H.U.R.T. Hawaii

A Perfect 12 Hours……of Misery

(Mike Minch coughs, gags, and stumbles his way through 11 hours of insanity)

I hate Paul Hopwood.  The guy passed me so many times during Saturday’s Twelve Hour Endurance Run that I could have sworn he was hiding in the bushes and letting me stumble by so he could rocket man by me again and again. I would have responded with brute force but he was so damn fast that I never had time to react. The worst were the few times I was trucking up the Hog Back and all of a sudden he shoots on by like I am standing still. David Carlsson wasn’t much better but at least he timed most of his passes when we were going down hill.   I have problems with Gordon, Harald  and Larry as well, but I’m a bit more used to them putting me to shame. Ed Bugarian was out there and he passed me a few times, but Ed is my age and its always great to see him tearing up the trail. There were a lot of other guys who lapped me at least once. And Earnest beat Conan.  It was quite a blow.   My only real excuse, I have a lot of them if you want to email me for the list, was that I was really sick with a chest cold and only showed up because I had laid down the challenge with Earnest and could not bear a no show.    

If you didn’t make it out to the Twelve Hour Endurance Run you missed a great event.  It was a beautiful day with lots of rain in the morning producing humidity at about 110 percent. Then is got hot and more humid as the sun began to shine into Makiki valley and turn it into a sweltering miasma filled jungle.  Center Trail dressed in all her slick sticky glory for the race, with Cross over, down near the bottom of what I call Rooty Run, below the ironwood tree where you can look out toward harbor, managing to produce some great long and muddy troughs that were filled with rotten guava and pig dung.  It was so thick and deep that there was no way you could make it through without coming out of it looking like you’d rolled in it.  And there was that piggy perfume that clung to everyone who made it through. Needless to say it only got worse as we repeated the process in a cycle that, one by one, we would all swear was endless. ---except of course for Harald who seems to thrive on this race and has for the last few years insisted on running until the final minute regardless of the effect on the rankings.  Harald’s family showed up and for no reason, other than he looked like a tall grinning swamp creature, his children shied away from him, as if they were wondering what this muddy nasty smelling madman had done with their father. 

But the star of the Twelve Hour is the Hog Back.  And this year she adorned herself with a great set of muddy bumps up at the top of Too Steeps and more muddy slippery track starting where you  pass into The Dark Side and all the way up past Fort Tree that marks the final section to the top.  There were times that one had to check the vegetation to determine if all the foot movement was producing any upward motion at all.  It was wonderfully frustrating and enough to break the will of all but the most insane runners—and needless to say—we always had a good dozen and a half of those slogging around that demented circle.

HURT 12-Hour Hogsback Results

Sorry for the delay in getting these posted. I am having some pdf conversion challenges.

Congratulations to all the runners. Click here to see a few photos.

2007 12-Hour Hogsback Results

Men

Place    Name    Miles

1    Paul Hopwood    45.00
2    David Carlsson    42.50
3    Gordon Lau    40.00
4    Harald Eberling    40.00
5    Larry Inouye    35.00
6    Keith Moon    35.00
7    Earnest Tay    32.50
8    Mike Taratko    32.50
9    Mike Meunch    30.00
10    Ed Bugarin    27.50
11    John Price    27.50
12    Don Fallis    25.00
13    Dan Eldredge    25.00
14    Larry Wolfe    17.50
15    Mauricio Puerto    12.50
16    Greg Cuadra    2.50

       

Women

1    Elia Valdespino    27.50
2    Michelle Regn    15.00
3    Bozo Vierra    10.00
4    Kat Tagaca    10.00

H.U.R.T. 12 Hour, Final Details

Anyone participating in the 12 hour needs to know that we hope the gate will be open for us at 5:00 am. Aaron hasn't said anything about our parking situation, but it may have eased a bit since TTT. Nonetheless, if you can park outside of the first gate, that would help. Otherwise, go to the lower lot on the left just after the gate. You will still have to schlepp your stuff to the start, at the NC bathrooms. There can be no parking at the upper lot except for race crew folks.

