Well, it's here at last!
Yesterday was a nice gentle relaxed day spent in and around Ruhpolding. A cable car ride to the summit of the tallest mountain (I hope they provide them for some of the stages too!), followed by a little walk to the cafe & kuchen shop to rehydrate and carb load. Got the map of today's route out and tried to trace it from the mountain top but the cloud was so low we only saw white; probably for the best though. Next up, after the ride back down, was a game of golf... don't ask why, it just happened. Shot of the round came from Dis who achieved a hole in 0 on the 18th. A spectacular putt between the rocks on the 17th led the ball to get airborne, flying over the green and up the finishing ramp on the 18th before disappearing into the ball collection tray in the shop. We admitted defeat at this point and headed for the race briefing.
Race briefing in sum..... welcome, mention sponsors, parade of flags, mention sponsors, random dance routine from local lederhosen-clad wunderkind (or young offenders, couldn't work out which), mention sponsors, meet sponsors, mention sponsors, listen to music track, mention sponsors, meet sponsors, mention sponsors, start race briefing, Dis & squishy leave, listen to race briefing (wonder at the ratio of translation, german speaks for 10 min, english translation = welcome, german speaks for 10 minutes, english translation = follow the well marked path, repeat for 1hr). end of generic race brief, start route 1 specific race brief. Learn that it's 36.3k and 1260Hm, which they'd already mentioned, good luck speech, mention sponsors. Depart race brief and head out to find Dis and Squishy; arrive at local ice cream shop and find them tucking into a huge pizza. Decide to join them and order our own pizza, so they order 2 huge ice-creams!!!! help them finish them too. Super carb loading.
Right, breakfast, pack and prep so laters peeps
Are you Jeff Vader?
Atomic Hamster
Saturday, 4 September 2010
Thursday, 2 September 2010
The Hills are alive, with the sound of screaming
Aaaaaarrrghh!
Where ever you, there's a great big hill
The hills are alive with the sound of screaming
but we've still got 2 days till the start!
OK, so not quite the rhyming finesse of the original but I blame babelfish for the poor translation.
So, Ruhpolding at last.
The sun is out the sky is blue there's not a cloud to spoil the view.....
Flight OK, car hire OK, drive down from Munich, good except 2 near-misses with some great continental driving (also known as swerving at the last minute onto the slip road without using the wing mirrors)
After drving around Ruhpolding for a few minutes trying to find our hotle, we eventually parked and, ignoring the German gent leaning out of his window yelling at us, proceeded to ring the hotel door bell..... no response! Ring again..... no response. Return to parked car and try side door.... locked. German gent hollers again... which hotel are you in? this one we reply. How many nights? 2 we say, waving reservation form. What's the name of hotel?..... Parkhotel we say..... Boy, you are so wrong he replies! Ooooops. eventually find hotel (after following ace directions from helpful german gent in window) and check into correct hotel; which happens to be much nicer than the one we originally tried as it is open :)
Chilling on the balcony, thinking about registration, or maybe a beer.....
Until next time people
This tray is wet, and this tray is wet, and this one......
Atomic Hamster
Where ever you, there's a great big hill
The hills are alive with the sound of screaming
but we've still got 2 days till the start!
OK, so not quite the rhyming finesse of the original but I blame babelfish for the poor translation.
So, Ruhpolding at last.
The sun is out the sky is blue there's not a cloud to spoil the view.....
Flight OK, car hire OK, drive down from Munich, good except 2 near-misses with some great continental driving (also known as swerving at the last minute onto the slip road without using the wing mirrors)
After drving around Ruhpolding for a few minutes trying to find our hotle, we eventually parked and, ignoring the German gent leaning out of his window yelling at us, proceeded to ring the hotel door bell..... no response! Ring again..... no response. Return to parked car and try side door.... locked. German gent hollers again... which hotel are you in? this one we reply. How many nights? 2 we say, waving reservation form. What's the name of hotel?..... Parkhotel we say..... Boy, you are so wrong he replies! Ooooops. eventually find hotel (after following ace directions from helpful german gent in window) and check into correct hotel; which happens to be much nicer than the one we originally tried as it is open :)
Chilling on the balcony, thinking about registration, or maybe a beer.....
Until next time people
This tray is wet, and this tray is wet, and this one......
Atomic Hamster
Wednesday, 1 September 2010
Yes there were times, I'm sure you knew
Wow, would you adam 'n' eve it... after several months of stuff and training, the slightly large, but not quite big day has arrived. TOAH has arrived and we're packing for the off. Now, where did I put those walking poles?
