I love my LHT for commuting and for long all-day rides. But it is not a fast bike. Fitted with full fenders, aerobars, two water bottle, a Brooks saddle, and both front and rear rack (for touring), it tops out at about 33 pounds. Mine is very comfortable in the saddle, but when doing brevets it does slow me down a good bit. I average about 1 to 1.5 mph faster on my road bike for about the same effort. But on the LHT, I feel like I can ride all day without the same pains I get riding a more aggressive geometry.
My favorite ride on the LHT is up in the mountains with a full touring load. Yes, it might be slow going on the long climbs, but I'm not in any real hurry. The gearing allows me to pull the full load (bike + gear = 70 lbs) with plenty of comfort.