We will have minimal stuff- chips, cookies, gatorade, asst'd soft drinks, AND toilet paper. Maybe some oranges and watermellon if you are lucky. Most runners bring their own fave foods and drink concoctions and electrlytes. We are kind of casually supplemental, but very encouraging and mentally supportive, and sometimes a little demanding and pushy when it comes to whiners trying to drop out.. Come and run as many loops as you dare- this is great physical and mental training for HURT100- how many times can YOU pass the Start-Finish line without whimping out?

Be there, or be square.

pj (RD BIG John's assistant)

Triple Trek Results and Some Photos

(I added a few more photo's on Monday from PJ)

Yesterday's race was held under slightly damp conditions. OK, it was wet and muddy. Though the sun was out at the finish! I thought it might be a wet race when on Friday morning driving to work, it poured down rain so hard I could hardly see driving down the Pali Highway into Honolulu. I called Cheryl late Friday afternoon and she said while PJ and her were out marking the course, it dumped rain a few times on them. Friday night it rained hard enough in Kailua to wake me up twice. That's the pre-amble for what set up wet and muddy trails.

I guess all of this info is only for those who were not at the race. Those of us who ran it (or walked their dogs in it), knew all the really bad spots after the first 10 mile loop. On loops two and three, we could try to avoid the deep mud or just plunge on through. I had a change of socks and thought about changing them but why bother. My feet felt fine, other than wet and they would only get wet again 5 minutes after changing. It was a fun race. I ate lots of Strawberry Guavas on loops two and three. They are so good, I just love the combination of sweet and tart. Yum!!

Finally, I just want to say, congratulations to everyone who came out and ran all three loops. Great running by the top finishers on both the men's and women's side. For me, just being able to get out there and spend the time on trails was great. I am not able to run as much as a year ago, however I was still pleased with my own personal time. Thanks to Cheryl and Jim for manning the aid stations and to Race Directors, John and PJ!

Click here for the results.
Nick's wife, Pel took these photos. Thanks Pel! I added some from PJ too.

Final Triple Trek Notes and Information from the Race Directors

This year we were granted the privilege of having the Permit process waived. (VERY IMPORTANT) This was based on our smaller numbers (we eliminated the 10 mile race from this event) and our promise that we would get everyone parked outside of the Nature Center (on Makiki Heights Street, including down by the Board of Water Supply building). This will leave room in the lower parking lot for other users while we take over the trails.

Please observe the “quiet zone” between the first gate, and the Nature Center building- we don’t want to be waking up the neighbors at 4:30- 5:30 in the morning.

Our start will be at the new bathroom by the bridge. We will start at 5:30, so allow enough time to park, schlep your stuff to the Start line, and get registered.

It will be dark on the trail for the first ½ hour- all you probably need is a little mini mag light. You can give it to the aid station volunteer and collect it at the end of the race.

Aid Stations will be at about 3 miles and 7 miles, with water and Gatorade, and a few salty/sweet snacks. It is advisable for you to bring your own food/drink supplements, and electrolytes if you use them. Carry at least ONE BOTTLE! The first aid station at Moleka Trail/Roundtop Drive will stay open until 12:30. The second aid station at Kalawahine/Concrete Road/Tantalus Drive will be open until 1:30.

Runners MUST check in with John at the Start-Finish line after each loop, in order to be credited with the loop. Dropouts need to be reported to John or PJ as soon as possible, so we aren’t out there looking for you after dark.

Cut off time for the race is 11:30 after the second loop.

Follow pink ribbons to the top of Tantalus, and green ribbons back to the bottom. On this figure eight course, the ribbons will occasionally overlap. Blue (means “BAD”) ribbons will mark the trails you are to avoid. Simply, if you get to an intersection, look in all directions to verify your course direction as marked by the pink and green ribbons.

Join me and the trail markers at 2:30 pm 8/31, to see the course if you wish.

