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Run No: 2469

Run No: 2469

At: Manly Vale

On Inn: Calabria Club

Hare: Starboard

RUN REPORT by Starboard

‘Twas a warm and increasingly windy night – and that was before the food!!  The unsealed car park behind the club soon became a dust bowl requiring a tactical relocation of the bucket upwind from the swirling sands.  Luckily long time injured PHANTOM and newly blown up knee TWIN DICKS stayed behind to facilitate that , though TWIN DICKS insisted on not doing so till the first runner was sighted as it was clear PHANTOM was itching for an ale.

The run was basically my last run done the other way round, which necessitated a few changes as it’s interesting what can’t be done backwards!!! This meant everyone had to run through the sandblast as they had anticipated we’d start the other way – fools.  The start stayed flat, except for the odd uphill on back till the runners/walkers split when the hills started in earnest for the runners.  Tantalising glimpses of the sea were had, were we going to get to Manly Beach? No, but close.  Up and down another hill making great use of all the lane ways that abound, close to the ocean over the Queenscliff Bridge, then back through Nolan and Passmore Reserve to the bucket.  Walkers were first in having done 3.5km in 45 mins.  First runner was VENERABLE but doesn’t count as he admitted to short cutting the end with superior knowledge from his Queenscliff days.  The first real runner in was BEJESUS in 55mins (so glad I also shortened the run as we’re not getting any younger) who true to form was unable to say anything other than sound as if he was about to die.  Everyone back within the hour including AFTERBIRTH who proudly said he’d run 6.6km and kept up, more or less, with the frontrunners.

Which was just as well as he was called on to do the Run Report and after a slow, step by step appraisal he was advised to hurry up.  This he did, though not without referring to the tidal Manly Lagoon as a swamp and informing us it was his voice that saved the day.  Fearlessly staying with stand-in TM MEKNOB he assisted all the people searching for trail at checks and on backs by bellowing ON, thus ensuring no one was lost though the jury is out somewhat about HE’LL DO.  He gave the run a magnificent 9.8.  BRISTLE complained there weren’t enough arrows on the walk but I ignored him as he started late and missed me say there was a point where the chalk also had a GO 0.5km sign, and thus no arrows till they met up with the runners.

The On On at the club was good as it was Specials night with $18 pizzas and $7 wine and beer.  I think everyone went home either full or clutching takeaway boxes.  The only slightly hungry person was FETCHIT who on getting up to fetch some beers left his pizza unguarded, and VENERABLE thinking he’d gone home (despite FRANKLY still being there) scooped up a quarter of it.

On On,

Starboard