Subject: [HURTTRAIL100] in a world of HURT
Date: Fri, 9 Feb 2001 16:43:07 EST
From: Runlourun@aol.com

In a world of HURT
by Luis James Escobar
(an ordinary man who had an extraordinary day)

A short drive away from the friendly shops, warm hotels and outdoor
restaurants of Wikiki Beach waits the Division of Forestry's Nature Center
high in the Makiki Heights region on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu. The Nature
Center would become the home base for the H.U.R.T. Trail 100. (Hawaiian Ultra
Running Team) The Nature Center serves as the start, the finish and one of
the three aid stations of this sometimes cruel but always beautiful 100-mile
ultra marathon course. For me the excitement and anticipation prior to this
run are higher than normal. Local runners have been describing monster climbs
with over 23000 feet of elevation gain and loss, humid tropical rain showers,
slick rocks and miles of slippery Banyan tree roots which cross the muddy
trails like wild snakes. (The famed roots of the Rocky Racoon Trail 100 are
absolutely nothing compared to the terrain of HURT) Prior to today, no one
has ever consecutively completed more than two of the five twenty-mile loops.
Many have doubts if the 100-mile distance can even be completed with in the
seemingly generous 36-hour time limit. Patience, total focus and a solid game
plan would be a must!

The warm 6 am start was like a scene from the television show Survivor. Dense
tropical rain forest with the sounds of trickling water, frogs and crickets
filling the dark, damp air. Twenty-nine wide-eyed and curious ultra runners
are carefully led away from civilization and walked on to a small candle lit
footbridge. We are told to gather close to one another, stand quietly and
accept a blessing from two native Hawaiian ladies who are dressed in
traditional island clothing and praying over us in an ancient Polynesian
language. Then small sparkling fireworks are lit which spray silver light and
white smoke across the first few yards of the muddy trail. A conch shell is
blown and our jungle adventure has begun. Flashlights in hand, we are off!

Immediately we are confronted the "Hogsback," a very long, very steep, very
rocky, very rooty climb straight to the top. (Western States has Devil's
Thumb, Leadville has Hope Pass, Angeles Crest has Mount Wilson and HURT has
the Hogsback) Because it is at the start and because this race is comprised
of five, twenty-mile loops, we will all become very familiar with this
unforgiving, never-ending section of trail. Within the first few moments of
the race the head games and strategies had begun to take shape. Almost
instantly Alfred (Bogey) Bogenhuber pulls away and takes control of the race.
To all of our surprise he was pushing the very first hill! Apparently Bogey
knows the course and intends to use it to his advantage. At that moment I
made the decision to go with him. Maybe I could follow him, maybe I could
feed off of his energy, hold on as long as possible, watch and learn from the
experienced master. Maybe I could hold on, maybe I would blow up. As I worked
my way through the pack I could hear the well intended but doubtful snickers
and comments of my fellow runners.

The local runners are wise, they know what lays ahead, they are sure that I
am underestimating the seriousness of the situation. Bogey is too strong,
this hill is bad and it will only get worse. Pushing now will lead to certain
death. I continue up.

Soon I am with Bogey and soon we are alone. There are no more voices and no
more flashlights bouncing behind us, just me and Bogey ... alone ... in the
dark ... in the jungle ... with a man who calls himself the Wolf!

Until now I have never actually met Bogey. Of course I know who he is, I have
seen his picture in the running magazines, I have heard the stories of how he
likes to stalk runners all day long only to run them down late in the race. I
have seen past race results and I have even read some of his writings. I know
exactly who Bogey is, he is the Wolf. He is 61 years old and the definition
of old school, hard ass, competitive determination. Bogey has become an ultra
running legend and I was about to find out why.

The next hill is about a 1000-foot climb to the Manoa Cliffs, more rocks,
more roots, and more steep single-track jungle trail. Suddenly, at the base
of this climb Bogey stops to fill a water bottle from a natural spring. Was
this my chance? Less than an hour into it, Bogey pauses and I am force to
make a decision. Should I hang out and wait or risk it all now? Reluctantly,
I decided right then and there that I would run the remainder of this first
loop as hard as I reasonably could. Maybe I could move away from the pack,
maybe I could strike now and leave Bogey slipping in the mud. Yea right!