Plans.... pack, drive to airport hotel, eat, sleep, travel to airport, fly to Munich, collect hire car and drive to Ruhpolding. After that, who knows!
Best head off and continue the packing/faffing,
Laters peeps,
Aaaargh, I'm covered in bees... (it's an oldie but goody)
Atomic Hamster
Plans.... pack, drive to airport hotel, eat, sleep, travel to airport, fly to Munich, collect hire car and drive to Ruhpolding. After that, who knows!
Best head off and continue the packing/faffing,
Laters peeps,
Aaaargh, I'm covered in bees... (it's an oldie but goody)
Atomic Hamster
Tuesday, 31 August 2010
I think we can win this...
Of course, I think every race is winnable; this feeling generally lasts about 20 yards, until the good people are out of sight and the chance to even sneak in as third in age group disappears as that bloke that you've marked down as beatable (you know, the one with the appalling limp, the scars from his knee replacement and the rattly breathing that that inhaler clutched in his hand will never fix)speeds away as if launched from an aircraft carrier.
I think we're alone now, there doesn't seem to be anyone around...
So what on Earth is the point? Well there's beer at the end of every stage, but there may be more to it than that. Yes, it's a challenge, it's for charity (did we ever mention that?)it's been terrific fun in training, we've spent many happy hours debating exactly what that sharp stuff is that scratches your legs (it looks like a member of the pea family, but its fruit is actually razor blades)we've become intimately acquainted (stop making up your own jokes)with OS Maps, Mr A has carried his walking poles for hundreds of miles without actually using them more than once, but for me...
...it's all about not knowing. In 21st century Britain, it's really easy to spend your whole life never taking a risk. I need to put myself out there in situations which may or may not end well. I need the excitement, I need the adrenaline. It's me and my mate against the toughest terrain the Alps can throw at us.
It's been a bit of a serious post, but this is a serious time, so, as we fly out tomorrow, I will finish with a quote from one of the finest philosophers of the 20th century.
'Let's get out there and twat it' Lister, Red Dwarf.
The Other A-H
I think we're alone now, there doesn't seem to be anyone around...
So what on Earth is the point? Well there's beer at the end of every stage, but there may be more to it than that. Yes, it's a challenge, it's for charity (did we ever mention that?)it's been terrific fun in training, we've spent many happy hours debating exactly what that sharp stuff is that scratches your legs (it looks like a member of the pea family, but its fruit is actually razor blades)we've become intimately acquainted (stop making up your own jokes)with OS Maps, Mr A has carried his walking poles for hundreds of miles without actually using them more than once, but for me...
...it's all about not knowing. In 21st century Britain, it's really easy to spend your whole life never taking a risk. I need to put myself out there in situations which may or may not end well. I need the excitement, I need the adrenaline. It's me and my mate against the toughest terrain the Alps can throw at us.
It's been a bit of a serious post, but this is a serious time, so, as we fly out tomorrow, I will finish with a quote from one of the finest philosophers of the 20th century.
'Let's get out there and twat it' Lister, Red Dwarf.
The Other A-H
Thursday, 26 August 2010
Wednesday, 21 July 2010
It's been.....
One week since the last blog
So, TOAH has made a flying visiting to Woth in Germany to support the Pirate massive whilst I stayed at home doing some other stuff; some of which involved running and some didn't.
This weekend sees Team Atomic Hamster reunited for another couple of training runs; this time through the gorgeous Chiltern countryside (if I can find a couple of routes). I hope the weather remains as unpredictable as it has been, it's quite annoying to carry a daypack full of wet weather and thermal clothing and not needing to dip into it. On a run last week it started raining but by the time I'd unpacked the rucksack and put on the jacket it had stopped, talk about unfair! Anyhow, thought I'd run in the jacket for a bit just in case it started again but no, the sun comes out and I'm running in my own mobile sauna! Apparently the sun not only shines on tv but also on AH when running in a rain jacket. In other news, and following on from last weeks revelation, I will be carrying no gels this weekend. See, learning has taken place.
