I started at the Covina trailhead at 6:50am. Carried (4) 10oz bottles of water attached to my hydration belt plus (6) Gu gels. I used 5 of the gels and refilled my bottles twice (Lemon Creek Park / Schabarum Regional Park). I encountered quite a bit of overgrowth in the Covina hills miles 2-4 and once again climbing up through Walnut miles 5-6. Despite the slow go through the brush, I was still looking good for a push at Travis's FKT. I kept a steady pace during the flat miles along the wash through The City of Industry despite having to maneuver my way through two homeless encampments. Two closed trail tunnels also made for slight detours (over the train tracks and street running along Colima Ave.) I was never further than 100ft from the actual trail. As I started my climb through the Puente Hills Preserve, I felt at home. I had run these trails so many times over the past few years and knew exactly what to expect technically and elevation wise. Just as I started my first big climb, the sun came out after what had been a cool overcast day to that point. Hydration became an issue, so I began conserving my water. With about 3 miles left I was dry. I licked my lips and finished relatively strong. Bested my goal of sub 5 hours by 1 minute 10 seconds.