Pressing the next series of hills, attacking the downs and running anything
that was remotely runable I managed to stumble through the first 20-mile loop
in record time of four hours and twenty-three minutes. But as I was leaving
the 20-mile aid station, Bogey was arriving. I had given all I had to give
but still less than twelve minutes behind me was the Wolf! Just like in the
famous stories that I have heard, he was now stalking me! I have become his
prey. From that moment on and for the remainder of the race I would be
consumed with a sense of urgency. There was little that I could do, the man
is a professional. Bogey was patient, he watched and waited, he was
persistent, ever present, always there. Still leading in the third lap I
began to realize this was becoming my race to lose.  If I run smart,
conserve, take care of myself and run within my own abilities I just might
have something left to out run Bogey in the fifth and final lap. But one
small mistake, one wrong move, one sign of weakness and he would pounce.

This story would not be complete without giving credit to all of the people
who supported me during the race. Anyone who has ever completed an ultra
marathon will tell you that it is a team effort, it requires the support of
several people to get each runner to the finish.  My wife Beverly was with me
from start to finish. This was her first time to crew a 100-miler and she did
a wonderful job. Late at night Nuuanu aid station caption Greg Cuadra,
assigned a pacer to me. Nate Lewis is a 17-year-old local high school
cross-country runner. Fortunately, Nate was willing and available to run the
next seven rainy miles with me.  Nate knew the course and helped get me
through some very dark and difficult trail.

Big John Salmonson (race director and Godfather of HURT) and his wife PJ were
both a great source of inspiration, always positive and supportive. Along
with many others John and PJ were in charge of the Nature Center aid station.
They did everything possible to get all of us safely through the full
100-mile distance. At 60 miles John introduced me to my new pacer, Ian
Golden. Ian is a 24-year-old track athlete from Ithaca New York. Ian is very
strong and has plans to run a 100 miler in May. This would be Ian's first
taste of real long distance trail running. Ian is a competitor and he quickly
understood the situation that we were in. We would spend the next twelve and
a half-hours trying to out fox the Wolf.

By this point, the small pack of runners who were minutes behind Bogey had
chosen to stop, they decided to take advantage of the 100K option and drop
after the third lap. With less than two laps to go, third place runner
akabill was now about two hours back. It was coming clear that this race
would end as it had began. In the jungle ... alone ... with Bogey.

As usual, the hour prior to sunrise was the most challenging. It had been
raining off and on through out the night, the trail was a mess and so were
we. Ian and I were both pretty scraped up, covered in mud, wet and moving
very slowly. I never thought about dropping out (the 100k option was never an
option) but at this time I was ready to concede. I had accepted the fact that
Bogey would soon pass and I would settle for second place. We were at an all
time low and in a real world of HURT.

Dawn and the friendly people at the Paradise Park aid-station turn around (88
miles) was a welcomed sight. The warmth and sunshine lifted our spirits, and
reconfirmed our goal to keep the lead. With twelve miles to go, Bogey was
still within minutes. Assuming Bogey would soon attack, I asked Ian to take
the lead and push. It was all I could do just to keep my pacer in sight.
Slipping and sliding, I have been reduced to a stumbling idiot. The rocks
seemed slicker, the hills steeper and the roots even worse than before, but
somehow at the final turn around with less than seven miles to go, we had
actually gained time on Bogey. Was our plan was paying off?

Catching a glimpse of Bogey at the turn around he appeared to be tired but
still very focused and determined. We knew that there would be no room for
error, now was the time to dig deep, hold on and keep it together. Finally,
with less than two miles to go and Ian still leading we managed to hold on to
our slim lead. Constantly looking over my shoulder we approached the Nature
Center for the fifth and final time. Tired, wet and coated in mud, we did it!
It took twenty-eight hours and three minutes but now it was done, it was
finally over and we managed to stay in front. Bogey is a real warrior and a
great competitor, someone I will not soon forget. To share the trail with a
runner of his caliber was a tremendous thrill and an invaluable learning
experience.

German ultra running pioneer and 2000 Grand Slam finisher Hans-Dieter
Weisshaar described HURT as "the toughest course I have ever faced." Upon
finishing, even Bogey proclaimed he was giving up the 100-mile distance.
Twenty-nine of us started and only eight completed the full 100-mile
distance. This course is tough! Congratulations to all of the runners who had
the courage to start this incredible event.

Thanks to all the volunteers and members of HURT, Vern Char, Mike Garcia,
Jeff Huff, Greg Cuadra, akabill, PJ and Big John Salomson. Thanks for sharing
your mountains with us.

I have been humbled by this magnificent trail, inspired by these wonderful
people and brought to a new level by this determined man. I am proud to say
that I had the opportunity to run with Bogey, but I hope that I never have to
race the Wolf again. I will look forward to seeing all of you next year.

Sincerely, Luis James Escobar