1639: Ho hum, another wonderful run.

To judge by the muted response to last Saturday's run, which though they may be just a teensie bit biased, the hares felt was fairly wonderful, the assembled hashers from SH3, Batu Pahat Full Moon H3 and a liberal smattering of HH3 must clearly be suffering from a surfeit of good runs. Happily that dangerous situation was well and truly combatted the following day, when no doubt the HH3 run was received with rapturous approval. There's no accounting for taste!
But once again, an influx of hashers from across the border swelled our numbers to healthy proportions and both the long and short run packs were in the 20-30 range, with the short run taking marginally longer than the 1.03 clocked by long run front runner Sex Sprinter who was widely suspected of having undertaken some creative track avoidance in the downhill half of the run. Post-run analysis suggested check-free lengths of 6.3k and 3.6k respectively for the long and short runs, with the long run reaching 260 meters at the 4th 360, the short run about 150m at the point it rejoined the long run and the total ascent being around 280m. Some great views on both runs which failed signally to inspire positive comment and went unrecorded as Only a Yolk forgot to take the camera.
Ho hum...

The answer to all our problems . . . beer!

Spirulina is the nice name for cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, pond scum etc. . . . the remarkable substance that promises a new renaissance for Songhkla Hash!

Yes, while exploring the wilds (not really -- it's all highways and shopping malls like everywhere else) of northern Burma, I came upon this remarkable product: Spirulina Anti-Aging Beer. Think of it: not only will this restore our vitality and speed, but it will attract more women to the hash, because they want to be young even more than we do!

Now it is unclear whether "anti-aging" means it simply stops the aging process or actually reverses it. If the former, it's really kind of too late for some of us. If the latter, well, Egghead may not need that plastic surgery after all! In any case, the more we drink, the more good it's going to do us. Sort of like ordinary beer but even more so!

It's all clear now!

Just as it seemed as if no one knew what was going on at Sunday's HH3 run, Sex Sprinter steps in and makes it all clear!
Official directions from Songkhla are:
From the Ko Yo intersection take the old Hatyai road for 10k and turn left at the Nam Noi traffic lights for 3.5k then turn right for about 500 meters, then turn right opposite the Or Bor Tor and follow the road through the village  for about 1k to the run site near the egg farm.
Hares are Leum Kii and Kouy Ping
Don't forget that the run starts at 4:00 p.m.

Our guests this weekend

This is Bulldozer and Original (not Sexy as originally reported) from Batu Pahat Full Moon H3 - which is which is not important (although as a clue, neither of them have tails or droopy earlobes).

Seem like our sort of people, although there is still this lingering worry about the possibility of at least one of them, who shall remain nameless (even though her hash name is Original) not drinking beer. But no doubt that can all be sorted out when they and another 38 or so of their fellow hashers from Batu Pahat, join us this Saturday for what promises to be a great afternoon's running, drinking and eating with the possibility of some late night revelry to follow, as Opera (alias Foghorny) is also joining the run, and he seems to be into that sort of thing.

Details of the run are:
Songkhla Hash House Harriers run #1639, Saturday November 3rd, 2012, 4:00 p.m.
Hares: R2D2 and Egghead
Misdiretions: From the Kao Saeng intersection take the old Yala road for about 4k and turn right after the army base. Follow the road for about 1k, (bearing left before reaching the back gates of the Gor Sor Nor) to the run site as close to the reservoir as possible.
The hares are promising two classic runs in some of our most scenic countryside and in all this excitement over the visitors, let us not forget that the hares will both be celebrating their birthdays either on or shortly after Saturday. So please try and come along, and remember that the run will start at 4:00 p.m.

Hatyai H3's run this Sunday is being set by Kii Leum/Leum Kii with female assistance, the identity of which was still in some doubt when last the matter was discussed. The most likely location seems to be the community center behind the CP factory just off the old Hatyai road at about 6k past Ko Yo, on the right. Further details will be made available as and when they are forthcoming, but don't forget that the HH3 run will also start at 4:00 p.m.

Full Moon Hash 91

Initial reports suggest that full moon 91 was well received by the cognoscenti. 6.4k or thereabouts and somehow achieving a maximum elevation of 96 meters, a sizeable pack managed not to realize that they were doing the SH3 relay hare run in reverse. Hares, Full Moon and Moo Sahb were reduced to horizontality by the experience of laying the run, which notable took almost 3 hours. Good turn out though, which bodes well for the future of Full Moon Hash which might have been in some doubt. Could this be the dawning of a new age for Songkhla Hashing? Batu Pahat Full Moon H3? Bring 'em on!