And there are 44 days to go til the start of the 2010 Transalpine Run, in case you'd forgotten what this Blog is all about. The race is now full up; that's 250 pairs or 500 runners representing the following countries: Germany, Scotland, Wales, Denmark, South Africa, USA, France, Belgium, England, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Holland, Luxembourg, Italy, Estonia, New Zealand, Portugal, Israel, Sweden, Czech Republic, Liechtenstein, Hungary and Canada. Actually, just looking at the entrants list there appears to be around 285 pairs, not 250. Damn, there goes our top 250 finish! Anyhow, back to the countries taking part...., we will, over the coming weeks, be identifying popular pieces of music associated with each country (Liechtenstein, why oh why! I just hope they are so far ahead of us....!) and will be learning some lyrics to provide moral support and home comforts to our fellow competitors. Any song suggestions will be welcome, but we reserve the right to discount any obscure tracks although bonus points will be awarded for Liechtenstein. Maybe we'll revise our mobile jukebox option... it'll give us something to discuss during this weekends training runs.
Until the next time......
What exactly is an Evil Giraffe?
Atomic Hamster
So, TOAH has made a flying visiting to Woth in Germany to support the Pirate massive whilst I stayed at home doing some other stuff; some of which involved running and some didn't.
This weekend sees Team Atomic Hamster reunited for another couple of training runs; this time through the gorgeous Chiltern countryside (if I can find a couple of routes). I hope the weather remains as unpredictable as it has been, it's quite annoying to carry a daypack full of wet weather and thermal clothing and not needing to dip into it. On a run last week it started raining but by the time I'd unpacked the rucksack and put on the jacket it had stopped, talk about unfair! Anyhow, thought I'd run in the jacket for a bit just in case it started again but no, the sun comes out and I'm running in my own mobile sauna! Apparently the sun not only shines on tv but also on AH when running in a rain jacket. In other news, and following on from last weeks revelation, I will be carrying no gels this weekend. See, learning has taken place.
And there are 44 days to go til the start of the 2010 Transalpine Run, in case you'd forgotten what this Blog is all about. The race is now full up; that's 250 pairs or 500 runners representing the following countries: Germany, Scotland, Wales, Denmark, South Africa, USA, France, Belgium, England, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Holland, Luxembourg, Italy, Estonia, New Zealand, Portugal, Israel, Sweden, Czech Republic, Liechtenstein, Hungary and Canada. Actually, just looking at the entrants list there appears to be around 285 pairs, not 250. Damn, there goes our top 250 finish! Anyhow, back to the countries taking part...., we will, over the coming weeks, be identifying popular pieces of music associated with each country (Liechtenstein, why oh why! I just hope they are so far ahead of us....!) and will be learning some lyrics to provide moral support and home comforts to our fellow competitors. Any song suggestions will be welcome, but we reserve the right to discount any obscure tracks although bonus points will be awarded for Liechtenstein. Maybe we'll revise our mobile jukebox option... it'll give us something to discuss during this weekends training runs.
Until the next time......
What exactly is an Evil Giraffe?
Atomic Hamster
Thursday, 15 July 2010
I think never is enough...
Blogs are like buses, except if you get run over by one, in which case there is several tons of difference...
It's getting serious now; time to take my skirt off, cancel my manicure, grow a mustache...
Lots of training with Mr A in Frankfurt, including a little jog round the run course at IMDE; good job Mouse happened by to sort out our pacing.
We were noisy enough...
A week later found us on the Worcestershire Way, in singing, joking and puking mood; it was as if the Anzacs were alive. The miles went by and I'm up to 90 in the first fortnight of July. Who says this ship is lost? No point asking when it is; no point asking who's to go. There's the easy way or the Worcestershire Way.
A trip to Roth for some swimming and shouting is next on the agenda; I'm a little out of practice at both the above. I shall, however, be taking Dave's cowbell, which must count as some sort of training. Ding dong!
Two fish in a reservoir...
I never worked my way through forests, inch by inch, doubled over on my hands and knees...
The other A-H
It's getting serious now; time to take my skirt off, cancel my manicure, grow a mustache...
Lots of training with Mr A in Frankfurt, including a little jog round the run course at IMDE; good job Mouse happened by to sort out our pacing.
We were noisy enough...
A week later found us on the Worcestershire Way, in singing, joking and puking mood; it was as if the Anzacs were alive. The miles went by and I'm up to 90 in the first fortnight of July. Who says this ship is lost? No point asking when it is; no point asking who's to go. There's the easy way or the Worcestershire Way.
A trip to Roth for some swimming and shouting is next on the agenda; I'm a little out of practice at both the above. I shall, however, be taking Dave's cowbell, which must count as some sort of training. Ding dong!
Two fish in a reservoir...
I never worked my way through forests, inch by inch, doubled over on my hands and knees...
The other A-H
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