Runz dis wik

Huge thanks to Palm Job and R2D2 for stepping up  to set this week's SH3 run. Details are:
Songkhla Hash House Harriers run #1608, March 31, 2012: 4:30 p.m.
Hares Palm Job and R2D2
Misdirections: From the Ko Yo intersection take the new Yala road for 3.5k to the runsite on the left.
Hatyai H3's run on Sundays is at Sala Unteng. None the wiser? Neither are we, but it seems likely to be down Poonakan at around the 6k mark beyond Wat Keow Kloy. More details at SH3 on Saturday.

The day before's Songkhla run: an ode to Beaver

(With apologies to Led Zeppelin).
             It's been a long time since I did the stroll
             Ooh, let me get  back, let me get back, let me get  back
             mm-baby, where I come from
             It's been a long time, been a long time
             been a long lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely time 

Here's a question: When was the last time that two rescue operations were mounted for the same hasher on the same weekend? And more to the point, when did we ever have to rescue a hare for chrissakes? Ok, so on both occasions Beaver managed to get back under his own steam, but Kii Leum was looking worried on Saturday as night was falling and Beaver was still out practicing for his long lonely lay the next morning.

For the record Kii Leum/R2D2/Cattle Prod's epic was just under 8k, reached a measly 281 meters and involved only about 350m total ascent. 

Let's forgive them the finer distinctions of what kind of check was laid under the village latrine and let's not quibble about the F down Chum Pho 1 - this was a great run, and whilst Beaver's Sunday hop got the top marks for technical merit and artistic impression, Saturday's run got 10/10 for effort - most of which was put in by the pack as it struggled to get back in 1 hour 30'ish.

Today's Hatyai run

As you can see here, it was mostly along the rim of a bowl-shaped and very steep valley. From the beer stop (just left of the lowest point of the top line) we could hear you all the way around. Vital stats: total length 7.7km, total ascent 620m, highest point 340m (about 25m below the peak). This was supposed to be a dry run for the Midsummer Monster, if it happens, but I'm beginning to wonder it that's a good idea . . . .

Our inspiration: shouldn't all hares be like this?

Ok, Ok, It's been done before, but you've got to admit this is the definitive picture of tomorrow's chief hare and the inspiration behind the team of experts who have been working around the clock to bring you...

Songkhla Hash House Harriers run #1607, Saturday March 24th 2012, 4:30 p.m.
Hares: Kii Leum, R2D2 and Cattle Prod
Misdirections: From the Kao Saeng intersection take the old Yala road for 8k and turn right before Ban Dan School then go 1.5k to the run site on the left.

The word is that this is a great run with lots of nice shady trails, some of which DO NOT APPEAR ON YARDO's DATABASE!!!!! so we may never have run them before - at least not in the last 3 or 4 years. So this is not a run to be missed.

Sunday's HH3 follow up to last weeks glorious run and party is another not-to-be-missed run and details of the directions from Hatyai can be found below. If you are coming from Songkhla, take the old Hatyai road for 4.7k and turn left for 8k then turn right at Wat Keow Kloy for 7.33191 kilometers and turn left into Soi Baan Nai Rai then go 1.3k and the run site is on the left scenically located under an electricity pylon. The hare is Sex Focus aka the Beaver and the run will start at 4: Off T arrival p.m.

The aviator

After, what is it now, 12 years? -- only one person has figured out how to deal with the inevitable vagaries* of an Egghead run . . . circle overhead in an ultra-light till it's over, then come down and drink the beer.

*Not to say they're not totally enjoyable to those of us stuck on the ground running them . . . really!

It's official . . . the Ides of March Run

The pack express their appreciation to the hare.

Yes, it's finally here . . . the Ides of March Run. 2,056 years and nine recces in the making! Daring new heights where no hasher has ever gone before! You'll run like a Roman Centurion, and then party like one too!

Time and date: 4 pm. Sunday, March 25
Hare: Beavershot
Misdirections: This is an HH3 run so all we can tell you is to go down Punnakan Rd. from the Hatyai end* for 3.5km, then turn right on Soi Baan Nai Rai. Turn left under the big power pylons at 1.3km and you'll see the runsite on your left.

*We trust that SH3 Trailmaster Egghead should shortly be able to provide the distance down Punnakan from the other end, at Wat Khao Kloi.

On the left, Sunday's nuptual celebration run, on the right Stick Insect's SH3 run from Saturday. Not much between them, Saturday's long run was a couple of hundred meters shorter, and they both hit about 180 meters and featured downhills-from-hell. Sunday's run had slightly more checks and a few more runners but didn't feature lunatic Myanmese with parangs hunting dogs. Saturday's run on the other hand didn't feature a Miss Hash contest nor the consumption of almost the entire Hash reserve of beer (which now stands at 4 cans!) The short runners on Sunday got in at more or less the same time as the long runners - and some way ahead of the back of the pack (go on, guess...) The short run on Saturday despite being considerably shorter, straggled in well after the long runners were hitting the beer. Just another weekend.

Newlywed nightmare

So imagine, you're celebrating the joyous occasion of your wedding and then . . . this happens. Arggh!

Anyhow, congratulations Jim & Nok. A great run and a great party. On-on!

A remarkable discovery

Your correspondent has recently unearthed a fascinating discovery: a trove of old, hand-tinted postcards of scenery from around Songkhla. Their age and provenance are unknown, but regular hashers will recognize a number of the features of the local landscape, virtually unchanged today. More to follow if anyone is interested. (As always, click to embiggen.)

It's still coming!

"On-on! It's the Ides of March!"

. . . just delayed a week!