Greensand Way Run Day 4 - Losing the Zebra Sleeping Bag, Pricks in our ears at 1000ft, a 850ft high doody, smacking, trig point planking and our First Fivesome

This was the final day of running of our four day run. There were more surprises in store too, including a few special surprise guest runners joining our group before lunch.....and one staying on for the rest of the whole run.

If you remember you left us 'sleeping' in our tents as the rain hammered down all night and the tents nearly washed away. I got about 30 minutes sleep. I got up in the morning very damp and we packed up our gear wet without caring as it was our last day.  I remember tweeting ' I feel so rested and energised and the weather is so nice I think Ill go for a little run'

We started off an hour earlier at 8am to buy us more rest time over the hilliest part of the Greensand Way. 

Dave had a zebra print sleeping bag that smelt like a badger had died in it. He wanted to throw it away (abandon it) in the woods to stop the smell and save weight.  Ive read Michael Crichton books and know what happens when you mess with nature so we convinced sherpa Dan to carry it until we could find a morally acceptable place to throw it away.

If you live in a house on the ascent to Leith Hill Tower near Snakes Hill and found a zebra print sleeping bag that smelt like a dead badger in your wheelie bin and wondered where it came from.......er......sorry. That was us. 

Tillingbourne Water Fall. on the Greensand Way 

We ran past Tillingbourne Waterfall and began the slow steady 3 mile ascent towards Leith Hill Tower. It was raining and the visibility was very poor. This was dissapointing as we were about to run through the scenic hills of 'little switzerland' in low cloud with zero visibility.

Lee Claire Dan and Dave enjoying a coffee and breakfast at Leith Hill Tower  on the Greensand Way

We had some coffee and flapjacks for breakfast at Leith Hill Tower. On a good day you can see across to 17 counties from the Tower. When we were there we could barely see each other. 


Dave took the opportunity to do some acupunture on us in our ears. Claire has a few piercings in her ears , I have none. It helped re-centre my chukra and made my ears hot. 

Claire with Pins in ears on Leith Hill on the Greensand Way 

Lee having Acupuncture in his ears on Leith Hill on the Greensand Way  

We ran on over and down Leith Hill, We then climbed Holmbury Hill where I 'needed to go poop' . I disapeared into some bushes just off a path , got tangled in thorns with my leggings round my ankles and nearly fell down a slope. I chuckled as it occured to me I had had the highest Greensand Way doody at around 850ft up.

Dan in classic 'Greensand Way' pose on Pitch Hill

We got to Pitch Hill where Dan got the chance to pose for the classic Greensand Way 'Smack' bench picture (with no scenery due to the whiteout). He also got to do a trig point plank nearby......facing towards Fratton Bridge or 'true portsmouth magnetic'.

Dan Trig Point Planking on the Greensand Way at Pitch Hill

We ran down Pitch Hill ( I got us lost twice) and through Holmbury St Mary where we came across some interesting jubilee decorations in the form of baby tights on a line!

Jubilee baby tights in Holmbury St Mary on the Greensand Way 

Climbing up to Winterfold Heath we found we were very tired and running slower than expected. We were on a tight time schedule as we planned to meet friends at the White Horse at Hascombe at 1pm for a run to the Merry Harriers pub in Hambledon.


After some befuddled brain estimates we realised we had to really get our heads down and not take any breaks to get there on time. We slogged past Ewhurst Windmill where a walking event was taking place where people were walking 100 miles non stop and through the night. 

Running towards Graffham on the Greensand Way 

As we descended Winterfold heath I was really starting to flag again and the symptoms of low sodium were taking their toll again.  When we crossed the A281 I reckoned we were 15 minutes ahead of schedule so we took a well earned break where after eating some food and laying down felt a little bit better. We were all finding this part of the run very tough....except Dan....who never does.....ever.


We got to the White Horse about 15 minutes late. A packet of crisps made a real difference to how I felt ( a shot of salt to the system). A few of our friends were there to run with us for the 3 miles to the Merry Harriers and have lunch with us. Many of the guys were those that ran on the Easter Runday including my wife Dr G , Tim (of Greensand Way HQ fame) , Amerbob and Lydia. 


It was such a boost to have the guys with us. All my tiredness went away and the next 3 miles were really good fun. We got to the pub in high spirits and i had a massive lunch with loads of salt on my chips ( I mean loads) . Claires parents turned up as did the lovely guys from McAllister Thomas Fine Art Gallery. 

Meeting up and running with friends on the Greensand Way 

After lunch and on a whim our friend Lydia decided to run the next 12 miles with us all the way to the finish in Haslemere. This meant she would run a total of 15 miles with us that day. An amazing achievement.

Lydia continues the run with us from hambledon on the Greensand Way 

Famous Five on the Greensand Way at Hambledon

We ran through Hambledon and Witley and out towards Brook. We estimated we would get to The Swan pub to meet up with more friends around 8pm that evening. 

