Lord Hill Trail Run

On Sunday Feb 3rd, Kathy and I went to run the Lord Hill "fun" run. It was very low key, with no fee, a minimal aid station, but a lot of people out to enjoy the crisp morning. Tim Lofton put this on (thanks Tim!) for us.
The run was a 10.5 mile loop with 1850 vertical feet per loop at Lord Hill Regional Park. Runners could choose to run 1,2 or 3 loops (Kathy ran 1; I ran 3) I've never been there before, so it was enjoyable to run around and see all the trails. There was some water and mud, but it was within reason (unlike at Bridal Trails). They also had a killer hill on the course which I looked forward to, as everybody walked up it, so it was kind of like taking a break, in a warped sort of way. There were a few spots were there were out-and-backs on dead-end trails. I thought I wouldn't like that part, but after the first loop, it was the only contact I had with other runners, and I could see who was still running and how far behind me they were. The few people in front of me stopped after running only one or two loops, so I was in the lead during the third loop. Towards the end, I definitely took it easy and walked a few short sections when I knew the next runner was five minutes behind me. I finished the race feeling ok, which was good, as Kathy had left already and left me to cycle home.

I underestimated how far it was to cycle home from Lord Hill Park. I thought it would be 35-40 miles, and it was 47 miles - oops. Anyways, I went through Monroe, and then took some backroads and minor highway down close to Duvall where I was to pick up the Tolt Pipeline Trail. Luckily I had studied the map the night before, as there were no signs to Tolt Pipeline, and the start was up a private drive practically off of someone's driveway. In fact, I went up the wrong driveway just trying to find it. Luckily I found it, although to my consternation, I discovered that it was a packed dirt and gravel trail, and I was on my cyclocross bike with skinny commuter tires.

The Tolt Pipeline Trail was really fun. Although the uphills and downhills were slow, and there were gates across the trail at every road crossing, it was fun to be on a non-motorized trail with people walking their dogs and horses, and getting a glimpse into the backyards of newly built mcmansion hobby farms with their three car garages and two horses in the yard. The Tolt Pipeline cuts straight west from the Snoqualmie River all the way to the Sammamish River Trail (going across a few bluffs and hills in the process) so it was a really great direct way to get to where I was going without the fear of being run over.

I hit the Sammamish Trail just north of Redhook Brewery after two hours of riding and 25 miles. I put my head down and grinded it out, now on nice flat bike path, and managed to get home (22 more miles) in a little under an hour and a half. I was really hurting by the end, especially my lower back. The pack that I was carrying (with all of my running gear, bike stuff, lock and chain, extra food) really started to weigh me down as well. I made it though, and Kathy had homemade soup ready for me when I got home and collapsed in her arms. Having to get home is definitely motivation for a long difficult ride - I don't think I would have gone half that far unless I really had to.