The Head and the Heart

The Head -
Land Between the Lakes 50 mile trail race.

Put on by amazing RD Steve Durbin, and also offering distances of 60k, marathon, 23k, and a road 10k, the LBL trail runs draw a pretty huge crowd.  Like 800+ huge.  The masses back up to the shoreline at Lighthouse Landing for the start.  All distances starting together, with the number of laps we registered to run coded into our bibs (4000's signed on for 4 laps or 50 miles, 3000's = 60k, etc.), we would run away from Grand Rivers and on toward the singletrack loop that was the bulk of our course.

I bid adieu to my buddies and campmates, Tom Nielsen and Craig Sampsell at the car.  Jumping around to stay warm, I ran in to lots of friends and trail acquaintances - Cynthia Heady, Heath Fenton, John King (fresh off a huge marathon PR and unsure how far he wanted to run), Ricky George (warning me - "don't let me catch you on lap 4 Hoyes!"), Russ Goodman, Troy Shellhamer and Scott Breeden (all three racing the 60k and the latter two gunning for the course record).  I don't remember if it was a gun or a "go", but we all got under way with the 1 1/2 mile asphalt approach to the Canal Loop.

So began the long day in my head.  Having guys running a road 10k next to those running 50 miles next to those racing for 60k course records requires one to look inside and feel for the pace that's going to work.  Although it's hard to let people go, Scott and Troy were just up the road, and they were going to be flying through a race 12+ miles shorter than mine.  "Settle down" I'd tell myself.  Then I'd be jolted by the thought of a hundred people bumbling through the trail in front of me.  So, I just made conversation, ran into Derek Ball and talked with him for a while, and before I knew it, the first lap was half over. 

Russ Goodman and I movin' on

Course markings showing the mileage in lap increments provided lots of opportunity to stay in my head doing math.  Not being a GPS user makes one rely on quick math and the ability to multiply and divide mileage and time.  As the first lap came and went, so did much of the company.  23k'ers were done with one, leaving only marathoners, 60k'ers and 50 milers.  I had spotted one 4 on a bib up ahead of me on a section of trail that doubled back on itself, and I passed him as he went for a drop bag (I didn't use drop bags).  Right in front of me, however, was a good gauge - Russ Goodman.  If there's one word to describe Russ, it's consistent, and that's what I needed to be.  Although, he was doing the 60k, which made me second guess my early enthusiasm.  As we rolled through the second lap, picking off runners, I simply let Russ set the pace.  Easy yet not hiking the climbs, and smooth solid running throughout made me feel like I was only running a little too fast having limited 50 mile experience (one awful 50 mile trail race and a 64.5 mile 10 hour effort).  Maybe this was a lot too fast. 

At some aid station, I got in front of Russ and was cruising into lap 3 on my own.  Lapped runners were all over the place and most all of them offered kind words of support which I returned as I asked to get around.  The trail running community is amazing, and this race made me appreciate it like never before.  I was asking at aid stations and the one electronic bib check about other 50 milers but no one could give me much info.  Then, as we exited the mid-lap aid station, I caught Ed Kirk.  Ed is a crazy-strong trail runner and knowledgeable racer who lives right on the Lovin' the Hills course.  He told me that only Troy, Scott and couple of other guys had come through, and he noted that Gingerich (multi-time past winner) had passed him in exactly that spot in previous years.  So, in Ed's words, I was doing sub-seven hour pace.  Finally, I had gotten some solid info - sounded like I was second or third.

Then, the end-of-lap aid station finally got there.  There was lots of activity as tons of runners were going for drop bags and Scott (who was already in his sweats and looking fresh having crushed the 60k record) was there in support.  He looked wide-eyed at the salt deposits on my face and said "Matt, man you're salty" and tried to hand me some Endurolytes.  Adept at the quick math, he said I was on 6:40 pace and told me I was doing great.  My good friend, Tom (gearing up for his third lap), spotted me and said "Dude, are you starting your fourth?'  I think my response was "I guess so, but I don't really want to."  If I had bailed and headed to Grand Rivers right then I would've been 4th in the 60k.  I could be ok with that, but then that stubbornness reared up in me.  One more lap.  I told myself that I was strong enough to go one more lap.

