Race Report: Louisville Trail Half.
First, let me impress upon you that this is a trail half only in the most loose sense of the word. While there is some single track, about a mile or so between mile markers 6 and 8, the vast majority of the race occurs on crushed gravel bike paths. In total, they claim 200’ of elevation change, though that seems a little bit low to me. In other words: this is a fast course for me.
Looking around at the start line, I didn’t see that much in the way of competition. There were a couple guys who looked fairly formidable, one of whom would eventually win the race with an impressive sub 1:12 time. But there was none of the sense I often have that I would get, at best, 20th or so. This was likely the result of the concentration of races this particular weekend: The Quad Rock, The Collegiate Peaks Trail Run, and the Greenland Trail Races to name a few.
There was no gun. The RD simply said “3-2-1-GO!”
The race course consists of 2 loops: an initial 5 mile out and back to the west, followed by an 8.1 mile out and back to the east. What little climbing there was all happened in the second half of the race. My strategy was to do my best to take it easy the first half of the race, try to work it up the hill in mile 7, work the singletrack to my best advantage, and push it on the way back.
As often happens, I went out a little too fast. Not horribly so, but a bit. I had chosen not to wear a watch so I have no real idea how quickly the first 5 miles went, but I am fairly sure I came in well under my 35 minute target. But that’s ok, because I was running by feel and I felt like I had hit a fairly sustainable pace.
I took off with the lead pack, quickly realized I was moving faster than I should be, and eased off, letting what I swear was 5 people ahead of me. The 5 mile first loop went easily and quickly, with very little in the way of elevation change to relieve the tedium. Coming into the start/finish area again, my gf and her parents were waiting at the bend to cheer me on. I also made my only wrong turn of the race here, for some reason thinking that we had to go through the start/finish area on our way by. Minor seconds lost, but seconds count.
The next four miles went very well. One woman came up behind me, seemingly easily, and we chatted for a bit as we worked along the crest of the main hill and back down to the creek we had been following the whole race before she pulled slowly ahead. I was beginning to feel the flat, fast nature of the course now: something I have not trained for in the least.
But I was still moving well, and after we cruised down the hill, the course took two dips down into single track along the creek.
Let’s say this: if there’s one thing that I learned yesterday, it’s that my legs like single track. As soon as we hit this section, I could feel my stride quicken, my legs felt lighter, and I sped up. I started regaining ground on the lady who had just passed me. Not enough to pass her back, but enough that I could see my progress against hers.
For the last several miles, we had followed the 10k course. This provided a boost every time we passed a 10k runner saying “good job” or “looking good.” We quickly reached, and then passed, the 10k turnaround and were on our own again.
I reached the turnaround in good order: my form was pretty smooth and still rapid, though I was really beginning to feel the race now at mile 9. Then I turned around.
I realized quickly that I had forgotten one thing: we had been following Coal Creek for the majority of the race, and ever since the 2.5 mile turnaround we had been following it in the downstream direction. It was a very slight downhill, gentle enough that you didn’t even think about it when you were running with the slope. Once you turned up the slope, however, it became very noticeable immediately.
Suddenly I felt every inch of the race acutely, and I knew the race was on. The turnaround gave me a chance to check out the runners nearest to me behind me, and I had at least a 2 minute cushion in my estimation. Again, I didn’t have a watch, so I wasn’t sure, but I knew they would have to run about 30 seconds a mile faster than me over the last 4 miles to catch up to me, and the way they looked at the turnaround I couldn’t see that happening.
Then it became a mental game: just keep my legs moving and form strong for the last 4 miles. At the next aid station, I did something I hadn’t done so far: I slowed down to a walk in order to take in more water. It was probably the best move I could have made, as I almost immediately felt the tension in my right leg ease and picked up the pace again.
The switchbacking hill back up to the high point of the course felt 10 times worse than the larger hill had on the way out, but I still attacked the hill and pushed across the top to the downhill. Then it was just a matter of riding the downhill as long as I could, and letting the sound of the announcer draw me in to the finish.
G and her parents were at the finish cheering me on and came around to meet me as I stumbled to a stop. I think she was a little unsure of what to do with me, as she’s only ever been able to come to one other of my races. But she came over and stood there while I recovered my breath and wits enough to talk, without pushing or making any comments.
I ended up running 1:27:35 (officially) though I saw 1:27:32 on the clock when I finished. That’s another PR for me in the half, in a race I decided to train through. I also came in 5th place over all and won my age group outright.
All in all, I’d say it was a good day, and while I didn’t get my 10 mile run in the next day, I did get a 6 mile run in with about 800 feet of vertical, as well as an hour and a half of parkour in.
I call it a successful day, and am only left wondering what I could do next time.
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