View from Hambledon on the Greensand Way looking out towards Black Down and our destination in the distance

Crossing the wide fields heading towards the A3 on the Greensand Way 

A Lee sized house in Hambledon on the Greensand Way 

We took our traditional break by the bridge under the A3  before gathering ourselves mentally for the long slow climb of Gibbet Hill overlooking the Devils Punchbowl.

Taking a break near Furzefield Wood on the Greensand Way 

The climb up Gibbett Hill was everything we knew it would be , long, tortuous and on very unsteady terrain. Over time Dan and Dave got well ahead of us . I knew that once we had cracked this summit the run was nearly over and it was basically just a 3 mile descent into Haslemere with very little more uphill. 

It wasnt a Race but Dan and Dave beat us to the top of Gibbett Hill on the Greensand Way

Having a celebratory 'sports drink' on the summit of Gibbet Hill. 

The Summit of Gibbett Hill was ace. The rain had backed off since lunch and we were awarded with views in most directions. Claire had brought little bottles of beer with us from her parents so we drank them to have a mini celebration at finishing the last big summit of the run. 

Lydia trig point planking on Gibbett Hill on the Greensand Way 

We also introduced Lydia to trig point planking which she was a natural at. The next few miles didn't take long in my head. Our feet had been wet all day and hurt a lot from a kind of runners trench foot which left my feet feeling raw and hot and painful. In no time at all we were in Haslemere running through the streets. As we got to the last passageway before Haslemere High Street we could hear our friends cheering us on. We got pictures and shared a bottle of champagne by the alleyway and the last Greensand Way sign.

Claire Dave Dan and Lee finishing running the whole 108 miles of the Greensand Way 

We had a meal in the Swan, I don't remember a huge amount about it. We were all in a great mood but very quickly I got very tired and just wanted to go home to bed.....................which I did.


Without having a shower.....I was too tired.




...................So that is the end of the days run.....the end of the Greensand Way run and the last blog post I will do for this blog.  I look back on the last 6 months with all the training with lots of smiles. We made lots of mistakes in training, laughed about them and blogged about them, learnt from them and achieved what we said we would do. We also beat the fundraising target of £4000 which I'm immensely proud of. We took great pictures, ran some amazing paths in training and all four of us earned our 'wings' as ultra long distance adventure runners. The run itself wasn't how I imagined it. It was different and more interesting because of it. 


Ive decided I wont be sad about not blogging here anymore. I'm going to continue blogging about my off road running ....and add to it my experiences as a pilot and diver too. 


I can 'feel' there will be other epic runs in the future. New paths, new challenges and maybe even new countries. 


Join me soon at www.airlandandsea.blogspot.com.....

Hash, Live Fartlicking, Ewok Village and Taking a Holiday from the Greensand Way

In the utterly delightful romantic comedy 'The Holiday' the characters 'swap' familiar places to experience a refreshing change in a new location, meet new people, hilarious japes, romance and blah blah blah .

 I'm a BIG FAN of this film as I was doing my business banking once in Bramley and saw Cameron Diaz filming in a Red Mini. I also Like Wreck Diving and as we all know Kate Winslet is one of the last surviving passengers of the Titanic.

The Holiday Movie shot in Shere and Godalming oh..and Los Angeles

There comes a time in any runners relationship when the combination of hash and darkness cause you to stray from the familiar relationship with The Greensand Way and you find yourself inadvertantly dabbling with another runners well known trail.

This new and interesting location can lead to meeting new people, hilarious japes, romance and blah blah blah

 In this case Scrum Muffin and I got a chance to 'have a go' on the North Downs way on Monday thanks to the Guildford Hash House Harriers . As far as we know Jude Law and Kate Winslet didnt go hashing on the Greensand Way that same evening. 

We were supposed to go hashing in Portsmouth with the Portsmouth Hash House Harriers to introduce Dave and Dan to hashing but last minute Dave found a split end in his hairdo and had to be rushed for an emergency Cut , Perm Set and Blow. So Scrum Muffin and I went to the Guildford hash instead.

The North Downs way is a similar age to The Greensand Way and is longer at 156 miles running from Farnham to Canterbury (with a loop round Dover).

North Downs Way sign near Shere

The hash that evening started in the light! This was a welcome change. It was also a 'live hash' where the hare (this week Fartlick) sets off shortly before we do and lays the trail just ahead of us. Well, thats the theory anyway.Given the chaos of a 'normal' hash I could see this could end in some major oopsiwahli.

Popeye was here

Under Developed started us off in the wrong direction and we then got into our stride. It would seem that chaotic runners and a chaotic live hash actually do not combine to end in disaster but actually cancel each other out to produce a hash that 'sort of works'

 After a short bit of running I was very pleased to recognise another Type 22 Bunker marking the GHQ defence line too. My innner running nerd was happy.

