Date: December 19, 2020Finish Time: 4:33 hoursDistance: 19.06 milesElevation change: 2753 ft
"The Lookout Mountain trail races begin high atop the mountain at the spectacular Covenant College campus. The course offers a variety of challenging climbs, highly runnable sections and moderate descents on predominantly single track trails. The 50 and 18 mile races travel together for that 18 mile race. The course navigates two exposed bluff lines with fantastic views. On one section of trail, it is possible to see 5 states on a clear day. Runners will follow or cross no less than 5 different creeks leading the runners to Lula Lake Land Trust that winds through rhododendron, mixed hardwood, and Hemlock forests and the towering 120' Lula Falls. Great aid stations with hot soup, a dose of Southern hospitality and camp fires at night. The 10K has become one of the most challenging 10K courses in the region and for good reason. The first couple miles are flat and fast on the college cross country trails and then the speed slows down and the course turns to narrow and beautiful trails along two separate creeks with a couple steep climbs, so if you are new to trails this is a good one to hike and regardless what pace, this one will challenge you."
I signed up for this race last minute after another race I was supposed to run was cancelled due to Corona. I wasn't trained for the elevation of this course, and haven't acclimated to the colder temps since moving from Florida... but thought this looked like a beautiful course. We left Friday afternoon to head up to Chattanooga TN to pickup my race packet. Packet pickup was super easy and went so smooth, and they gave out free local beer at pickup for runners!
Social distanced at the start line
Race morning I arrived about 15 minutes before the race start. It. Was. Freezing. Literally, 25 degrees out and SO cold. Everyone stayed "socially distanced" and had masks on. We didn't start with the national anthem which was a bummer, it's my favorite way to start a race, but to each their own I guess! That's honestly my only critique I can offer, everything else was awesome. Well organized, very well marked course, well stocked aid stations where you would need them, and amazing food at the finish line.
The buzzer sounded and we were off! We started off going downhill for probably close to 3 miles. Then up and down and up and down. It was a beautiful course, but SO cold. It hurt to breath. I keep mentioning how stinking cold it was, let me show some pictures of the icicles along the course! It hurt my lungs to breath.
I started text Justin around mile 10 telling him how much I was struggling with breathing. Even with walking I couldn't keep my breath, my lungs were on fire. I ended up running with my facemask on a lot just to warm the air I was breathing.
My legs felt great and my heart rate was staying low but my lungs were on fire. I told him I knew I wasn't going to make the 50 miles (which is what I signed up for), I was going to try and stick it out and make it as long as I could, but with the tough time restraints of this race and how much walking I was having to do due to not being able to breath I knew I wouldn't make it. I was praying it would warm up outside so I could enjoy the rest of my beautiful miles.
The views after that were spectacular, on a clear day like today you can see 5 different states! There were 2 huge waterfalls we got to run by. This area was particularly cold! The splashing of the freezing water in the wind was like having ice hitting you in the face!
The trail wasn't too hard to run, except some parts were so steep, we literally had to use a rope on one area to aid us in the climb! These parts I was unable to run, even if it wasn't so cold, although there were some amazing runners that were still running these crazy steep up hills!
I got to mile 14 and texted Justin telling him I was going to bail and finish with the 19 mile finishers. I was struggling emotionally at this point. I was so frustrated that I felt good and couldn't run because I didn't train to run in the cold. Poor training for the elements got the best of me. I bailed and finish with the 19 mile finishers, I figured I would get a DNF from dropping and was pleasantly surprised to see that they just moved me to a 19 mile finisher! I'm so happy about that! I'm glad I ran this race, and learned something new about running in the cold! I never thought that would be something I would have to practice or train for. After 8 years of running in the Florida heat and humidity, I figured cold weather would ALWAYS be easy. Boy, was I wrong! I'm hoping to do it again next winter, but will have lived in Georgia for over a year at that point so hopefully I will be more acclimated to thinner colder air! Besides freezing, this course was awesome, the views were amazing, the race directors were well organized and so kind. The hot amazing tacos on the grills at the finish line HIT THE SPOT!