Damage control was about all that I could muster.  Constantly thinking about how a fall would result in a massive cramping attack and how walking would kill the pace that I had worked so hard for, I dug deep to maintain something that biomechanically looked like my stride.  I was shrinking to a shuffle, and kept telling myself "don't be a ____________."  I ran every climb, and got updates at every aid station from Julie House (even if they might have been somewhat fictionalized).  I was running 2nd, and she'd tell me that I was closing in on him, "five minutes" she'd say.  I wasn't really worried about him.  This was a battle in my own head.  I thought about making my son proud, about my girlfriend's embrace, about the kids I coach looking at me for inspiration.  It's the title of my blog, and my most simple mantra - go.

I finally got to the end of that last lap and Julie confessed that the winner was actually more than 20 minutes up.  The worst part of the entire day is that the 50 milers have to this out and back on the road to get the total distance.  It's hard running away from the finish line, but I peeled myself away from the aid station and headed up the road.  After rounding the cone and running most of the way back to the aid station, I spotted the third place overall runner.  It was Melanie Peters, ultra phenom, who went on to smash the women's record by over 45 minutes, less than 8 minutes behind me.

Tom, me, Craig.  Sporting some hard earned belt buckles.

Wound up second to Matt Urbanski of Seattle by 25 minutes, (I clocked a shiny new PR of 6:51), 8 minutes up on Melanie and 20+ up on 4th.  Three 60k guys and eight marathoners ran faster paces, which I'm super happy with.  The Western Kentucky Runners crew led by Steve Durbin, all the volunteers, the amazing performances by every brave soul, and the sheer beauty of LBL made this race one of the best days of running I have ever had.  What better way to spend almost seven hours in my head?

The Heart-
The Heart Mini Marathon, Cincinnati OH

A side note really, my Heart Mini race report is basically to laugh at my inability to stay away from starting lines.  All I needed was to hear that my uncle had put together a corporate team to raise money for the Heart Association and I offered to be his "ringer."  Well, as much of ringer as one could be having just run 50 miles seven days prior.  But, it's a fabulous charitable event, and I was a little curious to see how the body would react.

Seconds before the gun it started snowing.  The course climbed a lot and it seemed like there was a headwind no matter what direction you were running.  And, 6:15's felt like 5:45's.   Managed to hit marathon goal pace and clocked a 1:20 for 4th overall.  Five minutes off my PR, but I still feel OK about it moving forward.

On the horizon - back to Cincinnati.  Flying Pig Marathon.  May 5th.

LLTH 50k Race Report

Recovering, warm and full of soup, with  my buddy Tom.

It takes me a couple of days to digest an experience like Lovin the Hills.  Then, before I really considered composing a race report, I spent a few days looking for photos to surface.  My recovery was going well though, as I had been getting in some light running and good core work during track practices.  Then some unbelievably heinous variety of flu decided that my mending body would be a good host.   Long story short, I'm making excuses as to why it's taken me a week to get this post knocked out.  I am writing this still wrapped up in my sleeping bag where I've been for the last three days.  It puts things in perspective.  A good bout of flu makes that fourth hour of a 50k seem easy.   

2013's LLTH was a record breaking affair.  Total number of participants was the highest ever, and the course record was obliterated.  It started out much like the others that I've run - the front of the 50k group keeping it conversational for the first couple of miles while a few of the 6 and 15 milers blast up the trail.

Absent this year was race founder and the event's most prolific winner, Eric Grossman.  So, it looked like it would be a showdown between Scott Breeden and Troy Shellhamer, but you should never discount the other players who may have come in from out of state, or the strong guys who have gotten faster.

