The it-would-be-a-good-idea-to come-to-this-run-if-you-want-SH3-to-still-be-around-next-time-you-fancy-a-run, run

We haven't had to do this for a while, as up until the end of last year our numbers were on a bit of an upswing and we were averaging about 40 runners a run. But recent weeks have seen that slump to around 20, culminating in last week's midsummer monster debacle when the long run was completed by no less than 3 people with a couple more opting for a slightly shorter version. Ok, so the rest of the runners enjoyed the short run, but voices have been raised this week as to whether it is actually worth the hare's effort to set a run if that few people are going to make the effort and do it.

So with that in mind, this week's SH3 run will be decidedly NOT A MONSTER and the hares have promised something that even the most reluctant long runner will be able to handle, and there will of course be a short run for those who prefer something even less demanding.

Details are:
Songkhla Hash House Harriers' run# 1870 Saturday July 1, 2017, 4:30 p.m.
Hares:Stick Insect and Little Tool
Misdirections: From The Kao Seng intersection take the old Yala road for 8.2k and do a U turn, then come back about 1.2k and turn left into Chompoo Soi 11. Follow the road/track for 500m to the run site at about 7.115261N 100. 628137E.

From Hatyai, (avoiding the Ko Yo intersection) Get to Tha Kham and head East for about 5.5k then turn left under the new temple arch on the road leading to Kao Long. After 500m, bear right away from Kao Long and follow the road for about 4k through several villages and across 2 crossroads until it comes out on the old Yala road just after passing Wat Kao Lam. Turn left and go north for about 4.6k then turn left into Chomphoo Soi 11 etc.

Meanwhile...

No comforting words about Sunday's HH3 run however as the hare is Robocop, but the run site is in the quarry at the back of the hill formerly known as the virgin with three tits (old Yala road, 16k, right about 1k turn right and follow the track for about 400m to the run site. From Hatyai get to the big tree at Sai Kao and go straight ahead for 2.5k then turn left along the track etc.) so he can't do too much damage!

Lastly, but by no means leastly, don't forget Eightball's 60th birthday party on Friday (30th June). Here's a link on Google Earth - just head for the red lollipop or set your GPS to 7.160694, 100.553278; or for the old-fashioned, From the Ko Yo intersection head for and cross the first Tinasulanon bridge, then turn left about 250m after the big Buddha and take the first right after 70m and follow the road for about 300m then turn right into the drive and follow it to the mansion/gaff/Englishman's castle at the end. All are welcome.

The Monster, 15th Annual Edition

This was the track from yesterday morning's lay, so it doesn't show either the short run shortcut or the way back from the beer stop. It does show a whole lot of messing around when I was forced to cross my own paper and so had to relay the out-trail.

It wasn't even going to be a long run, but Egghead not unreasonably read that into the email I sent him with my misdirections. Plus I realized that it was the 15th anniversary of The Midsummer Monster, which I believe debuted on June 22, 2002. So I went out on a second recce and scouted the loop to the left you see above.

Now the problem with scouting different parts of a run on different days is that it's hard to know how long the whole thing is going to be when you put it together. And so when I was laying paper yesterday morning and realized that it was looking like about 16km in total, I had to improvise a shorter way back, resulting in the mess you see above.

Anyhow the long run was somewhere in the 12-13km range as set, with a total ascent of about 290m. It featured 10 false trails and 15 360s, all of which I tried to make pretty easy but apparently didn't always succeed. The short run was about 5km. Shortest run of the day was 1.7km by Little Tool, who joined me at the beer stop about 20 minutes after setting off. The longest run was by Innuendo, who probably did the whole thing and then some, taking about two hours. Altogether the beer stop was open for over an hour and a half and dispensed 30 beers, which has to be some kind of record. The hardcore then carried on to a birthday event at the elegant home of Throbbin' Hood and Just In Not Yet.

The monster in your....future.

...don't tell anyone, but there's a monster in your future!

Yes, it's Beavershot's birthday again coinciding as it does magically every year with the longest day of the year and this week's run therefore qualifies as the annual mid-summer monster. Not that Beaver is actually stating categorically that it will be a monster, but there are hints, just hints that the run might be a bit longer than your average run.

Details are:

Songkhla Hash House Harriers' Run #1879, Saturday June 24th, 4:30 p.m.

Hare: Beavershot

Misdirections: Take the old Hatyai road for 4.7k and turn left for 8k. Turn right at Wat Khao Kloi into Punnakan Road. Go 800m and turn left. After 200m turn right and then carry on for 800m to the runsite, just after the road turns to dirt. Approximate coordinates are: N 7.019300, E 100. 569000. From Hatyai take Punnakan for about 10k and turn left at the hash sign then follow the directions above. [GPS: 7°1'7.27" 7.0186861N 100°34'18.50" 100.5718056E]

By coincidence, Sex Printer is setting the HH3 run on Sunday from a run site not a million miles away; well in fact about 4k away down Punnakan in the road before the turning immediately before Wat Tung Ngai as shown in the map below. The turn off is about 4.8k down from Wat Khow Kloi  or about 6.2k up from the junction of Punnakan with Kanjanawanit road if you are coming from Hatyai. 

News of a couple of parties: Throbbin' Hood and Just In Not Yet are also celebrating birthdays about now and are throwing an 'event' on Saturday which sadly clashes with the SH3 run, starting as it does at 3:00 p.m. But they should still be eventing when the hash packs up so let's try and make it along for a celebratory beer.

