Hash running outside of my home territory
If you read my stuff at all, you know that I am a big fan of the Hash House Harriers, a global organization of people who are "drinkers with a running problem."
I have been a part of this group of wonderful men and women for nearly a year but this past weekend was the first time I have ever participated in an event that took me away from my "mother hash" of Chiang Mai.
I strolled a bit south of Da Nang, Vietnma to Hoi An to join up with the HHH of Hoi An for their 34th run ever.
The Hoi An Hash chapter is a small group. So small, in fact, that they experience difficulty in getting any sort of group to participate. So when i found out that another group was visiting from Koh Samui, I jumped at the chance to represent Chiang Mai in their ranks. As expected it was a great time.
The run was considerably more "urban" than our usual hashes in Chiang Mai but this is because in Chiang Mai we normally take a bus 30 minutes out of the city before we start. This was not an option in Hoi An so most of our run was on concrete, which I would prefer not to do but we deal with the environment that we have access to.
The trail did go off road from time to time but there is so much private property here that it wasn't really possible for the hare to make us a trail that wouldn't get us in trouble otherwise. Mostly, when we entered various villages we were greeted with smiles and "hello!" shouts from the children who likely study a bit of English at school.
The run was considerably longer than the average Chiang Mai hash but that was ok since the terrain we face in mountainous Chiang Mai tends to be, well, mountainous... and that was not the case here at all.
There was a "beer stop" built into the run and for those of you that are not involved in HHH this is a part of the run where everyone meets "halfway" or so and has a beer or two before carrying on to run another 5k or so.... just like they do in the Olympics.
Towards the end we were in danger of running out of daylight, so it was actually a very good thing that the run wasn't any longer than they made it.
All in all, it was a relatively small group with a lot of enthusiasm although I do have to say that the local participation was only the 2 hares, which is a bit sad. Hopefully once I move here I can help to change that. I mean... who wouldn't want to run 12km and then drink a bunch of beers?
this is us, at the end, drinking what is probably too much
As always, i strongly encourage all of you out there to get out and see if your local area has a Hash House Harriers chapter. You do not need to be young and / or fit to participate, as you can tell by most of the pictures i have here.
Running 12km? You gotta be kidding me!!!!
that's a long way for me too but after a year of running at least a 5k every week, it has gotten much easier!
@tipu curate
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Happy you found the new chapter. I would be happy with a group like that as how thoughtful of them stopping half way. I am sure you will fit in rather nicely and possibly could add a bar close to a baguette stand lol.
well, the baguettes are never far away. we probably passed a half dozen of them on this run but i was focused on staying on trail :)
That is something so nice
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Everything goes well with beer I say! ;)
Though i would find it tough to work it into the middle of my workout like you have. I find my blood seems a little thinner or something and a belly full of beer sloshing around would make for some problems for me while running.
When you can combine endurance training, fun, friends and blockchain into one like you have, that is a recipe for happiness right there!
I only run when chased (and as part of my jiu jitsu warmup) but when you turn it into an adventure like that, makes me reconsider.
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yeah, when i try to run on my own just for conditioning i find it a lot easier to quit but when i know that people are going to catch up with me i feel more compelled to push it. The group here had some people that are a bit more "fit" than the group in Chiang Mai so i had to work harder, but like i said in the post, it was almost completely flat.
It's a great time though, one of the greatest finds of my life... or at least my adult life.
The beer in the belly while running can definitely be a negative factor and of course dehydration can be a bit dangerous. You don't have to drink it, but it's frowned upon if you don't and you aren't a recovering alcoholic.
Well I am both and I would DRINK IT!
That is awesome that you were able to find one and participate in it. What a great way to get to know some of the people from around there before you even move over there. Pretty soon you will have the scoop on all of the best places to eat and nightlife spots to visit! That's too bad that the terrain isn't going to be what you are used to. Maybe once you are there all the time you can organize some excursions that give you more of an off-road experience.
that's kind of the idea. I want to get more familiar with the area so i can actually set one of these runs instead of just being a participant. It is kind of expected of you as a member at some point to do so.
Very impressive! I had heard about this innovative idea earlier too. would love to join them. The pictures speaks for themselves as how cheerful you guys are after having beer and the long run too. Such a nice way to chill, interact and stay fit.
Great work.
you should look to see if there is one in your area. It really is a great fun and you meet a bunch of really awesome people. It's great for networking and meeting people from all around the world.
I can spot a kid sitting right there, I s he having fun too! By the way that's great that you can continue doing what you loved while being in another country too.
Keep flourishing.
Beer and running. Running then beer. All I am hearing is beer. Lol. I could definitely run some then drink beer but not the other way around. Absolutely looks a lot more mellow if a run that that last one you went on. Always fun to read these. Again obtaining my exercise vicariously through you. 😜
well most of the people at these things don't actually run. If the hares are doing their jobs correctly they will set a walking trail as well as a runners trail. I think only 4 or 5 of us were running this thing, the rest walked a far shorter trail.
awesome celebration