Coming out of the Red Trail, Breeden was already starting to distance himself.  I was just trying to stay comfortable running with Troy, and there were a couple of guys around that I didn't know.  As we headed out on the Yost section, it looked like it was going to be a day for fast times.  We bombed into the new section of much wider and flatter trails and the miles flew by.  It was Troy, myself, and Harvey Lewis running together for all of that section.

We rolled by the Welcome Center and headed out onto the Siltstone for what I think is one of the sweetest sections of trail in the region.  My legs were feeling pretty heavy, and I was beginning to consider whether or not I could keep up this pace.  A couple of climbs later I had my answer as Troy and Harvey were getting smaller and smaller.  By the time I reached the aid station at Scott's Gap, I was pretty happy to stand still for a second and prepare for what I think are three of the toughest miles of the race.  A friend of Troy's gave me the low down.  As upbeat as she could be, she explained that Troy and Harvey were up about five minutes and Scott was up fifteen.  "Fifteen minutes?" I asked.  That was more like an end of the race kind of gap, and we had (well, I had) about twelve miles left to run.  Ouch.

So I headed into Scott's Gap loop aiming to minimize the damage.  While I was trying to will myself up the first climb, I got a glimpse of what good climbing looked like.  Ryan Case, from Ann Arbor MI, shot past me leaving no chance to go with him.  He was climbing super strong, and by the day's end would narrowly miss catching 3rd place.

With Scott's Gap finally behind me, I had the return trip on the Siltstone and few additional miles to the finish.  I was running 5th which I was OK with, and my pace through the first section of the Siltstone felt pretty good.  Then, while I was stopped at the aid station at Bearcamp Rd., Russ Goodman came rolling through.  My introduction to racing LLTH came from Russ when he ran away from me on the Purple Heart Trail (they don't use that trail now that Scott's Gap has been reopened) as he went on to win, beating me by 12 minutes.  Needless to say, he's not the kind of guy you want to have pass you late in the race.  But, it was a good shot in the arm for me.  I hadn't been really racing for hours and now I had to decide whether or not to just let him go, or to dig deep and get that spot back.  I have a ton of respect for Russ and knew that even if I got back in front of him, I wouldn't be safe until I crossed the finish line.  I simply tried to run more of the climbs than he was, and soon moved back into 5th.  Pushing myself hard to the end, I managed to stay away.

5:03 was my fastest LLTH yet - fifteen minutes better than last year and one place worse.  Although it would've been nice to go under five hours, according to realendurance.com, my time is the 13th fastest at LLTH all time.  That's pretty cool.  Big kudos to all the folks that make this race so special - Cynthia Heady, Ed Kirk, Louisville Parks, all of the marvelous volunteers, the sponsors, the folks that come from so far away (Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan, N. Carolina, and all the surrounding states), and to all of the 250 or so who braved this course.  Congrats to Scott and Troy for breaking the course record - Troy is running great, Breeden is looking super human.  It was good to meet Harvey Lewis and run with him for a little while.  I now know that he's done this race before - he's just way faster now.  Thanks to Ryan from Michigan for reminding what going up hill is supposed to look like.  And, special props to my good friend Tom Nielsen for completing his first LLTH 50k.  Look out LBL, here we come.

Louisville Lovin' the Hills 50k

This zipper of an elevation chart says a lot about the Louisville Lovin' the Hills 50k course but not everything.  There are other elements - the weather, the strong competition, the way strong ultra runners gaze at their watches perplexed at how they just worked so hard for their slowest 50k ever.  The views all the way across Louisville are nice too.  Race promoter, Cynthia Heady, and her amazing post-race soups make it worth the freezing, the climbing, and the fact that last year it was actually 32.5 miles long.  I'm not sure that any other race I compete in completely shreds my legs like LLTH does.  It was my first ultra experience, and each attempt since then has taught me invaluable lessons.  Lessons in self-control, lessons in perseverance, and lessons in humility.

