Friday, April 29, 2011

Phuk me it's the Sperminator

Misdirections for this week's SH3 run are:

Songkhla Hash House Harriers run #1560, Saturday 30th April 2011, 4:30 p.m.
Hares: Phuk and Sperminator.
Misdirections: From the Ko Yo intersection take the new Yala road for 3k to the run site in the quarry on the left.

Sunday's HH3 run is being set by Scud but there's no word so far about where. No doubt all will be revealed at Saturday's run.


Sunday, April 24, 2011

Calling for Hillwalk pix

OK, we now have Egghead and Beavershot's photos from the walk. (By the way, has it occurred to anyone else that "walk" doesn't quite describe whatever it is we did up there?) If the rest of you could be so kind as to get your shots to Beaver, so to speak, within a few weeks you will be rewarded with a shiny new CD of all the best stuff . . . perfect viewing for those long leechless evenings of your golden years.

Friday, April 22, 2011

It wasn't HOW hard?

Well Egghead's certainly changed his tune! Here he is on the trail on Tuesday, begging the heavens for an medevac out!

Aw come on! It wasn't THAT hard!

The vital statistics department gives you the facts:

Length: (according to Garmin with all deviations wobbles side rambles and random deviations) 18.71k
(sanitized flat distance) 14.7k
(adjusted distance based on Pythagoras theorem) 15.77k
Maximum height: 1630/1640m
Total ascent: 2855m

When can we do it again please?

Thursday, April 21, 2011

So are we Stoics or Cynics?

"The Stoics did not shun worldly goods and pleasures or embrace discomfort out of masochism or to pursue spiritual atonement or purification, as was the case with the Greek Cynics or, in more modern times, by various religious ascetics and sects. Rather, the Stoics advocated occasional, deliberate use of temporary poverty, voluntary discomfort, and refraining from pleasures in order to quiet their appetites for material goods and sensual pleasures, increase the sense of appreciation for what they already had, and — most importantly — to “immunize” themselves against future misfortune and develop the courage to take on difficult challenges. In The Discourses, a set of lectures transcribed by his student Arrian, Epictetus advocates the intentional use of hardship as a form of active training to build up one’s strength, and he acknowledges that this is a gradual process:

But neither a bull nor a noble-spirited man comes to be what he is all at once; he must undertake hard winter training, and prepare himself, and not propel himself rashly into what is not appropriate to him. (TD, Book One, Ch. 2, p. 10)

One criticism that has been lodged against the use of voluntary discomfort or hardship is that it is just too hard and too unpleasant for the average person. Some people may be born with a higher threshold for pain, but for most of us this type of self-inflicted discomfort does not look very appealing or fruitful. To this, Irvine has a good answer:

What the Stoics discover, though, is that willpower is like muscle power: The more they exercise their muscles, the stronger they get, and the more they exercise their will, the stronger it gets. Indeed, by practicing Stoic self-denial techniques over a long period, Stoics can transform themselves into individuals remarkable for their courage and self-control. They will be able to do things that others dread doing, and they will be able to refrain from doing things that others cannot resist doing. They will, as a result, be thoroughly in control of themselves. This self-control makes it far more likely that they will attain the goals of their philosophy of life, and this in turn dramatically increases their chances of living a good life."

Philosophical Deja Vu: Wittgenstein relives a former incarnation

Basil gives the misdirections for Saturdays SH3 run (and this time he gets them correct!)



Manuel: Hhwater tank?
Basil: It’s not difficult Manuel. This is not a proposition from Wittgenstein. Go to Ko Yo intersection; you know Ko Yo intersection?
Manuel: Si Si!
Basil: OK. Take old Hatyai road for 4 kilometers; turn left for 6 kilometers then turn left for 150 meters down track to run site near water tank.

(Officially: SH3 run # 1568’ish: Saturday April 23, 2011: 4:30 p.m.
Hares: Stick Insect and Pak Ma)
Sunday’s HH3 run will be from the football field behind Sai Kao village which is the village near the big tree on the Nam Noi-Tung Wang road.
From Songkhla: Take the old Yala road for 16k; turn right and go 3.5k then turn left just after the big tree and follow the road ahead for about 1k to the football field.
From Hatyai: From the Nam Noi traffic lights turn right and go 12k then turn right just beforeth big tree then follow the road ahead... etc.
The hare is Kai Jeow and the kick off is around 4:15 p.m.

