It’s been a while! I finally decided to head out to run with the CSH3 – the AGFU with a new incoming committee. I joined in the run, and then headed off. Gigalo Joe was straight into running, so I figured I’d follow suit. Poor bugger got screwed at the first check, and I was on my own ahead, well at least until the next check when I spotted Frozen stood a bit up the hill, and begrudgingly admitted he was on. Another check nailed.
The next check was a bit trickier – or rather it shouldn’t have been. Frozen just ignored it, while I spotted it down the hill a bit and tried following Frozen to no paper. I should have just gone to the check and followed the obvious trail next to it. That’s what Cool Balls did, and shortly after I was scampering along behind him. Gigalo Joe caught up again after the wimp rambo split and the trail took us up hill – a nice trail, just climbing and it was Foooking hot!
At the saddle, I sidestepped GJ and picked the trail heading more to the right, while he wanted the one to the left. Both were heading down the otherside of the hill, and honestly it was 50/50, but I just had a gut feeling about where the run was headed, and luckily my gut was correct! From there I nailed check after check, (to be fair they weren’t too hard to pick), and the voices faded behind as I ran along pleasant trails in the valley behind. All the time I was looking at the hill to my right that either we would have to go back over, or around the end – I was just hoping it was around the end.
At one point the trail was elaborately marked over some barbed wire, down a bit and into some dodgy ass little hut that who can imagine what horrors took place in. Today it was just a circle check, and I was happy to retreat back out and continue along the main trail.
A bit further along I finally got a check a bit wrong – knowing we needed to turn right at some point, this looked a bit more promising, but no joy. I was still ahead, but this time when I called ONON, I could just hear faint sounds of people behind. Man it was hot. The next check was a bastard – well over 100m. I got it right, but aborted and traversed to the left before I got to the paper. That was a deadend, so I was just making my way back when Just Cuming called the ONON – along with some expletives about it being a long check. I fortunately cut in ahead of him and continued.
The pack were on my tail though and the heat was having an effect. We hit the road, and the easiest option would be to just run back down the road to the car and safety of air con. I tried to accelerate, but then a circle. I wanted to keep going down the road, but I knew Sloppy wouldn’t do that, so it had to be off the road, so a little bit of scramble/shiggy over to some guys elaborate tomb. Now Turkey was breathing down my neck, and passing me, with Piggy & Just Cumming.
OK, I was hot, and tired. A couple of months off running and I’ve lost some speed and stamina. Another check, straight on again, but now Turkey was crushing it. Another check, and I thought we’d just passed a trail, but behind me was Willy Walls and Skiddy, so I just idled for a while waiting for someone to call it. Nobody did, and apparently nobody had checked the trail we’d just passed, so I went back and sure enough found some paper.
I’d got nearly 7k at this point, so surely just one last push and it would be over? One check I went straight to paper, so back over the road and another check. A 50/50 – right or left? I went left, and checked to around 120m (there had been a long check before). No sounds from anywhere else, but I suspect people were still regrouping after the back check. I spotted some white paper a bit ahead, so carried on to investigate. A kicked out circle… Definitely too far away to be trail, and why was it kicked out? It had to be the wimp trail, damnit! Then I spotted hashers to the right, ok whatever – I’ll rejoin them by the OnIn.
Good run, but someone should turn down the thermostat. I guess that is the job for the new GM! Good luck!