Tag Archives: Sleeps On It

29th May – CH4 – Itchy Bitchy

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I thought it was Itchy and Sleeps on It, but in the end it was just itchy, from a familiar runsite – the 400th CH4 if I’m not mistaken (well, one of the 400th runs). I have fond memories of the last run that Itchy set from there, where I had the ‘perfect’ hash. What would happen today? Humps set the early pace, and at an early circle check, I went right, while Chuckie went left. Finally after an eternity Humps called from straight on where he and Pigshit were checking – the paper was a long way after the circle, and I spent some time weaving my way through the walkers and back markers, finally getting towards the front in time to hear Piggy calling OnOn from the next check.

What was Piggy on? Whatever it is, I need some of it! He was on absolute fire, nailing check after check after check, leaving us trailing out behind him. It was up a steepish hill, so Chuckie got an advantage, leaving Poo and I to scramble up behind. We could barely hear them ahead of us, until all of a sudden they were on the next ridge over! Piggy and Chuckie had broken away so it would be a long hard chase. I tried to settle into a rhythm keeping up a reasonable pace (6-6:30 per km), and the beautiful trails and views made the going easy. At one point I heard a call from down to my left, but it was just from a dogleg in the trail, and that was the last I heard from the breakaway, or from behind either.

The checks were kicked out, and trail easy to follow, until I got to an unbroken check. What to do? Nothing from ahead, nothing from behind – clearly it was the most obvious route, so I continued on and sure enough found trail. At the next check, I moved some of the paper to let Poo know which way I’d gone (and not come back from). So it was for a few checks – perhaps the breakaway thought we’d like the challenge of checking, but each time I guessed right first time (just like them). Finally a check that was kicked out, and around the corner an OnIn. A great trail by Itchy, and excellent running from Piggy and Chuckie – it was as though Brownie was still here!

6th April – CH4 – BMY & CW

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It was the day after BMY and Big Top’s fabulous “mini” ball breaker (circa 15k = mini???) and I was looking forward to an easy, scenic hangover run through some of the beautiful countryside we are so blessed to find in abundance surrounding Chiang Mai.
Dr Byte and Chucky Whoooooooooooo had promised us something special – a live hare run to impress the many visitors who had joined us on the Sunday Happy Hash as a precursor to the celebratory 1000th CH3 run on Monday.
All through the previous week, the hares had suggested some charming hills and complementary flat trails – Chucky the supremo uphill gardener haring the hilly bits and Byte making sure we didn’t get to deploy the KY gel on the flat bits.
And so, after convincing our visitors on the songthaew they were in for a treat, it was a bit of a surprise when we arrived at the A site – a concrete shell of a house on a large dusty building site full of similarly incomplete, ghost-grey structures. Not to worry I thought, the lush green hills were only a short distance away. Surely we would be heading in that promising direction . . .?
The hare brief was suitably brief, with BMY suggesting the girls set off 10 seconds after the hares and the men a full 20 minutes after . . . mooh-ha-ha-ha! But the girls didn’t fancy the idea for some unimaginable reason and we all headed out on the chase after the obligatory five minutes had elapsed.
Belly Dancer spurted forth like a lame hippo in a tutu straight towards the main trail leading up into the hills, ignoring the paper trail the hares had set. Did he have inside info? Or had he been “misinformed” by the devious hares? Sadly it turned out to be the latter. The trail led us out into an open expanse of fields where a centrally placed circle check had us checking left towards the hills. But alas, the hares, intent on fucking over the FRBs at any cost and ensuring their own anal virginity – well at least for the purposes of this run – turned right, right back into the construction site via an un-happy-hash-like gully where I was fortunate enough to be on hand to give Itchy and Sleepsy a hand down and then a conveniently placed hand back up again – mooh-ha-ha-ha.
More grey dust trails, past more grey shell houses and over a familiar main road; and then we reached the familiar criss-cross warren of running trails used by the local fitness community. Good flat running trails. Many checks to hold us back. Lots of puffing and panting after yesterday’s “marathon”.
And then we emerged from the rabbit’s maze onto a flat, grassy field – it somehow reminded me of Newmarket race course – and back to the main, main road, where the trail led us back to the main road that we had previously crossed.
A long tarmac run; but this was Skid Mark territory and he rightly predicted the old favourite under-the-fence hole. So under we went and were thankfully off the tarmac and back on a dirt trail, the one with the familiar sneaky offshoot to the right, the one leading back to the building site and the A.
I followed the trail to the concrete fence surrounding the building site until I hit a false trail check back. So it was up and over the fence. None of Your Business found the trail on the other side and was first home, punching the air with obvious delight. There were a few stragglers but nothing to cause concern as the reliable Tip Toe was on hand to lead them on and in. Welcome back big man!
Great circle hares, but Big Top was probably right when she said that had it been any hash other than the Happy Hash, you would both have had willies over your heads for the tarmac and dust content of the run. But what do we care – this is the Happy Hash, right? Who needs willies when simple wit and humour will more than suffice?
As with most Happy Hash circles and on-ons (this time at the magnificent Sheryl’s), the magical blend of beer, good-natured splashes, fine food and welcome camaraderie, cast its spell upon us all and all thought and talk of the run eventually dispersed into a delightful alcoholic fog.
Good job hares! But I wonder what would have happened had None of Your Business caught Dr Byte before the end of the run . . . mooh-ha-ha-ha?????!!!!!
Ah, I do so love the Happy Hash!

2nd September – CH4 – Sleeps On It

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Familiar area at the Ag Centre and the hare had promised me a run around the bottom, so hopefully no hills. Hare brief done, we set off and I promptly checked 180 degrees wrong at the first check. Bend Over had brought the kids and they were already looking for opportunities to short cut. I tracked back through the throng after Chuckie and Skiddy and it was Chuckie that was dropped off at the 2nd check. Skiddy got caught at the 3rd where they’d dug up a previous trail and I led the way as we looped around towards the fields.

I was accused of short cutting, when a more accurate description would be enthusiastic checking. At the Ag. Center there are only so many ways to go, and so check hard enough in the right general direction and you’ll find paper. Sure enough I did. Although at one point it was quite a bit further along before I could loop around and rejoin the trail.

Chuckie was unstoppable as my legs grew weary and we finished a pleasant 6+km run by crossing the dam wall back to the A.

OnOn