Race Report: Lovin' the Hills 50k

Louisville's Lovin' the Hills is one of the toughest 50k's in this area.  The event is put on by Headfirst Performance, and the event is well run.  Special thanks to the race directors (Todd and Cynthia Heady), Jefferson Memorial Forest, and all the volunteers that made this race possible!

The race offers three distances:  6 miles, 15 miles, and 50k.  The three race distances start together and share the first portion of the course.  The course consists entirely of beautiful single and double track trail through Jefferson Memorial Forest.  The 50k course is challenging with plenty of long steep hills for every runner to love!  By my count, there are 9 climbs of more than 200 feet and several of those are nearly 300 feet.  According to my GPS, the total elevation gain for the 50k was 4750 (average of 153 feet elevation gain per mile).  The course for the 50k consists of 3 lollipops (out and back runs with a loop at the far end).  There were 8 well stocked aid stations and three chances to access drop bags (if you packed some).  With this setup, runners need not carry much - just enough water to make it to the next aid station. 

Lovin' the Hills 50k Elevation Profile

My goal heading into the race was simple:  make good time on the flats and the downhills, walk the steep uphill sections, let the time take care of itself.  Since I have more training to do, a 50 miler next month, and a 100 miler in April, I wanted to finish the race with some gas in the tank.  My purpose in doing this race was to test out my nutrition, test out my training, and, of course, to have fun!

Toni and I waiting for the start

The weather forecast for race day was sunny with high's in the upper 40's.  The weather did not disappoint!  We had a cool, sunny day with a light breeze.  Perfect weather for a race.  The race started at 8:00am.  The temperature was around 27 degrees at the start of the race, but the sky was clear and the sun was out.  I started the race in tights, gloves, t-shirt, jacket, shorts, and a long sleeve shirt.  I planned to ditch the long sleeve shirt after the first 6 miles when we returned to the start area and to ditch the tights and the jacket at mile 20 (where our drop bags would be).  We stood around trying to stay warm as we waited for the race to start.  After some instructions from the race director, we started off right around 8:00am.

I started off running with my friend Toni.  We made good time the first 6 miles.  After a week of being sick, it felt good to run! Soon, we were back at the starting area and ready for the second lollipop.  I ditched my long sleeve shirt, switched to a thinner headband, grabbed another Cliff bar, and headed back out.  The second lollipop went quickly, too.  There is some beautiful single track on this section of the course!  Toni and I stayed together off and on during this section.  I felt strong after this section, about 12 miles into the race. 

The third lollipop follows the Siltstone Trail from the Welcome Center out to Scott's Gap, around the Scott's Gap Loop, and then back.  I had run an out and back on the Siltstone before (though I had never run the Scott's Gap loop) so I knew this section had lots of great single track.  It winds up, down, and along the hillsides as it follows a high ridge through the forest.  Going into this section, I was running with Toni and a small pack of 50k runners.  I felt strong and, somewhere around mile 15, I pulled out in front of the others.  Running along the Siltstone, I enjoyed the solitude and the sunshine.  Taking stock, I notice that I had some minor soreness in my hips but otherwise felt great.

Scott Breeden.  His feet aren't touching the ground!

Throughout the race, I maintained my calorie intake.  I was shooting for around 200-250 calories per hour, and I was staying on track. I at Cliff bars that I brought with me along with some oatmeal cream pies from the aid stations!  The temperature was rising and I started heating up around mile 16.  I had already removed my jacket and gloves.  I was planning to get rid of my tights when I arrived at Scott's Gap.  About 3 hours, 22 min into the race, I met Scott Breeden on the trail (he would win the race, shattering the previous course record).  We met traversing a ridge on the Siltstone.  Scott was cruising fast, and I stepped aside to let him past, saying, "Great job."  It would be 20-30 minutes before I met the next runner!  By mile 18, I couldn't stand the tights any longer.  I stopped to strip them off and was passed by another runner.  Damn!  Without my tights, I felt lighter, cooler, and ready to move.  I should have stopped to take them off sooner.  I headed off to Scott's Gap.

Four hours into the race, I hit the Scott's Gap aid station.  I ditched my tights, jacket, and gloves.  I grabbed a handful of Pringles and an oatmeal cream pie, and I headed off to run the Scott's Gap loop.  I had never run this loop before and didn't look at the terrain on the map before the race.  For some reason, I thought this loop would be fast and flat.  This was not the case!  It starts off with one of the steepest climbs on the course, a 270 foot climb.  This climb seemed to take a lot out of me, and I couldn't wait to get off that loop!  Those 3 miles were the slowest of the race for me, although I pushed hard to maintain my pace.  Even though my pace seemed slow, I passed 3 runners during that loop, and no one caught up to me!  Coming back to the Scott's Gap aid station, I realized it had taken about an hour to complete the loop.  I refilled my water, grabbed another oatmeal cream pie, and headed back to the Siltstone.

Throughout the race, I walked the steep uphills.  The few times that I wanted to walk on flat sections, I didn't.  When I was walking, I reminded myself to walk fast.  I said to myself, "If you're going to walk, walk fast."  Starting that final section back along the Siltstone, I had about 23 miles behind me.  I still felt good.  I had some minor muscle soreness in my hips, nothing more.  I ate an oatmeal cream pie, power hiked to the top of the first climb, and cruised the ridge, still running alone.  About mile 25, I popped open a Roctane GU to prepare for the push to the finish.  I felt great and the caffeine buzz didn't hurt.  I made good time.  When I was refilling my water bottle at the Bearcamp Road aid station (about mile 27), one of the volunteer's said, "Once you get to the next aid station, it's only ALL up hill from there!".  That's good, I thought, I should be able to pass some people.  I took another Roctane GU and prepared myself for the last few miles.

Race shirt, buff, wooden finisher's medal, finisher's seedling

Heading down the last hill on the Siltstone to the last aid station, I felt great, and I was making good time.  Coming down the hill, I let out a couple of whoops.  There was another runner not far ahead, and I was sure I could catch him.  I stopped at that last aid station just long enough to put a few ounces of water in my bottle.  I headed out past the welcome center and started up the hill.  It's a steep hill, but I had plenty of gas in the tank, so I ran.  The last section is about two miles.  While it seems like it's all uphill, it really has two climbs, each around 200 feet.  There's a short downhill in between.  I maintained about a 10:30 per mile pace the last 2 miles, and I managed to pass several runners!  I finished in 6:59:07.  I felt great and had plenty left by the end!

Here's a quick run down of my performance:

First 15.5 miles:  ~3:12:00
Last 15.5 miles:  ~3:47:00

Finish Time:  6:59:07

Place: 42nd out of 96

Here is a quick run down of the gear I used at Lovin' the Hills:

• Inov-8 Trailroc 245 Trail Running Shoe
• Features Elite Ultralight Socks
• Champion Tights
• Brooks Running Shorts
• Champion 1/4 Zip Shirt
• Pearl Izumi Fly Jacket
• Thin Nike Running Gloves
• REI Headband (heavier headband, for first 6 miles)
• Pearl Izumi Headband (lighter headband, for last 25 miles)
• Nathan Handheld Water Bottle

Here is a quick run down of my food intake before the event totaling 641 calories:

• Three hours prior, breakfast: a bowl of oatmeal with flax seed, raisins, and brown sugar.  
• One hour prior:  banana
• In the four hours before the run, I drank roughly 1.5 liters of water. 

Here is a quick run down of my in race nutrition totaling 1430 calories (204 calories per hour):

• Three Cliff Bars
• Three oatmeal cream pies
• A few pringles
• Two Roctane Gu's
• About 3 liters of water

Happy trails!