Staged in Louisville's Jefferson Memorial Forest, LLTH was actually started by ultra guru Eric Grossman some nine years ago.  He still returns some years to stamp his footprint of authority on this event.  Lovin' the Hills welcomes all comers with versions of 15 and 6 miles.  The 50k also offers a one hour early start because this is one course that could very well take you all day to get through.

All three distances start together which makes for an interesting dynamic in the first couple of loops that are shared by the 50k and 15 milers.  It takes a some serious self-control to let guys go early on, especially not knowing for sure that they're in the shorter race.  But, when I look around and see Eric, Troy Shellhamer, Scott Breeden, or Russ Goodman, I know that I'm in good company that will finish at the front and I'm going fast enough (probably too fast for me).

That's one of the coolest things about running.  You can toe the line with the fastest guys, no matter who you are.  In this case, my mission is simple - go with Troy, Eric, Russ, Scott, or Mike, whoever is at the front, and hang on for dear life.  My hope is that this year I can hang around for a little while longer.  Join me in the hardest 50k around, February 9, or learn more about it from the safety of your computer at the links provided below.  And, look for my first race report of 2013.  Putting this kind of hurt into words ain't easy.

http://www.llth50.blogspot.com/
http://www.headfirstperformance.com/Races/LovinTheHills.aspx

Grossman, Breeden, my arm and foot, Troy right behind us.  Ended up Grossman, Troy, Breeden, then me.

Where to find us.

GU Crew 2013

Another humble thank you going out tonight.  THANK YOU GU!  I am so amped that I have been welcomed as a member of GU Energy Labs' GU Crew.  This is an amazing opportunity for me to represent a company that I believe in whole heartedly.  The original energy gel, GU has been at the forefront of sports nutrition since 1991. 

I first started using their products for endurance cycling and multisport racing in 1995 when they sponsored BioWheels Workshop's upstart cycling team.  It's been a long-time love all the way up to yesterday's Jet Blackberry that I rummaged out of my back pocket.  It made all the difference as I left Raven's Run following 10+ miles of super-slick, muddy, rocky single track and staring down an additional 10k of country roads to reach my sunset rendezvous with my amazing girlfriend and her toasty warm 4Runner.  It was just last night at dinner that I was telling her how much better I felt after that one little shot of GU as I knocked off those last few chilly miles in the waning daylight. 

Actually, I almost forgot that Saturday, my buddy Tom handed me a Vanilla Bean a little past 1/2 way through our 2+ hours on the Siltstone Trail.  Then today, I get a "Welcome" email.  That's unreal.  Can't say it enough - thanks GU Engery Labs.  I'm really looking forward to this new year and new "GU"opportunity. 

Brooks ID 2013

First off, I have to give my most humble thanks to Brooks Running and Steve Dekoker for giving me the opportunity to be a part of the Brooks ID program for another year.  2012 was my first year with the program, and it was an outstanding experience.

Secondly, I thought I'd try to explain exaclty what the ID program is about.  Not entirely performance based, this grassroots program of running enthusiasts ranging from race promoters, to inspiratioal stories to elite athletes, does reward those that lay it on the line and race to the best of their ability.  This is the description that's posted on the Brooks Running website and is what caught my eye last November and convinced me to apply:

Brooks I.D. (Inspire Daily) Program

Brooks I.D. stands for Inspire Daily. These two simple words guide the principles of the program. Brooks I.D. is made up of over 2,000 members who are active in their running communities and share a passion for the Brooks brand. They are runners who are winners in their own right: Winning their age divisions, accomplishing their personal goals, pushing their own limits, and, by extension, encouraging others to do the same. They are coaches, mentors, and leaders.

Click the link to the right and it'll take you to the online store for the best running gear on the planet.  Brooks - thanks again.

Otter Creek Trail Marathon

View of the Ohio River from the "OTC"

The race plan was pretty simple really - take into account that your race fitness has been dwindling recently - be careful because your nutrition / hydration were sub-par at best - see who's around after the first few miles and just take it easy early on. 

