After doing this route last year, getting the fastest known time but losing GPS signal in the jungle I know I wanted to try for this again right away. Mentioned to some friends that I want to do this again before the hurt 100 this year and got Eric Baese to join.
We got started just after 7 AM on a rainy Tuesday morning sent hard out from the nature center up hogs back. We ran the whole first climb together. B took out a little fast through puoa flats then about halfway down to Manoa Falls he turns to me and says “let’s go” instantaneously face plants himself into the deep mud, I step around and begin to open up getting to Manoa Falls Falls Trail. I quickly turn around at Paradise Park at about 1:07. Then jam up the hill running basically every step of the way to Nuuanu. Fill up a bottle, swig some water and want to see how much time is between us halfway around Judd I see B. I see him coming through still looking strong but probably put on a few minutes on that leg. Felt good going up all the way through the Manoa cliff downhill got a little cramped up on the final climb of crossing was able to manage it. Get down quick didn’t know where I was once I finished as far as time and checked that I had a 3:13 finish. Honestly, didn’t think i had a PR or even a Strava CR or even just a decent run ahead of me for today. Somehow PR damn near every segment on trails that I’ve ran countless amounts of times.
One year to get 5 minutes faster. I’m happy.
There’s been several great times put down over the last month or so on this route. I know this time won’t last, but I’m pretty proud of it and will probably end up lowering it again at some point.