The loneliness of a long distance hasher

Of Dykes and Fen

So, two years (already?) since our last visit to Devil's Dyke.  Where does the time go?  Certainly not on foot  across the dyke between Reach and Woodditton, if it has any kind of sense.


Last time, we nearly drowned in the kind of quality shiggy that can stop a tractor dead in its tracks.  This time round, to appease the shiggy-gods Kristy, Ed and Winston were careful to perform the shiggy-shaker-sheep-and-footpump dance in advance of the run.  This ancient rite, videoed below,  is said to guarantee that all  runners will return safely, on time and free from mud, sheepshit and blood-stains.





The pre-run temperature was tested using the time-honored technique of measuring the height and number of Sarah's goosebumps



And so we set off.  As per usual, the promised 'relaxed' pace lasted all of fifty metres before Chris, Emily and Ed took off across the dyke at fractionally below lightspeed.

  Jeremy, Sarah and Pingu followed a little way behind, whilst Kristy and Winston ambled along admiring the beautiful day, the packs of brown vampire-sheep and Winston's pale-blue knees (it was by now about -40).  As the only sensible member of the pack, Hermione set off in the opposite direction, seated in the family Volvo, in the general direction of a cup of tea and a surreptitious wedge of chocolate cake the size of an Ikea  footstool.

After the super-safe railway crossing,

the ground once again decided to rise up against us, reachng the unheard-of (well in the Fens) 80m above sea-level.  Pausing only to fit our oxygen masks and cylinders, we pushed on to Wooddittion



Emily and Chris reached the village so far in advance of the pack that they had time to become proper locals.  They looked so much like a local married couple that people assumed they must be brother and sister.



On the way back, Sarah attempted to stare down oncoming trains


then pretended to be a horse





whilst, as usual,  Pingu just ripped holes in her legs and covered herself in mud.


THIS time we managed to convince the landlord of the Dyke's End to serve us, probably because we'd burned most of Chris's wardrobe in advance.



Well, that's another 16 miles of our lives we won't get back...

Trail: http://connect.garmin.com/player/268746676

Full pics: https://picasaweb.google.com/116546698183544500446/DevlsDykeFeb2013?noredirect=1#slideshow

posted by Jeremy @ 11:59 PM