Then they said go.  And, I went.  So did the plan.  Plan? What plan? 

First of three laps - (1:04 after the aid station stop to get bottles and fuel - way too fast).  One of the single lappers, Murphy Sheets, had rocketed off the front from the gun and won handily.  But, I was in front of every other person doing one, two or three lap races.  I knew the guy that I had left just past the Blue Hole aid station was only going two laps, but right behind him were Ryan, Mike, and Heath (all super strong guys - Ryan was coming off an injury and unsure how far he'd go, Mike is a pro triathlete that I don't see that much on the trails but I know is crazy fast, and Heath is a pure ultra trail runner who is happy to hammer you the harder it gets and smiles all the time he's doing it).  I was thinking to myself "this might get ugly", but I just tried to put some more distance between me and them, abandoning the plan. 

Second lap - (2:11 after leaving the aid station - I set the course record at Otter Creek last year in 3:19  so seeing an average of just under 1:06 a lap on a slower course was a little scary).  Especially scary considering that it had already started raining and I had already started cramping. 

Finish - (2nd place 3:35)  What happened?  Coming off of the second lap I was experiencing some pretty significant cramping and the picture was getting a little dark around the corners.  But, I hadn't seen anyone behind me in a long time and just tried to maintain something that looked like running.  The rains had made the downhills almost impossible to stand on, let alone run safely down.  The flats and the climbing too slowed due to the mud I tried to tell myself, but in reality I knew I was just dying.  Still, I couldn't see anyone at the top of the descent into Otter Creek when I got to the bottom of what is a long section of trail full of switch backs - so I just kept telling myself that I had put on enough time and this was just a marathon.  "No big deal.  Mine to win".  And, as I had those fleeting thoughts, I was coming apart pretty badly and tightening up on a steep little rise when I heard "On your left!"  What?  It was Mike Hermanson and he was just scooting along with fluidity that I hadn't felt since an hour earlier.  I had no idea he was back there, and by the end, he put over seven minutes on me.  Well, I was right - it got ugly. 

But, it's not necessarily a bad way to end the year.  2011 ended with a win and a course record.  2012 ended with a 2nd and barely dragging my sorry carcass to the finish.  A little fire in the belly is a good thing with the long winter miles approaching.  Time to get ready for Lovin' the Hills - the toughest 50k around.  Can't wait.   

Rave(n) Run

Stolen from the pages of Running Times, the "Rave Run" that I went on today was at Raven Run Nature Sanctuary outside of Lexington KY.  My only knock on Lexington's park system has been a lack of really rugged natural lands with trails available.  I've been spoiled by the epic trails of Jefferson Memorial Forest in Louisville, Otter Creek in Brandenburg, and by living in the country where I can actually access the backside of Bernheim Forest Arboretum and research forest with some sleuth parking and a long fire road approach.

But, for me Lexington has always meant training on the roads and UK Arboretum's 2 mile loop, Henry Clay's track, or the very nice paved Legacy Trail (providing a 22+ mile day from my girlfriend's house).  Finally I made the short drive to Raven Run Nature Sanctuary to see what it had to offer.  Masters national records holder, Kevin Castille, told me that he does a lot of his long runs out there, so I figured it had to have some mileage to offer. Featuring over ten miles of foot-traffic-only trails, this hidden gem gave me all I wanted today.  Initially, the trail enters the woods and is wide and groomed.   Lucky for me, within a 1/2 mile I was skipping from rock to rock and grinning from ear to ear.  While a person moving faster than a walk will have to knock out multiple loops to get a decent day out of it, the trails are just technical enough to keep you paying attention and don't have any punishing vertical challenges so you can just roll and roll.   They also offer a spectacular visitor center with running water and restrooms.   Check out the link the below, or if you're in the area, pay Raven Run a visit.  It's worth the trip.

http://www.lexingtonky.gov/index.aspx?page=276