To the Bench in sub-30

I ran into Gordon on the way to the Nature Center. We had different work-outs planned but we started the run together spending some time talking a bit. It's like oil and water really. Gordon has a seemingly slow, never wavering gait that is a match for all but the best runners in the ultra distance. I can move up a hill pretty well, but lose it on the flats, and am useless on the downs.

I hit my stop watch at the bridge and we walked the first few hundred yards, over the two bridges, and up toward where the green curtain used to hang. We hit the real trail and started to move a bit. At the top of water pipes I looked at my watch and was surprised to see it saying 7 something. I dropped into gear and started to attack the hill. My goal was to go to the top of Manoa Cliffs, but I could feel the late meal churning in my gut, so I just decided to go-for-it until I lost energy. I had Gordon pushing to keep up a bit, but I knew it was an illusion.

We hit the big bend at about 17 something, and I felt we had made up some time for the walking, but I could hear Gordon moving along behind me just fine, so I kept pushing up foot prints, the washboard and toward rooty-run. At the top at Smokies my watch said something in the low twenties. We moved fast down Easies, and made the turn up shorts. Twisters was dark and muddy, the roots and rocks glistening in the reflected light of late afternoon. I attacked the staircases and pushed up them hitting most of the plastic risers. We came up to the bench at about 28:50. A good run.

I was not in good shape; bent over wheezing and gagging. Gordon was fine. "I'm just going to do my pace." he said as kind of an apology for leaving me there, and off he went toward Moleka. I pushed to keep up with him but he was gone before I could figure out what had happened. I'd done what I came out to do, perhaps not getting as high up as I'd liked but it was OK. I'd pushed my heart-rate to the max, and had cleared out my lungs a bit. It was a good effort.

Jogging after Gordon for a while, my heart finally went out of the run. I had an appointment at 6:30, so I headed back down. I spent some time on Hogback trying to find a better downward line. Not a bad day.