Bernheim Trail Marathon

Really, really glad to be done.

The Bernheim Trail Marathon put on by Kyana Running's Jim Ball and Shannon Burke saw a record crowd for its third edition.  The lore of Bernheim's Millennium trail (and the fact that this year's event is a part of the Trail Runner Trophy Series) brought runners from as far as Alabama, Texas, Missouri and West Virginia.  I consider Bernheim to be my local marathon as the arboretum lies only about 20 miles from my house (far less if you're willing to poach the fire roads in their research forest and just run there).  Having bettered the course record last year, I was greeted with comments such as "Well, I hear your the guy to follow out here." and the like.  Knowing that my running had been minimal at best since Flying Pig, I just tried to graciously shrug them off and concentrate on a race plan that would get me through, hopefully in a respectable finish.

Catching up with ultra strongman and fellow coach, Mike Ford pre-race.

The start was pretty typical in that a few halfers blasted off the front, but what was atypical was the way the full marathon crew keyed  off of me for the first few miles.  That is until I eased up on one of the early singletrack climbs.  In short order my competition was racing up the trail too eager to hold back on the early trail sections.  What I've learned about this course is that the first singletrack segment of the Millennium offers a chance to put on a little time but not without a price.  My plan was to take it easy all the way through this segment, survive the 1/2 mile riverbed of slick rocks, and to get on the gas when the course opened up in it's first long flat valley.  So, I stuck to it.

Unsure of how many full marathoners were up ahead, I simply concentrated on putting out a strong effort through what I knew was a long flat area preceding the next creek to ridge ascent.  In that section, I pulled back two runners and knew that there were more ahead.  This was evidenced by the wet footprints coming out of Wilson Creek on Harrison Fork Road.  After fording Wilson Creek's knee-deep trail crossing (the cover pic on my blog is from this spot last year), the trail kicks up on a gnarly unimproved old fire road.  But, once you've topped that out, it's another long flat section, this time atop a wide ridge.  It was there I set my sights on another runner.  As I approached, I realized it was Brandon Scott, a super-strong trail runner out of Columbia KY (where I lived for seven years as a cyclist and a coach at Lindsey Wilson College).  When I shouldered up to him, I asked how many more were up the trail.  He answered "it's just me and you."

I just kept the pressure on and put in a long sustained effort to the next aid station.  The volunteers there were congratulatory and said that they had just arrived.  I was certainly glad that they had made it to their post as I had emptied my two hand-held bottles and was already feeling the effects of the deceivingly warm morning.  It had rained the night before and that morning, and the low lying leaves kept me drenched probably masking just how much I was sweating out.

Cramping has been an occasional issue for me in the past, the worst ever being the first Bernheim Trail Marathon two years ago where I hung on for second despite hours of foot to hip complete lock up.  Since then, I like to think that I've pretty well dialed my nutrition and hydration needs.  However I was still disheartened when my left hamstring got that first twinge of involuntary contraction.  I was way too far out to be having one of those, but I just tried to maintain relatively good form and to not favor it too much.

Within the next hour, it went from occasional to full-blown lock up.  Trying to arrest a slide in a creek bed, I got the worst of it - bottom of foot, calf, hamstring and quad were just seized.  One of those where you have to put your hand behind your knee and force your leg to bend just to get out of that position.  Now the race plan had shifted to keeping moving as much as possible and trying not to get caught.  The last hour was spent running no more than a couple of minutes at a time without having to stop and stretch each calf and each hamstring.  All the while, I would look back down the trail behind me fully expecting to see my pursuers ready to devour me.

I was most scared of the female favorite - Traci Falbo.  For any of you that aren't familiar with her, google her name.  I could write an entire blog entry on Traci and not even scratch the surface of her running prowess.   She recently returned from representing Team USA at the 24 hour World Championships where she placed 4th (39th overall including the men!), and the team won.  We chatted in line for the porta potties and she was telling me that she had eclipsed the 100 mile mark at 15 hours - that's crazy fast.  Lucky for me this was just a training run for her summer campaign which includes the Grand Slam of ultra running - four of the hardest and most prestigious races on the planet.  I'm a pretty huge fan, and I was just really glad not to see that skirt coming down the trail (she always rocks a skirt - I'm not being sexist).  She went on to beat the women's course record by 21 minutes on her training run.

End of story, I drug myself through the last section of the Millennium, stopping at what seemed like every other tree, and was really glad to see Forest Hill Drive and to make the turn for home.  I hung on to win in 3:50.  Not close to what I was hoping for time wise, but considering the way that my legs revolted in that last third, I'll take it.

Huge kudos to Jim and Shannon for putting on outstanding event.  Check out Kyana Running at http://trailraceseries.yolasite.com for info on their trail running series.  Great people and great races.

Me, Jim and Karen trying to sort out Jim's megaphone mid-award presentation (looks like Jim is going to hit me with that Louisville Slugger bat while his wife spanks him).

Flying Pig Marathon - The Hero Lies In All Of Us

My Dad, Mike Hoyes, sporting the Flying Pig Marathon medal - without a doubt, the toughest guy I know.

