Killa Hilla Classic - 01.01.11

Killa Hilla Classic on New Years Day

Well the weather was perfect and the trail was in excellent condition too! The course also lived up to it's name! Just ask Stephen.

2011 Photos HERE.
Killa Hilla Course HERE.
2011 FaceBook HERE.

2011 Results:

1. 5 Laps (26.3 miles) - Stephen Humphreys & Andy Noise
2. 3 Laps (15.6 miles) - Diana Daves & Jasmine Anthony B
3. 2 Laps (10.4 miles) - Lyndi Wilson, Chelsey Soto - McGauhey, Frank Velasquez, Evy Lyn Velasquez, Peter Wonderly & Bruce Wearda
4. 1 Lap (5.2 miles) - Lauri Taylor, Chris Felix, Nicki Gilbert, Kim Nance, Tara Arnold, Jillyd Simmer, Courtney Clerico, Patty Wonderly, Rod Nance, Steve Beardsley, Tricia Berman, and Brian Drewery
5. If I left you off the list please contact me.

Race Recap:

For years, I have wanted to have a New Year Day Run and I think this is a keeper. The course with it's 8 hour time limit makes for a level playing field and today showed that. Stephen and I tied for the most laps despite the fact that he can run under 20 minutes for a 5k and I can't even break 30 minutes. The length of the course and the hills made for an interesting race.

Since only complete laps counted, one had to judge what was possible and then what was doable. I knew I could do 5 laps but hoped I might be able to squeeze in 6. I knew Stephen could do 5 or 6 but didn't know if he wanted to. Well at the start I found out he was ready to go 6 or more.

At 8am we only had 5 starters but it was time to go. Immediately Stephen took the lead with Chris Felix and his friend close behind him. I lead a group that included Peter Wonderly and Amanda's husband Steve Beardsley. Courtney pulled up right at 8am but we had to start asap because this was a timed event and every second could count. The rules of this event are who can complete the most laps between 8am and 4pm wins.

When I got to the switchbacks, the fast guys were heading up and I think lap goals were being reconsidered already. It took Stephen 30 minutes to do half a lap and he hoped to do 7 laps, I hoped to do 6 but figured 5 was my max. When peter and I reach the top of the switchbacks, we literally ran into Courtney.

On the way back to the start, more runners started to appear on the course. We ran by Bruce who did a lap before heading to the Polar bear swim. Then Tricia and Brian came by on their way to the switchbacks. when we hit the top of the slash, I was feeling good and decided to push the pace down the hill and it was a wild run with Steve on my heels.

At the bottom of the Slash we meet up with Frank and Evy and they were on their way to completing two laps. My trio continued up the Fire Road and up and down the Pipes Ravine and were glad the rain made the course very runnable. After we went up and down the Log Hill we got back on the bike path and saw Stephen again. At this point he had a 1.5 mile lead on me and was on his second lap.

After I finished lap one, Lyndi joined me for two laps and this was a big help. Stephen was still motoring along and his lead was growing. I was on pace to do 6 laps (need to average sub 15:30 pace) but I doubted I would be able to do it. My first laps splits were:

• Mile 1 - 13:06 - up 173ft/down 161ft
• Mile 2 - 15:21 - 246/130
• Mile 3 - 15:51 - 274/248
• Mile 4 - 11:41 - 74/220
• Mile 5 - 14:52 - 221/169

As the day went on, more run campers came out to do a lap or two. When we were heading back to the Pipes Ravine we saw Lauri and her friend who are coming back after collarbone breaks from a cycling injury. Also Jasmine B Anthony started cranking some quick laps as well and completed 3 laps. As we headed down the Fire Road, we passed Stephen again who was still increasing his lead on me.

When we were heading back to the Fire Road again we passed Tara and Jill who were heading out for their lap. On the way up the Fire Road we came across Triple D (aka Diana) who said she was doing three laps for her granddaughter who turned three that day. Guess next year she will have to do four laps.

With Lyndi, my my splits for lap 2 were:

• Mile 6 - 12:57 - 70 up / 211 down
• Mile 7 - 16:32 - 257/121
• Mile 8 - 15:39 - 204/244
• Mile 9 - 14:16 - 151/203
• Mile 10 - 1606 - 227/154
  

By lap 2 and 3 I was walking quite a bit and more often then not was walking the flat sections too. Usually I was so gassed by the climbs that trying to run on the bike path sections seemed to be useless. Even running after the downhills was hard because they killed ones legs. I was glad I had Lyndi because she pulled me along and helped me close the gap with Stephen.