Triple Trek will be here Soon!

The Tantalus Triple Trek is September 1. This race is part of the H.U.R.T. Trail Series and is one of the best runs in the series. It's three loops and as I like to describe it, 5 miles up and 5 miles down. It's the only race I know of that you get to run down Hogsback!!

There will be at least one aide station set up and possibly two. These are usually set up at the two road crossings. However, it is suggested that you carry at least one bottle of water per loop. Try to remember that dehydration has a cumulative effect and though you might get away running one loop a bit dehydrated, by loops two and three you will really be paying for it. Ask some of the finishers at the recent Maunawili Out & Back.

Remember this race starts early--5:30 a.m. Parking is limited so plan accordingly. One option is to park down in the neighborhood by the water pumping station and walk up.

You might want a small flashlight for the first 20 minutes or so.

The Start/Finish is at the Hawaii Nature Center.

This race has no pre-registration, so plan on showing up at least by 5:00 a.m. to register and pay the $10 entrants fee. There will be some snacks and aid at the Start/Finish, however if you have special things you like, plan on bringing your own.

Click here to see last year's results. The trend this year is race times are getting faster! Use these just as a guide. You can see photos from 2006 here.

If you have any questions, contact either John or PJ via e-mail.

More photos from Maunawili by PJ

PJ took photos at the race finish this past Saturday. Thanks PJ.

Click here to view.

Photos from Maunawili Out & Back

Not only did he come in 1st place, he also takes great photo's. Thanks Jozef!! These fit nicely with the great story Mike Muench wrote. Thanks Mike.

And what about that Ed Bugarin? He keeps getting faster and more fit. What's his secret?

Click here to see the photos! Thanks again to Neal & Marian for organizing this race!!

Maunawili What?

The air was warm and heavy with moisture even at 7:00 am as we all stood in grass just back from the Pali Overlook. Modern day warriors, men and women of Oahu, coming together in the killing grounds of the last great Hawaiian battlefield, waiting for the race stages to move out. Each filtering down the Pali Trail into Koolaupoko while the others continued to hold off the unseen forces of a forgotten conquering army. But our battle lay along the bottoms of the cliffs to the east, and we were not fleeing but charging down the ancient escape routes.

I took my place high on the hillside, waited the start and then slipped and slid my way to the bottom, the rubber pig stuffed in my belt. It was all a formality. I needed to carry it out of site of the crowd and then Ed Bugarian would be forced to take it. I handed it to him before we hit the turn onto the Old Pali road, and he was gone and out of site in less than a minute. I had the feeling that the over 50 crowd was going to be running amok.

I’m always tight at the start and can not run for miles. I’m not very talkative, and I don’t really want to listen to anybody else as the pain in my legs and hips works it way out of my stiff body. I made the trip to the bottom alone, cursing various things which struck my fancy and just trying to get moving without pulling or breaking something. It was miserable, and it got hotter and more humid as I worked my way down into the valley and made the turn onto the Maunawili Trail. I was sweating steams from my head and upper body and the weight of the water felt like it would fill my lungs; I hadn’t realized how much my system had adapted to the desert and the volcano. Wet, hot and tight, I became disgusted and was ready to quit, but didn’t feel like making the climb back up the Pali.

Maunawili Results--REVISED

Thanks to Neal and Marian Yasuda for directing a great race on Saturday. Everyone had fun and they had excellent post-race food. Again, lots of new faces who are fast runners showing up at these trails races. Jozef Gyrurke won the men's race and Julie Dohenney won the woman's individual race. On the relay side, the team of Iocovelli and Ho were fastest. Click here to view all the results.

The next race in the H.U.R.T. Trail Series is Triple Trek. This is a three loop 50k race. If you just completed Maunawili you can do this race. This race steps up the distance a bit over a forgiving course on Tantalus.

More details will be coming. Put it on your calendar for September 1 with a 5:30 a.m. start time from the Hawaii Nature Center. Like all of the Trail series races, there is no pre-registration and the entry is just $10.