A Type 22 Bunker near the North Downs Way in Shere

Running a lot in woods also means you get to run past signs for places that always have humorous names.  Shag Wood , Dogging Copse, Sexy Time Forest are all places we havent come across (fnar) yet but on this run we we did find Combe Bottom.

Claires Bottom on Coombe Bottom

We ran uphill and managed to catch some amazing views from the top just as the light was starting to fade.

Claire catching the last of the sunlight from an amazing view near Shere

Shere Sunset

As the woods got dark everything always seems larger to me. We came across a massive long stack of freshly cut logs which I couldnt resist doing some 'Smogging' in front of . I bet in daylight it looks like a pile of twigs by the path.

Lee does 'Smogging' Smile with your logs in near Shere on the North Downs Way

We also ran past a massive log cabin in the air which we can only assume was some kind of Deer Shooting hide but to me looked like the entire Ewok Village from Star Wars.

Proof the Ewoks live in Shere

The North Downs Way gets the seal of approval from Scrum Muffin

After more running in the dark (somehow we were near the back) we found the 'On Inn' sign which meant the chaos was coming to close.

End of Hash in Shere

We finished the evening by going to the White Horse in Shere. A pub made famous for having had scenes from the film 'The Holiday' filmed in it. I was very keen to place my bum where Jude Laws had been as I am a massive fan of his broad range of artistic and critically acclaimed work.
The pub also has the previous pair of Scrum Muffins running trainers mounted on the wall near the bar.

Scrum Muffins last pair of running trainers in the bar at The White Horse in Shere.

As I munched wasabi peanuts and supped my sports drink I thought about  that triumph of a movie .....Next time I'm on holiday abroad I'm going to look up the nearest Hash House Harriers club and show them how us Brits do it, I bet I meet some new people , get into hilarious japes, blah blah blah .......you get the idea.

But more worryingly I also found myself thinking about a blog called NorthDownsWay2013 .

Hash, Flour Power, Bunny Costumes and My Little Pecker

Monday night this week was the first time I got to lead the Hash with the Guildford Hash House Harriers. As the 'Hare' I got to pick my own route for the run. I chose the woods nearest to me because I know them so well.

I set off at 5pm from my house with 6kgs of flour in my rucksack and ran from my house to Hydons Ball where the route i was planning would run.

laying a circle in flour means runners must seek out the correct path from this point

I ran up Hydons Ball with flour in hand getting funny looks from people as I laid small piles of flour at convenient spaces all along my intended route.

As well as laying marks for the route you lay circles at various crossings of paths with multiple options. In doing this the front running bastards (fast runners) have to run down all of the possible routes for a distance until they find the next flour marker and shout 'On On' ! This also gives the knitting circle (slow runners) the chance to catch up so the group as a whole stays fairly close together during the run.

X marks the spot where youve been stitched up

You can also be a sadistic Hare and run people up a very steep hill only to find and X at the top denoting a false trail. This means they have to run all the way back and try again.....and yes....I did this.




Smearsing (smiling with my ears)


The sun set while I laid the trail which totalled 4.5 miles which is the recommended distance for a hash. I had my headphones in and had a great time running out the trail. When I finished back where I started at the car park at Hydons Ball I ran down to the Merry Harriers Pub in Hambledon where all the hashers would be meeting at 7.30 pm. I had 45 minutes spare when I got there so in true hashing spirit I relaxed with a nice Pint of Pilgrim and chatted to the locals with a pink bunny tail pinned on my bum and bunny ears on my head.

The Merry Harriers is a really lovely, friendly country pub in Hambledon and well worth a visit. Its a rare gem that balances good beer and great food but avoids the 'Surrey prices' . Its also got its portrait in the Tate Gallery in London! They are quiet on a Monday and usually take the chance for a well earned rest and shut early but they were willing to stay open just for us.

The Hash went well and I couldnt resist making part of the route along the Greensand Way . Scrum Muffin (Claire) and I got a great pic of us at one of the Greensand Way Markers .

Greensand Way Night Hashing

As the run came to the end and we got back near the pub the traditional 'On Inn' mark I had left near the pub had been butchered by Popeye. This seems to happen on a lot on hashes. Although the hash went well and no one got killed/lost/injured I learnt that I needed to leave longer gaps from the circles so that it took more time for the front running bastards to find stuff so that the group stayed together more. In total I had run 11 miles setting the trail , running the hash and running from my house.

As I had my suspicions about a potential naming ceremony I made sure I dumped ALL of my flour before I finished.

