PTH2 Run 06Sept09

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Run-Site End Of Tanaki

I guess the only way to get myself fit for the 12th Borneo Nash Hash trial run next Sunday is to do another intensive hashing this week starting with PTH2. Three days of hashing with K2H2 Bunnies on Wednesday, K2H4 on Friday & MH2 on Saturday was enough drilling to be fit that Sunday run with PTH2.
When we reached the run-site towards the end of Tanaki, there were cars after cars lining up both sides of the road and Wanderer just managed to squeeze in her ‘Kembara’ behind a big pick-up. While still waiting for the flag-off time, AhFook came in on convoy with Rumpf-push. Wanderer & I were quite worried when he showed up with puncture right hand whose blood though dried up was still crimson red. Ahfook with his chauvinistic defiant refused to put something to cover it, nevertheless we managed to persuade him to put band-aid where he then wrapped towel around it. Mr. Wanderer was hoping that Rumpf-push would look after Wanderer (or was it vice-versa?) since he was doing the long run.
By 3.45pm Wanderer & Rumpf-push made their way towards the hanging bridge then followed the other ESB’s to cross a ravine towards the hill. We went in around 4.10pm and managed to catch up with few energetic young men making their way towards the foot of the hill. There we also managed to catch up with Wanderer and Rumpf-push as they struggled to clear the first hurdle on that small hill. When we reached the top, there were these two ladies who short-cut from the dirt-road taking their time to follow the pack from behind.
Then the trail took an abrupt dive into the ravine which was about the same height we climbed earlier plus another 20mtrs down as we ended up running along the coastal line of the river. The rippling sound of the river was so inviting under the early evening sun, but then Mr. Wanderer was on my heels as if signaling me not to slow down.
The next part was an assault to the biggest hill and I was able to overtake a few ESB’s even with a slope ranging between 40 & 60deg. However instead of taking us straight up, the papers brought us crawling along the skirt of the hill then dived again into an abyss. From there the paper took us up only to be diverted to our right where we ended up on the hill that marked the short & the long run. At that junction, I lost Mr. Wanderer and waited for him to emerge from the side of the hill. Those slower ones I overtook earlier were beginning to march in one by one, but still no sight of Mr. Wanderer, which made me wonder, what had happened to him. One logical explanation was that Wander might be hollering at him or wandered somewhere the short cut trail. Anyway while soaked with my own sweat now, I waited for him on a promontory edge of the hill so that I could easily spot him. Finally he sprung from the other side of the hill with AhFook in hot pursuit behind him and announced between breathing that he was doing the short run.
By that time most of the FRB’s had already gone down to the ravine and so I doubled my time hoping I’d be able to catch up with any living soul. When I started to run up again, I could still hear hashers singing “On-On” on the other side of the hill, which meant that if I didn’t go down, I would still cross the same continuing trail from that ridge. As I verged farther more to the right, the sound was getting fainter until it was drowned by the cascading water at the ravine below. Following the papers down, I must have crossed four tributaries with equally raging water cascading down.
For the next few hills I was running alone but it was still very bright until I reached the last ledge of the fourth hill where I saw one soul struggling even to lift up his foot. It was on that hill I caught up with Angkut who was already exhausted and took time to rest once in a while. With the last few meters up, I was able to reach the zenith of the hill and the temptation of running down was so great that I overtook three more FRB’s.
There was no more uphill trail so it was easy to catch up with few FRB’s even before I reached the cross-point again. In just few minutes I was back at the foot of the hill and caught up with the Wanderers & Rumpf-push taking their time as to finish the run. Passing the same river as it snaked its way around the hillock and culminated on the bigger stream which now swelled into beautiful waterfall, the papers took us up again to cut the trail nearer to the base.
I was quite satisfied with my time and was ready for this Sunday Ball-Breaker trial run. On-On!!!