Pub Run 08 - So this is what running is all about?

Tonight was the Wanderers Pub Run - basically a distance of 6 beers… How ever far that may be! The evening started well - Meg and I had to down beers so we could actually start with the others! A gentle jog to Inanda was a lot further than expected but a cold drink awaited. No sooner than that was almost finished than people set off again... Mental note: two drinks does not make it easy to run! At least to Turtle Creek was downhill. No comfy grass (thank goodness - by this stage, both Fran and I could definitely have gone to sleep, but we also could've at Inanda and Wanderers so I suppose it doesn't really count for much...) but nice relaxed atmosphere. I blame the humidity and the heat for the fact that that drink went down REALLY well. And so it was time to run - this time UPHILL (don’t like the person that invented them!) to the Holiday Inn, where surprisingly they had almost run out of drinks. I suppose suddenly getting 100 runners demanding beers can do that though! The patrons were highly amused and couldn't quite understand how/why we were doing this and were we 100% sure that it wasn't for charity. As per Meg and my tendancies at the moment, there followed some incredibly random conversations with people we had just met. Remembering names is not my thing at the best of times. Add a couple of beers (literally only a couple!), and people randomy changing names (seriously!) meant that I really can't remember anyone we met there! On the run to the Baron, Meg and I decided to sprint - the idea being that we would get there sooner, be front of the queue and get our drinks sooner. The sprinting kinda, vaguely, maybe, sort of worked but none of the others did. I'm not overly convinced that Baron will let the pub run go back - they had a large machine of sorts which was easy to switch on, but took 10 "sober" runners about 20mins to switch off! As I said, not sure we'll go back there! It was then back to Wanderers, with many arbitary sprints - why, I don't know! I'm also still contemplating the logic of running through the fountain in the front court of the Wanderers Protea Hotel. It made things very cold! And people still swam! By this stage, food and driness were very high on the list of priorities so didn't last long there. 6 drinks later, and we were back at Spinners. Thank Goodness for yummy food at the end!Thanks Fran and all else who helped in the organising!

Click on the link below to see pics!

http://picasaweb.google.com/lancasterjenny/PubRun08?authkey=rheCc4sMLAo#

Sodwana 08 (again!) - So this is what diving is about!

Wow! What a weekend! After attempting to fit everything into my car (try diving equipment for 3 people, 4 people's luggage, food and sleeping bags etc) we finally left - with Luke and Helen wondering where on earth they were going to sit. Megan and I became experts at zoning out conversations, including a particularly long one (lasting the whole weekend!) on taxidermy - and this was with no creme soda (Helen and Luke were already on a "calamity pill" aka pink sweet/cashew high). Other random conversations ended up in us swearing vociferously at Mpumalanga drivers while contemplating their sanity and taking of pictures of taxi drivers who were driving too close. A brief shopping stop in Pongola to buy a jaffle iron ended up in no jaffle iron, but a fire grid, sinus medication, a "mask" and "fins" (if you can call them that!) and some Paddle Pops (what would a trip to the coast be without Paddle Pops?). Randomness again! But many laughs and some loud singing later (what would a trip to the coast be without the Yellow Submarine?), and an extremely polite petrol attendant in Hluhluwe saying "O Sheet, she blew up, sorree" in response to "where's the ATM", we arrived at Sodwana. Confusion reigned when Duncan wasn't with us, but Luke Duncan was, as was a Megan... mmm! The contemplation that we were mad was well developed when Megan and I went running (on REALLY soft sand) the next morning. It was solidified when we got to the beach, with Luke and I super-excited! The first dive, to four buoy, was AWESOME! Parrot fish, angel fish... I came up early (power inflator leaking big time - lost 40bar in about 5mins!) meant that I found out I don't have awesome sea legs! Moving is fine, bobbing for 20mins is not! although the huge swells might've had something to do with that... While Helen attempted to perfect her narcolepsy tendencies, Megan and I perfected our Jo technique while discussing the "hot" males with the conclusion that wetsuits are not flattering. The second dive to Coral Gardens was also AWESOME! Luke's sea legs meant that he gave the dive a miss, but with a great briefing by Rob (the DM) we knew what to look for and saw so much - including a honeycomb moray, anemone fish charging, a trumpet fish - the list goes on! That night was the "awards ceremony". Mental Note: Po10C and Nordic Ice together is not a good mix! Luke got the 007/Alias award (for causing confusion at having 2 names - Luke and Duncan!), Helen for dropping her weight belt (in her defence, it was lumo pink and yellow!) and me the "little Miss Sunshine" for thinking a dive was AWESOME and still bouncing up and down about it after having to come up early coz of dodge power inflators (calm DM = calm diver!). Many G 'n T's, some incredibly random conversations (how big is your tick bite fever scar?) and several interesting renditions by the live band while convincing skippers to buy us drinks later (read about 1am), Megan and I decided it was bed time. Lesson learnt: Seasickness pills do not compensate for drinking and are not good on an empty tummy. But another AWESOME dive to Wayne’s World - starry morays (yes Luke, an eel - not some coral!), incredible nudibranchs, hawkfish, goldies etc. To avoid bobbing in a boat, bob in the sea and there's no sickness! Helen perfected her narcolepsy skills so much that she missed the next dive. The second dive that day to Kyle’s Reef to drift to Caves and Overhangs was not so great. Although we saw a blue-spotted ray, which was nice, we seemed to be swimming against a current and it REALLY made me appreciate the WUC DM's who seem to have more organised dives. Luke and I developed some interesting hand signals! After a really late lunch (5pm) we went for cocktails (try a Brazilica - Coffee and frangelico smoothie - YUM!) and dinner (at 7pm!) at Sodwana Lodge. In true Megan and Jenny style, we stayed up talking (read had random but really cool conversations!) with Rob at the fire until 3am. All good and well but we needed to be up at 5:30 to pack and be at the beach at 6:30ish. Needless to say that Rob, who wasn't diving, and Megan didn't make it. But they missed another AWESOME dive - the same DM as the day before but it also made me realise how important a decent dive briefing is. We went to Anton’s and saw so many different things - it was a lot calmer so the smaller fish were out. I also dived with a 15l cylinder instead of 10l and buddy-breathed with Peter (not strictly a good thing) so lasted an hour. Also made me realise how calmness helps - another power inflator broken and Peter (another one!) shot to the surface a few times! Back to camp and we waited around until 2 for the WUC tanks. The theme of random conversations, including those of taxidermy (would a taxidermist catching a taxi to the dermatologist still drink coffee?) was continued on the long drive back despite the fact that we were in 2 cars. With no taxi drivers on the dark pot-holed road, we had to take photos of Rob and Megan in the car behind instead! We eventually got home at midnight. I know Luke and I walked around like zombies at Wits when we eventually got there and Helen and Megs collapsed on couches - how Rob coped with work at 8, I have no idea. I do know that I LOVE DIVING! A trip of truly AWESOME dives and truly random conversations!
Click on the link below to see pics!
http://picasaweb.google.com/lancasterjenny/Sodwana08Diving?authkey=7WCrOR-xkLo