The run started from near Tintins restaurant, not far from the canal road football field. Cars lined up, and a harebrief told us to expect paper, circle checks and V checks. Heading off towards the hills, an a circle check, with Angry Inch following me straight on, claiming he could see paper (which he could, it just wasn’t from our run). Luckily our run was tucked off to the right and we were off with Brownie following just behind. Ducking into a dried up creek bed, there was a V check. I went right, and Angry followed me, leaving Brownie to check to the left. After a couple of hundred metres our confidence grew, and we climbed up out of the creek bed to a well used hashing trail – a circle check, and I went left up the hill… Angry just followed straight up behind me!!! It seems our Inch fellow had completely forgotten checking etiquette! We were well clear of the rest of the pack, passing where the walker trail broke off to the left, and the runner trail continued up the hill. It was an ominous sign having the split so early – I already dreaded that the 2nd half of the trail would be a run with all the checks kicked out.
At the next circle, I continued up the hill, shocked that Angry was following me again! Like a midday shadow! Was he following paper, or just following me?! I went over 100m, and no sign of paper, but this check had us all grouped up and spread out all over the place. It was devilish. I checked several directions, but with nobody calling ON, I crept to the edge of a crevasse, and peeked over. Sure enough I could see a flash of white paper in the canyon beneath – but how could I get to it? I abseiled down hanging off tree trunks till I got to the bottom and double checked it was our paper. ONON!
Angry Inch was quickly behind me.
The next check I didn’t quite get right, but I didn’t quite get wrong, and as Turkey ran one side of the gully, I trekked along the other side. We came together at the bottom, and another circle. The hares were doing a stunning job of getting maximum distance out of small surface area, and I couldn’t imagine them turning to the left again, but somehow they did. I guess the reason the trails didn’t connect was mostly because we weren’t on trails for some sections.
We rejoined the walkers, and my fears were proved correct. Everything was kicked out now, and it turned into a flat out run. No checks to bring the pack together, just a marked run, with the occasional greeting as we passed some walkers. No idea who was up front as I had lost ground on a check, but jogged along with HRA for a while. For once I managed to pass TMB, and her morning half marathon must have been taking its toll as she didn’t over take in the last km or so. A fun route, with some really tough checks – I guess the walkers had the opportunity to try out some checking for once!