It seems like I am writing a review to a Belly Dancer run almost every week – it’s about time someone gave him a rest from the hareline – or do I mean gives us a rest! Oh, no hang on a minute this was Anything’s run, he was only carrying paper? Hmmmm…. Either way once we’d followed HRA’s cryptic directions to the train station (wtf?) a good turn out was present for the hare brief – given by Belly Dancer, slightly ominously! He cautioned us that S&M Girl had moved the A site and added a km to the run – this was getting more confusing – who was the hare? and why does Belly Dancer need to add any km to his runs???
Anyway, we set off along the railway with myself and Brown Finger stretching our legs early – around 1.5km along the tracks we crossed over and thanks to a V check we came back the other side of the tracks allowing every other hasher to simply cross the tracks and short cut. Into a little side alley and we were squeezing past bamboo huts jumping over piles of empty lao khao and sleeping drunks through one of Chiang Mai’s forgotten quarters.
To their credit the hares had found just about the only greenery within a hash run radius of the train station, and they proceeded to take us through it, and then back to the train tracks. There was a theme here, and running along the tracks it felt like I was in a Western movie or something. Even Graven Image muttered “this is fun!”, although I couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic… We cut through a slimy stinkhole and were confused briefly at a field, before it was back into the city streets.
Yay – now you can’t hear anyone calling On-On over the motorbikes, dogs and urban traffic. The cunning hares had thought of everything though, and promptly didn’t put any checks for around 3km so fortunately we didn’t need to be able to hear! Over the river and then we got to a random footbridge “Belly Hill” – aha! Now we know the true hare! Then the feeling of deja vu set in – chalk markings on the walls which looked like LBII had been converted into CH4 – at least it was daylight this time!
After crossing back over the footbridge, my body rebelled telling me just how much further we had to go, and so I conservatively jog/ran back with Greasy and Skidmark heading off after the FRBs. How much more tarmac could it be? A bit over 9km in total, my legs will be feeling it tomorrow… The circle was long – on one of the station platforms so we were drowned out by the station tannoy, passing cars, and the girls gossiping. Good food on at Greasy and Olive Oils, but I had to retire early and rest up for the week ahead – a Square Rooter run tomorrow? Not sure if my body will survive.
A different run – there were no hills in range from the train station, so the hares made up for it in length (9.35km) with a lot of it on the road. Different is good – right? Interesting…? Not sure I’d want an urban run every week, and not sure we’d get virgins returning, but there was plenty of time for the beer to get cold while we were running and the exercise was good!