Hare - Thermal Dick

A to A

No need to check the weather forecast - it's a Thermal Dick run so it'll be raining…..

Yup, sure enough drizzle on the HKO weather map, and even a couple of feeble attempts to get out of haring "I MAY be in China….." would not help Mr. Dick…. He had to set, and somehow do so without the trail being completely wiped out and keeping the non-run peripherals as simple as possible.

For example - start location "HK Squash Courts" with lockers available to store kit while out on trail; A Park n Shop (a long way) up Cotton Tree Drive to procure drinks and ice; and Pizza delivered to the run site for the food to reduce the stress of feeding the pack.

First item, simple enough, including "remarking the first 10% of the trail due to a downpour". (10% seems a very precise measure considering TD had no idea how long the run was….). Second one - rope in Hopeless and Gai Tai to trek all the way to Coda Plaza, past a grinning Slippery Edge ("So you gentlemen obviously do not need any help…..?"), to get the drinks. Thirdly have Yummy Mummy explain to Pizza Hut where to deliver the seventeen pizzas for the (hopefully) hungry pack when they get back.

An overestimation on run length, underestimation of attendees, and overestimation on the pizza order…. The only saving grace was the liquid refreshments amounts were pretty close to what was required, although Hash Cash almost went into apoplexy when the PnS receipt was produced. "To cover eating time and Down Down beers" was the hare's retort, "and as Indy isn't doing Down Downs I spent about $200 less on beer…."

So, including latecomers, the hare and 3 non-runners, 40 was the final headcount once all had gathered and been sent off on trail, or guarding the Bins from the ever-thirsty Inflate-A-Date. "Might be a bit long, but two Wimp/Rambos splits, and slippery in places" was the final briefing comment from the Scotsman.

Slippery indeed. Of the four most slippery trail sections in that area we were lucky enough to cover all four…….

So across Garden Road opposite The Peak Tram, past the old government buildings, Check Back up the steps towards the zoological gardens. Another Check to take us back up Cotton Tree Drive and over the bridge, up past Coda Plaza, Hopeless blazing trail, leaving Cheesy Flying Fux, Gai Tai, Tinny, and Crash Test Dummy in his wake. Naturally this didn't last long as the non-calling Tinny correctly guessed Check #6 off Breezy Path at about 15km into the run……

Right on May Road, and up towards Old Peak Road and the first split, Wimps straight on May Road, Rambos up to Chatham Path all the way to Barker Road. Right on Barker which saw Ivana Nucock wandering confused with a straining Lemondrop on a leash while CCF and CTD had gone right at the Check. Hopeless goes left and finds the ON ON, which is where Tinny had probably gone as nobody had seen him for a while.

A predictable Check Back on Severn Road down the treacherous path to the petrol station on Peak Road saw more than one hasher slip and slide, most notably Lost In Space who returned off trail with a huge green skid mark on the back/shoulder of his shirt. Meanwhile Gobi Lo and Mea Culpa were continuing running together, non-stop talking, possibly about the benefits of pedicures for lady runners (See: this).

Rambos and Wimps rejoin at the top of Coombe/Peak Roads, where someone's husband was loitering with intent or stalking his wife, feigning some "conference call" on his Blackberry while checking on his wife's whereabouts and companions.

Down Wanchai Gap Road to the slippery Bowen Path shiggy trail and "the usual way" onto Bowen Road, the predicted Check Back and trail down to MacDonnell Road and on home via the back end of HK Park.

9km for the double Rambos, rain stayed mostly away and a good feedback from the pack who came in dribs and drabs to the finish, cold drinks and hot showers.

Many drifted away as the pizza delivery was pending, but a final group of around 19 ate the onsite pizza. Unfortunately Chatroom Pedophile had to leave early to visit the police station to find out his fate for breaking a car park barrier and being captured on CCTV! Post-run news of a $10,000 bill for Wilson Parking to fix the result of his aggressive getaway probably means Dougbucks will be reducing its baking and exotic coffee making activities for a few months to recover from the unbudgeted expense…..

Down Downs courtesy of Hopeless:

Hare - rain again run

Nonstop talking on trail - knitting circle 1 (Gobi Lo and Mea Cupla) then Chatroom then Theo & Just Add Alcohol

Inflato - stayed and didn't quite drink all the beer this time before the pack was back

Nonrunners - Gin & Vomit; (And Yummy Mummy)

Late and ran in the wrong way - Indy

Lost on trail Award - Gai Tai (plus, of course Discover My Bay, who had left early to try and find her way to the DBay / Stepford-Town ferry, no doubt getting lost on the way there too….)

Non calling - Tinny + CUTR (noted in their absence)

Slippery Edge - husband on trail stalking her at Coombe Road roundabout

Hare - 4 slippery trails - all for Slippery Edge

"I am not last" Lost In Space, nor The Virgin Mary

Dr Evil - was actually last in

UK reunion attendance - Hopeless and F3M

Badger cull in the UK and UK Govt employee - Gai Tai's new badger style haircut News video

Newbie - Nicholas

Hash cash takeover - Shiggy Gaga is now LH4 hash cash - Swiss bank under investigation!

Any Chinese girl who hasn't seen Caucasian (pink) nipples? Sticky Sex Toy!

G-strings - Toilet Spray and Just Add Alcohol - please put them on correctly

Food - 17 pizzas ordered - DD for hare and Inflato - only 6 left by the end of the Down Downs and no Bobbledick to claim them "for my dogs"

Anniversary - 100 runs - Inflato (only 100?!)

Toilet Spray - late - and moved to Tai Mei Tuk (by Indy)

Hopeless - doing everything today on the hash except setting the run (by Gai Tai)

Thermal - wasn't that long but slippery (by Indy)

Double Wimps - Toilet Spray Dr Evil, TVM, Octopussy, Indy. (By Indy)

Song by hare, Inflato and new LH4 committee members Shiggy Gaga and Slippery Edge