Atop Mt. Faami (เขาฝามี) . . . and the leech that followed me home


Saturday, April 16, 2011

Was it loooong enough?

Just what we need before our second assault on Khao Luang! The sanitized trail above measures 7.7k but if you are keen enough to find all 7 F's and the 2 X's you'd need to add almost another 2k, plus whatever searching you do at the 6, 360's.

But never mind the length, what about the quality? Is it high enough? (Max. elevation 273 m, total ascent 447 m) Are there enough runnable trails? Do we get some breathtaking views? Is the beer cold enough? Is there any chicken for the mutts? (probably not as the massed ranks of the food maidens are elsewhere in Thailand!)

Who knows; because it's still only 3:30 and the run is still an hour off........

Friday, April 15, 2011

Need a map?

Here, finally is the location of next week's walk which will start at Prom Khiri, about 25k North West of Nakhorn SriThammarat. The route from the Ko Yo intersection is shown and is 236k long so, Softcock, allow 90 minutes. Everyone else allow 3 hours!
The route in Garminable format is available by email if anyone wants to be anal about getting there.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

One run






As far as is known, only SH3 will be running this weekend as a lot of people are taking off on Sunday for Nakhorn Sri Thammarat in preparation for the start of walk3 on Monday morning.

But SH3 will definitely be running and the run has been specially designed to tone up the trekking capabilities of walk3 participants as well as being in one of our favorite locations along the New Yala Road.

Full details are:

SH3 run #1558; Saturday April 16 2011, 4:30 p.m.
Hare: Egghead
Misdirections: From the Ko Yo intersection take the new Yala road for 4k to the run site on the left

If there is an HH3 run on Sunday an announcement will be made on Saturday.

There should also be a full moon run around this weekend or early next week, but the GM'ette is away in Bangkok at present and again a lot of people are going to be away in Nakhorn ST until Wednesday. But if anyone would like to set a full moon run just volunteer, either adjacent to the date of the full moon (Sunday?) or later in the week when everyone will be back although likely to be all trekked out!
On! On!

Monday, April 11, 2011

Yardstick's modest little one

Courtesy of Yardo, here's his run from Saturday, SH3 #1557. Despite its small, misshapen appearance, the pack agreed that it did give satisfaction.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

HH3 10 April 2011 Run #???

OK Yardo, here's mine. Let's see yours!

Saturday, April 9, 2011

An insect in its natural habitat

Just to start setting the mood for our 3rd annual (almost) Hillwalk, here is our de facto organizer, Stick Insect. Not on a hillwalk per se, but on a short exploration of various waterfalls and bits of southern jungle a couple years ago. Click to see it big!

Friday, April 8, 2011

Time flies when you're having ...




Is it that time already?

OK, so rumor is correct; Yardo is in the seat of power and decrees that tomorrow's run is:

Songkhla Hash House Harriers run #1557; Saturday April 9 2011. 4:30 p.m.
Hare: Yardstick
Misdirections: From The Ko Yo intersection, go 4.7k along the old Hatyai road and turn left for 6.2k. Turn left at the crossroads at Tha Kham for 1.8k, turn right onto the small bitumen road for 0.3k then at the sala/tree turn left onto a gravel road and follow signs to the run site.

Official directions to Beaver's HH3 Sunday extravaganza are: From The Ko Yo intersection, go 4.7k along the old Hatyai road and turn left for 8k then turn right at Wat Keow Kloy and go about 7k then turn right for 400m and turn right again for 300m to the run site on the left. Kick off is around 4:15 p.m.

Can I go back to work now?

Meow!

No word yet from the Pussy Palace on where our supposed run will be tomorrow. Rumor says Yardo will be laying . . . ?

HH3 on Sunday will be by moi, Beavershot, just off the road that leads to the Metal Chedi and communications towers on the main Hatyai hill off Punnakan Rd. Exact misdirections will no doubt be posted by our Trailmaster along with Saturday's details, whenever he finishes the job at hand.

Friday, April 1, 2011

Run & drink beer for a good cause!

The Online Scum has just learned that Sunday's Hatyai Hash (see misdirections below) will be a charity run for Southern Thai flood victims, with all registration fees donated to relief efforts. Any additional personal contributions will be welcome as well!