And a head's up that next week, Eightball will be doing his 60th birthday thing on Friday 30th June at his house on Ko Yo, neatly avoiding clashing with the hash, but more than likely wiping out this month's quiz night. Three line whip on that one guys! More news  about that one and a helpful map during next week.

Half a weekend

With only one run this weekend stand by for withdrawal symptoms! At least it's a Sex Sprinter special so expect a full strength run on Saturday to make up for the absence of an HH3 run on Sunday.

Details are:
Songkhla Hash House Harriers' run # 1878, Saturday June 17th, 4:30 p.m.
Hares: Sex Sprinter and friends.
Misdirections: From the Ko Yo intersection, take the old Hatyai road for 4.7k and turn left for 6k then turn left (at the Tha Kham crossroads) for about 4.5k and look for a sign on the right. Follow the track for as far as necessary to reach the runsite. Alternatively, to avoid the Ko Yo clusterf*ck, take the old Yala road for 16k and turn right before Wat Khun Thong for about 5k (past the big tree at 3.5k). Turn left at the sign etc.The run site is estimated to be at: N 7.033082 E 100.610116. (Hatya'istas should head for Tha Kham and then follow the first set of directions above heading east at the crossroads.)

Sunday's HH3 run has been cancelled because of a procession in Songkhla which starts from the Chinese temple near the fire station (which is in Soi Yaring - the road in which the temple is located apparently has no name but it runs east of and parallel to Nakhorn Nok/Nakhorn Nai Rds.). in which the HH3 guys will feature as statue bearers. If you fancy coming along to lend support (literally and figuratively) the parade starts at 6:00 p.m and will end at 9:00 p.m. Street food, entertainment, and possibly beer will be featured.

Today's HH3 run

Here is Robocop's map of today's runsite, annotated with the help of OaY.

Robocop is the hare today and this map would seem to explain a lot about why his runs are generally so screwed up. I mean, he seems to have no idea of either direction or distance. Runner beware: since he is apparently under the impression that the run site is almost opposite Wat Keow Kloy (it isn't, the nearest landmark would be the football field which is about 500m away on Poonakan) expect to have to do about 5k extra just to get to where he thinks the run should be starting from!

37 years, 200 runs

Here's Wi Wi proudly wearing his 200 run shirt achieved after 37 years of solid hashing (with a few gaps along the way). 

Here's to the next 200 and hopefully the next 37 years as well.

1877: accidentally ok.

Getting the history straight, 1877 was originally down to be set by Egghead but was later shifted to Sex Sprinter then subsequently taken on by Throbbin' Hood who sadly got ill and couldn't set it. So into the breach stepped... Harram! (Ok, Egghead as well) who at short notice found a half decent run site close to the briar patch originally advertised and set an ok run, which, without anything hill-like hit a high spot of only 38m with a total ascent of 55m in a long run of under 7k which barely reached 8k with all the (5) Fs and (2) Xs added in, and took about 1 hr 10 mins to complete, and a short run of 3.7k which took a surprisingly long 55 minutes.
But the real drama was Egghead dropping his car key on the run, thus negating the beer stop cunningly located at the last check. Happily Frozen Nuts was on hand to pick it up but was then unable to make the connection between the key he had found and the locked pick-up at the beer stop. which meant that the drinking of the beer locked within was somewhat delayed. The GM was however made of sterner stuff and as the short run and then the long run gave up on the beer. she waited patiently until the hare had been reunited with his key and with the aid of Little Tool had been restored to the Egg truck and liberated the beer..

So that's why we named her....

And I always thought it had to do with motorbikes!
Anyway, no guesses as to who our hare is for this week's SH3 run, details of which are:
Songkhla Hash House Harriers' run # 1877, Saturday June 10th 2017, 4:30 p.m.
Hare: Throbbin' Hood
Misdirections: From the Ko Yo intersection take the new Yala road for 4.65k and turn right for 250m to the run site on the right at N 7.096478, E 100.594664. From Hatyai, take the old Songkhla road for 13k from the Ko Hong traffic lights and turn right. Go about 3.3k and turn left (about 500m after the wat on the left). Follow the road for 1k through Ban Hoi Kan (it really is called that!) and turn right at the T junction for 500m to the run site on the right.
Sunday's HH3 run is... you know... details will get sent out later but Robocop is probably the hare!

A balanced perspective

All this fit-guy stuff is making me feel edgy. Now here's a link to a real performer - someone we can all relate to. Hand me the remote and the chips luv!

Recommended read

On Saturday, just a couple hours after we were proving our geezerly athletic prowess on Egghead's challenging Napong run, a fellow called Alex Honnold did something even more impressive. It's already being called the greatest rock climbing feat in history. Read about it and see photos here.

Misdirections to today's HH3 run

Sorry I should have put these up earlier. From the Ko Yo intersection take the old Hatyai road for 4.7k and turn left for 6k to the Tha Kham crossroads then go another 1k (approx) and turn left at the Hash sign. Follow the road for about 600m to the run site on the right.

1876: a work in progress

Ok, so let's get this straight. It was too long (7.2k if you avoided the F's, 8.3k if you didn't), the hill was too high (197m at the 7th F), the 8th F wasn't broken properly and there was a sharp stick which scratched somebody's leg... C'mon guys this was a hash run not the Olympic 10,000 meters. But at least the short runners appreciated the effort!