"The Lookout Mountain trail races begin high atop the mountain at the spectacular Covenant College campus. The course offers a variety of challenging climbs, highly runnable sections and moderate descents on predominantly single track trails. The 50 and 18 mile races travel together for that 18 mile race. The course navigates two exposed bluff lines with fantastic views. On one section of trail, it is possible to see 5 states on a clear day. Runners will follow or cross no less than 5 different creeks leading the runners to Lula Lake Land Trust that winds through rhododendron, mixed hardwood, and Hemlock forests and the towering 120' Lula Falls. Great aid stations with hot soup, a dose of Southern hospitality and camp fires at night. The 10K has become one of the most challenging 10K courses in the region and for good reason. The first couple miles are flat and fast on the college cross country trails and then the speed slows down and the course turns to narrow and beautiful trails along two separate creeks with a couple steep climbs, so if you are new to trails this is a good one to hike and regardless what pace, this one will challenge you."
I signed up for this race last minute after another race I was supposed to run was cancelled due to Corona. I wasn't trained for the elevation of this course, and haven't acclimated to the colder temps since moving from Florida... but thought this looked like a beautiful course. We left Friday afternoon to head up to Chattanooga TN to pickup my race packet. Packet pickup was super easy and went so smooth, and they gave out free local beer at pickup for runners!
Social distanced at the start line
Race morning I arrived about 15 minutes before the race start. It. Was. Freezing. Literally, 25 degrees out and SO cold. Everyone stayed "socially distanced" and had masks on. We didn't start with the national anthem which was a bummer, it's my favorite way to start a race, but to each their own I guess! That's honestly my only critique I can offer, everything else was awesome. Well organized, very well marked course, well stocked aid stations where you would need them, and amazing food at the finish line.
The buzzer sounded and we were off! We started off going downhill for probably close to 3 miles. Then up and down and up and down. It was a beautiful course, but SO cold. It hurt to breath. I keep mentioning how stinking cold it was, let me show some pictures of the icicles along the course! It hurt my lungs to breath.
I started text Justin around mile 10 telling him how much I was struggling with breathing. Even with walking I couldn't keep my breath, my lungs were on fire. I ended up running with my facemask on a lot just to warm the air I was breathing.
My legs felt great and my heart rate was staying low but my lungs were on fire. I told him I knew I wasn't going to make the 50 miles (which is what I signed up for), I was going to try and stick it out and make it as long as I could, but with the tough time restraints of this race and how much walking I was having to do due to not being able to breath I knew I wouldn't make it. I was praying it would warm up outside so I could enjoy the rest of my beautiful miles.
The views after that were spectacular, on a clear day like today you can see 5 different states! There were 2 huge waterfalls we got to run by. This area was particularly cold! The splashing of the freezing water in the wind was like having ice hitting you in the face! 
The trail wasn't too hard to run, except some parts were so steep, we literally had to use a rope on one area to aid us in the climb! These parts I was unable to run, even if it wasn't so cold, although there were some amazing runners that were still running these crazy steep up hills! 
I got to mile 14 and texted Justin telling him I was going to bail and finish with the 19 mile finishers. I was struggling emotionally at this point. I was so frustrated that I felt good and couldn't run because I didn't train to run in the cold. Poor training for the elements got the best of me. I bailed and finish with the 19 mile finishers, I figured I would get a DNF from dropping and was pleasantly surprised to see that they just moved me to a 19 mile finisher! I'm so happy about that! I'm glad I ran this race, and learned something new about running in the cold! I never thought that would be something I would have to practice or train for. After 8 years of running in the Florida heat and humidity, I figured cold weather would ALWAYS be easy. Boy, was I wrong! I'm hoping to do it again next winter, but will have lived in Georgia for over a year at that point so hopefully I will be more acclimated to thinner colder air! Besides freezing, this course was awesome, the views were amazing, the race directors were well organized and so kind. The hot amazing tacos on the grills at the finish line HIT THE SPOT! 
