PR comes alive

Well, I guess the kind of training that I feel most comfortable with, the kind of training that I can fit in during the late afternoon, the kind of training that doesn't require I drive to the other side of the island, is actually paying off.

Went out with Fish to do a HURT loop this morning. We did the turn, hit three balls and I knew there was something different about the day as I stared down at 3:10 where it has been about 4:oo. We pushed up the HOGBACK and I felt good, and it wasn't until we hit Tree Forts that Fish began to harangue me to get me to do the last hundred yards as well as I had done the previous. It worked and we hit the top of Hogsback in 15:25. A PR, but hell every section was going to turn into a PR so just let that be understood.

We worked our way over the crossover hitting the top of twisters in 19 something and then the top of Easies by 23 something, and then down over to the three-way at the top of Center Trail in something like 27:00. Fish pulled ahead of me as we pushed up Mango's and I saw him disappear for a while at the Rock Wall, but got him back in sight as he headed off on Nahuina, as I hit the upper section of Cathedrals, 3o something. I chased him through the Dark Forest, past the seeps, Knee Knockers and up through Bunyan's. I always fall apart as I head up toward the banana patch and off to the viney avocado, but this time I kept it together and chased hard. I rounded the turn the clock showing 37 or 8--two minutes better than my recent attempts. I pushed hard, hearing Fish calling me on and wound my way up through the Hau Tree Tangles. Two switches left and I was still managing to run sections. The final turn, the long hard haul and I look down to see I had done it in 44:02. The best to date had been a 47:20! Man we were hauling, powering up the hill like I have never done before.

We pushed on making the map room in under 1:00, perhaps the low 50's. The down the cut-off and toward a very muddy Pauoa Flats. Then down the hill hard making the bottom under 2 hours. 55 maybe.

A quick turn and we pushed back up the trails, making the top, pushing on toward the bench which we reached in just under 3. I was amazed I had the stamina to keep at it. Amazed I could run or jog for so much of the time, amazed that even with the moments of total anaerobic exhaustion I could snap back and push on. We were down into Nu'uanu by 30, did the turn and climbed out by 4:15. Then it was the final push. We hit the gate at the map room by 4:30, the bench at the top of Hogback under 5:00 and then slowed at Center as I have done too much damage to myself running it recently.

Fish and I walked back across the Nature Center Bridge at 5:23. It was all a PR, every section, every point to point. My knees were hurting but, as I have said it is more a Patella problem caused by floor exercises and does not seem to be an internal knee problem.....we will see.

hard work and a lot of help from Fishy who knows when to push me and when to leave me alone. Thanks Fish. First Loop of the new season is a PR. Interesting!!!