At one point he had a 3 mile lead on me but when we passed each other on my lap 3 his lead had shrunk by half a mile. It was his fourth and Lyndi said "I think you got him." After the race Stephen said he did the first 3 laps in little over 3 hours which is pretty quick. My mile splits for the third lap were:

• Mile 11 - 13:13 - 110 up / 64 down
• Mile 12 - 15:16 - 143/259
• Mile 13 - 15:05 - 219/163
• Mile 14 - 16:56 - 228/166
• Mile 15 - 16:50 - 117/274

While walking with Lyndi, we came across Kim, Rod and Nicki plus Peter came back with his wife Patty and did another lap. Chelsey also did 2 laps as well. Besides the many runners out there, there were lots of families with kids. I had to weave through this large crowd on lap 4.

As you can see, once I realized Stephen was only doing five, I let off the gas. Plus I was losing my pacer and doing 6 laps was not in the cards. My next goal was to try and catch up with Diana and do my last lap with her but first I had to do a lap on my own which was a first for me. The highlight of lap 4 was seeing the red fox at the top of the Log Hill. My splits for lap 4 were:

• Mile 16 - 16:08 - 181 up / 78 down
• Mile 17 - 18:25 - 195/197
• Mile 18 - 17:05 - 216/82
• Mile 19 - 21:12 - 238/284
• Mile 20 - 18:28 - 109/205
  

One thing I did right for this event was where I parked my van. Instead of parking at the start/finish area, I parked it about a quarter mile away right next to the course. My van was right where you turn to do the first trail part of the course. Having my van here was nice because I could quickly get a drink and/or food.

Plus parking by the start/finish area just reinforced the idea of quitting for the day. My parking spot was nice because it was like a reward for making it up Godzilla Canyon one more time. As I went to my van for the fourth time, I saw then Diana was finishing here second lap so I decided to text her. But before I could, She texted me and said put me down for two.

This was bad news because I was counting on having her do the last lap with me. as I was writing her back, I saw her brake lights go on and I was thinking darn it. But I some how convinced her to put in another lap with me and we took our mutual victory lap. I was going to tie Stephen and she was going to be the first woman with three laps completed.

After we descended Godzilla Canyon we got on the bike path and headed to Log Hill and we saw Stephen. It was almost 2pm and he looked tired and said that he could do another lap but it would trash him for weeks so the race was over and five laps would be the new record. My last laps splits were:

• Mile 21 - 19:27 - up 165 / down 154
• Mile 22 - 19:56 - 140/193
• Mile 23 - 22:15 - 245/110
• Mile 24 - 22:11 - 258/221
• Mile 25 - 19:40 - 80/223
• Mile 26 - 21:33 - 205/142

In the end, I covered 26.31 miles in 7 hours and 29 minutes and 45 seconds. This put me in a tie with Stephen with 5 laps completed between 8am and 4pm. My Garmin says I burned 3,999 calories. My moving time was 7:12:20, average pace was 17:05, average moving pace was 16:25 and my best pace was 7:53. Total elevation gain was 4,749 feet and elevation loss was 4,742 feet. The min. elevation was 422 feet and the max. elevation was 682 feet.

My complete Garmin stats can be found HERE.

Race Preview:

Starts at 8am and ends at 4pm.
FaceBook HERE.

• Start and finish are at the corner of West Bluff Court and Panorama.
• No entry fee, No shirt, No Aid Stations or Awards.
• This is a BYOB & BYOF event.
  
• Only complete laps count.The course record is three by Christopher Anderson.
• Killa Hilla course in Pictures HERE.
• Killa Hilla course via Garmin HERE.
  

A number of years ago I came up with the Killa Hilla Course and since then I have used it in my own training and coaching. It is an out and back that measures 5.2 miles in length and has almost a thousand foot of climbing and descending per lap.

So start the New Year off right and join me for a lap or two!

Press Release:

Killa Hilla Classic

Start the New Year off right. This is an eight hour event where one tries to do the 5 mile Killa Hilla course as many times as you want. You could do a lap and go home and then come back and do another. Or you could be out there the whole 8 hours straight.

The only rules are the laps most be completed between 8am & 4pm and only complete laps count. Plus the Killa Hilla Classic course uses the 16 switchbacks on the eastern end.

This event is in the "Fat Ass" tradition:

FAT ASS is the name given to a series of low key runs that are frequented by experienced runners & walkers and characterised by the phrase "No Fees, No Awards, No Aid, No Wimps". Yes, the runs are totally free to enter and are put on by passionate runners who are also running. Think of it as a bit like meeting some people for a bushwalk - except it's a run. Because the runs are not races in any sense, there is no guarantee of anything other than a course to run.