When I registered for May 5th's Flying Pig Marathon back in February, I hoped that it would be a good weather day and that my dad would be able to come out and see me run.  Cinco de Mayo finally got here and unfortunately dad had been hospitalized for the last week.  He has been battling cancer and a failing liver since November.  While I have avoided including too much personal stuff on my blog, this race had a lot to do with my dad.

First of all, it's hard to not be conflicted when considering how to spend my time.  While a loved one is fighting for their life, training can seem frivolous.  And racing, well, down right self-indulgent.  But, I know my dad wants me to race, wants me to move forward, wants me to push myself hard, and likes hearing the race reports.  So I have continued on, training when I can, making frequent trips back to Cincinnati, teaching, and navigating an upstart track team through our first competitive season (we have Regional Championships tomorrow!).

I got to the race expo Saturday afternoon after spending the day with my dad and saw this year's slogan on the t-shirt and poster - "The hero lies in all of us."  Didn't think much too much about it.  Looked like the strain of coming up with clever things to put on shirts for 15 consecutive years had taken its toll.  That's not fair.  The Pig gives tons of money to tons of charities.  While my race was far from heroic, I spent a lot of time thinking about the fact that my less than three hours of suffering paled in comparison to what people are going through all of the time.

Moments of silence have been more meaningful lately.

The race itself started at 6:30 and was proceeded by a moment of silence for Boston Marathon victims.  We ran east into a fire-orange sunrise and I tried to settle in to a sane pace that was in the 6:10/mile range, which was tough to do with the electrifying crowds and depth of this year's field dropping sub-6 miles.

We rolled through Newport and Covington,  came back over the bridge that we had walked over earlier that morning to get to the start and kept knocking off miles awaiting the big climbs into Mt. Adams.  Finally popping out of the East side of downtown, we started up.  And up.  And up.  Pretty much three miles of climbing in all.  I heeded the warnings and allowed my younger compatriots to roll away and my pace to creep up for those few miles.  Knowing this course would dole out many more challenges, I tried to play it smart.  Through Eden park and on out the East side we ran.

Crossing back into Ohio with  Brooks runner and Cincinnati favorite TJ Lentz.

It was evident early on that my goal of a PR would be the loftiest one that I had a shot at.  The legs felt increasingly tight and the strides shortened.  Got through the 1/2 mark in 1:20:28 - where I needed to be to break that 2:43, but the sub 2:40 would have to wait for a fall effort.  Jeremy Burtel's advice from our conversation on the side of the course at the Derby Festival Marathon last weekend rang in my ears.  "Quick turnover.  That is something you have control over", he told me.  My energy levels felt ok, nutrition was good, hamstrings and back felt like macrame - stride rate and smarts - that's what I had to work with.  

So, I simply tried to walk the tightrope.  I'd hit a good patch and roll off a mile or two a little too fast.  Hit a bad patch, and I'd have to fight gravity, clawing my way across the asphalt.  Within 10 miles of the finish I started doing the math again.  I'd see what 70 minutes plus my current time would give me shortly after passing the 16 mile marker, 63 minutes at the 17, etc.  That way I knew, if I fell apart and had to back off and run 7's, exactly what I'd make it in.  Push hard, drink, don't cramp, go faster, slow down, don't crack, don't be a b!+@%!  Mile by mile my legs got a little worse, but the goal appeared within reach and I was picking up spots one at a time.

By the final 5k, I was toast and just trying to hang on.  Ran by another guy - that felt good.  I thought about my dad a lot.  It puts it in perspective when you consider whether or not you can withstand the pain for twenty more minutes.  He's been fighting for 24 hours a day for months.  Marathoning is not that bad.  I managed a 6:22 last mile (they actually track that) and wound up with a 1:21:51 second half.  The finish couldn't come soon enough, but I got there.  PR'd by about 90 seconds with a 2:42:18, 6:12/mile pace good for 10th. 

It was an experience, this my first Flying Pig.  The city does an amazing job showing its support, and the organization is top notch.  The course is hard but not as bad as rumored.  My months of preparation were a little trying, and my taper was far from restful.  But, I had a lot to run for.  The idea of the hero lying in all of us stuck with me throughout the day.  Not that I felt at all like a hero, but that I wanted to make my hero proud of me as he fights one of his last battles.

Dad, you are the toughest guy I have ever known.

KORT Running Team

It was an exciting night for the Bardstown running community as KORT Rehab Services launched its new running team.  I was honored to be given the opportunity to speak to 25+ local runners interested in learning about advancing their running through better race nutrition.  My son, Lane, was a tremendous help, handing out the GU samples and drawing the lucky number 13 for the swag bag of Brooks and GU goodies.  Sessions on footwear by Jeff Wells of Fleetfeet Louisville and injury prevention and treatment by Elliot Mattingly from KORT were both super rewarding.

You can keep up with the team at http://kortrunningteam.tumblr.com/ or by clicking the KORT logo to the right.  The first group run is Saturday, April 20th, 8:30 at KORT.

Great to see many familiar faces and to meet some new ones, as I look forward to being a member of this group. 

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.