Nightmare on Haloweeneen

Yes, it's full moon time again and this month it happens to coincide with the well known festival of Halloweeneen, or for the traditional Celts among us, Samhaineen. To celebrate this incredible coincidence those two well known witches, Only a Yolk and Peppered Pussy will be mounting their broomsticks, magically metamorphising into Moo Sahb and Full Moon, and setting:

Hatyai Full Moon H3 run # 91, Tuesday, 30th October, 2012: 7:00 p.m.
Hares: Moo Sahb and Full Moon (with a full supporting cast of Cannines)
Misdirections: From the Ko Yo intersection take the old Hatyai road for 4k and turn left for 6k, then right for about 500 meters, following paper or signs into the run site last used for the SH3 relay hare run two weeks ago.

Usual stuff applies: Bring a handlight and some food if you feel like it. Beer optional or buy full moon special brew at 3 cans for 100 Baht.

The run in the afternoon after the morning after the night before

Get the picture? So what better cure for that overdid it ever so slightly feeling than a run this afternoon with those nice people from Hatyai Hash who had us out so late at our birthday party last night.
Directions from Songkhla are:
From the Ko Yo intersection take the old Hatyai road for 4.7k and turn left for 6k then left (at the Bahn Ta Kham intersection) for 1.5k then right for about 300 meters to the run site at the big sala (Sala Hin Kiang?).
Coming from Hatyai? take Poonakan to Wat Keow Kloy then turn left for about 1k and take the first turning on the right*. Follow the road for about 1.5k to the Sala on the right. (*If you miss the turning just carry on to the crossroads at Bahn Ta Kham and turn right for 1.5k then right for 300 meters).

As exclusively revealed below, SH3's birthday run this year will take place at the Thung Jaeng Restaurant on the  new Yala road, about 9k beyond the Ko Yo intersection, on the right, or if you are coming from the old Yala road end, about 2k from the An Thong intersection, on the left. 

The run format is believed to be A-B-C and luxury transportation will be leaving the restaurant  for both the A (long run) and B (short run) sites at 3:30 p.m. so don't be late! The runs will both end at the restaurant, which is the C site and once the first runners are back, there will be free beer and wine as well as dinner and entertainment which will follow the circle, expected to occur at about 6:00 p.m. 

All named SH3 and HH3 runners will be charged the normal run fee of 60 Baht and guests will be charged 250 Baht for the run, food and booze but will have to take their chances on the T shirt front. Oooooops! What a give away!

Official details are:

Songkhla Hash House Harriers run #1638, Saturday, October 27th 2012, 3:30 p.m.
Hares: Sex Sprinter and Only a Yolk
Misdirections: From the Ko Yo intersection take the new Yala road for 9k to the run site on the right.

Too early for any news of HH3's run next week, but details will be posted as and when they are forthcoming. However, their starting time will be moving to 4:00 p.m. from this weekend as will SH3's next weekend since, in case you hadn't noticed, the rainy season is upon us!

1637: mostly normal with patches of madness

Laid on Friday afternoon between deluges, after a single recce the previous day, which took a rather more confrontational position vis-a-vis Kao Wong,  if it is remembered at all our memories of 1637 will probably consist of a blurred image of a downhill slide after the 5th check culminating in a banana patch followed by a swamp, which was hurriedly inserted to avoid the confrontation with the hill which had occurred on the recce, and perhaps some confusion about the in-trail which only Kii Leum can explain! Otherwise, there was plenty of familiar running for the fit and willing and a nice view as you came back from the 2nd F. The distance was recorded at  6.3k, probably a bit more if you did all the F's, with the top point being a modest 140m at the view point and a total ascent in the low 200's. Low point was the balance between hares (5) and hounds (5) on the long trail. But there were 7 short runners; are we missing something here? (Gan Yao is not allowed to comment on this in case he tells the truth!)
On on! to the birthday run, next week which is at the Thung Jaeng Restaurant (new Yala road, 9k on the right); be there at 3:30 p.m. for transport to the A site and a run which starts at 4:00 p.m. Regular SH3/HH3 runners 60 Baht; guests etc.make a case and be charged accordingly!

Normality?

This week's run sees some sort of normality resumed at SH3 after all that innovation last weekend. Details are:
SH3 run #1637, Saturday October 20th, 2012, 4:30 p.m.
Hares: Kii Leum and Egghead
Misdirections: From the Ko Yo intersection take the old Hatyai road for 4k and turn left for 6k then turn left towards the water tower and left after 100 meters into the runsite.
Hatyai H3 on Sunday (October 21st) will be running near the Gamling Reservoir about 9k down Poonakan (From the Ko Yo intersection take the old Hatyai road for 4.6k and turn left for 8k, then right at (Wat Keow Kloy ) for about 9k and look for a sign on the left)and the hares will be Sex Star and Sexy Girl. Map below if it helps.