffer from ITB syndrome, every now and then we twist an ankle, or our body thanks us for all the hard work with a stress fracture. Sure, it’s a problem, but it usually goes away in a few weeks. Unless we try to “run it off”… And then there’s Hillary Allen, who in Out and Back tells her story of survival. Physical and mental.
It’s 2017 and Hillary Allen is leading the Skyrunner World Series. An elite runner supported by The North Face, she’s on the start line of one of the last races of the series, Norway’s Tromsø Skyrace. The race is run by Kilian Jornet and Emelie Forsberg. They’re the ones who send the athletes off on the 57 km course with 4,800 metres of climbing.
Hillary reaches a rocky ridge, and in an unguarded moment the rock “breaks away” beneath her. A free fall of about 50 metres follows. On the opposite hill stands well-known photographer and podcaster Ian Corless, watching the whole scene through his lens. He’s convinced Hillary can’t have survived.
An almost fatal fall
Her limp body lay on the edge of a rock ledge, and there was a risk of another fall. Runner Manu, who was just behind Hillary, saw and heard the fall. He kept his presence of mind and his courage. He climbs down to Hillary’s body. He hears faint breathing. She’s alive. The longest 30 minutes of his life begin. That’s how long it takes for the rescue helicopter to arrive. Thanks to a first aid course, Manu manages to stabilise her body and stop the worst of the bleeding. The list of injuries later reveals 14 fractures all over her body. To the doctors’ surprise, no internal organ injuries. Almost a miracle.
A series of operations begins, then transport home to the USA and more operations. All this happens in roughly the first 20% of the book. It’s fast-paced and the book won’t let you go. The following 60% or so of the content is devoted to recovery. An elite runner is dependent on the help of others. Her dreams have evaporated and a cruel reality sets in. The doctors say her running days are over.
But Hillary has been a fighter since childhood and goes hard after what she wants. Without embellishment she describes her difficult mental states and her struggle with the demons inside herself. In this respect the book can be motivation for people going through an equally hard time. The message of the book is clear. You have to believe in yourself. That’s the foundation.
Hillary Allen
Besides healing the injuries caused by the fall in Norway, the book doesn’t avoid the mental health problems of her youth either. She was different from her peers. Perhaps too goal-driven. She suffered from an eating disorder, and the book doesn’t avoid that topic either. But back to running.
Half a year after the injury, Hillary is back on her feet. She lives in Boulder, Colorado, and the surroundings there won’t let you sit at home. She starts walking and doing the occasional bit of jogging. It’s like a rollercoaster, up and down, but she’s still moving forward. After a year she starts preparing for a new season, but another fall comes. Two weeks later she slips on ice and breaks her ankle. She’s back to square one. Surgery. Depression. Rehab.
The remaining 20% of the book covers her return to the trails around Cortina in the Dolomites and to the TDS race at UTMB. Here the pace picks up again, and it all ends with a grand finale back in Tromsø, where Hillary returns to close the circle.
Final verdict
+
A motivating book, not only for runners, showing that a return to life (and even to the top of a sport) is possible despite the doctors’ “verdict”. Hillary offers an open confession in which many can find themselves.
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A large part of the book is taken up by the process of recovery and mental falls into the depths of her own soul. If that’s not your thing, this part of the book may feel rather endless.