An anchor means 'Popeye Woz Ere'

In the Car Park at the end of the run we had the usual end of run 'huddle' . As various people started asking me if I had any flour left I wisely put my phone and camera in my bag and prepared myself for a 'naming'




Pancake day comes one day early

I was deeply touched that the hashers had spent so many weeks thinking about my potential name. It shows in what high regard they must hold me. Unfortunately for me they had brought plently of extra flour. Most hashing names are rude and loosely relevant to the person, for example a lady that works in customer services is called Satisfaction Guaranteed or Claires dad is a lawyer and called Loose Article.
The options considered included 'turned out nice again' because I play the banjolele and am a window cleaner, 'cock' because I keep chickens, ' Oh Bee - Have' because I keep Honeybees but based on my 'microbiology' degree (actually I am a molecular biologist!) and the fact that I keep chickens and found a parrot on a hash once they decided on my hash name as.....

LITTLE PECKER

Arise 'Little Pecker' (complete with pink bunny tail)

When naming all the women hashers get to pour beer and flour over the named persons head. I can tell you that once this 'batter' sets it takes A LOT of washes to get it out. I also had to down beer for being the Hare AND for being named. By the time I got home I was very drunk.

Battered

It was great to get named. I really feel like part of the club now, especially as I have now led a hash too. I got named at the place where I did my first ever hash run and also got to do it on a night when we ran part of the Greensand Way.

I hear Dave is joining The Hash House Harriers near him in Portsmouth soon.... Cant wait to see what name he gets !



On On !


Little Pecker

:)

I Love Hash

Its about time I explained Hash House Harriers. Claire and I are members of the Guildford Hash House Harriers . Their Website can be found here http://www.guildfordh3.org.uk/

Hashing has very few rules. Anything goes and usually does. The club meets every monday evening at 7.30pm at various off road running locations around the Guildford area. In essence a 'hare' lays a trail of flour for the rest of the pack to follow and chase over a 4-5 mile course. On the way there are usually false trails, 'checking areas' where you dont know which footpath to take and unintended chaos which all allow the slower runners in the group (the knitting circle) to catch up with the faster runners in the group (the front running bastards).  Members quickly gain a club 'name' for which they are only known when hashing. Claire is Scrum Muffin. I have yet to be named.......more about this later.

A Flour Circle denotes that all paths leading away have to be checked to see which is the correct route

Burns Night Hash

It was no surprise that a large number of us turned up to The Talbot pub in Ripley in Scottish attire.This was the nearest date to Burns Night.  Following a quick 'circle' and the usual useless brief from this weeks Hare we ran off into the darkness where Scrum Muffins dad 'Loose Article' took a rather dramatic tumble in the first few minutes and earned him self a 'tumbling tosser' (fell over) 'down down' (drink pint of beer as a punishment) at the end of the run.

Scrum Muffin cold and ready to start

The run lead us through the canal navigations and a golf course all round the Ripley area. The runs are always fun and its one of the rare times I run without listening to music. All you hear is the distant shout of 'On On' as someone spies the next mark of flour on the ground somewhere in the distance........or 'checking' as we wander aimlessly trying to find the lost path.




This Hasher has no name


After about 60-80 minutes of total chaos most of the runners make it back to the car park where they started. There seems to casual regard for injured or lost runners which I always find amusing.

At this stage a circle forms up and those 'sinners' that have done something stupid are made to have a 'down down' In the past I have been made to do a down down for having matching leggings to Claire or for shrieking like a girl when I slipped on mud.




Loose Article gets a Tumbling Tosser Down Down


This is also the time a new member gets named. This involves a rapid decision on a pun on the persons name or profession (usually as rude as possible) and then a customary soaking in beer and flour. Last night a chap called Mark who was the brother of Hasher 'Birthing Blanket' ended up with the obvious hash name 'Birth Mark'

Arise 'Birth Mark'

Runner Who?

So far i have escaped naming. This is ominous..... I am simultaneously honoured and terrified that the club feel the need to spend so much time deciding. Having already found a parrot on a hash run , been a window cleaner that also plays the uke like george formby, and various other things I would think I would be an easy target for naming........

Neeps and tatties with Haggis

For a special Burns Night treat we also had haggis, neeps and tatties at the Talbot. Usually we just have a beer or 5 and then go home tired and tipsy. Scrum Muffin lead an excellent toast to the gents and one of the hashers even reworded Hotel California on the guitar as an ode to hashing.

Scrum Muffins address to the Gents

A Drinking Club with a Running Problem

Dont worry if a lot of this doesnt make sense. Im still fairly clueless too. What I can tell you is that this a great way to do exercise in a fun way. The chanting songs , the shouting, the drinking and the camerarderie reminds me of a rugby away match. Its another interesting way to mix up your training or fitness programme, meet a load of new people and give you something other than playing ukulele on a Monday night (more on Ukes in another post). its cheaper than a gym session and ten times funnier.

go to their main website to find your local chapter http://www.hhh.org.uk/



On On !